Nathan, Welcome and thanks for your time!
Thanks for your interest! Your support of our li'l old film helps immensely. Your review was great too! I hope that the audience response to BTM mirrors the critic and blog response to it. That's the only way a true independent film like ours stands a chance in a theatrical release.
Ok, so right out of the chute, what drew you to the complex, fun and yet sinister character of Leslie Vernon?
I enjoy exploring the dualities of characters. People are incredibly complicated creatures and even the nicest folks have their demons, conversely the most depraved aren't outside the realm of redemption. Those are the most interesting stories, the most dramatic. Darth Vader is one of the greatest villans of all time because of this dual nature. It seemed that the most interesting way to tell Leslie Vernon's story wasn't as a mustache-twisting bad guy, but as a good and quirky but charismatic man. Therefore the work he does goes through a contextual reframing in the audience's mind. And there's now a strange kind of audience participation engaged, where the degree to which they are interested in Leslie is the degree to which they are complicit in his work. Wow, that was too heavy for this early in the morning.
If Julia Roberts has to meet the real Erin Brockovich, what does Nathan Baesel have to do to channel the essence of Leslie Vernon?
The most useful insight I had about Leslie was that he believes he is performing a necessary role in the universal order of things. Work like his provides an essential balance to the cosmos or matrix or whatever you want to call it. And he's good at it. Really good. He's a craftsman who cares about the job and uses considerable skill to execute it. Pun intended. So he has no guilt or shame about himself. No apologies. A hell of a lot of pride.
What was the casting process like? Director Scott Glosserman had a hand in writing the film, so he had to have a very clear cut definition of who Leslie Vernon was. How did you land the gig over the competition?
I found out after my callback that Scott had an entirely different idea of the Leslie Vernon character and the tone of the film he wanted to make. He called me to let me know that he'd whittled it down to me and another guy but that he was really conflicted because I was forcing him to rethink the kind Waiting for Guffmanesque lightness he intended to employ. I was able to convince him that my way was just as valid if not more because I believed it was possible to send the film into some very dark and ugly places and still keep it funny. It turned out that was the case.
What was it like facing off against genre veterans like Robert Englund and Zelda Rubenstein?
Unfortunately I only got a couple of scenes with both of them but they were great. Their presence alone legitamized the film and took it to another level conceptually. Added to that they brought great performances. Robert Englund can do so much with a line of dialogue or even a raised eyebrow. I was on cloud nine when I felt like I'd received Robert's seal of approval. I called home to my wife and gushed, "Robert Englund told me I reminded him of a young Anthony Perkins!"
At one point, Leslie describes the physical routine his profession demands. Were there any measures you had to take to fulfill the role beyond your normal routine? (Keep in mind, MySpace users have seen you in The Flash superhero outfit)
Physical conditioning is very important to me. Mind, body, and spirit. I enjoy highly physical activities and I try to find ways to plug them into my acting. When I get to play a character who's a total machine I get really excited. I got to do a little of everything with Leslie and that was rare.
You brought a pretty hefty resume’ to BTM, including roles on ABC’s “Invasion”, as well as “Cold Case” and “The District”. What appealed to you most about the role of Leslie Vernon?
There wasn't any consideration about whether or not I wanted to do this film. This was over two years ago. I hadn't booked Invasion yet. I hadn't got one film on my resume. I was just trying to get an acting gig. Any kind of gig. The fact that it turned out to be my first film and one that I learned so much doing and enjoyed to the extent that I did was just gravy.
Given the film’s ending (and the use of The Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” was as humorous as it was appropriate), are there talks of a sequel or even a hopeful franchise status for Leslie?
There have been conversations about this idea or that idea but there's no chance for a sequel unless this release makes a sick amount of money. If it does well then I'm sure the ball will start rolling on a sequel. For my part though the concepts are exposed and well explored in BTM and I don't see Leslie coming back unless the script breaks new ground and surpasses BTM in its examination of horror convention and degree of audience provocation.
Since the film is still not technically released, how bout a memorable story from the set? Any single instance really jump out as the can’t-miss story?
Well, I'm not allowed to talk about the ridiculous amount of partying we did in Portland during our shoot because of fear that certain people's family might rethink their opinion of their sons/daughters. Suffice it to say that Portland is a very good town to shoot a film in. The people are great (homeless population is staggeringly high I'm sad to say), the land is beautiful, the city is metropolitan (good bars, restaurants, shopping, clubs, etc.), and the vegetation is lush and green.
What can we expect in the future from the charismatic Nathan Baesel?
I'm still hustling for jobs! This is pilot season right now so I'm trying to book the first good thing that comes along. I'm happy with where my acting is at and I anticipate good things to come. In the meantime I have a starring role in an episode of Without A Trace on Sunday, February 18th. I went to an ADR session a few days ago to re-record some dialogue and saw some of my scenes. I can honestly say I was humiliated. If you want to see some really spotty acting check it out. I have a good excuse for myself though! My wife just had a baby two days before I started working on the episode and "running on empty" doesn't quite do my state justice.
I hope everyone enjoys the film as much as we did making it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity with a truly great group of people and I'm grateful for this continually unfolding experience.
Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon opens March 16th!! Visit the film's official site to find where it's showing near you!
