HAPPY ANDERSON TALKS THE NEW MUTANTS

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

Do you always give your everything to a character, no matter their story size?

Great question. I'd certainly like to think I give my all, no matter the size of the role. Every job requires a different level of energy and concentration so it’s not easy to give a complete answer to this but I do try to give everything I have on the day no matter how involved with the story my character is.

Are there any particular filmmakers out there that you would jump at the opportunity to work with?

Oh yes, there are many many directors I’d like to work with. I’ve gotten to work with two of my favorite directors Steven Soderberg and David Fincher, but there are many many that I would love to that I haven’t yet. On the top of that list is obviously Martin Scorsese. It’s his movies especially the early ones with Robert DeNiro that got me interested in acting in the first place. There are of course many, many, more, but there’s so many that I don’t want to take up all the space listing the directors that I hope to work with in the future.

I think you'd be perfect in a David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino film?

Both of whom I would absolutely love to work with! Thanks for the question! (laughs)

What has been the most rewarding role for you to play so far?

Well the most rewarding role I’ve ever gotten to play goes all the way back to 1999 when I played Eddie in the David Rabe play 'Hurly-Burly'. Other than that I'd have to say Jerry Brudos in 'Mindhunter' and Vern Ratliff in the Cinemax series 'Quarry'.

Your portrayal of Jerry Brudos in 'Mindhunter' was really intense, unpredictable, and unforgettable. Every scene with him kept the audience on edge. What was it like playing him?

My experience on 'Mindhunter' was very very intense. In addition to the numerous takes that David Fincher likes to do, the material was very intense and demanding. Although I did a lot of research on Brudos nothing could’ve prepared me for actually getting in his skin and his mindset. I was actually a bit depressed when it was all over but that isn’t the over defining characteristic of my experience, mostly it was really thrilling. And I’m really glad I did it.

What would usually peak your interest in a new character?

Well overall I would say the thing that peaks my interest in the character is one with significant emotional peaks and valleys, and a lot of life to it. These days though, the characters that peaked my interest, are any of the characters who aren’t bad guys. I do love playing the bad guy roles, but I've played so many that every once in a while It’s a really nice change of pace to get to place someone who doesn’t go around hurting people.

Did you always see yourself acting?

Yes I’ve always seen myself professionally acting. Ever since I was about thirteen or fourteen years old, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do and it’s pretty much all I’ve ever done.

You mentioned Robert DeNiro. Who were your acting heroes growing up?

Well my first acting heroes growing up were the obvious ones, DeNiro and Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson and so on. Growing up in upstate-New York my personal mentor was Mandy Patinkin. His influence on me cannot possibly be overstated. Then as I got a little older in to my twenties I would say that James Gandolfini and Philip Seymour Hoffman were too actors I really aspired to be. Now there are simply too many to name.

Aidan Quinn used to be your next door neighbour?

Yes that’s right I grew up next to Aidan Quinn and Mandy Patinkin as well. Both guys used to give me advice on professional acting when I was growing up. And then when I got to work with Aidan on an episode of 'Elementary' it was a pretty surreal experience and one I’ll never forget, especially since I hadn’t seen him since I was about fifteen years old and he didn’t recognize me and then when he realized who I was he got very excited as well and we had a wonderful time together.

Did New York always feel like the place you wanted to be for acting?

Yes, New York was always the place I wanted to be, I’ve never even considered living anywhere else.

Having worked extensively in film, television and on and off Broadway, where do you feel most at home?

It’s really difficult to say, I love all three mediums so much for very different reasons. But these days I would have to say I feel most at home on film.

What kind of relationship with a director do you usually hope for as an actor?

Good question. I don’t really have a very specific of idea of how I want an actual relationship to be, I just really love collaborating and discovering things about the project and the character together. To me that’s the most important part, that we can understand and enjoy collaborating together.

How was it working with director Josh Boone on 'The New Mutants'?

I really really loved working with Josh. He’s an actor’s director so he just kind of let you do your thing, and then every once in a while throwing a suggestion which is always right on point and very, very helpful. He also just seems to really enjoy working with actors, so it’s easy to feel supported and trusted on set.

Are you a comic book fan?

I was a comic back book fan when I was a kid, but not for many many years. I really couldn’t say very much on 'The New Mutants' or any comic books really, it’s been so so so many years since I’ve read one. That being said however, the comic book genre on film and television is a super, super fun one to work on.

Does your approach to getting into a character change any with this kind of material?

Yes it totally differs in every way, from every other project. Every character and every story and every project is completely different from one another. For me there was no one single way in which I discover the character I have found over the years that I cannot stick to one discipline or just one technique. I need to be adaptable, and open, to working in any which way that I need to to discover the essence of the character.

Did you look at any old comic books before playing Reverend Craig?

No I didn’t. But Josh sent me a couple of clippings from different comic books so I very much had an idea of what they were going for.

Do you ever see yourself directing film?

Oh wow, I love this question! Well I’ve directed many plays. I’ve also cowritten a few different projects with my wife Meg Anderson. And I feel totally natural and comfortable with both those roles. I don’t think however that I would enjoy directing film-work till television very much it’s all encompassing and I just love playing a character and then getting to leave it at work at night and go home and I think about it again till I get back to work the next day.

Have you had the chance to work on any new projects since this one?

No sadly, with the pandemic I have not gotten a chance to work on anything new yet. So I don’t have anything new coming up. I hope to get back to work very very soon though. I’ll keep you posted!