Todd's appeared in some great movies, and a slew of great TV shows.
1. What was the appeal to get into acting?
I got into acting in junior high when a teacher encouraged me to try it. I was lousy at sports, and found that people thought I was good on stage, and suddenly girls wanted to talk to me, so I stuck with it. Short answer: girls.
2. How did you get involved in the film, Blast From The Past?
I was actually working part time for Denise Chamian, the casting director for Blast from the Past. I filed headshots for her a couple hours a day, and kept her assistants laughing, so she gave me a shot at a small part, and Hugh Wilson dug my take on the part, so he cast me. It was my first theatrical job, after having done a few national commercials.
3. That movie seems to be on TV at least once a year, especially here in Australia. What was it like to film?
It does get a lot of TV play here, as well. And a lot of people seem to like it, it's become one of those "cable perennials," a movie that did modestly at the box office but has stuck with people through the years. I worked on it for a week and a half, and given how small my part was, most of that time was spent sitting around in my trailer or chatting with Alicia Silverstone's bodyguard in the parking lot (that guy told some stories!) Alicia was really sweet, Brendan Fraser was a nice guy and easy to work with although somewhat aloof so I didn't really get to know him personally, but easily the best part was talking to Dave Foley in between takes, getting the dish on Kids in the Hall, which I am a huge fan of to this day.
4. Weeds is a great success. What is it like to be a part of?
It was great to be a part of Weeds, and not just because it is a popular show and my part was really well written and I love to play bad guys. It was very special because it was the first year one of my best friends, Stephen Falk, joined the writing staff, and being the great guy he is, he went out on a limb and whispered in the casting director's ear to bring me in for the part (this is not something most people who just started on a job would do for a friend.) We have been working together for years, both on stage and in short films (you can see us lampooning Footloose on my YouTube channel, and hear us talking movies at http://www.filmpigs.com/) so it was a special pleasure to get to sit together on a set and work together in a professional atmosphere...it was the first time we have ever worked together and actually get paid to do it!
5. Were you concerned with the subject matter for Weeds?
The subject matter of Weeds doesn't bother me a bit. I like edgy entertainment to begin with, it's really the only thing that keeps me engaged...really, if something isn't pushing the envelope, then what's the point? I don't find anything that isn't challenging to be entertaining, I get bored easily. As far as pot itself, I don't understand what the big deal is. It really isn't any more or less harmful than alcohol, so if people want to toke up, I say let them!
6. What challenges did you face doing comedy on the Nikki TV series?
Nikki was a lot of fun. The biggest challenge we had was the fact that it was such a low rated show we had a hard time drumming up audiences to sit in the studio. Frequently, a bus was sent out into Los Angeles to recruit an audience with the promise of free pizza and soda. As a result, a lot of the people who came were Spanish speaking, and didn't understand a lot of what we were talking about. It's tough doing comedy in front of a live audience that doesn't get the jokes. They don't laugh, and a silent studio is a sad one. We still had a great time, though. It was one of my favorite experiences...it's great to have a writer's room that gets what you're doing as an actor and plays to your sensibilities.
7. What would be your ideal role?
I can't say I have an ideal role. I'll play pretty much anything. I would love to see one of the screenplays I've written get produced with me in the lead. For example, my writing partner and I wrote a screwball comedy about middle-aged people trying to recapture their spring break glory days called Vodka and Sand, and doing that would be a dream come true.
8. What’s coming up next for you?
I shot a shoestring budget feature called Fuzz Track City in which I play the lead role, which was a great experience, and the producers are hoping to get it out to some film festivals later this year. Beyond that, I am just driving around Los Angeles and going to auditions and trying to score the next job...such is the life of a character actor!
9. Is there an event or charity you would like to bring to my readers’ attention?
If you are interested in reading in detail what my career has been like, you can read my book "Don't Act: 101 Reasons You Shouldn't" which is available through Amazon (U.S. only, but I'm pretty sure they will ship overseas) or you can get it on Kindle. Also, I wrote a horror novel called The Last Road Trip which is available through Amazon and Kindle as well, in addition to other ebook platforms. I am currently working on a new horror novel called Headache Man. If you want to see me doing some no-budget sketch comedy you can check out www.jokeybits.com, which is a lot of fun.
Thanks for the interview Todd, you're super cool!
I hope the reader's dug this interview.
Please feel free to leave a comment below.
Until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment