Jason Dohring

In “Searching for Sonny”, actor Jason Dohring – best known for playing ‘Logan’ on TV’s “Veronica Mars” – plays one of four suspected for a murder that takes place at a High School Reunion. Coincidentally (or is it?), the events surrounding the disappearance of their friend Sonny (Masi Oka), is reminiscent of a high school play they once performed, coincidentally written by Sonny himself. KATIE CROCKER speaks to Dohring about this terrific new movie – and, of course, the chances of a ‘Logan’ reprise in the future.

Can you tell me a little bit about how you became involved in the film? I remember reading that Andrew Disney had this dream cast in mind after he finished writing, including yourself, so could you tell me a little bit about that.

Well, from the moment I read the script, I could just sense it was a quality project. Everything about it was refreshing. The comedy just “popped” off the page. Andrew and I had a meeting, we “clicked,” and that was it!

And what was your first reaction to the script? The film has some distinct stylistic choices, with the narrator, etc, is that what attracted you to it? Was there anything you read in the script that was similar and didn’t make it into the film or anything that was added while filming?

Again, simply reading the script, it was pretty clear how the movie was going to be made–I mean, you could see how it would be shot, styled, edited, everything. Almost everything in the script ended up in the final cut, with the addition of cast improvisation.

And how much improvising made it into the movie?

Andrew encouraged the freedom of improvisation. I think this accounted for a good deal of the “wildness” you see in the film. While we were certainly interested to sticking to the script, we were also encouraged to “go with” any impulses we had–a lot of which ended up in the final cut.

What attracted you to the role of Elliott?

It was the story as a whole that initially drew me to the project. The script was so original, so one-of-a-kind and a never-before-told story in a genre few films dare to go. You see a lot of first-time directors, in doing their first film–they create these wonderfully introspective, esoteric films that few can understand. Andrew wanted to make a fun film–film audiences would enjoy. And that’s what our film is. It’s a wild ride!

Ok, so, here’s the question you’re sick of hearing but I HAVE to ask, any more whisperings about the “Veronica Mars” movie?! I’m a huge fan of the show and I know a lot of people would love to see all the characters again. Is there any hope for us ? And who do I have to harass to make it happen?

You know, I’ve been asked a lot of questions concerning this. The truth is, the only chance we ever had of making a “continuation” project, such as this, came from the whole-hearted support of our fan base. Perhaps with continued support, enough weight can be pulled in our direction to finally pull it off.

Do you have a dream role or project you would love to see yourself do at some point in your career?

I’ve always wanted to play an great role in a military film. The experience itself–the whole preparation for it, boot camps, etc. I’ve always enjoyed working on projects where the camaraderie between actors, cooperative participation, etc., were present.