Lisa Carroll
An Aussie who got his big break in the popular HBO series “True Blood,” actor Ryan Kwanten again goes into interesting territory with the SciFi film “2067,” set in a dystopian future.
Moviehole sits down with Kwanten for a quick chat to talk about “True Blood,” the horror movie genre and some cool acting advice for newbies.
Moviehole: How did you get involved in acting?
Ryan Kwanten: Acting continued to find its way into my life, and I think what gets me coming back is the people I work with, the tribe of crew and cast; we can be in the middle of nowhere and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
I call my acting method life experience; I didn’t come from an overly artistic family, I ended up going into sports and found my way into the arts later in life; my experience and memories I parlay into various characters.
Moviehole: How did you get involved with this film?
RK: I’ve been involved for a few years with the financing and with the writer/director (Seth Larney), it’s his baby and his ode to the current state of nature and how to provide hope to the future. My philosophy is in line with Seth, and I put my trust in this man who not only knew the philosophical side but he also knew how to pull off the SciFi side as well.
Movieehole: What is your character like?
RK: His name is Jude, he’s a survivor and grew up as most kids did in the story without parents in an oxygen depleted world. He has taken it on himself to be a protector for Ethan (main character). They need each other in ways they aren’t aware of yet; my character is a believer in fate and Ethan is a believer in faith and they come to loggerheads.
Moviehole: What was the toughest thing about making this film?
RK: Letting go. Just letting go of prior preconceptions of what the set might look like, letting go of various things, letting go of stuff and your performance — we didn’t have time to mull over things. We had an incredible lead time. And there was a lovely level of empathy with Kodi (Ethan) and I got very close in this to walk in his shoes.
Moviehole: Do you miss “True Blood” and why?
RK: “True Blood” changed my life, and I love the legacy it left behind; it’s still relevant today, I didn’t think about an effect when I was shooting but you know you’re part of something special, you can only hope it goes well. I see more of the crew because most of them tend to be in one place, but as to the cast, we’ll always have Paris and those beautiful eight years we were on the show. There’s nothing in the pipeline for “True Blood” right now.
Moviehole: What are your upcoming projects?
RK: Next year I have a film coming out called “Loveland,” an exploration of love in a loveless place, and also a series with Amazon called “Them: Covenant” – it’s set in 1950s Compton in a horror realm, it’s a totally original piece. I’m about to go shoot an episode of “Creepshow.” Scary movies have heightened levels of emotion of my craft and myself and I like them. It’s okay to cry or let out that bully laugh, okay to share your view with someone who has seen a horror film.
It’s funny how that genre has transformed since “The Blob” and the drive in, there’s always a fan base for that type of stuff. Audiences have gotten smarter and are expecting more, and I think there’s a beautiful array of new things out there. It’s the way we keep doing SciFi and making it character driven, like what makes you tick.
Moviehole: What is your advice for newbie actors?
RK: I guess it would be for either crew or cast, is don’t be afraid is put stuff out there, go out on a weekend with friends and if you have an idea and shoot that — you can do that on an iPhone and put out a call on Craigslist. You would be surprised at what people would do for an artistic endeavor, which doesn’t have a Hollywood budget at all.
“2067” was just released on Demand and in Digital on October 2nd.
