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Q&A: Nick Stahl of 'Dylan's Wake'

By Chris Gardner

Special to Metromix
October 7, 2009

(Credit: Getty Images)

Fat chance of cruising by any Des Moines bouncer to access a local watering hole without a valid ID. But not if your name is Nick Stahl and the guy at the door happens to recognize you from a little movie you did called “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” Such was the case a few Fridays ago when the actor - in town to lense the title role in the indie film “Dylan’s Wake” - made his way into Fourth Street hipster haunt the Lift sans ID. A short 20 minutes later, the barflies were buzzing that John Connor was in the house. And while Stahl is perhaps best known for his part opposite California‘s governor in the big-budget actioner, he has racked up quite an impressive resume (see “In the Bedroom,“ “Carnivale,“ “The Man Without a Face” and “Bully”) for a kid from Texas who started acting before he hit puberty. Metromix caught up with Stahl right before he packed his bags and headed home to Austin to discuss playing Dylan, his fave Des Moines hideout and how he really feels when someone shouts “John Connor!”

So, you've lived in Des Moines about a month. What are your impressions of the city and its Midwest inhabitants?
Des Moines and the people were great. I loved how compact the city was so every location we had was like five minutes away. The people were really cool. We didn’t have a lot of money so the film relied on people volunteering their time to do background work. You know something about that, don’t you? (laughs).

True, it‘s my feature film debut! Let’s talk about “Dylan‘s Wake” - you play the title character. Describe your part and tell me, how much more pressure do you put on yourself when you are the lead and in almost every scene?
I play Dylan, a guy who’s recovering from family tragedy about a decade earlier. He works in a funeral home and is mentored by an older Irish man, Decko. Since this accident years earlier, Dylan has become somewhat of a lone wolf and Decko and his wife have become the only real constant people in his life. Dylan is talking to Decko one day, and they hatch the plan to throw Dylan a fake funeral. In talking about love and lasting friendships, they have the theory that whoever shows up to your funeral are your real friends, the rest just people that you can’t really rely on. They throw the funeral and two women show up that throws the story in two different directions. He reunites with Natalie (Amy Smart), the girl he lost at the time of his family tragedy in high school, and the film becomes a kind of love story. The other woman who shows up is Charlie, a drug addict also dealing with past tragedy. Almost as a shot at redemption for guilt Dylan carries around, he takes Charlie under his wing which throws the film into an almost supernatural direction... I found that interesting about the script. You can’t really sum up the film in one particular genre. It’s actually a handful a genres. It starts as a darker comedy that becomes a supernatural love story. Kinda hard to explain quickly.

Starring opposite you is Rose McGowan and Amy Smart. I got the chance to spend some time with both of them off-set, but tell me how has it been to work with those two lovely ladies?
They were both great in two very different ways. Rose is extremely cerebral. The role of Charlie would be a challenge for any actor, and I think we were lucky to find someone who is both as smart and as brave as Rose. Amy, one of the sweetest humans alive, has a very different approach. She really goes with the flow on set, loves to improv and try new things. She also just has such a relaxed and fun energy. That can be a real asset to a crew working 12-hour days. You need to have fun for sure.

Speaking of actors, Des Moines has been seemingly filled with them this summer and fall due to the lucrative tax credit. What was your reaction to the latest news that it‘s on hold?
To be honest, I still don’t have the details of what’s happening with that! That tends to happen when I work. The 'real world' can kind of fall to the wayside.

What was your favorite and/or most interesting location to shoot in Des Moines?
You got some nice bridges in Des Moines which we utilized a bit. The trains passing in the background also had a nice effect. Instant production value!

Did you have any favorite spots - local hangouts, restaurants, etc?
I really liked the Continental, as you know! Also, I really liked the restaurant Lucca. The food is really fresh and tasty.

I have been with you several nights out and about in Des Moines when you were spotted by fans. Have you been surprised by the parts they recognize you from, being that your resume is pretty diverse.
Sometimes. It’s usually the bigger, more recent stuff. But occasionally I'll get a “Man Without a Face” reference. I'm like, really? Do I still look 12 years old? Pretty impressive!

And does it bother you when people shout out your character name - like 'Hey, look, it's John Connor!!!!'
Sometimes it can. Especially in a crowd. Just part of the job, really. I honestly don’t think actors have room to complain about anything. Unless they just don’t like acting, in which case, don’t do it! I happen to still love it after all these years. I’m very lucky in that way.

And tell me what's up next for you?
I’m going to do a film in Vancouver, hopefully in about a month, called 'Somebody Else.' After that, back to the drawing board!