SETH BOYER TALKS FINAL DAYS: TALES FROM THE END TIMES

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

Having already worked with director Ben Harl before, is that how you ended up, as the film was originally and appropriately titled, f’d?

Working with Ben Harl is always a pleasure. It is always so fulfilling, because he is a pure storyteller. You can tell that when he writes his scripts, there is nothing but pure passion behind them. The only thing that was f’d about the process, was probably the amount of coffee and Monster energy drinks I drank on set. That was pretty f’d.

'Final Days' is five directors telling five tales from the world's end. How do you think your character, Benny, fared handling the end?

I think Benny handled it as best as possible considering he is a college aged dork that thinks he is a total stud. I love the idea he had, instead of accepting defeat, he was like, “Ya know what let’s see if we can team up with the power that is taking over the world right now”. You know what they say, if you can’t beat them, join them.

Does your approach change when portraying someone like Benny in such a extreme, doomsday, circumstance?

For a character like Benny, it felt so natural for me to play. Which is funny, because I am the complete opposite of him, at least I'd like to think. As far as preparation, Ben held a in-depth table read, where we got to play around and improvise with the characters, making them our own. Ben is great at letting us play around, which I think is where most of the magic happens. Ben trusts us, and we trust him, so it works out perfectly. I feel like as an actor, overpreparing can be just as bad as underpreparing, you got to find that sweet so so you are still able to adjust on the spot.

Born and raised in Peoria, the very place from the old entertainment industry-saying, "Will it play in Peoria". What was it like growing up in the "home of the broad demographic"?

Peoria was truly not ideal for actors when I was growing up. I was told a few times even that I’ll never make it a career because “you are in the wrong city”, even despite of its entertainment history. It’s a nice place of refuge, because it’s close to a few other entertainment hubs in the Midwest, so that’s nice. I really had to go against the grain to find opportunities as a Peoria local, and even though most didn’t see the vision, I did. And that’s all that matters. Nowadays I see a lot more opportunities around Peoria, which is great.

What did like your very start as an actor look like?

In high school, I posted some dumb status on Facebook saying, “I wish I could become an actor so I can make millions and drop out of school”, ten minutes after a friend tagged me in a post saying "Open Casting Call for McDonald's", and it was right down the street. I showed up with zero experience and was waiting in line with real actors. I was toast, but, after my putrid audition the casting director said they really needed teenagers for the commercial, so I booked it. I always knew I wanted to be an actor, but it wasn’t until that day where I thought it was actually possible. I owe so much to the friend who tagged me in that post.

That's funny because what could’ve been taken as a joke suggestion ended up setting you on this path. What’s most important when facing the odds of an acting career you feel?

Dilligence and patience is the recipe. Always be open to learn from anybody, and trust yourself. Never stop being a dreamer and celebrate the small wins. Take care of yourself and find your confidence. And if you aren’t confident, act like it.

What can we expect to see you in next?

A filmed titled 'Mara', also written by Ben Harl will be out soon. It’s a horror short film where Ben really allowed me to deep dive into some emotions that initially worried me. I also have a full length feature titled 'Big Muddy', written by John Isberg, that I am looking forward to. It is a horror comedy and possibly the best full length feature script I have ever been sent. You can follow me on Instagram or TikTok to see more updates on both of these, and many other projects that are in the works.