K.T Simpson
You may remember his face from 2008’s “90210”, but Zachary Ray Sherman has recently impressed in his new film “CUCK”, playing lonely man Ronnie in the American thriller.
“CUCK” is a gripping fly-on-the wall character study and psychosexual thriller tracking an isolated and lonely young man as he is indoctrinated into the online echo chambers of Alt-Right ideology and hate. Touching on several topical nerves, “CUCK” gives a raw, unforgiving glimpse into a dark world that hides in plain sight.
We had the chance to speak to Sherman about the incredible “CUCK” and his time on set – and what’s next!
Congratulations on the recent release of “CUCK”! How would you describe your character, Ronnie?
Thanks so much! I’d describe Ronnie as a loner. An isolated guy in his late twenties who still lives at home with his mom. He’s never really been great with people and his outlet is his computer. As the film begins we watch Ronnie’s day to day happenings occur and observe his struggles before he gets swept up in the drama of online hate groups and a couple neighbors who steer his life in a direction he never anticipated.
How did you find working with director Rob Lambert?
I loved working with Rob. He’s just what you want in a director. Open, supportive, a great audience. We did a lot of talking in the preparation stages, discussing all things Ronnie and when we got to the set we let it all unfold. He’s an excellent director and just the sort I love collaborating with.
Do you have any interesting or funny stories from set?
I remember one night we were shooting at Candy and Bill’s house. We’d been there all day and were wrapping up with the final scene. Things didn’t feel like they were fully connecting, landing just right … so we altered the scene, blocked and shot it an entirely new way. I loved that Rob and the team embraced the freedom of exploring and trying new things as we felt we were missing the mark just a bit. Funny thing is, in the final cut of the film the first approach is what was used and it works just fine … there’s no sense of the scene not working. It taught me that however important and guiding instinct is, you can end up feeling differently after time has passed and you’re in the cutting room. So again, I’m glad we took the time and energy to explore the scene in a new way, saying ‘well, let’s take a beat and figure this out’ when things were feeling slightly askew. Turns out some of the footage we shot after adjusting the approach and blocking was used in the movie as well … so there you go.
How long did you have to be on set each day, and how many days?
Typically we worked 12 hour days, not going over very often. I think the shoot was 24 days total, something like that, give or take a couple. I wasn’t paying attention to overall schedule very closely and don’t remember exactly but sometimes indie films move fast, like 13 days fast, so I’m really glad we had a solid schedule to take our time and not be entirely rushed.
How do you usually wind down from a day on set?
It starts with getting out of the clothes and heading home to bed. With Ronnie, I’d kick back with beer and food to unwind as I was actively gaining weight for the role. The relaxation and unwinding varies job to job but once wrap has been called for the day or night you simply step out of it and back to your life. Usually that’s toward sleep and the prep for the next day. The real unwinding happens once the film wraps.
What do you find are the differences between filming TV, shorts and full length films?
I’d like to think there aren’t many differences between the formats but the truth is every job is different no matter the medium. For me, I just have to get a good grasp in the beginning, figure out how the ship sails and my duties on that boat. It’s always going to start with my personal approach to the role but there are usually adjustments here and there necessary to whatever project I’m becoming a part of. I love it when the director sets aside time to go through the text or get the actors together or simply builds upon our relationships before going into the trenches. Rehearsal seems to be somewhat looked down upon these days, but I’m all for it. If you can make it happen I think you’re only going to be stronger after the rehearsal process. As for the overall differences, TV tends to move fast but so do indie films and shorts. I like the overall length of a feature shoot as you’re committed to the character for a solid chunk of time that’s usually longer than TV or shorts as you get all that time to explore the characters and world. I had two months time for preparation on “CUCK” and hope to have similar prep windows in the future as that’s when so much important work can occur.
As someone with experience in acting, directing, producing, and more – is there anything in particular that you love the most?
I really love it all. I’m a fanatic and obsessed with acting and movies so it’s not hard to be in love with all sides of it. Acting is the longest love and perhaps the deepest but the others are catching up and pretty enticing.
What would you say are your career highlights/favourite roles that you’ve played?
I’m proud of the work in “CUCK” and hope people will seek out the movie. Go watch it now. It’s a wild ride, a strong movie and it doesn’t hold back. So be prepared, buckle up but I think you’re in for an interesting compelling movie watching experience. I hope my next favorite role is ahead of me, my next few jobs out. I did a terrific play, “A Steady Rain” by Chicago playwright Keith Huff and that’s an amazing role/play. We may do that again, will see. People know me most from a year on TV’s “90210” and there’s another film on Netflix called “Archie’s Final Project” that I have a smaller but pivotal role in which I think is a pretty interesting movie. Lastly there’s the newer Netflix series, “Everything Sucks!” which I think is pretty great and worth watching, but the exciting stuff is always what’s ahead.
Do you have any major career goals you feel you haven’t reached yet?
Sure, I’d like to helm bigger movies. I look forward to acting in larger films. I look forward to it all and feel like I’m just beginning.
What’s next on your agenda?
There is a film I co-directed with my sister called, “Thunderbolt In Mine Eye” which the Duplass Brothers are executive producing. We’re very excited to release that film to the world sometime next year. I’m excited to collaborate with Rob Lambert and Nick Matthews from “CUCK” again, we are a hell of a trio and think we’ll do something worthwhile when we get together on another project. I’m acting in a few projects with friends and looking forward to the next job I haven’t yet heard about.
“CUCK” is out now! Check out where to watch it HERE.
