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Your new movie Crazy
Right - in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us
about your character in it?
The words that come to mind for me when I think of Crazy
Right
are
"guilt" and "regret". For me, at the core, Crazy
Right
is saying to people "don't pass up the small moments, let
people know they matter to you, life is fleeting and you don't want to
fail to truly love." My character Paul, throughout the
film, is desperately trying to both remember and forget all at the same
time. He was deeply in love with Iris and once Iris was gone, he
wanted so much to remember the good things while forgetting the bad,
especially the ways in which he failed her. What did you draw upon to
bring your character to life, and how much Patrick D. Green can we find in
Paul? I spent a great deal of time with the script and drew
upon the loneliness we all feel at times. It was a mission of mine
to try to capture the mask of being in control when one is so out of
control. I think all of us want to believe we are the hero of the
story, but we all fail at times, we all do awful things. Paul is
forced to confront his deficiencies and that's an incredibly difficult
thing for people to do, much more so when you are also dealing
with addiction and depression. Paul is very different from me as a
person, but I do believe those feelings of inadequacy and loneliness are
universal. How did you get involved with the project in the
first place? And to what extent could you identify with its story? I
had known the writer/director Ian Fowler for quite some time before we
began production. He came to me with this script, and as soon as I
read it, I was on board. I think what most grabbed my attention is
how terrified I was at the idea of bringing some of the scenes to life.
It was very daunting and I knew shooting would be challenging, but I
think that's when you know you have to do it. If it doesn't scare
you some, it's probably not worth it. I was also fascinated by the
way the script exemplifies the way in which memories are fleeting and
ever-changing. What you remember of an incident may not be how
anyone else present remembers it. Our minds are very susceptible to
creative editing... much the same way that film works.
How
did you end up on the production side of things as well, and what were the
challenges of bringing Crazy
Right to the screen from a producer's point of view?
Ian
asked if I'd like to be a producer on the film as well and I thought
"why not?" I don't really enjoy producing, to be honest.
It's not really my forte. But I truly believed in this script
and film. I wanted to have a hand in being sure that it found an
audience. As a producer, one of the biggest challenges was finding a
way in which to describe the film. It's a very unusual film, in
my opinion, and I had a difficult time even thinking of other films that
could be considered similar.
Do
talk about your director Ian Stewart Fowler, and what was your
collaboration like?
My
favorite thing about working with Ian on set is that he makes a very safe
place for actors to go to some very vulnerable places. He allows
actors to truly be in the moment and only really pushes them when
necessary. It was a very low pressure, relaxed set with a minimal
crew and that made it very easy to do some incredibly challenging and
intimate work. Ian is also a very gifted writer.
What can you tell us about your
co-stars, and as a producer, were you at all involved in the casting
process?
As a producer, yes, I was involved with some of
the casting. My amazing co-star Lindsae Klein also happens to be a
very good friend of mine and so that was helpful for a lot of the scenes.
There was already a trust in place. We rounded out the cast
with Michael Draper, of whom I am a big fan; Dennis Fitzpatrick, who has
the greatest stories; Ian Stout, who was game to play on our warped little
set; and Whitney Crittendon, who regaled us with talk of zit popping videos
on YouTube when she wasn't also making up our faces. A few words about the shoot as such, and the
on-set atmosphere? The on-set atmosphere was extremely
relaxed and good natured. We had a very small crew that included our
incredible DP Nathan Coltrane. When I wasn't screaming and crying on
camera, we were laughing and having fun. I feel very fortunate to
have had the freedom and safety of that set as I don't know that I could
have given the performance necessary without feeling that kind of comfort. Any future projects you'd like to
share? I'm currently producing and starring in a film
entitled Escaping Freedom that begins shooting next month. The
crowdfunding campaign is on Seed&Spark at
www.seedandspark.com/fund/escapingfreedom
I am super excited about working on this film, director Edd Blott's second
feature, as it too is an incredibly challenging script and we have
assembled an amazing cast.
What got you into acting in the first place, and
did you receive any formal training on the subject? I began
acting on the stage in middle school. I did that throughout high school and
college, eventually getting a Theatre Minor. I love
acting, as cliche as that sounds. I was a very shy child and it was
an amazingly freeing way of getting in front of people and speaking words
that were handed to me. The more I did it, the more I fell in love
with bringing other people's stories to life. I truly believe that
the art of story and film can change people's hearts and minds. It
reminds people that, at our core, we are all so very much the same. What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Crazy
Right? Oh gosh, there is so much. Some
highlights are working on NBC's Grimm, the web spot Super
Drunk, and
the webseries Letters (which is actually a prologue to the feature film
Escaping Freedom). Also, another film I starred, in Maria Allred's The
Texture of Falling, just had its world premiere at the Marbella
International Film Festival in Spain. Otherwise, I'm also looking
forward to a film I shot last year, a remake of the cult classic The Brain
That Wouldn't Die, releasing sometime next year.
How would you describe yourself as an
actor, and did you receive any formal training on the subject? I'm
not sure how to describe myself as an actor. Maybe that's for others
to say. I'll probably disagree with them though. But I like
to think that I look for challenging roles. I have had formal
training. A few years after college where I studied theatre
throughout my time, I began focusing on film acting and have trained with
many teachers and coaches. Training is never ending. Actors
(and indeed actresses) who inspire you? Oh wow, some of my
favorites are Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hardy, Kate Winslet,
Daniel Day Lewis... I could go on and on. I just love truly fearless
actors. Your favourite
movies? The Last of the Mohicans, Shame, The
Fountain, LA Confidential, Harold & Maude, Mulholland
Drive, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Hunt... my taste runs the gamut.
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... and of course, films you really deplore? Forrest
Gump and Harsh Times come to mind. Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else? My website is
www.patrickdgreen.com
Crazy
Right:
crazyrightmovie.com
Escaping Freedom:
www.seedandspark.com/fund/escapingfreedom Anything else
you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Let's
leave a little mystery. Thanks
for the interview!
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