Interview: KYLE CLARE

(NOTE: this interview with Kyle Clare was originally conducted in January 2011; have relocated it from an old blog I no longer write.)

Since my first interview on this blog, with Gran Torino's Bee Vang, I've occasionally sought out other actors to speak with; actors whose work not only inspired me, but also who deserved the attention of everyone I knew, because his or her talent was so freaking out there, it should be seen.  Well, between moving to L.A. and other things in life intervening, I came across an actor who - in just one performance - blew me away so much, I sort of dug in and hung on, more than happy to work around his busy schedule until he could find the time for a chat.

You may never have heard of him, but I suspect that is only temporary. It's real talent that holds its own in this town, building a lengthy career, and if that's the case I think Kyle Clare is pretty much set.

It was Watercolors that did it for me. The first time I saw the film, I sat down expecting another formulaic film about a young gay high school boy who falls for the jock he can never have - yet, somehow, manages to get, even if only temporarily. Such indie films are rampant, usually showing excessive skin in lieu of a plot or characterization, and almost always such films also end in tragedy for those involved, especially the main character (or someone he or she loves).

Watercolors broke that, beautifully. On paper it may play out as as read above, but thanks to the phenomenal heart and soul put into the film by writer/director David Oliveras, as well as the pure, very honest and humane performances of the two lead actors, Tye Olson and Kyle Clare, Watercolors takes a compassionate, very honest and wholly real approach to its subject matter - and delivers beautifully. And much as Tye Olson's character of Danny finds artistic inspiration for his drawings and paintings in the form of Kyle Clare's character Carter, it's Clare himself, with his performance, who inspired not only this interview, but my own work as a writer, as well. I hope he won't mind if I call him my friend, but that's just how Kyle is; one conversation, and he treats you like he's known you forever.

But enough of that; you can read the review here; this piece is about one of the stars of a film everyone who has ever fallen in love should see.

Kyle Clare, was born in Santa Monica in January of 1985, the son of parents who divorced while he was still very young. Movies were a big passion even from an early age, and a young Kyle would often find himself acting out characters to the point where he wouldn't answer to his own name. He was signed to a children's agency as a kid, but barely remembers the experience; it was in the eighth grade, after his class attended a show at the high school, that young Kyle first realized THIS was what he wanted to do.

Though he'd start off well, playing the purser in "Anything Goes" in high  school, Clare's the first to admit, "I didn't have it all together in high school. I tested well, but didn't really have a plan." While he got good grades, and had landed the lead in every show by the time he was a senior, it was a guidance counselor who saw a young man in need of direction that saw the young man's talent and handed him a few applications for acting schools. Four days after graduating high school, Kyle auditioned for the prestigious AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) conservatory in New York City, who accepted him into their program. "So I was just graduated from high school and off to New York," Clare recalls, citing that his mother especially ask him, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" - but  by then, the acting bug had fully bitten.

Clare has nothing but good thing to say about the AMDA, though it was often all work and no play. "It was a tough school," he says. " There was no time to rest, you were always acting. But I learned that you get out only what you put into it ... and if you're really focused, which I was, then you can get a lot out of it." When asked how he feels attending the conservatory helped shape his career, Clare stresses "the best training an actor can get is from theater; theatrically-trained actors have a real advantage." That said, Clare did eventually choose to take the second year of his two-year training in Los Angeles, where he could focus more on film and television, though his respect and admiration for the school and for theater are obvious when he admits, "Looking back, had I been older I might have stayed (in New York) and pursued stage, but the glitz and glamor of being rich and famous gets to you ..."

Then, soon after graduating from AMDA, Kyle Clare only wanted to take a break when his girlfriend at the time, Jessica, talked him into submitting for an independent film he'd found was seeking actors online. After reading about the indie film Watercolors, which was to be shot on video for a more-than-modest budge of $35,000, Kyle wasn't sure about submitting for a role in which he'd be not only playing a closeted gay male (especially for his very first film role), but also for a part that, right out, stated would require nudity. But Jessica encouraged him to seek out the role, pointing out that Carter was Kyle Clare as described in the breakdown - a lean and athletic with long hair - but that didn't stop Clare from being more than a little nervous at the audition.

"What really made me nervous, though, was that I knew I was perfect for the role," Kyle says. "I was nervous about getting it, about playing a gay character and the nudity, but I called back and after the call back I heard from David (Oliveras, the writer and director). He told me it was between me and this other guy, and he wanted to get together and just hang out, get to know me. After the second time we hung out, he called to offer me the role."

From here, the friendship between Oliveras and Clare only grew, especially as Kyle grew more excited about the project, and even became a part of the casting process. "At the time I was cast, Danny's character was called Eric, and another actor had been cast in the role. But after two weeks of rehearsals the vibe just wasn't right, and David ended up letting the other actor go. He asked me to help him re-cast Eric, and we got this kid who dropped out, like, after one rehearsal ... so by now, five weeks since being cast as Carter, we were still looking for a Danny - which was what David had changed the other lead character's name to - and then Tye Olson walks in."

Clare was impressed from the beginning. "Tye walks in, and Tye was Danny. I read with him, then Tye left and I turned to David and said, 'I want him.' We called him at Starbucks and cast him."

But more than just winning a role, what makes Watercolors work is that the Olson and Clare seem absolutely in-sync with their performances; you fully believe in the characters and their relationship with each other, both good and bad. And talking with Kyle Clare, it's easy to see, now, why the film works on an emotional level the way it does.

"Even if I wasn't shooting, I was on-set all the time. David, Tye and I became "the trio" - we hung out together, talked about characters, and got very close. I don't like to over-rehearse, but forming this great friendship with Tye and David, just hanging out and talking about the characters and story, really helped the film."

And it works; just see the film to believe that. Better still, go by the fact that Kyle Clare - for his first feature-length role, won the 2008 Best Supporting Actor Audience Award at the Clip Film Festival, and FilmOut San Diego, in 2009, presented him with the Jury Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing Carter Melman. Not bad, for a straight guy playing a complex, troubled and closeted gay teen in his first film.

When asked how his family and friends reacted to seeing him as Carter, Clare curiously mentions that his mother of all people had little problem  with the character. "I had blond curly hair as a little kid," he remembers, "and was always made fun of, seen as artistic and a little weird. In school, because I was artistic and a performer, I was called gay a lot, so I think my mom sort of always wondered if I wasgay, which prepared her a little more." To this day, while Clare knows he has his father's overall respect and support, he's not even sure if his father has seen the film - "though I know he bought it the day it came out on DVD" - and admits to taking a ribbing from his friends about playing Carter, especially for the nudity. And even his girlfriend at the time, Jessica - who started the whole thing - was very proud of his work as Carter, and loved the film.

Life since Watercolors involves Kyle Clare cutting his acting teeth back on the stage - particularly with Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre in North Hollywood. "It's really unique, a 50-set, black box theater; total audience immersion, with some crazy, really out there shows ... and I've learned a lot there; it's prepared me for when the right project comes along. Being forced to play some really crazy characters, its torn and pulled and stretched me; now I know, if I can do Zombie Joe's, then I can do into any audition, on any set, and pull off the character. With every show I'm stretched; tested."

It's also taught Clare to be an actor's actor. His taste in favorite performers - or actors he'd like to work with one day - runs toward a few of the most well-renowned working today. "Sean Penn is my man. He's so deep. I really relate my style to his in some way, he really seems to understand his characters; he's so cerebral." On Robert Downey Jr. - "One of the most naturally-gifted actors of all time; he never ceases to entertain or amaze me." And Clare adds Sam Rockwell as a third influence on his work, stating "he's just an incredible actor, period."

Just approaching his twenty-sixth birthday, when asked where he'd like to be in, say, five years, Clare - as many actors before him - mentions wanting to direct in time. But as always with Kyle Clare, it all has to come with meaning: "People have said they'll see me hitting my stride in my thirties," he says. "If so, I hope I can continue to do roles that I find interesting and satisfying. Working on things that mean something; heartfelt projects I want to do, and be able to sustain myself doing them. Just be able to act, and focus on that; whether theater or small, independent films, I would like to be where I can do the projects I want to do." When asked the kind of character he'd most like to play right now, Clare - in line with his theatrical training - cites his desire to explore the psychology of a character out of the norm of society. "Mental illness intrigues me," says Clare. "Exploring the character or a crazy person, or maybe a savant or even a psychopath, like Heath Ledger's Joker. I'd die a happy man if I could play a role like that, or maybe even like Sean Penn in I am Sam ... Hoffman in Rain Man. It's the only other role I've consciously thought of doing."

But no matter what, Kyle Clare is in it for the long haul. With most of his lengthy career still left ahead of him, the young and hugely talented performer has been around enough to have some good, solid and very realistic advice for the aspiring actor; advice as blunt and honest and together as Clare himself.

"Go home, sit down, and think about the whole thing. If you could eversee yourself doing anything else ... then do that. If you have doubts then do something else, because to be successful and effective and a good actor, it must be something you HAVE to do."

Interview: BEE VANG

(NOTE: this interview with Bee Vang was originally conducted in September 2009; have relocated it from an old blog I no longer write.)

At the age of seventeen, Bee Vang has already put behind him the kind of break that many actors spend the majority of their careers trying to land - a co-starring role in a prestigious Hollywood film, directed by and starring an icon of American cinema.

Such was Gran Torino, a 2008 release starring and directed by Clint Eastwood that proved to be one of the most critically-praised films of Eastwood's career. And Bee Vang, who played Thao Vang Lor in the film - the next-door-neighbor who would turn out to be the biggest pain in Clint Eastwood's character's behind ... and, ultimately, his best friend. Vang's performance was praised by critics and fans alike, as well, and has already earned the teen from Minnesota a core group of fans.

Not bad for a guy who had no previous acting experience (or, for that matter, ambitions) going into it all.

Born in Fresno, California, Bee Vang grew up in a big, quite extended family; his Hmong (an ethnic group originating in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia forced, years ago, to flee their homeland in search of political asylum) parents had emigrated to the United States just a few years before his birth, and Bee remembers his childhood as being constantly surrounded by family - literally, with sometimes as many as fifteen people sharing the same home. "It was always cramped, and sometimes tough," Bee says, "but I was so young, it was okay."

When Vang and his immediate family - which includes four brothers and one sister - relocated to Minnesota, it was there that Bee met "Miss D," a teacher who would nurture his artistic side. "I fell in love with the piano and viola," he remembers, "and Miss D always encouraged me; she found me a piano to play on, and bought me a viola." When Miss D passed a few years ago, Vang even played one of her favorite songs at the funeral - and in fact, in an otherwise completely professional yet personable demeanor, it's in talking about Miss D that Bee Vang's voice hints at the emotional bond he still has with his inspirational teacher: "Remember the part in Gran Torino, when I go to help that lady across the street with her groceries?" he asks. "Well, if you listen close, you can hear me call her 'Miss D' in the movie."

It's this kind of honor and respect that led Bee to originally pursue classical music; he was playing by 7th grade, and listening to classical music to sleep. "I found out, though, that I wasn't disciplined enough to be that good," he adds. "That, and I was never really encouraged much by my parents, who wanted me to pursue a more stable career. So after Miss D died (from brain cancer), I was inspired to go into neuroscience and medicine. I volunteered at local hospitals, and even got my CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant certification) through an internship."

But Bee's love for the arts - and, in particular, for film - was rekindled via an apprenticeship with a local Hmong filmmaker. Soon Bee learned, however, that his own ideas and work were a bit too controversial for that market, and by 9th grade he'd left the apprenticeship when there were too many compromises and changes requested of him. Even by this time, Bee had never had any desire or interest in acting ... but then received an email that changed his life.

An ad in the Hmong Times newspaper stated that a film company was seeking local Hmong actors for a feature film. Not expecting anything, Bee sent in his information and a photo - and, to his surprise, was called about an audition. "They called me, and sent me a side (a portion of a film script containing only the lines the actor is to read for his/her audition) to read," Bee recalls. "I prepared and went to the audition, while still juggling school and everything, and six weeks later got the callback. Several more weeks, and they told me I had the role."

And when asked his reaction to landing a major role in a film co-starring and directed by the one and only Clint Eastwood? Bee stifles a chuckle before replying. "I know girls are supposedly more emotional, but I realize maybe guys can be; looking back, I felt like this would give my artistic side a chance again; the opportunity for me to really push myself. I jumped up, screamed - even cried a bit. It was a real life-changing moment. Being Hmong, my parents have always pushed me into a stable career - professor, teacher, doctor - so this was an emotional experience for me." Vang mentions a lack of Eastwood star power at the auditions, "but for me that was good; less intimidating. I was less nervous because of it, and didn't meet Mr. Eastwood until my first day of shooting, three months later."

And for sure, meeting Clint Eastwood that day was something Bee Vang will never forget. "I was scared, but kept looking for him that day. I really wanted to make a good impression, didn't want to go overboard, but just shake his hand - and when I did, I think I said something like 'Nice to meet you, Mr. Callahan'. So much for a good impression!

"Until then I'd seen him as the intimidating, scary guy from the Dirty Harry movies. But he's just a regular person; another human being. He's not a 'star,' he's just ... Clint Eastwood - and I realized he's a very down-to-earth, serious guy."

Vang expands on his impressions of Eastwood further, when asked what working with him was like. "We never really talked on-set, other than our scenes together. He has his own style, and when you're on set he lets you know you're fine and will be taken care of. He's very quiet; I tried to ask him about his career and the industry, ask his advice, but only usually got, like, five minutes with him on set at a time, so it was hard to talk with him - but he told me that he kept that distance on purpose, to keep the same feel of the relationship that Thao and Walt had going on on-screen . So I learned all I could, for as long as I was with him, and also applaud Mr. Eastwood for giving Hmong people a chance to be seen and heard. He (Mr. Eastwood) works way too much, though - acting, directing, post-production; I heard that Gran Torino was going to be his last job as an actor, and I'm proud to have been a part of that."

Because of his outstanding, very realistic performance as Thao, it was natural to ask Bee about similarities he and his character have (warning: a few Gran Torino spoilers here!). "I think I'm smarter than Thao. Smarter, and maybe more aggressive. Thao is passive-aggressive, not as professional in his conversation. But there are similarities. Thao got the car - I got the piano from Miss D. My sister is a wonderful influence in my life, like Thao's. I've been greatly influenced by the women in my life, supported by women - there are many similarities to me and Thao, only if you gave Thao more of a chance to come out of his shell." Bee even remembers a time, like Thao helping his neighbors with the groceries in the film, when Bee himself spotted a blind man once, during the winter, whose path was blocked where he was about to walk. Like Thao, Bee jumped out of the car to help the man.

And that same guy still seems to reside in Bee Vang, even with all the attention the film has brought him. "I'm still very self-conscious. I'd never even given speeches in school. And when the premiere was coming, suddenly I had to give school speeches, interviews, speak in front of forums; I hadn't even prepared what to wear to the premiere! It still seems like a dream, that someone like me could even step up to such heights to work with Clint Eastwood in a film like this - and I remember I even screamed in the car on the way to the premiere. I'm trying, though, to be a better public speaker, and am proud to be a representative of the Hmong people. I like to feel like I helped pave the way in Hollywood a like - like maybe what happened to me was a stepping stone for other Asian and minority actors."

And while he's currently back in school in Minnesota, don't think for a moment that Bee Vang is a one-shot wonder - or going back to medicine. "I'm learning - reading - trying to become better with theater and acting in film. I've starred in a local Hmong filmmaker's film, Fallen City, that's due out in December, and had a small role in another independent film, Anatomically Incorrect. Right now, I'm just trying to study and learn, before eventually leaving for California or New York City." And Vang has good influences for his career goals, as well - favorite actors include Peter O'Toole, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tony Leung, and Leslie Cheung, and Bee cites directors like Chan-wook Park, Wong Kar-wai, Korean arthouse director Kim Ki-duk, Sean Penn, and of course Eastwood himself as his inspirations.

"I'd like to get a degree in acting and filmmaking - to become more known internationally, and work everywhere with directors all over the world. I need to finish college first, then get into film - more movie and acting opportunities. Maybe even directing," he adds with a small sigh.

And with a film like Gran Torino as his debut, it seems like Bee Vang may already be well on his way.

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (2014)

While no Blazing Saddles, this may be the funniest (and most fun) western-comedy to come along since.  "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane (director, co-writer, and star) is Albert, an wimpy farmer/sheep owner who spends most of his time avoiding death (it's the Old West, circa 1882, and the film constantly reminds us of the MANY ways one could die an early death in those days) and worshiping girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) ... who, early on, dumps Albert for the rich, successful Foy (a terrific Neil Patrick Harris), owner of his own first-class moustachery.  But it's when a distraught Albert meets new town resident, Anna (Charlize Theron) - hiding out while her outlaw husband Clinch (Liam Neeson) pulls off a big robbery - it's Albert who must face his own fears to find both true love and his real calling in life.  The raunchy/potty humor, a trademark of MacFarlane's, is in check but also quite toned down (by Seth standards), in a film that's hugely enjoyable and at times laugh-out-loud funny. (rated R)  A-

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST trailer (adult content)

LOCKE (2013)

If there were ever any doubt that Tom Hardy is one of the best, most underrated actors working today - Locke should take care of that.  Virtually a one-man film, it tells the story of a good family man, Ivan Locke (Hardy), always responsible and devoted to both family and his career as an on-site construction manager, who - because of one phone call - one night climbs into his BMW after work and risks throwing everything away.  The entire film, consisting of Ivan's night-time ride alone in his car, is far from static or dull, as - still always trying to do the right thing - he carries on multiple conversations with his wife, children, boss, and employees, trying to remain the "good man" by smoothing over missing work the next day and not going home that night ... all while things spiral more out of control as Ivan drives on (and on) into the night on his quest to right a horrible wrong.  Hardy is utterly convincing, the low-budget film building tension even as the creeping sensation that none of this can end well overtakes you.  Hardy truly is a marvel. (rated R)  B+

LOCKE trailer

'NIGHT, MOTHER (1986)

Marsha Norman adapted her own Pulitzer Prize-winning play in writing the story of Jessie (Sissy Spacek) and Thelma (Anne Bancroft), a daughter/mother duo living a quiet life in the south until one evening - calm as can be - Jessie announces to her mother that she is going to end her life before morning.  At first finding her daughter's humor in bad taste, Thelma slowly begins to realize that Jessie is not only serious ... but has been planning her suicide for many weeks and down to the last detail, including detailed instructions for how Thelma will deal with everything from laundry to grocery shopping to her prescription meds, once Jessie is gone.  The rest of the film, carried by the phenomenal, flawless performances of its two leading ladies, is a slow revelation of Jessie's life and reasons for coming to this decision, even as Thelma tries like hell to talk her out of it.  Rarely has a simple, two-character drama been this good, or this riveting, in dealing with a hugely taboo subject with such raw emotion and insight.  Incredible film. (rated PG-13)  A-

'NIGHT, MOTHER trailer

GODZILLA (2014)

Fifteen years after a Japanese nuclear power plant was destroyed under mysterious circumstances, former employee Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), who lost his wife in the incident, remains fixated on what truths are being hidden there.  Rescued by his now-adult son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a U.S. naval officer who flies to Japan when Joe is arrested again for trespassing on quarantined property, Joe instead talks Ford into trying to help him find out what occurred ... both men just in time to see two monsters unleasheds, from deep inside the earth, who threaten the very existence of mankind.  Our only hope?  The subterranean creature who also recognizes the danger these monsters are to this planet's existence; problem is, how do you trust what appears to be another monster, come to "rescue" us?  The answer lies in 123 minutes of one of the most exciting, thrilling, enthralling, and downright fun monster films ever made, bringing Godzilla into the 21st century with all the love and respect deserved. (rated PG-13)  A+

GODZILLA trailer

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)

Three friends, all models in New York City - Schatze (Lauren Bacall), Pola (Marilyn Monroe), and Loco (Betty Grable) - snag a fantastic furnished apartment in the city that they really can't afford, and begin using it as a base of operations in a campaign, led by Schatze, for all three to meet and marry millionaires so none need ever to struggle to pay the bills again. Schatze (a radiant Bacall), a divorcee wounded by love, has gotten smart the second time around and soon sets her sights on a rich older Texan, J.D. (William Powell), while the ditzy Pola (a luminous Monroe) and bubbly Loco (Grable at her funniest) pan for gold in the dating pool with unexpected results.  Sophisticated, funny, and still relevant today (also listen for Bacall's reference to Bogart in the film - one of THE best lines ever uttered on screen), How to Marry a Millionaire could have been about three gold-diggers out to scam wealthy men ... but instead tells the story of three beautiful women you grow to care and root for, in their searches for love. (not rated)  A-

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE trailer