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Your new movie High Moon - in a few words, what is it about,
and what can you tell us about your character in it?
Action.
Horror. Western. Cowboy, werewolves, custom choppers. That sums
it up! But to elaborate, High Moon
is the story of 'Colt', an
old West gunslinger-werewolf hunter who mysteriously finds
himself - and the vicious gang of lycanthrope outlaws he hunted
- very much alive and in the present day, so he begins his hunt
all over again while trying to navigate a strange new world. I
play 'Colt', and he's what you'd expect from a 150+ year-old
cowboy - he's at once both a gentleman and a hard-charger; he's
dated and out of touch with the modern age, and he can be a bit
blunt and insensitive in his one-track seek-and-destroy mindset.
But he certainly has his redeeming qualities as well.
What
did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Chad
Michael Collins can we find in Colt?
I grew up a country boy in upstate New York, so there's an element
of 'Colt' that I inherently understood. He's a
do-it-yourself-er, he's got dirt under his fingernails, and he's
not afraid of hard work. I also revisited some really fun,
classic western movies to study the stoic, manly-man nature of
characters from that era. It was a great excuse to watch Wyatt
Earp and some Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns again.
How did you get
involved with the project in the first place?
The writer/director, Josh Ridgway, and I were introduced via mutual
friend. I loved his script because it was so fun, combining
action and supernatural elements in a way that felt like an 80s
John Carpenter movie, the type of stuff I grew up on. Luckily,
he had seen a couple of my Sony
Sniper military action films, so
he was already a fan, so coming aboard was relatively seamless
and exciting.
High
Moon appears to be a rather eccentric genre mash-up - so what were
your first thoughts when you read it?
Personally... I loved it. I mean the western feel to it alone got my interest
peaked. But then throw in werewolves, a hot rod, and custom
high-end motorcycles? In my mind, that just equaled
"fun". And boy was it ever!
Do talk about your
director Josh Ridgway, and what was your collaboration like?
Josh was a pleasure to work with, and he was very open to
collaboration. We'd figure out a way to tweak dialogue and
action, punch up some lines and scenes for comedic effect
together. He always took my ideas in stride and trusted me with
the part, so I was very grateful. Not that much needed to be
tweaked; I loved the script from the start.
What
can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
We shot in and around the Dallas, Texas area, which I enjoyed
immensely. I loved the environment, the people - they were all
very welcoming and gracious. A lot of it was shot outdoors, on
location, so we got to take in the Texas landscape and weather
in all of its fickle glory. On-set, it was a blast - I thought
everyone in the cast did a tremendous job, from my beautiful
co-star Chelsea Edmundson, to the co-lead Matthew Tompkins, to
Sean Patrick Flanery playing the corrupt town mayor to hilarious
effect. The supporting cast, which was mostly local to Texas,
impressed me as well. We all had a lot of fun working together.
Any
future projects you'd like to share?
I've got a few that are a bit top-secret for now, but we hope to do
another Sniper film this summer. I'll also be popping onto a
Lifetime original movie very soon here as well. Details
forthcoming!
What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject?
When it comes to my acting career, I've had a bit of a unique
journey. I was a journalism major who landed a gig doing
entertainment publicity for a boutique firm out in LA. Being in
the industry eventually introduced me to my first acting class,
and for years I juggled both careers. I've been fortunate to be
able to have most of my acting education come from being on set,
and being a sponge since the beginning. There was no better way
for me to learn than by being baptized by fire early and often.
What can you tell us about your film and
TV-work prior to High Moon?
I've been fortunate to appear in a lot of TV, and to have the ongoing Sniper
franchise. It's nice to pop on a show here, there, and
take in the variety. One gig you're a soldier, another a cop,
sometimes a lawyer. I'm curious by nature, so acting has allowed
me to scratch my jack-of-all-trades but a master-of-none itch
for learning and exploring. All of my roles are my babies, so
it's hard to pick favorites!
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photo by Sonalii Castillo |
Having worked both on
feature films and TV shows, what are the main differences between shooting
one and the other? And do you prefer either?
Oh yeah, there's a big difference. TV is usually a well-oiled
machine, on a tight schedule, with very fast, dialed-in
turnarounds. Oftentimes, you are hired a day or two out, you
show up for X amount of days, you do your job and you split.
With films, it's a labor of love from the beginning, especially
at the low-budget, indie level. You bond quickly, it feels like
a family. But I love the experience of both mediums, as they
each have unique and wonderful things to offer.
How would
you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your techniques to bring
your characters to life?
I don't know how I'd describe myself, but I've had people tell me
that I'm very natural. Which, I suppose, is a great compliment.
I try to keep it real, grounded, because that's how people act
in real life. Obviously if I'm running from an alien warship or
a 25-ft long prehistoric alligator, that changes things. But I'm
a detective, I love reading scripts and reading between the
lines to create something interesting and unique that also works
within the confines of storytelling.
Actors (and indeed actresses)
who inspire you?
Oh boy. Lots. I've always loved Brad Pitt's work. So varied, so
interesting and fun. I grew up on movies like Road House and
other 80s and 90s action films, so I have much appreciation for
the Patrick Swayzes and Sam Elliotts of the world. I'm a fan
of actors in general, because every one is a unique individual
snowflake and they each bring something special to every role.
There is always much to learn and appreciate about my fellow
actors.
Your favourite movies?
Braveheart, hands-down number one. I also love Fight Club. The
Lord of the Rings trilogy still resonates to this day. I'm a big comic book
nerd, so I love getting to watch my heroes on screens both big
and small so often these days.
...
and of course, films you really deplore?
Ah,
that's a tricky question - and I'll plead the fifth! What I will
say on this matter is that no one ever really intends to make a
bad film, but sometimes it happens to turn out that way, either
in execution or response. And it's sad to see that happen,
because I believe everyone has the best intentions with the
Herculean endeavor that is making a film.
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Your website,
Facebook, whatever else?
www.ChadMichaelCollins.com
www.Facebook.com/chadmichaelcollins
www.Twitter.com/collinschadm
www.Instagram.com/collinschadm
High Moon website:
www.HIGHMOONtheMovie.com.
Anyone curious can go there to see everything, and sign up via email to
get notifications and where to buy!
Anything else you're dying to
mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
think I've talked about myself enough for one day, ha!
Thanks for the interview!
A
pleasure! And catch High Moon
on digital 5/14 and on DVD/Blu-ray
7/2!
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