Seeking challenges
Ex-NM resident David Cade hopes to bring a film to state
David Cade enjoys the challenges that the film industry brings. That’s why he’s expanded to being more than an actor.
He starred in and produced the film “Into the Ashes,” available on videoon-demand services.
The film stars Frank Grillo, Marguerite Moreau and Luke Grimes.
It follows an ex-con adjusting to a normal life in rural Alabama. When a past he thought he left behind comes back to haunt him — enter Cade — it forces him to come to terms with his current situation and rectify a relationship in his life — all while dealing with his past trying to pull his world apart.
“My career took an interesting progression,” he says. “I spent the first eight years in Los Angeles sort of being a journeyman actor. I went to every audition I could get.”
Then he landed a role on “Big Time Rush,” where he played Jett Stetson for four seasons.
Since his time on the show, the business has shifted, and Cade decided to make a change and develop projects for himself — whether they were for acting or directing.
“It was a slow start, but I kept moving forward,” he says. “I work late and find myself always working on some sort of project. It’s a treat for me.”
Cade grew up in Minnesota and after high school moved to Santa Fe, where he attended the College of Santa Fe.
He then moved to Albuquerque and stayed for less than a year.
“The school, at the time, wasn’t performing well, and I decided to head out to California,” he says. “I made great friends from that time and we would go up to Taos. It was the beginning of my ambitions and part of the problem of being in New Mexico was that I was at a school that wasn’t doing well and I wanted to be in LA.”
Cade ended up studying at the San Francisco American Conservatory.
Now that he’s settled in the industry, New Mexico often comes up on his radar.
Not only is he looking at bringing productions here because of the state’s film tax incentives, but he’d also like to do projects in the state.
“I was supposed to be in ‘The Comeback Trail,’ ” he says of the project that filmed in New Mexico and starred Robert De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones. “One of my friends is a producer and actor on it. I’m going to be in Albuquerque sooner than I know it. New Mexico, in general, is one of the most original landscapes that you are going to find in the U.S. When the project comes around and I need the look, I’ll bring it out there.”
When he’s not working on a film, Cade makes time for family, friends and fitness.
He enjoys boxing and wrestling.
“I did an MMA session yesterday,” he says. “It’s about finding balance in the things that you love and are passionate about. The working out helps me keep grounded.”
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If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @ agomezART.