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CAP

California Gal asked:

I see you were born in Sunnyvale. Did you ever visit the beach and Boardwalk in Santa Cruz?

Why yes, in fact that is where I first learned to body surf as a kid. We moved to the southern Oregon area around 1977 but visited family in the Watsonville and Sacramento areas almost every summer. When the film Lost Boys came out, I made sure to revisit the beach boardwalk to see the locations they filmed in.

During your numerous stints on the Lost sets, did you learn any secrets about the future plots you can share?

Well, it’s been a while since I worked on the show. In fact, this is the first season since season 2 that I haven’t worked on it. I flew over to Oahu last month to read for a role in an upcoming episode in which they show how the Oceanic 6 get off the island. But they went a different direction and from what Margaret Doversola, the casting director told me, they cast a member of the military in the role. So I was OK with that.

Do people ever bug you about whether you know any "Lost" secrets? LOL!

Working on a show as secretive as Lost can be kind of tough because you constantly have people asking you for spoilers and inside info. I usually either lied or simply told people that I was signed to secrecy via contract. It never bugged me because I was always curious and wishing I could get the inside scoop on episodes I didn’t work on.

Were you "forced" to work in Hawaii?

Not sure what you mean by “forced”. Working in Hawaii has its pros and cons. For one, the weather is beautiful year round and you can find virtually every kind of terrain from tropical jungles to mountains to beaches to deserts and even snow up on Mauna Kea during the winter. On the negative side, mainland productions rarely cast any of us Hawaii-based actors in principal roles. For some reason, they insist on generally casting in L.A. then flying the talent to Hawaii and having to pay for their airfare, accommodations and transportation in Hawaii when they can find actors of every ethnicity right here.

Acting with a blue screen against "invisible" monsters must be difficult. Do you find it so?

It wasn’t that bad. As an actor, you use your imagination like a tool. My philosophy is that to be a good actor you have to approach a scene and a character with the innocence and naivety of a child. If you watch children play dress up or role play, notice how they really throw themselves into the character. When little Bobby is playing cowboy, he isn’t thinking, “I’m Bobby and I’m 6 years old pretending to be a cowboy.” Instead, he BELIEVES he is a cowboy. And if an adult questions him, the child will invariably become angry because the adult is now messing with the fantasy that the child has created for himself. When I prepare for a scene, I put myself into the mindset of my character. For example, when we shot the scene where I mis-fire the cannon at the dinosaur, we had a huge blue screen in front of us and had been given a focal point to look at when the cameras rolled. So when I hunkered down, I just let go of everything else in my mind and said to myself, “I am Alvarado, a 15th century conquistador who has never seen what these savages call a thunder lizard. I have no idea what is coming down that path. And I don’t know if I can trust these other guys to protect me. My captain is not here so our strength and leadership is weak. I am afraid. I don’t want to be here.” When the director then shouted that the dinosaur had just come into view, I simply pictured this enormous, frightening thing from Hell the likes of which I had never seen and looked like Satan himself in front of me.

Did Will Snow talk about The Lost World at all? I saw a Sci-fi channel commercial for Aztec Rex which claimed that the creature was from a "Lost World."

Yeah, when we first met I told him that I recognized him from the show and we talked a little bit about the production of it and what it was like working on a TV series. I kind of got the feeling that he missed it despite the regular grind of a weekly series.

Do you ever watch your completed films?

I have a hard time watching myself in anything. I can’t enjoy it. I find myself critiquing and looking for things I could have or should have done differently. I do the same thing after we’ve wrapped for the day. I’ll find myself reviewing the work I did that day and thinking of how I could have delivered a line differently or how I could have used a different facial expression. Usually by the time I get home I go through my little debriefing peptalk and convince myself that I did a good job and to let it go since the day is done and there is nothing more that I can do that day.
Some actors like to watch their playbacks while filming but I don’t like to do that unless the director asks me to watch to clarify what he/she wants from me. I prefer to live in the moment when filming so I can give a more honest , a more natural and a more spontaneous performance.

CAP asked:
Shawn, are there any on-set Aztec Rex bloopers you can share with us?

There were so many bloopers and funny moments on this set. We had such a good time it should have been illegal. Whenever we prepared to start shooting, the hair and makeup people would come in with these little spray bottles to wet us down to make us look sweaty. When they did, they would call out “spritzing!”. We had a lot of fun with that one word just by trying to outdo each to see who could say it more effeminate than the next person. In the first battle with the dinosaur, there was originally a short scene where Will crouches down to reassure me and tell me how to aim the cannon. It was really intense as I was looking frightened while he had his “battle face” on as we both looked toward the path the dino would be coming down. Suddenly, as the camera is rolling, we hear a cell phone ringing and we both kind of locked eyes for a moment like, “what the hell was that?” Will says without breaking character, “My God, they have cell phones!” I replies, “Dammit, he’s calling for back up! We’re doomed!” We had a good laugh with that. Behind the scenes there was a lot of joking and improve going on. Marc Antonio and I did a routine where he played a pair of backwoods hillbilly brothers, Milan Tresnak did a hilarious hairdresser, Will Snow sang opera for us, James Locke recited Shakespeare and Jack McGee had everyone in stitches with his one liners and vaudevillean comedy.

How was the weather during filming?

The weather was typical Hawaiian weather: totally unpredictable. This is especially true along the north shore area in the Kualoa Valley where we filmed. It could go from sweltering heat to pouring rain to gusty wind to perfect weather in a matter of an hour or two. When it did rain, we had to find shelter quickly as some of the wigs (mine and Will’s in particular) were very expensive. I believe they cost something in the $2000 range as they were professionally made from human hair and had the lace fronts and sides for gluing down to our heads.

Harrison Ford belongs to the "lets pretend" school of acting. Are your methods similar to his? If not, how so?

My approach is sort of a mixture of method acting and traditional stage acting. I like to combine the spontaneity and natural approach of method acting with the use of vocal range and facial expressions common with stage acting. As I stated in an earlier answer, my philosophy is that as an actor you have to first believe that you are that person doing that thing in that place and not an actor pretending to be that person in that place doing that thing. I have always enjoyed Harrison Ford and his performances. Personally, I think his performance in “Regarding Henry” is his best to date. I like to study actors like Steve McQueen, Gary Sinise, John Malkovich, Robert Deniro and the early works of Al Pacino. When I first get the call to audition for a role, I recite the lines until I know them from heart. Then I stand in front of a mirror and practice them with different intonations, different moods, different mindsets, etc. Then when I go in for the audition, I let it all go and simply react to the other person in the audition. I was taught that acting is really just that” reacting to what the other person is doing or saying. Or reacting to the setting that you as the character have found yourself in. I also try to think about what was I as this character doing right before this scene is occurring and what is my mood and mindset now coming into this environment.
Of course, there is something to be said about being allowed to simply improvise a scene with the dialog and monologues. Those are always fun as well.

Working with Brian Trenchard-Smith as director was: (fill in the blank).

The thrill of a lifetime. He truly trusts his actors and listens to our input when filming a scene. He was gracious enough to meet with each and every one of us individually to go over our lines and study our scenes before our first cast read through. He gave me terrific direction and really helped me to see his vision of the character and the relationship between my character and the other characters. I pray every day that I get the opportunity to work with him again.

As an actor what would your ideal role be?

I guess one that really challenges me to be someone I am not comfortable with or to deal with situations that I am unfamiliar with. I really long for a role that allows me to show more of a range of emotions.

What is your professional philosophy?

Live in the moment. Be natural and if all else fails, just say the lines and react the way you normally would in real life.

Were you comfortable with depictions of nudity/violence/etc (to the extent that's applicable to the project)?

Well, I didn’t get to be there for the nudity. I joked with the PA in charge of the call sheets and asked if he could write my name in for the nude scenes. But no dice. The blood and gore was really fascinating to me. As a kid I was always into haunted houses and I am a Halloween fanatic! So getting to see them put together my fake leg and hook everything up and watch the blood squirt out was the coolest thing I ever saw. Funny story: the day they shot the disemboweling scene for Milan was a day that I was called in after they were shooting that scene. He and the others come back for filming around lunchtime and I see him get out of the van with these entrails in his hands. I just had to look at him and say, “What the hell happened to you?” He made a joke about having ate Mexican for dinner and cracked me up. And here’s something that might surprise you: those were real entrails they got from a slaughter house. Somewhere, somebody ate the bacon that came from the piggy that donated his intestines for this film!

What was your goal, as a part of the Aztec Rex team?

Just to give the best performance that I could and to have as much fun as humanly possible. At the end of the day, that’s really all you can hope for in any job.

A question was forwarded to me by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.

"Underneath the wig, was Will's hair really, really short?" "Was that his real beard?"

LOL Yes, his hair was basically buzzed down and we all had to grow our beards out. James Locke was allowed to keep his Basil Rathbone style mustache and Vandyke as they suited his character.

Geoff asked:
Hi Shawn, going into acting from high school to college must have been a big decision. What was it like? How did your parents react?
Well I didn’t major in acting or drama. I majored in counseling psychology with a minor in human services. I always wanted to be a therapist and when I started college, I auditioned for “The Crucible” directed by Joyce Maltby at Hawaii Pacific University as a challenge to myself to see if I had what it took to act in a production bigger than that in high school. As for my parents’ reaction, I was a ward of the state so I had no parents to consult. My grandparents, though, were always supportive of whatever I did as long as my studies didn’t suffer.

How did you support yourself in college, while working on your acting skills? Any interesting side jobs? Was there ever a concern for "not making it", or did you decide right away what you wanted, and worked your way towards that?

I supported myself by working under a federally funded work study grant that allowed me to earn $1500 a semester by working in a job related to my major. I spent my first year in college working at a community center in the high crime area of Kalihi in Honolulu. I also worked in the university library, as a summer camp counselor, as an assistant probation officer and during my senior year I managed a juice bar in Honolulu. The most interesting and colorful job was as an exotic dancer in a male revue called “The Men of Paradise”. That job definitely helped me to squash any possible stage fright I might have had and helped me to develop an even stronger confidence in myself to perform in front of others. Trust me, when you can get up and dance in front of 50 or more screaming and crazy women in nothing more than a g-string, you can do ANYTHING! As for my goals of becoming an actor, I had to put them on the back burner through most of college. Very often I would go in for an audition or read and be offered the role only to be told that I would have to skip classes for days or weeks to film. Since I was basically paying for most of my own schooling, I couldn’t just skip classes. I was also offered roles that were filming during midterms or finals so that pretty much put my acting career into dormancy until I graduated college.

What was your favorite experience working on "Aztec Rex?" How did you prepare? Did you have to speak in an accent? Did you get to keep anything from the sets (you can tell us )?

I had so many great experiences so I will narrow it down to my top five in no specific order:
1. Working with Allen Tam, our stunt coordinator, on sword fighting and my big back-fall when my leg is injured;
2. Hanging out on the set with the other guys between takes;
3. Watching and learning firsthand how to make a movie by watching the first and second unit directors and asking the crew members about how they do their jobs;
4. Listening to Jack McGee’s stories and jokes;
5. Being treated like a professional actor and not a “background” or “extra”
I prepared by first reading articles about the conquistadores to get a better understanding of what kind of social class they came from and what their religious beliefs were. Alvarado was a religious zealot, hence the ever present rosary beads. So I read up on cult leaders and religious fanatics through history to get an idea of what their mentality was and what their attitudes were like. As for the accents, we all had a lengthy discussion about that at the first read through. Now, I can do certain accents like various southern U.S. dialects, Irish, Scottish, Russian and I can do a stereotypical Mexican, but I did not feel comfortable doing a Spanish accent as it has to be done perfectly or else it sounds like a mix between Speedy Gonzalez and Ricardo Montalban. Ian, however, insisted on using a Spanish accent so the rest of us basically decided to just use a standard American accent, including Will, so that Ian could be differentiated as he was the star of the film. The decision was also made by the Director that it would show Cortes’s more aristocratic upbringing and make the rest of us sound a bit more “low class”. James Locke simply used his “stage voice” which I think really helped to capture his villainous role and helped him to really stand out in the film. I wanted to keep the rosaries, but I would have felt guilty stealing from the set. I did get to keep some nice bruises, blisters, welts and what felt like internal bleeding after my back fall the day of the dino-battle.

Who is your favorite actor/actress, why do you like him or her, and whose style of acting would you consider yourself to be most similar to, if any?

Favorite actors are Alec Baldwin (you HAVE to see him in Glengarry Glen Ross), Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, DeNiro, Pacino, Tom Hanks, Vince Vaughn, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Bruce Willis, Michael Madsen, Ed Norton, Harvey Keitel, Clive Owen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Bridges, etc.
I like these actors because you can always tell that they throw themselves into their roles no matte how serious or silly. Just watch any of these guys in back to back films (one drama one comedy) and you will notice that their intensity and commitment does not change! And they’re just so damn enjoyable to watch.
Favorite actresses: Selma Hayek, Monica Bellucci, Jessica Alba, Holly Hunter (Watch her all the time in Raising Arizona), Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeifer, Kirsten Dunst, the list goes on…
The same goes for these ladies. There are others I just can’t think of right now because I’m writing this late at night, but what I find admirable and enjoyable are those actors and actresses who don’t think that they are above the role or “better” than the character.
I don’t think I could really compare or contrast my “style” with another actor. I don’t want to trap myself in that kind of pitfall of trying to be like a famous actor. I think that when you start doing that, you set yourself up to start trying to be someone or something that you’re not. I believe that you have to find your own voice as an actor and have the courage to push your boundaries of comfort and reason to grow as an actor.

What's your favorite film genre? What are your current interests?

Oh man, I love the old 70’s action flicks like Bullitt, the Seven Ups, The French Connection and The Marathon Man. I love good horror films, especially zombie flicks. I can spend a day or even a weekend watching old WWII movies like the Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes, Tora/Tora/Tora, etc. But if I had to pick one genre it would have to be the western. No CGI. No stereotypical car chases. No machine guns or futuristic weapons. No regular Joe who suddenly fights like Bruce Lee on steroids and crystal meth. Just simple stories of regular guys who live by a code that no longer exists fighting against the elements of nature, themselves and each other. It would be a dream come true to act in a principal role in a western.

And lastly, where would you most like to work as an actor?

Anywhere! (hint, hint any directors and producers out there reading this! <wink>) But seriously, I would love the opportunity to work in other countries, especially in Eastern Europe.

Kaly asked:
So tell us, when you saw this movie for the first time, what did you think of seeing yourself being chased around the screen by a huge blood thirsty dinosaur?

You know, it was actually kind of hard to watch myself with my family and friends there with me. My wife actually laughed out loud when I got eaten. Not sure what to make of that…
I guess there was also the disbelief that I was actually there in a film that literally thousands if not millions of people could (but probably wouldn’t) see on TV. I also kept catching myself critiquing myself and thinking about how I could have done a better job.

I have one more question for you if you have the time,

If you could do a remake of any movie, what would it be and who would be your co-stars?
Oh, that is an excellent question! You know, I am generally against remaking a film unless it’s done right. Considering what happened when Gus Van Sant remade Psycho, you can see what happens when you screw with a classic. I think it has to be done for the right reasons. Such as you have the technology to do the things you or the original director wanted to do but couldn’t given the limited resources and/or technology at the time. Having said that, instead of a remake, I would love to make a prequel to True Grit, the film starring John Wayne. His characterization of “Rooster Cogburn” was so enjoyable that I would love to see a film that tells more about him. His time serving under Captain Quantrell, how he lost his eye, how he became a U.S. Marshal, etc.
A film I just saw this last week that I thought might be a cool remake is “The Seven Ups”. I would love to play the Roy Scheider character, Buddy. As far as co-stars, I would love to work with the guys I worked with on Aztec Rex. I had a conversation at one point with Marc Antonio and James Locke and we discussed what it would be like to film a western with all of us in it. Maybe as a posse of law bringers like in Silverado. I could see James keeping his mustache and van dyke as a gunslinger. And imagine Will Snow as the dashing, yet slightly grizzled Marshall.

Sassyrox asked:
Hey Shawn, tell us more about your air guitar skills....who were and are your guitar heros?

LOL Yeah, that was back in 6th grade and Jr. High in the 80’s when everyone lipsynched and did air guitars for talent shows. My best friend and I did a wicked version of “I Can’t Drive 55” by Sammy Hagar. I also did airguitar with a plywood fake guitar as Eddie Van Halen in “Hot For Teacher” in 7th grade. You can’t get away with that these days!
As for guitar heroes, here is my list of the top five (in my opinion) greatest guitar players who ever lived in no specific order:
1. Eddie Van Halen;
2. B.B. King;
3. John Lee Hooker;
4. Jimi Hendrix;
5. Steve Vai

If you could select any costar, director and producer to work with, who would that be and why?

Costars: Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Alec Baldwin
Director: Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese or Ron Howard
Producer: No opinion really. Never really had to deal with one before so I’m not sure who is better than whom

If you can, without revealing anything too personal about anyone, tell us about being a "Behavioral Specialist".

During the filming of Aztec Rex, I had been working for about three years as a Behavioral Specialist for the Hawaii Department of Education. My job was to assess high school children for behavioral risks and then implement behavioral plans to help alleviate negative and unhealthy behavior and teach/encourage healthy and appropriate behavior. Currently, I work on the Big Island of Hawaii as a Probation Officer.
Where can we see you next? I think we're all looking forward to your next endeavor.
As Rios and Mendoza said, “Who knows what the next bend in the trail will bring?” I am always on the lookout for more work and if anybody knows a director who is looking for an actor, please send them my way!

A big mahalo nui loa to CAP for arranging this and a heartfelt aloha to all of you who posted questions. If there are any questions that didn’t get answered or anyone has a new question, please shoot it on over and I will answer it the best I can. And I apologize if any of my answers were too brief or too lengthy.
Good night and God bless!
_________________
CAP...

kaly · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 10:17 am Post subject:

My goodness Shawn, you must have been up all night answering those! Thank you so much for taking the time away from your family and work to do that.

I agree that there has been a lot of remakes of movies that just shouldn't have been done. Why fix what isn't broken. Some of the old horror movies were much better without the use of CGI. Just the clever use of lighting, camera angles, and of course the creepy music was enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Pequels and after quels, [what ever you call them] are a much better option in some cases.

Love the story about the mobile phone while filming Aztec Rex, you got me laughing this morning. It sounds like you had a blast filming it. It's great be enjoying yourself so much while being paid, not many jobs like that. It makes me look forward to seeing it even more.
By the way, There are more days than I would like to admit where I would love to see a T-Rex eat my husband. Rolling Eyes

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I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.
David Lee Roth

slathrop · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 62

It was my pleasure kaly. I loved how they had that last little bit at the end of the credits: "No dinosaurs were injured in the making of this film."
All I could think was, "yeah, but the humans had the CRAP beat out of them!"

kaly · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

Oh stop! I'm suffering enough waiting to see it.
_________________
I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.
David Lee Roth

SunKrux · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject:

Shawn, thanks for taking the time to answer questions. I've enjoyed our discussion in the Aztec Rex thread. Very Happy

I'm curious though are you the kind of actor who only wants to hear praise? Or are you the kind of actor who wants his fans to be honest with him? I think constructive critisim is good for actors and people in general. For me anyway, it helps me grow and change as a person.
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I like corny. I'm looking for corny in my life. - Iris - The Holiday

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slathrop · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 62

SunKrux · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 2:58 am Post subject:

slathrop · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 62

SunKrux · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:03 am Post subject:

Uh, those are cool Shawn but they're totally freaking out the lay out and both vids start playing automatically.
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I like corny. I'm looking for corny in my life. - Iris - The Holiday

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slathrop · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 62

Oops sorry! I'm still a little new to this blogging stuff.

SunKrux · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject:

slathrop · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 62

Darn modern technology!
Well, I hope theyre entertaining nonetheless.

Bogi · Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Posts: 268 Location: Hungary

Hi Shawn!
I don't have any questions now (nothing come to my mind now...), but I'll read your answers to the others questions. Thanks for it!

The videos are great! Thanks for posting! Smile

CAP

kaly · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject:

That really was a bit of fun wasn't it. It was great having the inside scoop from one of the stars of the movie. Thanks again Shawn, and please don't be a stranger. Let us know of your next project.
_________________
I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.
David Lee Roth