411mania Interviews: Garret Dillahunt of Raising Hope Posted by Al Norton on 09.21.2010
411's Al Norton sits down for an exclusive interview with Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope).
Garret Dillahunt may not be a household name but with his work on the big screen in movies like The Road, Last House on the Left, and No Country For Old Men and on television in Deadwood, ER, The 4400, John From Cincinnati, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Life, Damages, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, and Burn Notice, he has become one of the more recognizable faces of the last five years. Dillahunt co-stars in the Fox comedy Raising Hope, which premieres tonight.
Al Norton: I've watched the Raising Hope pilot twice now and I think it's the funniest new show of the season.
Garret Dillahunt: I agree. I'm really pleased with how it came out.
Al Norton: I am a bit of an emotional sap but both times Danny's Song hit me hard.
Garret Dillahunt: It does. I knew it was coming and I was really pleased with it, with everything they gave me and Martha (Plimpton) to do and was really happy about it.
Al Norton: How did the show come to you?
Garret Dillahunt: Pretty much the typical way. As you may know, I play a lot of bad guys but I always try to do something different than I did before so I was saying to my people, "it's time for some comedy again. I need a break from the rape and pillage roles." This came along and when I read it I thought it was hysterical so I auditioned for it and went through the whole testing process. It went well and I got it and I couldn't be happier.
Al Norton: Was it hard to get casting people to see you in a comedy when you have been doing so many heavy roles?
Garret Dillahunt: It's funny because when I first came to LA after doing so many kinds of theater for so long, the first jobs I got were all sitcoms. I was a regular on several sitcoms at first and I had a real hard time getting to read for dramatic things because people would say, "oh no, he's the sitcom guy." Then, after Deadwood spawned a bunch of other jobs, they said, "oh no, he's not funny." It seems like memories are short in this business.
Al Norton: I interviewed Rikki Lindhome last year for Last House on the Left and she made a point of talking about just how funny you were on the set, that she had never worked with you before and thought you might be like some of the creepy characters you've played and was thrilled that you made her laugh so much.
Garret Dillahunt: That's great to hear. I kind of had a little crush on Rikki after that movie.
Al Norton: When people see you on the street do they reference specific parts or do they just know that they know you?
Garret Dillahunt: I get a lot of Deadwood, and I get a lot Terminator. Actually, I get a lot of Roman Nevikov from Life, too. It depends on the fan. It seems I've whored myself out enough that there's something for everyone.
Al Norton: Are fans ever cautious because they're not sure how much like your characters you may be?
Garret Dillahunt: It's not too bad. There were some Last House fans that were pretty nervous.
Al Norton: Does the process in which you approach roles change each time, from say Roman Nevikov to John Henry?
Garret Dillahunt: Certainly the requirements would be different. Some roles require more concentration, the further they are from you. Sometimes right away I know "I know this guy, I grew up with him" and I just have to brush it up over the course of the preparation. I kind of approach it all the same in a way. It's got to be a good story. If it's a good story I don't care what my part is, I just want to help in the telling of that story and I want to make sure I hold up my end.
Al Norton: When you're playing these darker characters, how easy is it for you wipe it off when they call lunch and then jump back in for the next scene?
Garret Dillahunt: I'd be lying if I said it didn't take something. My wife will sometimes tell me, "oh yeah, you were really different during that one" and I will have thought I didn't change at all. In general I always enjoy the break and it's nice to get away for a moment. During Last House we found ourselves being real goofy during down time just to get away from the intensity. I look forward to letting go, even if just a few hours.
Al Norton: You've done a lot of stage work, movies, and a ton of TV; do you have a preference?
Garret Dillahunt: I sure love movies, I've got to stay, but I've been really lucky in the television I've done. Deadwood was like a film and set the tone for my preferences. I think what I prefer more than the medium is a good story. What I want is a good story, and change. I'm thrilled that we live in a time that actors can move within the mediums without penalty. In the old days you had to sort of choose; if you were a film guy you didn't do TV and if you were a TV guy you couldn't do films. Now you have to do it all to survive and it behooves you to do it as an actor to keep it fresh.
Al Norton: So when you get a role like Roman Nevikov, is part of the appeal getting to do an accent?
Garret Dillahunt: Oh yeah. To do an accent, to make him human and not a cartoon…It's the acting equivalent of a dead lift when you walk on to someone else's show. They've had time to entrench their characters, to flesh them out and define them, and you have a limited amount of time to make if not an equal impression than one that stands out in some way and I like that challenge. I like the freedom, too. And I'm a workaholic and it seems like I always have two jobs. If I'm a regular on one show I try to work on a recurring role on another.
Al Norton: Are there shows that you watch that you'd love to appear on?
Garret Dillahunt: I've been really digging what I'm seeing for Boardwalk Empire. I'd love to be on that thing. It's just a monster cast. David Milch talked to me about playing a part on Luck but I'd already signed for Raising Hope so I'm hoping maybe to guest on it. There are a lot of great shows out there. It'd be nice to play a role where I get a girl legitimately, not by force.
Al Norton: Can you name a couple of actors who have been an influence on you and your style?
Garret Dillahunt: It always changes and is frequently about a particular performance than a body of work. Being from theater I came in under the impression that we were all supposed to be able to do everything, or at least to try, so I was always drawn to real chameleon types. When I was a young drama sprout that was people like Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, who does it effortlessly, and Daniel Day Lewis, who I liked because he was the same height as me. Jason Patrick's performance in After Dark, My Sweet, was really fantastic and I was really jealous of that. I like guys like Viggo Mortensen. I remember seeing him in The Indian Runner on VHS and thinking, "I want to be that guy." I was thrilled to get to work with him on The Road.
Al Norton: Can you give the readers the quick pitch on Raising Hope.
Garret Dillahunt: Raising Hope is a very funny look at a young single father. It's more complicated than that because none of the characters were good parents so in a way this baby is another way for all of us to be good parents. It's a chance for Burt, my character, to be a Dad instead of a best friend, and for Jimmy (the lead character) to find some direction in his life. The scripts just get better and better, too. Martha is so great and she just cracks me up. I don't know why we never worked together before. . I killed her Dad on Deadwood so I would see her on set sometimes. It's so fun to work with her after all these years.
