Last Updated on July 26, 2021
Actor DOUG HUTCHISON has been a busy
mofo since he broke out as Eugene Victor Tooms on THE X FILES and as the
a-hole Prison Guard Percy Wetmore in THE GREEN MILE. Not only has he
appeared in a string of films (BAIT, THE SALTON SEA and more recently PUNISHER
WAR ZONE), he also started up his own production company called Dark
Water Productions which is presently churning out the web series
VAMPIRE
KILLERS. Doug dropped by AITH recently for hookers and beers and
here’s what he had to say!
DOUG HUTCHISON
How
did vampire killers come about? What prompted you to launch a genre web
series?
From
collecting “the tomb of Dracula” comics as a kid, reading Anne rRce’s
novels, and digging movies like “Nosferatu”, “the addiction”, and “the
hunger”, I’ve always had an affinity for the vampire genre. “vampire
killers” was initially conceived as a TV series and then my good friend,
Marco Mannone (co-writer and playing the role of Travis in “VK”), suggested
turning it into a web-series. I thought it was an enticing idea and the
perfect venue for something like “vampire killers”. I wanted to shoot it
dark, gritty, sexy, and with no holds barred. The internet is like the wild
wild west. Anything goes. We’re building a global audience. Virally. It’s
exciting. It’s the new frontier. And best of all: i don’t have to deal
w/studio execs breathing down my neck. I can maintain creative control.
It’s
said that you have created the series. What is the degree of your creative
involvement? Do you have a say in terms of the screenplays, casting, what
not?
I’m to
“vampire killers” what Chris Carter was to “The X-Files” and jack bender is
to “lost”. I welcome the impeccable ideas from my creative partners (Mannone
and writer/director, Tim Baldini), but ultimately — when it comes to a
definitive answer/solution/decision: the buck stops with me.
How
many days does each episode take to shoot?
We shot all
six episodes over the course of 2 weekends.
What
format are you guys shooting on? Hd?
Yes. HD.
Doug as Tooms on The X Files
How is
the show working out for you and your team thus far? Do you see it lasting?
I hope to
garner enough “hits” to go out to potential sponsors in the new year. If
this happens, we’ll definitely be shooting more
episodes
in ’09.
Will
you ever appear on the show yourself as an actor?
Maybe. Right
now I’m just totally digging being a creator/producer/writer.
Will
we ever see name actors make appearances on the show?
I’m sure if
“VK” becomes the juggernaut i intend it to be, we’ll begin attracting names
to the show.
What
else can we expect from your prod company dark water productions in the near
future?
I founded
dark water as a hopeful door to the manifestation of creative dreams. My “VK”
partner, Tim Baldini, and i are hoping to shoot a screenplay of mine, “Dreambirds”,
in ’09. I’d also like to represent talent in various forms. I just did a
photo shoot, for example, with an angelic 9-year old child named Chanel
(who, by the way, will be playing a vampire in “vampire killers”) and intend
to rep her as a model/actress. I’d also like to rep writers, directors,
comics, photographers, musicians, etc. The sky’s the limit.
Punisher fans will also get to see you in punisher war zone as Loony Bin
Jim. So what was it about the part that appealed to you when pitched your
way?
I initially
passed on “Punisher: War Zone” because i didn’t think i was right for the
role of Looney Bin Jim and then Lexi Alexander [director] got on the phone
and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. After she described lbj as the spawn
of “Hannibal Lector and Hitler”, well, i couldn’t resist!
As the sadistic Percy in The Green Mile.
I
heard your prep was extensive for the role. Do you prepare all of your roles
so vigorously before a shoot? Would you call yourself a method actor?
No. I’m not
method. My preparation completely depends on the demands [or lack thereof]
of any given role. Some parts –like Percy in “The Green Mile” and, yes to
an extent, lbj in “pwz” — take a bit more in-depth prep and research
because they are characters significantly unlike me. I find myself
attempting to bridge-the-gap, so to speak, through dialect, dress,
physicality, and demeanor. I rarely, though, if ever, stay completely 100%
immersed in a role. The only time i remember doing that was when I played
Pete Willard in “a time to kill”. I went full southern redneck. Hung out
with racists in Jackson, Mississippi. Looked like absolute shit. Didn’t
bathe for weeks. In fact, Sandra bullock signed my script: “take a shower
and then we’ll talk!”.
What
would say was your favorite scene to act out in punisher war zone?
Probably the
scene in the mental ward when lbj is revealed. There’s so much to explore on
a plethora of levels: the orderly fucking with me, the reunion with my
brother, and then, of course, my cannibalism of said orderly. Fun stuff!
Were
you a punisher fan (the comic) before taking the gig?
No. Hadn’t
even heard of “the punisher”, really. Once I accepted the role, though, i
immediately delved into the graphic novels and loved it.
How
did Montréal, Canada (my home town by the way) agree with you?
I flippin’
fell in freaking love with Montréal. It’s an embracing, clean, culturally
sound city with mouth-watering Restaurants, gorgeous architecture, and
some of the most beautiful women in the world! Not to mention: the French
language/accent turns my crank …
Did
you get to partake in the night life after hard days of shooting?
Not really.
I’m not a “night-life-like person. After 12 -14 hours on the set, I’m more
apt to return to my hotel suite, order room service, and snuggle down until
my call the next day.
Doug does the Loony Bin Jim dance in Punisher War
Zone.
What’s
next for you as an actor? Any other roles lined up?
I just
finished shooting an indie, “Give ‘Em Hell, Malone” [ with Thomas Jane &
Ving Rhames], in which I play a pyromaniac villain called “Matchstick”.
Also: I’m playing a recurring character [Horace Goodspeed] in this season of
“lost”.
Will
we ever see a film written or directed by Doug Hutchison?
As
previously mentioned, I’m hoping to get “Deambirds” off the ground next
year,
Is
there a “type” of role you’d love to play but didn’t get a shot at it yet?
I’ve always
wanted to play a vampire, so who knows? Maybe there’s something for me in
“vampire killers”, after all!
What
was the first drink you guzzled down at the war zone wrap party?
My date’s
neck (o:
Thanks
for dropping by the site Doug! Keep kicking ass!
Thanks for
having me,. Continued success with AITH and a big “shout out” to all your
peeps for representin’
VAMPIRE KILLERS!
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