Q: HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE “WAKE?”

It’s the story of four brothers who go back to their childhood home unbeknownst to each other, and what happens during the course of one night, when you mix in sibling rivalries, a little Vicodin, a little booze, a little emotional instability, and a couple of guns.

Q: HOW WAS WORKING WITH HENRY LEROY FINCH DIFFERENT THAN WORKING WITH OTHER DIRECTORS?

The thing about Roy is that he has a signature smell. It’s not Brut, and it’s not English Leather, it’s his own special scent. And when he walks up to you, he doesn’t even have to verbalize the direction. You just know it. So, in a nutshell, working with him was very sensory. Sometimes a writer has already envisioned the final product, and there’s not a lot of room for other ideas. It was quite the opposite with Roy. He wasn’t precious with his words, and he was egoless. And that shows a lot of confidence, because he didn’t feel threatened. Although this was his first movie, he is light years ahead in terms of his approach and his attack on the process. He trusted whom he cast, and he has a great sense of play. Out of that play—and screwing around—we got great stuff. It’s what you hope for as an actor.

Q: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INDEPENDENT FILM LOCATION SHOOT VERSUS A BIG HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SETTING?

Well, anytime you have a chance to be at an actual location, it’s already better. There are certain things that you can’t recreate. In Maine for this shoot, we were in this old house in a small town. It reminded me of Norman Rockwell meets Stephen King. The house had a personality of its own, and it became a character in the story by the end of the film. The feel is just automatically kind of “off”—in the best possible way. The house is falling apart, and so is the family. I mean, as an actor, you walk into this hundred year-old historical landmark and smell this dank, dusty, almost-museum, and there’s no pretending. There’s no acting there, you really are there.

Q: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT “BIG STAR” ACTORS WHILE WORKING WITH THEM—PARTICULARLY WORKING WITH MARTIN LANDAU IN “WAKE?”

Back in Maine, Martin was very open and kind, and we just sat and talked a lot. I guess what you learn is that even with the greatest actors of our era, the process is the same. There is a fine line between awe-filled respect and the fact that he puts his pants on one leg at a time like you do. It doesn’t matter what your age or experience, you really can’t stop improving and mining for betterment, or you’ll lose it. That's something I learned from Martin (pause). In this business you need a lot of passion—and an even stronger desire.

Q: BECAUSE OF THE SLIM CHANCES AND HARD WORK INVOLVED IN THE ACTING BUSINESS, SOME SAY IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO ACT, THEN DON’T. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ACT?

Well, I don’t act because I have to. I do it because I want to. In the late sixties/early seventies, I saw “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and that very end shot, where there’s a freeze frame and they’re pulling back … I remember getting a chill, physically getting a chill. I thought right then “how cool would it be to make people feel like I just felt?” I mean, I act because I love it, and it gives me the chance to do crazy things without getting arrested or committed somewhere, but mostly to spread that chill.

Q; WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT ACTING ON (ABC-TV’S) “GENERAL HOSPITAL?”

Acting in a soap opera is the ultimate test. It’s the ultimate pressure cooker. I mean, you rehearse it once for your blocking—and then you shoot it. As long as you get your lines out, then you’re moving on. Before “General Hospital,” I didn't know what people meant when they said, “If you can act in a soap, then you can do anything.” I now know that it’s the ultimate training ground. You are really under the gun, and that’s what I like best about it: It’s unforgiving.

Q: RAYMOND, YOUR CHARACTER IN “WAKE,” IS SORT OF A BADASS. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS TO HIM AFTER THE END OF THE MOVIE?

He’s a fugitive so he’ll continue to do what fugitives do—run.