I had the chance to watch "What Josiah Saw," and it definitely went down an unexpected path on a couple different levels. The film is pretty dark and your character pretty troubled. What was appealing to you about playing Eli?
I tend to relate to characters like that or gravitate toward [them]. It's fun to play the misunderstood guy, the anti-hero. That has always been something that's attracted me to roles. I like the journey that he goes on. Where he starts out at the beginning of that day, this epic day, and where he ends up at the end — that was a fun arc. [Director] Vincent [Grashaw] came to me with the role, and I loved it. Overall, it was such a solid story and screenplay that [it] attracted me to the project as much as the role of Eli.
You've been open about your struggles with addiction. What was it like playing someone who is on such a destructive path, and were there any reservations about that?
No — no reservations as far as subject matter goes. There was a lot that Eli went through in the script that I certainly couldn't relate to. As far as certain character traits and struggles that he was going through, it was easy to lend myself to that material, but no reservations. I love exploring dark elements of characters and people. It was actually fun for me.
In such a dark film, how did you keep things light on set?
Vincent's a fun guy to work with. Film crews, when you're doing dark material, naturally look for levity. Some of the most fun shoots I've ever had have been really dark material. People would probably walk by and think it was twisted how everybody's having such a good time and laughing.
It was a real quick shoot, though. It wasn't a huge budget. They had limited resources. We were definitely working long days, which is tough. But it's interesting how sometimes the darker the material goes, the more comedy is [happening] on set.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
