Goodbye

Well, Folks….it’s about that time. I know that Trainwreck’d Society has gone through different incarnations of departure and fleeting over the years, but it is truly time to fully dismantle the tracks, and move on. The wreckage is all but cleared and there really isn’t much else that really needs to be gawked at or has cause for wide-mouthed & rubbernecked glances. We’ve had our run.

10 years. For the last decade, I have put a lot of myself into this site. It’s served as an identity in a way, and it has yielded exciting opportunities and ventures, as well as, if I’m being honest, a bit of disappointment at times. But, why focus on the negative? Ever since that humid Independence Day that I spent alone in a hotel room in Biloxi, Mississippi back in 2011 when TWS was born, I’ve managed to move across the globe and having the digital pages of this site there to comfort me along the way. I’ve managed to establish some pretty great friendships, continue growing working relationships, and basically just discover new things to love as well as additional information on the things I already cherished so deeply.

Some shoutouts are always in order, amiright? On the professional side of the house, I have to thank all of the wonderful PR folks out there who always treated Trainwreck’d Society as a viable resource for promoting their projects and/or people. There have been a plethora of you fine folks, but it would behoove me to specifically shout out a few specific folks.

Clint Morris. Sweet, sweet Clint. Goddamn, Man. You have been through some shit lately, yet October Coast PR is still a thriving community of people who truly care about their clients. To you, and Alicia, and the rest of the team….THANK YOU! Thanks to you, I am certain that Uncork’d Entertainment and Wild Eye Releasing are my most viewed distributors of the last decade. Good or bad, I was always excited to see what you all had to show me with those wonderful screener links.

Kaytea McIntosh. Hey Kaytea! I feel an even more special kinship to you, as you followed me along my journey of putting words onto the internet since before TWS was a thing. Back in my Fensepost days, I remember getting those shimmering neon colored packages from you knowing that something musically captivating was enclosed within it. You’ve excelled at make XO Publicity one of the finest music PR firms in the country, because you truly give a shit. Your clients know it, I know it, and I am so grateful to have known you, and to watch your business and life grow into the wonderful thing that it is today.

I just realized that I am going to gush over everybody a bit too much, and probably should have reconsidered it at all while the tears start to well up. Anyway, let me just throw out some names here for the sake of encapsulating some iconic friends:

Janelle Rogers of Green Light Go! Publicity – Your digital presence in my life is one that I will also truly never forget. Thank you for being around.

Bill Benson & the entire Team Clermont team – I’m sorry that I didn’t use you guys as much as I should have. You’ve always got great stuff to share. Keep it going!

Jess Guinivan – If you ever looked at this site and asked yourself “How the hell did he get that comedian to be on this silly little site?”, the blame is solely on this goddess of a human being. For whatever reason, she believed in us enough to tell some of the biggest names in comedy right now to become involved. Thank you so damn much Jess for sticking your neck out there.

The entire Avalon Management team – echoing the same above sentiments to you. I was always shocked to hear back from your clients, sometimes directly from their own accounts. Kara Baker, Aaron Brown….all of ya’ll. Thank you!

And to everyone else I might be missing. I’m sorry if I didn’t get your name out there directly. You know you’re great though.

And……………

On a more personal level, I have some folks to digitally embrace and possibly embarass:

Dad – You’re support is obviously one of the things that I cherish the most in the world. You’ve done it with such ease ever since my self-published success/disaster of a book, and you have continued to do so to this day. Thank you for the tips on interview subjects. I don’t know when I ever felt more proud that when I got Greg Warren to do the site and have you ask the questions. And I have 3 kids! Love you, Pops!

Chris Eaves – Sir. I can say with absolute certainty that Trainwreck’d Society, for whatever it’s legacy may be, wouldn’t be possible without you. You’ve been my obvious #1 fan over the years, and I humbly bow to you. Thank you for being a part of the team. I can’t wait to have one of your now legendary burgers in the near future.

To Everyone that contributed to the site – I always wanted TWS to be a shared community. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen as much as I would have liked. BUT- it did happen sometimes. And each and every time I was extremely grateful. To the early contributions from my friends like Ray Wiggington, Dustin Retcher, and David Minne. Back to good ole Eaves himself, to one of my closest friends in the whole world, the legendary Adam Mattson. Tyler Averett, another soul who’s friendship I cherish, I’m pretty sure you got in there as well. Thanks to you all. And to all of the Guest Wreckers. Mike Phillips, you know you’re awesome. Alex Hallet (a.k.a. Bodi)….I can not begin to express what it has meant to be a fan and friend to you. Matt Beat…it’s been amazing to watch what you have managed to create in your time. You give YouTubers a good name. Michael J. Epstein & Sophia Cacciola, my favorite filmmaking team, it has also been amazing to watch you both grow. Phil the Tremolo King – another amazing early supporter, and one of the most talented human beings I know. Comedians David Gborie & Daniel Van Kirk – I’m certain you don’t even remember helping out with some questions, but thank you all the same. And everyone else that I know I am forgetting, and very sorry. But please know that you are appreciated.

To each and every one of the 633 interview subjects that we had on the site. Let’s make a list….

Just kidding. But, seriously, for anyone that has taken the time out of their schedules to share some responses for the site. Even the one guy who said he hated my questions, and won’t be named in this post, as this is supposed to be a joyous outro. Even you, thank you. From our first interview subject, Jess Walter, right down to our last subject, Sam Tallent….whether I sought you out or you were a given blessing, I’m so thankful to have you in our history.

And to those of you who managed to pass along free swag over the years? How fucking cool are you! Fred Fox – I will forever treasure the Family Matters script, and friend of the site Brady Berkenmeir will probably have a shrine to the “jumping the shark” script from Happy Days. I hope it’s okay that I gave it away. It’s a better home. Paul Chart – your art will always be an inspiration. Nobody brought out the best in Robert Forrester than you. Not even QT himself. Thank you Paul! Chris O’Conner – I honestly didn’t realize how much I loved your band until your gifts. It’s quite the testament to the longevity of this site to think about loving physical CD’s, as they were still a thing in our early days! Hillary Holladay – still one of the greatest authors to ever grace our pages. Thank you so much! Speaking of great writers…..

Sarah Darer Littman – I’ve thrown my thanks out to you quite often over the years for you giving me the “cool dad” cred that I so desperately desire. And for doing as such, you get your own block. Thank you so damn much! If Ava and I ever make our way to that illustrious northeast, we will be sure to hit you up.

Folks, I could probably ramble on forever here. There are just so many people to thank for a decade’s worth of work. So much we could look back on and smile about. Ultimately, I am so proud of what we have accomplished here at TWS. I always wanted to keep it simple. I wanted it to be about the content, not the consumerism. I never planned to make a dime financially from this site, and never did. But the memories and information and beauty that I took from my work on this site is more than enough for me. You simply cannot buy what I got out of working late into the nights and early mornings on these digital pages. It’s been a true “blessing”, for the lack of a better word. I’m going to continue down different creative ventures, and I hope you all will follow, but I will never forget what I, we, managed to create here at Trainwreck’d Society.

So without further rambling, and with a heavy heart, I bow to you all and can only say…… Have a wonderful day, and a beautiful tomorrow.

Sam Tallent [Interview]

Hello Folks! And welcome to Trainwreck’d Society. Where for the last decade, we have had the pleasure of bringing you a plethora of interviews with some the best actors, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and beyond. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve. And now, I have to say that it is all over. This is it, Folks. After 10 years, I have decided to close our digital doors. It’s been great. And I am extremely proud of what myself and all the contributors to this site have managed to pull off. For everyone who has been reading on the regular for all of these years, again, thank you so damn much. This site started off as just a way to yell into the internet about movies at a time when I was only yelling into the internet about music. I plan on writing a big ole heartfelt goodbye in the coming weeks, so I’ll stop with the mushy shit for now, and get into the details of our amazing guest….

It’s Sam Tallent, Everyone! Sam is an absolutely hilarious human being with a DYI spirit that is extremely impressive. He is a road dog comic through and through, but also might be one of the most knowledgable and interesting folks in the game. He is also quickly becoming one of my favorite novelists of all time. Last year he released (self-released, just how we like it around here) the absolutely incredible book, Running The Light. As you all know, I love stand up comedy. I think it is one of the purest forms of entertainment there is, as it requires so little physically for the most part, but a whole LOT mentally. With that, Running The Light is definitely the best novel about stand up comedy you will have ever read. Now, the conundrum here is that I fucking hate telling people, “You’ll love this book, even if you don’t care about stand up”. Because while that’s true, it’s really not fair to Sam. The story in RTL is definitely outlandish enough that it could have been written by somebody with far less talent than, well, Tallent. But, I swear on children, this is one of the best pieces of writing I have ever consumed. But, the “even if you don’t like stand up” problem seems to deter people. It’s as if I recommended Tortilla Flats to people and said, “Even if you don’t like broke ass migrant workers, it’s such a well written book.” People may still read it! Well, that is how I feel about Running The Light. Sam Tallent has a skillset on par with a John Steinbeck and will only continue to prove as much in the years to come. Which is an affirmation that I will stand by until my untimely death.

Oh, and did I mention he is funny as hell? As most of you know, when it comes to having comedians on this site, we don’t generally allow those who are not funny. What the hell would be the point? I’ve always made it a point to make you all feel comfortable in knowing that if I have a comedian on this site, they are guaranteed funny. And Folks, Sam Tallent is guaranteed funny. I’m actually just two days out from getting to see Sam live and in person right here in Alaska! In fact, I believe as of this writing, the dude has to be at least on a plane headed this way, or already here suffering through his first sleep in the midnight sun. And you know what Folks, I already know he is going to crush. Guaranteed funny.

So, Folks, it is an absolute pleasure to say that our final guest on the site is one of the funniest human beings on the planet, and one of the best writers around today. I could not think of a better person to wrap this whole thing up with than Sam Tallent. My first two interviews were with a writer (Jess Walter) and a comedian (Timmy Williams). So what better way than closing it out with somebody who has mastered both. I am so excited to have Sam Tallent grace our digital pages today. And without further babbling, please enjoy some amazing words from the brilliant Sam Tallent!

Have a wonderful evening, and a beautiful tomorrow.

******

What inspired you to get into the world of comedy? Was it something you have wanted to do since your youth, or did you just happen to find yourself in this world one day?

My family valued humor above all else. Everyone was very funny in their own ways. My mom was acerbic, my dad was a ham. My sister is a sniper: her quips are acidic and cutting and perfect. My uncles and my aunts and my cousins – they all love to cause and receive laughter. My paternal grandfather was hilarious and ridiculous; I have so many memories of him and me and my dad taking turns making my grandmother laugh until she cried. Funny was a balm applied liberally when times were tough, both emotionally and financially. Even when my parents weren’t getting along, they still laughed at each other. All the people I love and need are funny: I don’t have any friends who aren’t funny. My wife is a stunning, brilliant doctor, but I highly doubt we’d be married if she wasn’t funny (we definitely wouldn’t be married if I wasn’t funny). Funny has just always been the most important thing. There’s footage of me doing stand up – “I just flew in and boy are my arms tired” type jokes – when I was 3 or 4. I parroted these hacky 80’s jokes for my aunts and uncles – whether they fed them to me or showed them to me on TV, I have no idea – but these tapes exist. So I guess I wanted to be a comic before I could read. 

What was your first paid gig in the world of comedy? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work to date?

My first paid gig was at Albums on the Hill in Boulder, Colorado. I learned that if you’re nice and funny and easy to get along with, people will book you for shows you don’t deserve, just as Brent Gill did for that gig. I still abide by that rule and now Brent is one of my funniest and closest friends. 

I have been following your stand up for quite a few years, and happen to know that you hail from the same small part of Colorado as our friend and past guest David Gborie, and that you two are as close as can be, and the stories you would tell on your podcast Shinin’ feel absolutely outrageous. With that in mind, how do you think the environment in which you grew up in affects your work to date? Is it always a constant reminder of where you have been and where you can go? Or is it simply source material for a life well-lived?

Growing up in Elizabeth, population 900, both David and I learned to make everyone laugh. You didn’t have the luxury of choosing your clique. The sample size wasn’t big enough to afford discernment. Parties were attended by cowboys, jocks, theater kids, nerds, burn outs, skaters, goths, preps, rednecks and the generally uninspired, all of them competing for each other’s attention. I don’t know if David would agree because we had different experiences due to the demographics, but I watched him evolve into the beautiful and admirable man he is today since we were 14, so I’m going to speak for him on this specific issue: I think that we each benefited from learning how to speak to the comedic sensibilities of disparate groups. As adults, we can make anyone laugh, and I think it was a skill we learned in our nonage sitting in basements and around bonfires cracking wise for every freak in town. 

We always like to ask comics who are regularly on the road this question: What are some of the more unique cities and/or venues that many people may not realize are actually great places to do comedy?

Cincinnati is pound for pound the funniest city in America. New Orleans is a great place to learn stand up. If I had to film a special, I would heavily consider Minneapolis and Milwaukee because the crowds are smart but they also occupy the center of the Venn diagram formed by drinkers who aren’t loud heckling assholes when they’re drunk. Portland, Maine is better than Portland, Oregon. The Comedy Fort in Fort Collins, Colorado is the best new club in the country. Comedians should go to Pensacola, Florida more because I want the scene to grow so I can eventually move there. Tuscaloosa, Kansas City, Omaha. Iowa City, Little Rock and South Dakota and Kentucky in general are much better than you’d assume. You can still raise hell in San Francisco. Also, never call SF “San Fran”, call it the City to impress locals. I want to spend more time in Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Diego, Montana and Oxford, Mississippi. If I disappear, look for me in Key West or Chattanooga. No matter what happens, I will consider myself successful as long as I never have to perform in Gillete, Wyoming again.. 

Your book Running the Light is absolutely incredible. Obviously fans of stand up comedy will love it, but it’s also brilliantly written. So, what made you want to tell this story? Has the occupation of novelist always been something you’ve aspired to do?

Thanks, Ron. That’s very nice and flattering. Reading literary fiction is my favorite thing. If I could just read books, I’d be fairly happy. I’m confident to say that I have excellent taste in fiction. I was writing short stories, just tinkering, and I sent one of them to VICE. They liked it and they published a butchered version and it went viral in the comedy world. The success of that gave me the idea that maybe I could write, but I never intended to write that book. It came out of trying to write two other things and I got about 120,000 words deep on those before I met Billy Ray (the protagonist of Running the Light). And I know saying I met him sounds pretentious and bullshit but I had no intention of giving him life. I initially wanted to tell the story of his son, Jeremiah, the boy who was orphaned by him, and the first chapter of RTL was a vignette from that project, but as I wrote it, I realized I knew Billy Ray better than his son. The decisions he made were organic and he was easy to write; I never had to yank his strings or force him. So I just followed him on his mission and ten months later I had a book. And yes, if I’m honest, I have always aspired to be an author, which is weird to admit for some reason and I don’t know why.    

If you were given free range to create the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

 I’m not a big fan of biopics. I don’t like happy endings. I like stories involing very high risk for very little reward. Like a highly orchestrated and well thought-out jewel heist is less interesting to me than a guy who robs a gas station with an unloaded gun and gets away with $300. I guess if I got to do a biopic, I’d do a movie about a guy like this guy here in Colorado who modified a bulldozer and used it to destroy a bunch of buildings in his small town before he blew his head off. As a story teller (I can’t believe I just said as a story teller. Jesus Christ.), I think it would be fun to explore what brought him to that point where he’s behind the wheel of this homemade tank smashing up VFW’s and Wendy’s. How pissed off do you have to be to build a killdozer? There’s a lot of steps involved. That’s not like a dude who snaps and takes a gun to the post office. You have to build a killdozer. You have to source the steel, order the rivets. You have to learn to weld. I’ve never been so furious that I learned how to weld. The killdozer demolition of Granby, Colorado isn’t the result of a guy having one bad day, it’s the culminaiton of a lifetime of bad days. And I think there’s probably a very human story in all of those bad days that would be intersting to tell. 

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to your readers? 

I’m touring again, building a brand new. My dates and my book are on SAMTALLENT.COM. I’m going to start putting out other peoples books on my publishing company, Too Big To Fail Press, which was a dumb decision, but I have to put out at least one so I can know exactly how dumb it is. I have an Audible Original coming out this fall. It’s a 30,0000 word short story about a teenage bare knuckle boxer. It’s violent and bleak and hopeless and beautiful and I’m very proud of it. I’m swimming and lifting weights and cooking plant based meals for my friends and family. I’m celebrating five years of marriage with Doctor Tallent and feeling grateful every day for everything. I’m reading the entire catalog of New York Tyrant, RIP Gian. I’m half assedly working on my second novel. I’m reccomending the book Preparation for the Next Life to your readers because it’s the best book I’ve read in a very long time. My comedy special comes out September 7th. And finally, after an 11 year hiatus, I’m obtaining the last 8 credits I need to get my undergrad so that maybe, one day, I can make college kids at a small  and expensive liberal arts school read my favorite books and have them tell me why they suck. 

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My wife just came home from work and did a half scoot/half run into the kitchen with her arms pinned to the side and told me it was called “the mini scuffle”. Then, on her way out of the kitchen,  she did it at full speed and informed me that version was called the “big mini scuffle”. 

Varda Appleton [Interview]

 

Hello Folks! Today we are getting back to the roots of the site. I’ve always wanted to considered Trainwreck’d Society an arts appreciation site, and god dammit all if we don’t have a great interview to share with you all that absolutely fits that bill. While we have shared words from folks from all sorts of realms of entertainment, the performer has obviously been the key to our showcasing. Which is why I am so excited that this interview, or second to last ever, is with the brilliant Varda Appleton. She is an absolutely incredible actress, and I can’t think of anyone better to close out our conversations with performers than Varda.

I became intrigued by Varda’s work when she appeared in our friend and past guest’s, Zachary Ray Sherman’s, directorial debut, Barbie’s Kenny. It’s a damn near perfect film, and Varda plays a major role the film’s near perfection. She is an absolutely incredible performer, and we are so excited to have her grace our digital pages. Thank you Varda. You’ve made a mark on us here at TWS, and we will be forever grateful. I hope you dig this, Folks. She’s the last of her kind here at Trainwreck’d Society. And I couldn’t be more content with that.

So Folks, here it goes, please enjoy some wonderful words from the brilliant actress, Varda Appleton! Enjoy!

******

What inspired you to get into the world of performance? Was it something you have aspired to do since your youth, or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

Definitely something I aspired to since my childhood but didn’t always have the courage to pursue full-time. I knew I wanted to be an actor, but saying that out loud was too scary. I remember seeing Equus on Broadway and thinking I must get into that world, some way. I started taking the bus into New York from Teaneck, NJ to study acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio and NYU summer programs. I was very much conditioned to choose a more “practical” route and went to school and worked as a neonatal ICU nurse while studying acting. But alas, I kept getting lured back to the “impractical” pursuit of a full-time acting career. 

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affect your work to date?  

My first paid gig was doing children’s theatre in NYC. When Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman came to see the show with their kids and treated us like colleagues, that was exciting and inspiring. Lessons learned from doing theatre are invaluable and starting in theatre has definitely affected my work ethic; I’m so glad to have come up that way. It really gave me the stamina and concentration that sticks with me in any project, any medium. 

One project that you worked on recently was actually one of our Top 5 films of 2019, which was Barbie’s Kenny, written & directed by our dear friend and past guest Zachary Ray Sherman. I am curious to know what drew you to this project? What was it about this story that made you want to be a part of it?  

First, the people. I am such a fan of Zachary, he’s an amazing actor and an equally amazing and humble human being; these traits serve him well as a director. Second, I loved my role as an acting coach because I got to draw on all of the acting teachers I’ve had over the years. It was great to see it all come together.

You’ve done some wonderful work in film, television, the stage, and beyond. I am always curious to know which do you prefer? If you were only able to pursue one means in which to perform, what would it be? Why?

I absolutely love working – that’s the bottom line – I always say I’d love to do enough film to allow me to work on Broadway – that’s always been my dream. My ultimate goal would be to move fluidly between Broadway and film.  

If you were handed the opportunity to create and/or perform in the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Sherry Lansing made her mark in a male-dominated industry at a time when this wasn’t the norm.  I was always in awe of her and wondered how she mustered the strength and motivation to navigate her career.  I think it would be fascinating to explore her journey in more depth.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

The future is bright. I am an optimist, and I am tenacious. I’m involved in a couple of very funny pilots that I hope will go forward this year. Recent work includes the dark comedy/horror film Cut and Chop and the thriller Manifesto (both streaming on Amazon Prime).

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Opening the email containing my vaccine appointment induced my biggest smile of the year. Being back on set, getting crafty in a box, working again, has kept me smiling.

Lee Spencer [Interview]

Hello Folks! We have another great interview with a man that truly fits the bill here at Trainwreck’d Society. It’s Lee Spencer, Everyone! We’ve had a plethora of character actors showcased on these digital pages, some of the best really, and today is no exception. To break the fourth wall a bit (if that’s a thing in blogging?) I tend to seek out these people because they have worked, in some part, on some of my favorite projects. In 10 years of doing this, I have probably spoken with at least one person involved in almost all of my favorite films, TV shows, music, etc. And as it turns out, some of the kindest folks happen to be character actors who played very memorable roles. And as I mentioned before, today is no exception.

Today’s guest, the wonderful Lee Spencer, came across my radar when I noticed that he portrayed a member of the legendary Foot Clan in the epic film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. And with a bit more research, I began to realize that I have seen this cat all over the place, in roles where we actually see his face when it’s not donned with a giant tube sock! Most recently I can remember him from his brilliant performance in the brilliant and not praised enough film The Peanut Butter Falcon. But, he also has an astounding credit roll in the world of TV, appearing on brilliant shows like Under The Dome, One Tree Hill, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, & so many more. He also recently appeared in a film called Charming the Hearts of Men, which I have not seen, but am very intrigued and will be looking into it ASAP!

And as luck tends to have it, he is an incredibly nice man who provides some great insight into some wonderful projects that he has worked on. I’m so excited to share his words with you all today, and I am honored that Spencer was willing to take some time out of his very busy schedule to share said words with us today. So Folks, please feel honored, and please enjoy some wonderful words from the brilliant Lee Spencer!

What inspired you to get into the world of performance? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth, or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day? 

In the ninth grade I took a drama class. I was painfully shy. One class we did a lip-synch battle and I got up on stage and mouthed the words to an old novelty song called ‘Alley Oop’. The class erupted into laughter and applauded furiously at the end and I was hooked on performing. I could come out of my shell on stage. I had a brief detour into music and being in a band but eventually moved to NYC to attend acting college. 

What was your first paid gig in the world of performance? And were there any sort of lessons from this experience that still affects your work to date?

After I graduated from school in NYC and floundered for a few years I returned to my home state of NC to rethink things. I figured until some other plan for my life ‘dropped in’ I would continue to audition for theater since it made me happiest. I booked a role in the play Butterflies Are Free at the Barn Dinner Theater in Greensboro, NC, my hometown. I was thrilled I was to receive $225 a week. I was now professional. Haha. I remember the  first day of rehearsal I arrived early. I was playing a blind young man so I figured I would wander around the stage set blindfolded to ‘feel’ out the room and connect with the character. My director walked in and said ‘take off the blindfold we’re blocking Act I.’ We mounted the show in two weeks. And yes, to this day I think, dive right in. Learn your lines and do your research. There is no perfection or getting it ‘right’. Bottom line is you have a show to do or a scene to film and you just have to show up and be vulnerable and listen and respond and don’t be concerned because you didn’t get to ‘sniff’ the furniture so to speak or go live in a cave somewhere to prepare for the role. It’s make believe. I’ll add that if you can perform in the ‘Round’ to a group of drunk patrons at a dinner theater that is the school of hard knocks training. 

It’s now been thirty years since my favorite childhood film was released, which would be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. One of your earliest roles was in this film, portraying a member of the legendary Foot Clan. With that being said, I am curious to know how your experience was working on this legendary (at least to me) film?

It was my first part in a movie. Which was a huge deal. A few lines as a Foot. And I got a close up! It enabled me to join the Screen Actors Guild. I was legit. Lol. In the back of my mind I probably thought I’d made it. It was fast. I arrived on set at Screen Gems in Wilmington, NC and the interior set for the junkyard was huge. We did a few takes of me running in the Foot hideout. I remember one of the Turtles played a Foot as well and had asked for some lines so they took away a couple of my lines and it irritated me. But I did get the big ‘His Face’ line to Shredder. It was thrilling. When I saw my image on the big screen I remember feeling queasy. HAHA! I just couldn’t take it. I left the theater after. I’ve never seen the entire movie. But to this day any male hovering around late thirties loves to hear I was in that film. I feel old now. Next question. 

In more recent years, you portrayed the character of Glen in the absolutely brilliant film The Peanut Butter Falcon. I am curious to know what drew you to work on this one? And how was your experience overall?

Every once in a while you get to work on something that turns out to be pretty special. It was simply another audition like any other. In fact the only name attached was Shia and I had not much of an idea what the plot was. I instinctively felt I could play it with a little southern flair so I channelled an old famous character actor named Strother Martin. Just had fun with it. Not too broad but outside the box I normally operate in. Four months later when I arrived to film, many big names were attached and it was a hot script. Dakota Johnson and I got to play and improvise a bit and we shot the scene over many takes. She was just delightful. The directors Tyler and Mike were very special cool fellas and I could tell the project was the most important thing in the world to them. It was truly a labor of love and a dream realised. My scene was cut in half practically, which is the norm, however what stayed in the picture was great and I couldn’t be prouder to have had a part in the film. 

If you were handed the opportunity to create and/or star in the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Most of the figures that come to mind I would have loved to play at a younger age. Probably any figure from the early years of this country so the research would be fascinating and people wouldn’t have such a strong idea of who the person was. One of the more obscure semi famous figures. It’s tough to play someone who is an icon. For instance I loved Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash but most surely there was someone who didn’t buy it who was a rabid Cash fan. I would feel that way about an actor who played one of the Beatles. I used to fantasize about playing a cowboy or lawman in the Old West. However the truth is I’d probably have been cast as the guy in the telegraph office with the spectacles and little bill cap.

 What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I am in fact filming parts on two tv series this very moment (one in RIchmond VA and the other in Atlanta). However productions are so secretive about their scripts and characters these days I had to sign NDA’s. Bummer. I WILL plug the studio I teach on camera acting at and where we tape hundreds of actors audition tapes weekly. Right in the Triad of NC. Check out in-studio.org. Drew Matthews and myself along with a few other extremely qualified gifted actors run this huge facility in Greensboro and honestly I would put the quality work we do right up there with anyone in the Southeast market in film/tv training. 

What was the last thing that made you smile? 

After I taped an actor for a part in a film last week (his first audition) he was so excited about the finished product that he was smiling and laughing so genuinely that it made me smile for real.