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Your new movie Tennessee
Gothic - in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell
us about your character?
Tennessee
Gothic
is about a couple of good ole’ country boys (Paw and Caleb) who
stumble upon a foreign bloody and beaten up girl. They bring her on to
their farm to nurse her back to health and then strange occurrences begin
to occur. They don’t really understand until it’s too late. And then
all hell breaks loose. I play Caleb Taggot, a lonely boy trying to
understand what being a man would be like, while still wanting to find
love and lust all at the same time.
What
did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and honestly, how much
William Ryan Watson can we find in Caleb? I’m
originally from East Tennessee and my family comes from humble beginnings.
Farm life and poverty are literally one generation away. My father and
family fought hard to brighten my future. It was exciting and interesting
to go back in time, in a sense, to understand where I come from and make
peace with a lot of the old ways. To talk to me today, you wouldn’t know
I come from such amazing hardworking, heartland people. I cherish my
family and this Southern way of life very much. I wanted to make sure I
wasn’t poking fun at this lifestyle but to embody it completely and
realistically. There is a tremendous amount of Ryan that could’ve been,
and that was exciting and freeing. I feel closer to my family, their past,
present, and future. How did you
get involved with the project in the first place?
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So,
this is a long story. I auditioned for Tennessee
Gothic
with long hair (to
my shoulders) and about 10-15 lbs heavier. I was growing my hair out for
the first time and lifting a lot of weights. Needless to say, this
wasn’t the look Jeff and Katie were going for. So, a couple of months
later, I see our producer Katie Groshong on a project we were both working
on. I asked how the hunt was going for Caleb as I assumed I hadn’t been
picked. She said they were having trouble. I let her know how much I
identified with this character and how much I’d be interested in meeting
with the director if she/he would be open to it. She told me how my hair
was too long and I looked too “bodybuilder” big for the role. I told
her I could lose weight and cut my hair if necessary… basically anything
that they want. So, that scored me another reading in front of Jeff
Wedding. I was super excited! I immediately slowed the workouts down and
began to lose weight. I met with Jeff a week or so after Katie and I’s
encounter. He apparently loved my reading and told me he was interested
but didn’t want me to have to cut my hair or anything before they were
sure. So, I took it upon myself to cut my hair and continued to lose
weight. The next time they saw me, I was 15 lbs lighter and I had already
cut my hair to prove to them I wanted the role. The rest is history.
To
what extent can you identify with Tennessee
Gothic's particular brand of "Southern horror"?
I
love horror, I love sex, I love comedy, and I love the South. What else is
there to say…? Do
talk about your director Jeff Wedding, and what was your collaboration
like? First
of all, Jeff Wedding is a Pussy with a capital P. HAHA! I kid. He’ll get
that joke and that’s all that matters. Jeff is the kindest, loving and
nurturing director I’ve ever been around. He made everything feel safe
and I consider this guy my big brother. I’m an only child so that says
more than most will understand. I love Jeff, that’s all there is to it.
What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and
the on-set atmosphere?
The
set was like working with a bunch of old friends. Previously, I didn’t
really know anyone on set except Katie, and she’s always been great. We
lived, ate and breathed farm life in Viola, TN. We got to sleep in an
abandoned church on air mattresses. We woke up in the morning, walked
outside and drank coffee looking at cornfields. I became super close with
Harry Walker, who if you look on IMDb, does it all (camera, sound,
marketing, production manager, producer... you name it!). He and I would
regularly drink beers and smoke cigarettes by the campfire each night
reminiscing on the days’ shoot. The atmosphere on Tennessee
Gothic
is
something I will always cherish and always look back on something I wish I
could stop in time, just to live a little bit longer. Any future projects you'd like to
share? Yes!
I am currently in a series called The Alley. My friends Jeffrey Brant and
Cory Holland wrote this amazing pilot that we are pitching to some amazing
streaming platforms that everyone knows and loves. Jeffrey Brant
flawlessly directs a present-day millennial bowling dramedy that we’ve
been missing in our generation since The Big Lebowski and
Kingpin. What got you into acting in the first place, and
did you receive any formal training on the subject? I
was a pretty animated child, however in public, morbidly shy. I saw The
Mask when I was a kid and that’s all I ever wanted to do. Jim Carrey is
God. Ha! However, after not really taking the leap to fail or succeed at
acting I found a family at Nashville Acting Studio under the amazing
Caroline Loccoriere. She brought me out of my shell, gave me structure,
and helped me understand my true acting potential. What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Tennessee
Gothic?
I’ve
worked on numerous independent projects, as well as some big-budget items
here and there. Tennessee
Gothic
is by far what I am most proud of. If
you’re interested, I’m on IMDb and Instagram under William Ryan Watson ;)
How would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of
your techniques to bring your characters to life? I
think I’m kind of a wild actor. I pull from all aspects of my life and
the things I’ve learned and absorbed throughout. I definitely am a study
of people, their emotions and how they react to certain situations. The
only formal training that I have had is at Nashville Acting Studio. I just
want to live on camera and on film as if no one was watching. Actors
(and indeed actresses) who inspire you?
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Too
many to mention, but Jack Nicholson's career is what I'd like mine to
resemble with a sprinkling of Heath Ledger and Shia LaBeouf. Your favourite
movies? Too
many to name, but in this situation, The Shining comes to mind.
... and of course, films you really deplore? No,
not really. I'll watch anything even if it's bad. I can find something to
learn with anything I watch. Your
website, Facebook, whatever else?
Instagram:
@williamryanwatso
I’m
on Facebook as Ryan Watson & on IMDb as William Ryan Watson.
Anything else you're
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I'm
going to get mushy.
I
just want to thank all my friends and family from the bottom of my heart
(especially my fiancee Emily Vandewalker and my parents Linda Watson &
Jack Wood as well as my father Harry Watson & cousin Jenny Watson) for
supporting me and all of my endeavors. Giving yourself away in any kind of
art form is a huge endeavor for a person mentally/physically. Everyone I
worked with on Tennessee
Gothic
are all beautiful people inside & out.
There’s so much heart
and
soul in this film that it’s impossible to put into words. We hit some
sort of magic on the set of Tennessee
Gothic
and no one understands that
better than our cast and crew family. We became family for a month, and
that’s something I’ll always cherish and remember for the rest of my
short life.
So,
thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you’ve had a chance to watch
it, if you’ve been meaning to, and even if you never get around to it.
Just know the likes, the love and all the silly stuff that comes with
making a movie doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s truly appreciated. This
will be a memory and a time in my life that is never forgotten.
Thanks
for the interview!
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