Your new movie When
a Stranger Knocks - in a few words, what's it about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?
It's about regrets and how they can fester over time, instead of
healing. Gray is a guy who was forced to scrub his wounds, but never let
them heal. He never truly left his father or the cabin they grew up in.
What did you
draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Joseph Bishop can
we find in Gray? I brought a lot of animosity towards Sky, their father and absent mother
when portraying Gray. To capture a version of ourselves that blames the
life/circumstances we are born into. I like to think that a piece of
myself is in Gray. An unhealthy version, though. My shadow, per se. How did you get involved with the
project in the first place?
Javan Garza [Javan Garza
interview - click here] and Dawn Hamil were looking to make another film together. We had worked
on a fair amount of short films since our first first feature together
at that point. There was a first draft where I played Sky's husband. I
remember telling Javan that it didn't feel like it fit for this story,
though. To what degree could you identify with When
a Stranger Knocks' approach to horror?
I enjoy the expression of dread and no escape that the film highlights.
The horror genre often comes across as slasher gore fests with little
depth. Our film feels a little more like Ari Aster's Hereditary to me.
Do talk about When a
Stranger Knocks' director Javan Garza, and what was your
collaboration like?
Javan is always a blast to collaborate with. We're comfortable in our
work. This allows us to explore the story and trust each other. He helps
me get to the places I need for the character to be alive. When
a Stranger Knocks wasn't the first time you've worked with Javan
Garza - so what can you tell us about previous collaborations, and how did
the two of you first meet even? Javan and I met while going to school at
Northwest Florida State College, in the theatre department. We worked load-ins for the shows
that came to the college during the season. If I recall correctly, he
was taking photos on the stage one evening and I was wandering around. I
made the mistake of asking what he was doing and the rest is history,
hahaha. Back to When
a Stranger Knocks: What can you tell us about the shoot
as such, and the on-set atmosphere? Javan and Dawn put in a lot of work setting everything up for this
project. The moment I got on-set it was clear that they were fostering a
great environment for us to create. They let me focus on Gray and kept
me comfortable to express him. The whole crew meshed well and helped
each other. Chris Vargas and Eric Bossard busted their butts, rigging
and lighting everything. The crew as a whole were professional and
amazing to work with.
Any future projects
you'd like to share? There are a few scripts of Javan's that I hope get some traction with
producers. I stay fairly busy working on projects in the South East
market, but I can't really comment on any at the moment.
What got you into acting in the
first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?
When I moved to Florida in 2003 my neighbor had a camera that we had to
film as the edit. We didn't have any post work we could do outside of
the camera. I had done some music/dance productions in school growing
up, but never really had fun like with my friend at that point. My
senior year of high-school I finally popped into an acting class during
a free period. It didn't take long and I had the last three classes of
my day full of acting. I received training over the years since and have
blended them into my own approach. What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to When
a Stranger Knocks?
I spend a lot of my time working in the South East film industry which
includes: Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. I've
been working on "Hollywood" films since 2011 when I worked
background on an MTV show, which happened to be directed by Taika
Waititi for the episode. Now if I'm not auditioning I'm working as a
stand-in on sets. It's taught me a lot about the industry and helped me
grow as an actor. How would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your techniques to bring your
characters to life?
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I would say that some might perceive me as method, but I don't carry the
character around at all times. My belief is that you find the
similarities you can with the character and then make choices based off
the reality that character lives. My philosophy studies also inspire my
perspective in character development. Actors (and indeed actresses) who
inspire you? Denzel Washington, Tom Hiddleston and Kristen Stewart to name a few.
Your favourite movies? Interstellar,
Thin Red Line, The Matrix and Enter the Void are a few
that come to mind. ... and of course, films you really deplore?
I give everything it's chance to shine, typically. If I have to choose,
I'd say "gore porn" flicks on the scale of Hostel
are normally at the bottom of my list. Your website,
social media, whatever else? I'd appreciate some traffic to my IMDb page, hahaha. Anything else you're dying
to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our story with you. I
appreciate your time and this interview. Thanks
for the interview!
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