More ‘23 Blast’
Dylan Baker is one of those characters actors who show up in big movies, small movies and on television shows.
Whether it’s a “Spider-Man” movie or an independent feature, or a role on “The Good Wife” or “Damages,” Baker, 55, makes a mark — particularly if it’s a creepy role, like the pedophile in “Happiness.”
Now Baker makes his debut as a director and producer with “23 Blast,” based on the true story of a high-school football player who is going blind but who rises above the odds. Baker also acts in the film, though given the choice, he might not have.
Baker, good-natured and friendly, talked about the film and his career.
Question: This is meant as a compliment, but you show up in a lot of things and the reaction is often, “Hey, it’s that guy.”
Answer:
(Hearty laugh.) Good, good. I think it’s the fate of the character actor, you know? Ever since I started acting, I was always playing roles that were older than me or weirder than me. Now I’m finally growing into the roles. I feel like I’ve got some shelf life for a few years, so it’s good.
Q: There’s certainly less pressure, and lots of jobs.
A:
I’m married to a character actor, Becky Ann Baker, who plays the mobility coach in the movie. She always says that. She says, “Man, it’s so much better being the supporting actor. You don’t have to carry the film. It’s not your fault if it doesn’t work.”
Q: Seriously, you do show up in a lot of things (110 acting credits), but whether it’s a nice guy or weird or creepy, you seem to go deeply into the role.
A:
It’s funny. I always looked on it from the beginning as acting being this exploration of every side of the human experience. I am just as fascinated playing a guy who was a serial murderer as I was playing a nice guy who was the fa-
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ther of a child. Those things happen in this world, and to try and get into the psychology of the person who actually did various things, I always found that fantastic, a great challenge.
But I have to say, in terms of directing with “23 Blast,” having a positive film and being able to have a positive message and one that any kid can go see and family of any age can go see, I have to say I’m glad I didn’t make a movie about baby killers or frat high jinks. Instead it’s something I can take great pride in.
Q: Maybe the serial-killer movie is next.
A: Q: What was the biggest challenge about directing?
A:
(Laughs.) Right.
To me, the biggest thing I confronted was time. We did the whole film
in 23 days of shooting, and we didn’t have a choice to go for 24 or 25. We had to get what we could and, pencils down, we’re done. Therefore time was what we worked hardest on. I only had one day where I didn’t get my day, on Day 2. It was a nice kick in the pants to realize, “You’re going to have to work hard to get this movie done in time” (laughs). Q: Why are sports movies always such a popular genre?
A: That’s something you’re dying to be a part of if you’re totally bereft of talent in sports — like myself! But I love it. I still tried to play. I tried to get on every basketball team I could, and I was always pretty tall, but just couldn’t play. I was always left on the bench. I played on my varsity high-school football team. The coach said, “Look, I don’t cut seniors. You’re never going to play. But you’re welcome to try.” I said, “OK, I’ll do it!”
Q: Do you want to direct again?
A:
I’d like to. It would really depend on the project, and boy, I would never be the producer again. Those people, I have a newfound respect for, but I would never want to do that again. That was hard. The directing was a cakewalk compared to the producing. Q: Yes, we think of making movies as an artistic endeavor, but there’s a lot of raising money to be done.
A: I don’t choose to talk about raising money because it’s one of those things that I’ll wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, thinking I need another $50,000 (laughs). Q: What did you learn about directing?
A: I think I made a mistake being in it. At the time I was kind of looking for somebody else to play the father. Because I had already agreed to play the father before Toni (Hoover, a co-writer and producer) asked me to direct the film. As inertia just kept going, I said, well, I guess I’m playing this, and that’ll be fine. But I look back on it and say I wish I had been outside watching the scene completely. There were things I think I missed along the way by not being able to divorce myself from thinking about the acting of it a little bit. I’m glad how it turned out, but I think in the long run it would have been a better idea not to be in it from the beginning. People like Ben Affleck can do it. But I need a little more work before I can do that again. Q: So it was hard to direct yourself?
A: Unfortunately there was a little bit of me wondering how I’m doing. I don’t think a director should spend any time worrying about just a little part of it. Definitely when we were fashioning the script, I kept taking the father out of scenes and lessening his lines, so that I had less to do and I could concentrate on the whole movie.
N.Y. TIME CROSSWORD PUZZLE, D8
L.A. TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE, D8