A: I’m a Southern California native, borne in Long Beach. I’ve been around the entertainment industry most of my life. At an early age I was attracted to the arts with my first love being music. It wasn’t until I started going to college that I started playing around with acting. I started off majoring in Music and Theater in Santa Barbara in the early 80’s, eventually changing my major to Marketing after discovering that I needed to make money to survive. I transferred up to San Francisco to work on my Masters when I was introduced to legendary acting coach Jean Shelton, and the Jean Shelton Actors Lab. (http://jeanshelton.com/) Jean had worked with Stella Adler in New York, and had trained the likes of Danny Glover and Howard Hessman, so I figured I was in good hands. It was then that I truly discovered The Method and that all my emotional experiences in life, good and not so good, could be put to a positive creative use rather than torturing me on a daily basis.

          I’ve never really considered my self an actor in the “Acting” sense. In life I don’t necessarily crave attention. I’m actually a bit uncomfortable with it. I prefer to observe. I use the acting opportunities that I get to explore my demons and display them for the lens of a camera in the form of a character. And under this umbrella of creative safety, it allows me to explore the often unthinkable things that we as actors must define and put forth. It’s therapy in some ways rather than an ego self fulfillment. If I can put these experiences to good use and entertain people for a moment, and get paid, why not use them for something positive. That is probably why I’m more attracted to drama than comedy, and why I get cast in the roles that I get. Don’t get me wrong, I like to have a good time. But I’m not naturally a light and whimsical guy. I’m a pretty serious dude when it comes right down to it.

          A:I played the role of Mark Heim. As for the character of Mark Heim, to me, he represents what an emotionally damaged child can become without parental nurturing and support. Just because he’s a 40 year old man, doesn’t mean that he’s emotionally mature. An emotionally abandoned or abused child may be functional, but survives only on a limited level of basic needs. Mark grew up on the mean streets and witnessed many horrible things in his life. But deep down all he wanted was to be loved and prove that he could be somebody other than himself. Mark had virtually no self esteem or sense of who he was. Mark’s ability to survive was based on pure human instinct with a very narrow sense of right and wrong. In Marks haunted and childlike mind all he dreamed of was to have a better life and to love Lilly. But in reality not only was he unprepared to love her, he was incapable loving himself without hurting both of them. He really is a very fractured and tragic character.

          A: Think outside the box. It’s a fantasy. It’s intense. This movie explores the darkness of the human soul is a way that has rarely, if ever, been put on film. The film is inspired by 18th Century Gothic stories. It’s not conventional to modern story structure. Don’t try to define it. Let yourself take the journey and feel the pain, and then rejoice, secure in the fact that what ever discomfort you might be feeling about your life right now, your situation might not be so bad after watching how messed up these characters are. In a perverted sort of way it’s a “Feel Good” movie in reverse. Not everyone is going to see the world in the same manner. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to artistic vision. Don’t try too hard to figure out the movie, relax and the movie will figure out something deep inside of you, whether you like it or not. If you feel disturbed, then something is happening. Embrace it, don’t run from it. It’s just a movie. People are so quick to compartmentalize everything into a certain definable box. This movie is going to push buttons, and it’s going to cause your brain and heart to squeeze. If the movie disgusts you, then good; if it pisses you off, or makes you cry, then so be it. If it makes you laugh, well, that’s a bit concerning. But if you know that going in, you’ll be in a better place to experience the journey. The technical aspects of the film are outstanding. The images are lush, the music is moving, and the pacing of the film is relentless. I’ve seen it a half a dozen times now and it’s actually gotten better with each viewing.

          A: After reading Justin’s script, and the many discussions that we had about the material, I knew immediately what I was getting into. Both Justin and I operate on a very deep emotional level when it comes to character development. As an actor I prefer to play deep emotionally scared characters. On many personal levels I can relate to them more than I’d like to admit. I knew that the role of Mark Heim was definitely was going to be a difficult emotional challenge. Certainly one of the most difficult emotional characters I’ve ever tackled. Not necessarily because of the deep emotional pain that Mark experiences, I have plenty of that in reserve, but more because of the duration that Mark experiences these feelings. Mark’s pretty messed up from shot one, to as you already know, to the very end. Keeping that kind of pain in your mind just at the surface for three weeks, while shooting the scenes out of sequence, is incredibly challenging and difficult on the soul. You just can’t turn it on and turn it off. I suppose that some actors can, but I question the sincerity of the emotional experience. I’m a method guy, so digging up the deepest of demons can be both very painful on the one hand, and also very therapeutic on the other.

          A: That’s a very tough question. Filming a movie is not a linear process. It’s highly segmented and the scenes are shot out of sequence, especially a script like A Gothic Tale. It’s not like a theater performance that will start, wander around for awhile, build momentum, crescendo, and then come to an end. The only point of reference that you have is whether or not the moment to moment experience of the scene that you’re shooting is working. Is something emotionally happening to you and with your scene partners in the scene? For me, I can get an idea of how it’s working by looking at the director’s face after the take. In reality, that’s all that matters to me. I’m not terribly self-indulgent when it comes to the work. I’m just honored to have been trusted with the responsibility to bring the character to life. I’m pretty much a happy camper when it comes to work. I’m always going to get some creative satisfaction during a take weather the director likes it or not. My job as an actor is to make sure the director’s happy because in the end, it’s his story and vision that we as actors must serve, not ours. And when I look over to him and he’s smiling with a twinkle in his eyes and I hear “We’re moving on”, then I know that he likes what I’m doing and that’s all that counts. Things happen real fast on a film set and it’s often hard to look back at individual moments. With that said, there were several moments where I felt as though we caught something special, and Justin had the aforementioned “twinkle in his eye”.

          A: I worked on Sorceress II back in 1993/94 I believe. That was a Jim Wynorski film. Man that was so long ago. The only thing that I can truly remember is that Julie Strain was wicked hot, very tall, looked fantastic in leather, and was built for comfort. Her husband told me that she was “6’3’’ and worth the climb”. I’d have to agree with that assessment. I did not see the first film and to be honest with you I never saw the second either. I generally don’t watch my work unless I absolutely have to. It can be too crushing on the ego. I’d rather just do the work and not worry that my nose looks so big on a twenty foot movie screen. It can be very humbling.

          A: “Nailed” was actually the first film that I worked on after coming back from a 7 year hiatus from acting. After I finished the Beetleborgs contract for FOX, I took a break from acting. I was burned out and wanted to explore other creative pursuits and my business interests. In 2006 I decided it was time to start working again and Nailed was the first audition that I had in 7 years. I surprised myself and booked the gig. All the guys, Ben Katz the producer, Charles Porter, Sam Sarpong and Wilson Heredia were really cool to work with. The director Adrian O’Connell was a very interesting guy from Ireland. I think the interesting part about the film was that it most of it was shot in Ireland while Ben was shooting Johnny Was. They needed to make the story take place here in the States so they shot the exteriors for the story here in Los Angeles. That’s when I got on board.

          A: I worked on “Naked” back in the early 90’s while in the Bay Area. About two years ago I was contacted by Sean Cain the director and notified that the film was finally finished. It was such a long time ago that I can’t tell you much about it. I’ve never seen it. If you think about it, Sean’s concept was way ahead of its time. He was thinking “Reality TV” as a concept, before Reality TV was ever thought of as a viable entertainment medium. It took Sean over 13 years to finally get that film finished. That is a testament in patience and perseverance, and I respect him for finishing the film. He could have easily given up. On the down side, what I also know about the film is that a very good friend of mine Don Zirlin, owner of Design Works, (http://dzynwrx.com/) a company that specializes in graphic design for the entertainment industry, was contracted by the distributor to redesign the key artwork and packaging for the film, as well as all their other titles. Don’s artwork was phenomenal. The distributors took the artwork, licensed it all over the world and as of this date, have never paid Don for the work. That’s pretty sleazy if you ask me.

          A: Ah Yes, you got me. I was one of the Series Co-Stars on the FOX Network Series Beetleborgs Metallix back in 1997/98. It was a “Strip” series that aired five days a week and on Saturday mornings. I played the series arch villain Les Fortunes, a manic over the top lunatic super villain in the same vein as The Riddler or The Joker from the original Batman Series, with a little bit of Doc Brown from Back to The Future. At least that’s how I decided to take it. It was great really. They pretty much wound me up and I just created havoc wherever possible. Being that it was a kid’s show, there were boundaries of course. But given the chance to do that type of character in a more adult mainstream production would be awesome.

          It was really a great experience. I’m very proud of the work. There are not a whole lot of actors out there that can say they worked on a series that shot 100 episodes over two years as a series regular co-star. Granted, it was children’s programming, but it’s still a great amount of work, and for that I am grateful. All in all the series shot approximately 100 episodes and two feature releases before going into syndication. At the height of its popularity it was airing in 14 million homes daily and was #1 in its time slot. For children’s programming it was very well done.

          Being a series regular gives you a certain sense of relaxation and security so to speak. It also gives you allot of confidence as an actor as well. But with that, you also have a great sense of responsibility. It really opens up your eyes to the studio system of work flow and just how many people work crazy hours to get the shows ready for the network. There is absolutely no room for unchecked egos and bull shit. It truly is a team environment and you have to bring your game every day and be prepared. It really is a factory in every sense of the word. Being an ensemble actor, you’re really just dealing with the other cast members, guest stars and staff directors. But there are so many crew folks that really make it all happen. I think the best part about the experience was working with the emerging technologies back in 1997. We were using green screen and stop action CGI effects within scenes. Learning the technical aspects of acting with CGI and live action/stop motion was a great learning experience. Now as we all know, that technology is driving the filmmaking process especially in the action and Sci-Fi genera’s.

          A: Do I have to Pick One?...Hmmm…At this point I’d have to say movies just because film often lets you explore things that traditional network television won’t touch. I love material that’s gritty, hard, and in some ways politically incorrect. Politically incorrect fare is not what network television is willing to distribute. But with the explosion of cable programming, and the sensor free environment, there are some cable shows that are really pushing the envelope. Unless you’re going to get a series regular co starring role on a television series that will have some sort of character development and story arch over multiple episodes, you’re going to be relegated to doing two scenes and a talking head Guest Star moment. From a creative point of view, that’s not a terribly fulfilling day as an actor as far as I’m concerned. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have a hot, cutting edge c able series drama/action show for sure, and if and when it happens, I feel confident that I can do the work. But for me, it’s not about the money; it’s about the type of work that I want to do. There are many actors out there that need to book a day player network gig in order to pay the bills. My situation is different, and as long as I can focus on material that is more controversial, and I don’t need to book that type of gig to pay the bills, I know that I’ll be more fulfilled in my creative life, and probably grow as an artist.

          A: At this point I’ve got three projects that are in the works, a pilot called “Fault”, a horror thriller titled “The Pig People” Starring Romeo Miller, and my latest project with Justin Paul Ritter called “The Living Corpse”.

          “Fault” is a very interesting and relevant Television Series concept created by a young writer-director J. Mitchell Lane, for Veritas Productions. The premise of the series is the study of the recent proliferation of school campus and workplace shootings, and the pressures that cause seemingly innocuous people to take such violent and desperate actions. Hence, who’s at “Fault”? It’s a psychological and sociological character study centered on the lives of six high school students that are caught in the midst of one of these events, both as hostages, and as attackers. On the surface it’s very easy to point the finger at the action, but it gets much more complicated when you start digging into the lives of those that resort to such drastic and desperate actions. The pilot is currently in Post-Production and will be making the rounds soon. (http://www.veritasproductions.net)

          “The Pig People” is a classic slasher flick directed by David Gueringer starring Romeo Miller, and Produced by Master P & Jimmy Finkl for Vault Load Films. Hip Hop music legends Master P and Romeo grew up in rural Louisiana. The story is base on an old wives tale that parents would use to scare the kids from venturing too far into the woods. “Don’t let the Pig People get you”. TJ (Romeo) and his young friends decide to venture into the woods to make a documentary film on this old tale for a class project. Needless to say it’s a very bad weekend for the young scholars. I played the supporting role of Mr. Monsoon, a creepy guy that seems to know far too much about this old wives tale, or is it?

          As you probably know, Romeo is attending USC’s film school and is very interested in furthering is film interests as a director. P is busy developing his many media interests during this stage of his life. Working for the Millers on this film was very easy. What amazes me is how much hate these guys get from the hip hop culture on the internet. I suppose that the success they have achieved brings out the ugliness that envy can produce. It’s sad really. I can say that from my perspective they were very kind, polite, well organized and prepared. They took very good care of us on the set. As we all know, their professional lives have been very well chronicled, and most folk have a preconceived perception of who they are. P was very warm and gregarious, and Rome was a very polite and well spoken young man. I was impressed with how they worked and treated the people involved with the film. They had a very good crew and from what I’ve seen of the footage, the production quality looks to be very good. I haven’t seen the film yet, but the trailer for the film looks pretty intense. It’s slated to be released sometime this year. (http://www.thepigpeople.com)

          “The Living Corpse” is the latest project by Justin Paul Ritter. Due to NDA agreements I can’t go into great detail. But what I can tell you is that it is based on the Comic Book Series “The Living Corpse”, created by Buz Hasson and Ken Haeser. It is going to be an Animated Action Horror Thriller Feature Film that is going to turn the Comic Book world upside down. I played the voice of Asteroth, one of the lead characters in the film. He’s a 3,000 year old Gargoyle, and gatekeeper to the underworld. It was a blast working again with Justin and I am so grateful for his support. As long as he keeps calling I’ll say yes, sight unseen. He’s got as much honesty and artistic integrity as any anyone I’ve ever worked with, and I can’t wait for the next one. (http://www.corpsecomic.com/)

          A: For sure I’d be either walking my dog, playing golf somewhere, or deciding what’s for lunch. Seriously, that’s about as far as I can go into the future these days. Those are my realities. For me to speculate about my future with regards to work is just not healthy. This business is just too difficult to predict. Things happen very quickly in this town. One moment you’re wondering weather you’ll ever work again, and the next minute you’re slammed. I have a few projects in the works at present, and Justin and I have been talking with a number of distributors to develop future projects under his production company Rapscallion Entertainment. At present we are working together again on an Animated Horror Thriller Feature Film based on the comic book series “The Living Corpse”, for Shoreline Entertainment. From what I’ve seen, this film is going to be an amazing departure from the traditional films based on comic books. Hopefully things will go well with this film and Justin and I will be talking to you again this time next year.

          A: Wow, where do I start. Justin Paul Ritter, Clint Eastwood, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Tom Hanks, Quentin Tarantino, Glenn Close, Jerry Bruckheimer, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Mickey Rourke, Mel Gibson, Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman, Holly Hunter, Keira Knightley, Lonardo DeCaprio, Robert DiNiro , Laurence Fishburne, Martin Scorsese, Edward Norton, Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Penn, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Michael Bay, John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker…

          Hell I’m not greedy…That’s my short list. If I’m working with these folks, things are looking mighty good!

          A: There are several factors that go into making a decision. As I mentioned before, from a creative perspective, I like gritty hard hitting drama’s with action and well crafted characters. It’s all about the character and the story for me. Is it going to be controversial and inspiring? Am I excited when I read the script and do I start getting visuals right away? That’s when I know I’m inspired.

          From a production point of view, I want to make sure that the principles involved have the resources, experience and track record to produce and market a film that has the production value to be picked up by a distributor.

          With the proliferation of digital Pro-Sumer Camera technologies, the amount of aspiring filmmakers out there is staggering. In one way it’s great, and in another way is a curse. I want to feel comfortable that the energy that I give to a director and to my performance is going to be matched with the same amount of effort and money on the producers end to make sure the film has a chance. Unfortunately in this business, having aspirations to make a film is one thing, but that can only be matched by having the appropriate funds to produce a market ready film. If I get the impression that it’s dicey, I’ll generally pass even though I might like the material. The most valuable asset that we have in life is our time here on earth. If I feel that the project might be overly ambitious and financially challenged with limited experience on the production side, I’ll respectfully decline and move on to the next opportunity. Sometimes you just have to say no and be ok with it.

          A: I’m a triple Virgo, I’ve never been married, I cry when I see an animal in pain, and I love to play golf. I try very hard to treat every person that I meet with unconditional respect. Everyone has a fresh slate with me. If you treat me with respect and honesty, I’ll be your friend for ever. I’m fiercely loyal. If you treat me like an arrogant pompous self serving asshole, and you have an agenda, or disrespect my friends, you’re done. And if you disrespect my dog, I’ll find your ass…

          A: I know that this is going to sound disappointing to some, but I am not a true Horror movie fan. I hate to get the shit scared out of me. I prefer my popcorn in the bucket, not in my lap, or the back of the guys head sitting in front of me. Many years ago when I was very young, my parents dropped me and a couple of my friends off at our local theater. It was showing a triple feature. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was a triple horror set. The first film was the original Tales from the Crypt. I ended up sitting outside the theater until they came for us. That shit messed me up big time. I’ve never been the same since. To this day I still can’t figure out why they did that.

          Working on horror films as an actor is entirely different than sitting watching the thing once it’s finished. If I’m going to slash some young coed’s face off in a scene, I know that it’s coming. But being caught by surprise in a dark theater as what’s left of her bloody face flies at you in 3D, with the entire theater screaming in horror, sorry, no thanks. Besides, as an actor I don’t consider them to be horror when I work on them. I consider them dramatic films with the most severe of consequences.

          A: No problem. We appreciate your support and interest in the film. I look forward to speaking to you again in the future.

Peace,

Marshal
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