The creepy, menacing reason behind that perpetual smile
else underneath; friendly and creepy and menacing at the same time.
Montreal actor Matthew MacCaull, 37, plays perpetually grinning G-man Dave Clark in Disney’s new fantasy adventure, Tomorrowland.
It’s not a big role, but Clark makes an impression (in more ways than one) as he tries to stop crusading teen Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) and one-time boy genius Frank Walker (George Clooney) from getting back to the future world of Tomorrowland.
Plus, government agent Clark has a secret. What bad guy doesn’t?
The Star spoke to MacCaull Wednesday when he was in Toronto to promote Tomorrowland, which opens Friday.
Was your character named for the leader of the ’60s pop group, The Dave Clark Five?
That’s exactly what I went to. The first thing I thought of was (their hit) “Glad All Over.” All I had (initially) was the character’s name and the name of the (movie). I didn’t know anything else. I believe (the filmmakers’) vision of tomorrow includes this retro sense of the future and this name was an intentional throwback to The Dave Clark Five.
Where does Dave’s constant smile come from?
I don’t remember it being referred to in the script. It just came organically out of building the character. I tried to hone down what kind of animal Dave Clark was going to be and incorporate that into his movements. It was that sense of everything’s OK in America the ’60s, when really the underbelly was there was so much disharmony in the ’60s. He’s a guy who fronts one image but who is definitely something
What was it like to work with George Clooney?
We had a couple of days together and I had two or three scenes with him. It was awesome to work with him.
There’s a great deal of computergenerated effects in your big scene where the agents storm Frank’s booby-trapped house. What was that like to shoot?
I’m very curious about all that stuff. They would draw target dots on my face. I’d have to move my head so they had the physical clues to do (the effects). I was just so excited to see how it turned out. I’m very happy with the finished product.
You’ve just made thriller Vendetta with Canada’s “twisted twins,” horror filmmakers Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska. How did that compare to the Disney experience?
It was literally night and day. It was the cobwebs and shadows of night and the sunlit sheet of Mickey Mouse’s head during the daytime. It was a complete contrast and that’s one of the things I love about acting. You have such variety in your work when you are fortunate enough to have the work. This interview has been edited and condensed.