ALEX SKUBY DISCUSSES KING OF QUEENS ROLE, TRUE ACTING & MORE -- Part II

(Alex Skuby & Kevin James)

Spending decades in the world of theatre, film and television, Alex Skuby, 45, has learned the in's and out's of the business of acting. Moving to Los Angeles in his mid-20s, he grew from a theatre talent to a reoccurring comedy character in King of Queens. 

In the second and final part of our conversation with Skuby, we dive into his role as Doug Pruzan on King of Queens, how it came together and some backstories during his time on set. 

Click here for Part I

NEW! Listen to full interview on our SoundCloud channel: CLICK HERE

Zach Catanzareti: Your most well-known position was in King of Queens as Doug Pruzan. You were on it from 2000 to 2003, a show that hit off around the country. I wanted to know when that started for you. Where did you first hear about that show?

Alex Skuby: I didn’t really watch much TV back then. I never watched the show and they brought me in their first season for a part, a guest star role. I went in over at Sony Studios and I didn’t book it. Then, they brought me in again for another totally different role, didn’t book it. Two more times they did that. So, by the fifth time I finally watched the show and [I said], 'Oh, this is a funny show. This guy, Kevin James, he's funny.'

The fifth time they brought me in, my agent said that King of Queens wanted to see me again for another part. I’m like, 'What? Is this a joke?' Because after you go in a few times, you’re like, 'OK, why do they keep bringing me in if they’re not hiring me?'

What I realized was, they were looking for something more for me to do, so it wasn’t just one episode -- they would keep bringing me back, which was wonderful.

And I booked it. I booked Doug Pruzan, the goofy, high-anxiety attorney. It was a good accomplishment.

You talked about it there but the auditioning process, did they give you who Doug Pruzan was going to be? Or was it open-ended and they wanted to see what talents you had?

There is a character description, pages from the script you audition with. But it's up to the actor to make the choices and what they want to do. They had brought me in before so many times that I think they already had a knowledge of who I am as an actor.

When I went in with the producers that day, there were about 15 other actors who were recognizable who went in for that part. Again, it's a crapshoot, you’re sitting there going, 'Well, one of us is going to get it.'

It worked out in my way.

There are a lot of big talents on that show, led by Kevin James. Can you recall your first encounter with him, when you met?

He was in the audition room when I auditioned for the part. I got to talk to him. That pretty much steered our relationship throughout the entire show. I didn't -- Kevin was nice, a nice dude -- I didn’t build a relationship with him but he was cool.

Overall, you were in 13 episodes. Your first was "Big Dougie" where Carrie accidentally says she loves you over the phone. That first experience on set, reading over the script, multiple takes, all the work that goes into it. Was it something you fell for?

I tell you man, it was a blast. Leah Remini is great, very friendly, very sweet person. Patton Oswalt is an amazing dude, Jerry Stiller was phenomenal to me, Victor Williams is great. I’m actually still friends with Larry Romano, who was on the first season on that show.

(Skuby with Remini & James on King of Queens)

That first episode, again, it's a new gig, I was... nervous. You do a table read on Monday then you start rehearsing on the soundstage. Tuesday, you do another rehearsal, Wednesday is a network walkthrough, so the whole network comes to watch the show that is going to be put up Friday night in front of a live audience.

And you’re not off-book yet because they're constantly changing lines to make it funnier or better. By the time the live audience came in I was prepared but it was my first half-hour sitcom with a live audience.

But that's where theatre comes in. Because theatre is a live audience. And the best thing about a half-hour comedy is that you can cut and do another take [laughs] whereas theatre, you can’t do that.

It was a great experience. I had a pretty wonderful experience all around.

You got to work with Jerry Stiller a lot. He was in that episode "Work Related" with you and Leah. I see him as a master of delivery when it comes to his comedy. Was he someone you watched beforehand or on set when it came to having that skill?

I didn’t know much about Jerry Stiller other than he was married to Anne Meara and they had their comedy routine years and years ago. I knew of him but not him, I didn’t know his work.

But I will say this: Jerry is one of the most amazing, just a big heart, a great person. I learned a lot by watching him work and his delivery like you said. He was really good, man [laughs] really good.

There are some people out there who just get it -- comedy is not easy to do. It's not. It's easier to make people cry than it is to make them laugh. Jerry said to me one day, we were in his dressing room just chatting and he said, 'Comedy is more dramatic than drama... because in comedy, every scene is life-or-death.'

I was like, 'Man, that’s good!'

(Skuby pictured with Jerry Stiller)

He was in his 60s or 70s during this show and he was always on his feet and he captivated the whole show. Did you really feel that working alongside him?

Oh yeah, he was someone to admire. Like any person you admire in any field, sport or whatever -- in this field, he was an icon. And of course being able to work with him was an honor. It was just awesome.

What I liked more than working with him was the conversations we had. The show is over, the audience has left, we're still on stage. I'd hang out with him, Anne Meara would be there. I'd listen to them talk and I'd have conversations with them. That's where you learned. It's not just about watching their act. Off the stage, you get a little more insight.

After that, your next episode was "Better Camera" one of the more popular ones around Christmas time. I believe you had only one line for that episode and...

That was so long ago, I don’t remember what I did in that.

You were only in one scene, that's when Carrie gets the big camera from Doug and you gave her a small one.

Oh, the scamp! [laughs] That was long ago, man.

You had just the one line: "It's a good little camera for a good little worker." And that was it. Was the preparation ever different when you have one small line compared to other episodes where you had a lot.

Sometimes it's harder to have one or two lines because you don’t know where you’re supposed to come in. It can get kind of confusing. But yeah, once you’re there... only one line? And I get paid the same amount as if I had 100 lines? This is great!

That changed a lot with "High-Def Jam" the Super Bowl episode. Multiple sets, you were in the office, the movie theater, the Heffernan house and also your house. Was this one of your favorite episodes? You got a lot of screen time.

Yeah, it was a lot more fun because I was in more of it. It was a fun episode, the co-star, Ricki Lake, she was great, a lot of fun. Didn't I tell her to sit on pappy's lappy?

It's smooth like a western saddle!

There you go! You know the lines better than me, man! [laughs] And Lou Ferrigno was wonderful. That dude is awesome. He is a great guy.

I was going to ask you about him. Do you ever foresee playing in a part alongside him?

Hell, no. I grew up on The Hulk, David Banner, Bill Bixby played him. I remember the first day I was there -- I'm 6'5 and he's the same height but he's this mountain. Still, even on an old age, he's working out like he used to. He was physically impressive human being.

"Pull it together, Pruzan. Pull it together." 

Skuby, King of Queens.

We learned how odd of a characters Doug Pruzan really was. Was it an exciting challenge to match a strange character? Not only funny but you had this weird side.

The fact I collect marionettes? [laughs] It's all the dialogue, whatever they write, you’re going to do. I thought I played that kind of crazy person but once you write it down and say the line, it all seems to work out.

They wrote some really good stuff for me. There was one episode where I wanted [Carrie] to cut me up a banana real thin. I thought that was so wonderful they wrote that because it defines the character. It shows you what he is, his personality. A banana sliced real thin? That's such an odd request.

Speaking on talents you worked with, Leah was the big one. Pretty much every scene you were in she was also there. To me, you two had great chemistry. One scene, you came in and you always sat on her desk. And she didn’t like that, so she put that small tower on her desk. Did you gel with her like you thought you would?

I did. She's an East Coast girl. She was reminding me of my cousin, who is from New Jersey. They kind of had the same personality, an edgier person, says what they want, what they feel, no filter. I really liked her a lot, Leah is great.

I actually ran into her -- my wife was nominated for an Emmy and we went. I hadn’t seen Leah in years and I ran into her at the Emmy after-party and we had a nice conversation.

That's great to hear. Do you run into people from the show often?

I haven’t seen Jerry [Stiller] in years, I mean, years. Victor Williams and I used to hang out regularly years ago. He moved back to New York, I know he just got a part on another sitcom.

I ran into Patton Oswalt a few times over the last five, six years. As far as Kevin [James] goes, I never had a relationship with Kevin James, ever. On set, it was fine, we chat here and there, side conversations. But we never had a relationship. I don’t know the last time I saw him.

To wrap up King of Queens, 2003 is when your character saw its last episode. What were those emotions, did you know that would be your last episode?

It's a funny story. I didn’t know that would be my last episode. I got the script and I was like, 'Wait a second... this cant be the last episode.' And then they explained to me after the table read, they came into my dressing room. I was bummed [saying] 'What the hell?'

They said, 'Hey, we want to go a different way with Carrie's character at work.' They explained it to me and they were nice. They were cool about it.

I was bummed but at the same time, I wasn’t going to be a regular on the show. It was a great experience, I truly appreciated all of it. Not a lot of people get to do that stuff.

As I mentioned, 15 years since that last episode. You’ve done so much work since then but when you see those King of Queens episodes come on air today, what comes to mind?

I had hair. That's what comes to mind! I look at it and go, 'Wow, I still had baby fat and I had hair. Holy cow!' [laughs] It's funny, it is was it is, it's weird to see because it's so long ago. I was 26 years old, I had hair.

And you were so healthy, too.

[laughs] I look better now than I did then. Let's just say that. I don’t want to get cocky but at 45, I look better!

What do the kids think when they see dad on TV?

They kind of grew up in it but I think they’re over it. At first, the first couple years, 'Ah, this is so cool.' Now, they’re talking to their friends -- my daughter is going to be 19 next month, my son is 16. They’re friends will be like, 'Oh my God, your dad is on the Fosters. He's a bad guy.' And I think that makes them feel good.

But as far as sitting down and watching it on TV, they're like, 'Eh, can we watch something else?'

The whole acting thing I try to keep separate from my children always. Those two things, personally, don’t go together. Two separate parts of my brain and two parts of my life.

You touched on the Fosters a little bit, Jennifer Lopez exc. producer, on Freeform. After all these years, a more serious role, how much did you really enjoy being a part of this show?

I loved it. The guys, Peter Paige, an exc. producer on it, he was a good dude. I got to play opposite of Terri Polo, a wonderful actress in her own right. I was a dirty detective and she was a cop. It was really nice. It was a drama, so it was very toned down, specific and direct.

It was just a really good time, man. I love doing drama -- talking about TV and film -- a little more than comedy because it's more... it fits home a little better. I don’t know how to explain with words.

Maybe you would feel like a performing monkey trying to entertain people. But when you’re doing a dramatic, you seem to hone your skills and show off in a serious way?

Yeah, I guess you could say it somewhere along those lines. Again, comedy is hard. I have a great respect for people who are really good a comedy. I’m not too bad at it, pretty decent at it. The play I’m doing right now, for people in Los Angeles, see Damaged Furniture. My wife, Mo Collins, is in it. It's a really good, dysfunctional family play.

Local in L.A. you said?

Yes, at the Whitefire Theater. If you live around this area in Los Angeles, come check it out.

(CLICK HERE for more information on Damaged Furniture)

Final question here, I've been checking out your YouTube channel and I see you’re a passionate musician. I saw your tributes to Chris Cornell and Prince. Pretty good work...

Why, thank you.

Is that something you’ve done for a long time?

I had a band called the Alex Skuby Band for about seven years, we toured the East Coast, mid-west. I haven’t looked at that stuff in a long time. But yeah, I had a band for a while, we had a manager, toured. That was from 2004 to 2010 I want to say around there.

We had great musicians, we had fun. We wrote a lot of original stuff, did some covers, went around and did our thing. We played casinos, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Boston, Iowa. In that area. It was a lot of fun. Good stuff, I enjoyed it.

ALEX SKUBY DISCUSSES KING OF QUEENS ROLE, TRUE ACTING & MORE -- Part I

Alex Skuby is a man of many faces. And most of them have been seen on TV sets around the country.

Spending decades in the world of theatre, film and television, Skuby, 45, has learned the in's and out's of the business of acting. Moving to Los Angeles in his mid-20s, he grew from a theatre talent to a reoccurring comedy character in King of Queens. 

Playing as Doug Pruzan from 2000 to 2003, Skuby's career continued to lean on the TV side for 15 years, recently working on Freeform's The Fosters in 2017. 

Skuby spoke with Zach Catanzareti of the Catch-Up Blog to discuss his career in acting and his growth from a "blue-collar" New Jersey upbringing to the big screen. We also dive into his King of Queens role and what he's up to nowadays with his LA play, Damaged Furniture.

NEW! Listen to this interview on our SoundCloud channel: CLICK HERE.

Zach Catanzareti: Let's start with where it all started for you in New Jersey. You grew up in the 70s, how was your childhood growing up? Did you have any siblings, what did your parents do?

Alex Skuby: I was born in 1972, I was the oldest of three siblings. We're all six years apart, so my brother is six years younger than me and my sister is 12 years younger than me. And my father was a salesman, he worked in New York City for IZOD, Ralph Lauren, stuff like that. He was pretty much on the road and my mother was a stay-at-home mom.

It was a pretty straightforward childhood, I had a lot of friends, grew up in Jersey. It was interesting, when I got older my brother was growing up I hated that he took some of the attention away from me. Just that sibling rivalry. It was pretty normal, I guess. My father was always telling jokes at parties and going above and beyond to get attention. That bigger personality came onto me I would say.

Was it through your father that you started getting into acting? Or was that something that came a little later?

It came later. My father didn't have anything to do with my acting, he actually did want me to pursue that. He wanted me to have a real job with benefits and health insurance. I knew that wasn't for me, that normal every-day existence only because my brain doesn't work that way.

I did not do theatre in high school, I didn't think about it too much. But what happened was when I graduated high school, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I had to go to school so I enrolled at Brookdale Community College, a two-year college in Lincroft, NJ. I had to go full-time there because my parents were divorced at that point. In order to stay with my father's home insurance, I had to be a full-time student.

There was a marketing class and an acting 101 class. Well, I didn't want to take marketing so let's see what this acting 101 is all about. I took it and I had a blast. It was therapeutic.

Why do you think that was? Was it something that came natural, performing in front of people, perhaps with comedy if that's how you started?

I didn't start in comedy, most of my credits, if you look at my resume and stuff, it's drama. Especially with Tv and stuff. When I went to Brookdale, they cast a play called "A Few Good Men". It was a movie that came out but it started as a play. I auditioned for it, it was pretty high drama and I got the part. It was just so wonderful, the feeling.

As far as being a natural in front of people, I don't know if you're born with that or if it's something you grow into. I remember doing that play -- I did a play in third grade, but in third grade, you don't give a shit. 'Yay, I'm in a play!'

I'm 19 at the time, so I cared. I was very nervous. It was the first time I had something at stake, you know?

But the role was amazing. Opening night, I played Col. Jessup, Jack Nicholson played that part. I remember being so nervous. There was a scene where another actor comes in and says 'I hate lawyers, kill them all.' Something like that. I was so nervous I went blank. I brain went blank and it seemed like it lasted five minutes, it was probably only 10 seconds.

When did you feel comfortable?

It's funny because every job you do is different. For instance, I'm doing a play right now, we're doing in Los Angeles, it's called Damaged Furniture. It's a comedy written by Howard Skora, it's an original play. We're doing this play, we just got extended through August at the Whitefire Theatre. To answer your question, each job is different. This theatre we're talking about here, it's live, no safety net -- once the lights come up and you roll on the stage, you're in it. Sink or swim.

(Damaged Furniture, 2018. Alex Skuby, Instagram)

I don't think you can actually feel comfortable before the show starts. I'm speaking personally, but once you get that groove and the rhythm with the audience then it starts to flow and there's more quote-on-quote comfortable feeling. You're in the moment.

It's definitely more at-ease and more fluid I would say. More connected. But with TV and film you have take after take, you show up for a scene, you're not really feeling it. But after a few takes, you're OK and feel better. It's a whole different set of skills.

You said you didn't really know what you wanted to do. Kind of not having a Plan B, did that really motivate you to get rid of the nerves?

I would say it is but what makes a solid performer is work. You have to focus. I'm going to bring up this play, I'm in 96 of 100 pages in the script. That's a lot of dialogue. I'm in the entire play, I'm on stage with other brilliant actors, a cast of five of us. So, I knew we were going to start rehearsal at the end of January, so I started reading the script.

I learned all my lines to make sure I was off-book for the most part in a matter of 10 days... so in 10 days I did nothing but sit in my office -- I would take five pages and go, 'OK, I'm going to learn these five pages right now.' And then I'd take the next five and keep doing that.

And fear [laughs] is a great motivator, too. I got to know this!

But that goes into what you were saying, did that make me feel with a Plan B? Yeah, it did. But again, in my brain, there is nothing else I could do. Nothing. I remember when I was eight or nine, my whole family is Russian. We're all from the Jersey Shore and I remember Russian Easter my cousin had brought a friend of his to this party we were having. I was a kid and she was a casting director for soap operas.

I didn't know much about it then but when she explained to me at that age what he did, casting actors on TV, I started doing these dances for her [laughs]. 'Look at me, look at me!' I think it has always been there.

Also, I had this psychology teacher in high school. My grades weren't great, I didn't feel the schoolwork. Anyone can say they hate school, I get it. But I really wasn't that good. I remember my psychology teacher one day in the hallway he said to me, 'You know Skuby, you're not going to need any of this.' I go, 'What are you talking about?' He's like, 'All this stuff, this work. You're going to get somewhere on your personality.'

I'll never forget him saying that. I was like, 'Holy shit.' I didn't think of it then but now 30 years later, wow. He said that to me and he was kind of right.

It makes you feel it was meant to be a little bit. This wasn't by accident, you found what you wanted. You were dancing as a kid and before you knew it, you saw yourself on TV.

"There are two different types of actors in this business. There are celebrity superstars and there are actors. I'm an actor."

You have your superstars, your Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis. Those are more superstars to me. Then there are actors, those who move throughout this business in smaller parts, bigger parts, but they're always there auditioning, working, going for it. And you build a nice little life for yourself. That's kind of where I'm at. That's kind of what I am.

When I first moved to LA when I was 25, it was like I wanted to be that star. Then after 10, 15 years of learning about this business and the people who ran it, I came to the conclusion I like being an actor, man. I just like being an actor.

Do you think people get stuck wanting that limelight?

I think there are people who do, yeah. There are people who look at the size of the paycheck, they look for how much clout this is going to give me. They live in that white, fluffy cloud -- they surround themselves with a lot of yes men. I've never been in that, I've never had that. I've worked with people who were that.

I can't speak for who's into that but just by looking at it, how did they do that? They already have $200 million in their bank account why the hell would they do that movie?

I started in theatre, I love theatre. Of course, I do love working in television and film, I do. Theatre is where it all started for actors. Going back hundreds of years, this is where it is, where it's sink or swim.

With theatre, I hear that a lot with actors. What are really the differences when you're on a bigger set on a TV network and theatre? Do you keep that same mindset or are they too different to bring those skills?

You hone your skills and work on your craft in theatre. In my opinion, others may have a different opinion. But with mine, that's where I learned my stuff. When I was doing King of Queens or when I was just on a show called The Fosters, I bring those skills into that environment.

Essentially, it's the same thing but two different skillsets. TV is smaller, the physicalities are smaller, especially in drama. That's very low-key and played down. Whereas in theatre, you have to be bigger, the people in the back row need to hear you and see your facial expressions.

To answer your question, I do use the same skillsets just in a different way.

You quickly became a fairly familiar face on TV from A Will of Their Own, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ER. Did you anticipate your career leaning toward the TV side?

(Alex Skuby, Instagram)

That's just how it panned out. I didn't think too much about where I would end up, I just went with it. When I moved to LA, I was an actor in Chicago -- I grew up in Jersey, moved to Chicago when I was 20. I did a lot of theatre out there. I was cast in a show called Early Edition and I was so nervous I couldn't even hit my marks.

The camera guy whispered to the director, 'I cant get him in the shot.' The director would come up to me and go, 'Alex, you have to hit your mark. If you don't hit your mark, you're not going to be able to do the job.'

But again, I don't see myself as comedy or drama, I see myself as an actor. The last gig I had was in December for The Fosters, the last six months have been pretty dry. But I do have the play I'm doing which is keeping my brain occupied and my feet wet. You never know when your number is called and here you go, you're back in a series, back doing your thing. You have to stay... loose.

You hear about these actors who played in stuff a long time ago and you wonder if they still have that fire in their belly to still act. Obviously, you still have that.

I do. Has it lessened a little? Look, I've learned a lot in this business. When I first got here, I was more about the show and less about the business. The problem here is that I was young and naive, I didn't think about the business side. And it worked for a while, I booked jobs.

But after a while, you start to learn it's not about that. It's about relationships you're creating, business relationships. I was never really good at ass-kissing and schmoozing. I just never was. I'm a blue-collar kid from Jersey, a guy who loves the art I do.

As far as going out to bars and schmoozing with directors, producers, I was never good at it. As a matter of fact, most of the time I did try to do that, I'd wind up drinking too much [laughs], you know what I mean?

Now I have kids of my own and my son who's 16 wants to be an actor. I'm like, 'Oh God. Kid, please. Do something else, do something else. Because I know how it is.'

You talked about Early Edition and early on how nervous you were. When you look back and how your skills have grown tremendously over 15, 20 years. How do you look back on that and how far you've come?

I look back and go, 'Wow, I wish I knew then what I know now.' That's just a cliche, we all say that. But you have to go through these moments to learn, A. If you want to keep doing it and B. If you're even right for it. Trials and tribulations we go through in any business, not just acting, it could be accounting, a car salesman. You go through these things to help us grow and figure out if it's what we want. Is this something I can fight for the next 40 years.

You brought up earlier that I still have the fire to go out and do that. A lot of the time, I don't. There are days I don't want to do it anymore, I don't want to walk into a small little room on Warner Brothers with more producers, a casting director sitting there staring at me. Most of the time, I got to tell you, if they are bringing actors in with a resume, they know when you walk into the room before you say a word, they have a thought in their head if you're right for the part.

Again, this business isn't all about talent. Very little of it is. These days they're casting on how many YouTube followers some of these kids have or their Instagram followers or Twitter. If that's the case, I'm screwed. I'm a 45-year-old guy, I have an Instagram account, Twitter, all this stuff. But some of these people have 600,000 followers, who the hell is that?

They put up videos and them bouncing a pink ball and it gets like 200 million hits. You're like, 'What is that?!' I feel I am aging out of this, like one of my parents like, 'What is this Instagram thing and how do you use it?'

Everything is changing, man. The whole business, everything. The last 10 years are so different.

You said your son wanted to get into acting?

My son has been bringing it up. First off, he knows how I get when he says, 'Oh, it looks like fun.' I' be like, 'Don't say that.' Yes, maybe two percent of it can be fun but the rest of it is, 'Oh my God, I'm so stressed, I'm not going to get the part. I got to look at my lines, got to get rid of the nerves, maybe take a Xanax.

I tell him all time, if you're going to do it, start in theatre. Do it the right way, not like these people putting up a video of them chewing gum and they think they're going to get a TV series. Maybe they will, I don't know how it works. But I try to tell him that, I want him to be smarter about this decision.

I have a daughter and she wants nothing to do with it.

CLICK HERE for Part II with Alex Skuby.

DANIEL E. SMITH REFLECTS ON JOHN Q ROLE, DENZEL WASHINGTON & MORE -- Part II

Daniel E. Smith starred in the 2002 film John Q and spent much of his career on TV sets across the United States. Shows like the King of Queens, Friends, Everybody Hates Chris and more were some of Daniel's work as a young actor in the early 2000s.

In the second and final part of our conversation with Daniel E. Smith from May 2, 2018, we dive deeper into the John Q film, getting his thoughts on his heart-to-heart moments with Denzel Washington on set and what he is up to now in 2018 and beyond.

Click here for Part I

NEW! Listen to full interview on our SoundCloud channel: CLICK HERE

Zach Catanzareti: What do you remember from the baseball scene? To me, that was one of the critical scenes when you collapse while you’re playing. It seemed like a technical type of scene. It seemed like the most difficult to pull off, was it that way?

Daniel E. Smith: I remember that scene like it was yesterday. I decided to be a little badass that day and the director, Nick Cassavetes, he advised against it. I was like, 'I'll be fine. I want to do it.' I thought I was Jackie Chan or something and decided to do my own stunts even though they had a stunt double for me. 

The scene in the movie where I fall down when my heart fails on me and I start to seize. I fall down, I’m supposed to fall down face-flat into the dirt. Of course, they’re not going to let anyone fall into hard rock and dirt, so they had this great idea to put a big cushion mat for me to fall on. That was fine, I was all game for that. I can just fall on a mat, no problem. 

Where things got bumpy was it threw the dirt from the ground on top of the mat. Pebbles and rocks. I guess instead of hitting ground, you’re hitting soft dirt? 

It was funny because the crew sat for a good 20 minutes picking out all the pebbles and rocks so it would be just smooth dirt. I give them credit, they got most of it out. But it's still a baseball diamond dirt. 

The first take, I fell and my face just [slams] right onto the dirt. I scrap my forehead a little bit and they’re like, 'Great! Let’s do it again.' And I was like, 'Oh, this wasn’t a great idea.' But I already committed, and I said that I’m not going to stop. But I will work on my angle of landing.

We did it maybe three or four times. After that first one, I was definitely worried about my face. That first take was definitely all-or-nothing. The others were just ouch, I’m going to be more cautious.

From then on, most of your scenes... you’re in a bed. Hooked up with tubes, wires. Did you find it as a challenge? So much different than the baseball scene, doing your own stunts. 

A lot of people would say, 'He laid in the bed, you had it made.' Actually, no [laughs]. I wish, I wish. You have to keep in mind, a 10-year-old kid at the time, sitting down for hours, laying down. Now, I’m all for it if I can get a role where I’m laying around all down. 

But man, as a kid, I’m so ancy, it was tiring. I want to move, I want to get up. I was always hooked up to things, there was a lot I couldn’t really move with. For camera angles and shots, I couldn’t move stuff. Though things weren’t actually injected into my body, I couldn’t move so it would look that way. 

For a 10-year-old kid, it's really hard to just stay still for so long and not be bothered. It was challenging in itself. There's a lot that goes into what people see in the final product. It was very tedious work, long days, long times where I wanted to get up and get out. But we got through it for the most part, we got what we needed. 

The directors, producers, cast mates, they understood where I was coming from. Once you got a good support team behind you, nothing is impossible. 

I've been in a hospital bed before and I know that the only thing you want to do is to get out of that bed.

That is all you want to do!

I would say the most tearful scene of the movie was when Denzel came in to give you that last father-to-son advice when he planned to give you his heart. When it came to Denzel, one of his best performances was that scene. Do you remember anything specific?

Yeah, the funny part is Denzel and I had a heart-to-heart before that scene. And it flowed right into it... Denzel is one of the greatest actors of all time because he puts a piece of himself into every project he does. He doesn’t pull any punches. The reason you feel that realness, it's because that's him. That's who he is, that character and Denzel merged together. 

He had found that very rare quality many actors and performers don’t have but would like to have. Adding just the right amount of them along with that character. As I was saying earlier, coming across as something real and raw and you can’t help but feel it. 

It's make-believe, it's a movie, not something that’s happening. But what you see that man doing is really what he's believing, which is why there’s that connection.

That's what made that scene so great. When you have someone as great as him doing it, you don’t want to be the one to mess that up. Like you feel it in the audience when you see it, I felt that right then and there with him because he makes people around him better, you want help but get caught up in that moment. 

That's what that was, raw emotion. He made me feel it. We were just lost in that moment and it just so happened to be the camera was rolling. You understand? That's how powerful and magnificent he is as an actor. What everyone sees around the world when they watch John Q, what you saw was two people living in that moment because one great person brought that moment to life and allowed me to travel with him in that moment.

You said you two had a heart-to-heart moment before then?

We had been building chemistry throughout the entire project. He had basically become a father figure for me because I was up there for three-and-a-half months with just my mom. My step-dad at the time came up for about a week or so, it was great seeing him, I did miss him. 

I love my mom, I do, but you always yearn for that love from your dad. With [Denzel], I think he picked that energy up from me. That’s why he always checked in on me and brought my spirits up for me. He would always talk to me and say, 'You’re something special, you got talent, I see it. It’s only going to get harder. You started young which is good, but you have to stay with it. I see it in you.'

It just became a relationship of more than just actors working or play-father and play-son, it was a genuine connection. It was a mutual feeling to where I loved him and respected him not just as a play-father but someone who I looked up to as a mentor.

I can’t remember one day on set where he was ever mean or had problems. He was always kind to me and he made acting fun.

The heart-to-heart moment we had before that scene was just him opening up and letting me know what we were about to do and where we're going to go. Giving me comfort, letting me know not to be afraid to feel. [He said] 'If you just be with me in that moment, if you feel it, pretend the camera isn’t there. It's just me and you.'

It was a natural back-and-forth and it flowed. He had about 15, 20 minutes with me and then next thing I know, they're like, 'Alright, you guys ready?' He's like, 'We're ready when you’re ready.'

When you watch that specific scene over, with the background you said, he was saying don’t smoke, treat women right, all this. Knowing him so well, what do you feel when you watch that scene over?

Oh, that’s him. That’s him. That’s what he would tell his kids, his sons. That’s just him. It just so happened to be in the script, that’s just the type of man he is. He’s not going to change that, that's how he’s been. Anybody who knows him, that’s just him. He's one of those rare people in the world who are just good. He's got wisdom and he wants the best for everybody. That’s him all the way.

After the movie premiered, how much did you see him afterward?

I want to say, right after the premiere, within that year, probably five to ten times. As the years went on, of course, less and less. We do establish a good connection when we do see each other. It's not like when you’re working together because as you get older, I’m doing my other things and it's a little different than being a kid and being his son.

When I do see him it's nothing but love and good energy and good talks. Of course, it's not as much as it was but there isn’t any bad blood or anything, it's life, you go separate ways. When we do cross paths, it's good love and positive vibes.

After that film, you went back and did a lot of TV work. One of them was the King of Queens in 2002. An interesting set from the 1970s or so, how was it returning to TV?

Man, again, King of Queens is one of the biggest shows out there. I think there is something to be said about this: The big shows, at least the ones I’ve been on, you wouldn’t know they’re as big as they are. The people are good energy and the vibes from everyone around is just good. There's no big heads, no cockiness, they just come to work and love what they do. 

The people on that show loved what they do, they love to be different and expressive, out of the box.

I met Kevin James, I met Jerry Stiller. I met the entire cast, you wouldn’t know they were as big as they were. They’re just regular people. They were more grateful of me being there than I was being there. That says a lot. They could’ve been, excuse my language, but assholes, [saying], 'OK, another kid. You know what you gotta do.'

But no, they were very sweet, kind. They wanted the best out of me. That’s what’s important. A good experience top to bottom along with Friends, John Q, nothing but good things to say about them.

And I’m a Kevin James fan. It was weird, I knew Kevin but I didn’t know Denzel as much. I was such a big fan I kind of geeked out when I met him but he's such a down-to-earth guy. 

Did you happen to meet Tyler Hendrickson? He was also in that episode, he played Young Doug. I interviewed him for this blog last year.

You know what, that's a good question. There's a good chance I could have. I don’t want to say I didn’t and I don’t want to say I did because my memory is a little shallow in that area. Probably because I was geeking out over Kevin James. There's probably a good chance, if not, it was probably a scheduling thing and he came in a day before or after me.

It looks like you’re in a recent short film coming out, A Father's Love. Looks like it's in post-production. How do you feel it turned out?

Yeah, that's just a little short film I’m doing with a couple friends of mine. There just getting their production company up and running. Any time you get to do what you love, it's a blessing, fun, exciting. 

Basically, they asked if I could come in and do a small role, something that showcases my faith. Without even hesitating I went in. The project my friends did is going to be something that’s really amazing. There’s nothing but talented actors attached to this project. I think this is going to get people's attention and really going to connect to a lot of people.

it's one of the more heartfelt, emotional projects I’ve done. I’m not just saying it because I’m in it, I really do think this is a great project and something that’s going to get a lot of attention and be something to talk about. 

I’m excited about it and I’m really ready for it. I don’t know where it will go but I’m the utmost confident about it. 

Is acting still the biggest drive for you?

Without a doubt. And it's a strange thing because, like I said, when I started my cousin dared me into doing that play. I had no idea I was already acting, doing certain things in front of my mom or family. That was acting, I just didn’t know it yet until I was like, 'Oh, you people make a career out of this. People actually do this and this is how they make a living. This is what I want. This is it.'

There is nothing wrong with a 9-to-5, nothing wrong with other jobs, we need people like that in the world. That's understandable. But if you have a calling, if this is what you love. Do you love to audition or love to work? A lot of people love to work but I love to audition because when I do, I get an opportunity to act and perform. Getting paid is just bonus.

When I get a chance to play another character and get my creative juices flowing, get out of my comfort zone, that’s what excites me. To this day, I still get excited the moment I get an audition. This is my career. It was fun as a child and I continue to do it as an adult because it's something I love. 

Do you do anything outside acting? Are you married? You said you’re still in California?

I’m still in California, still doing acting. I am in a few more businesses, things like that, I’ve invested in as I’ve gotten older. A few other companies I’ve started and invested in with my friends. For the most part, it's just the acting thing I’m doing. I’m also starting to do the behind-the-scenes stuff, writing a few projects. 

I’m currently working on a new media platform to basically showcase a few projects of some talented friends of mine. The one thing I will say about 2018 and the acting world, there’s so many other revenues other than going to the movie or on your TV to showcase other talents. That’s basically the other endeavor I’m working on. A new media platform to showcase talented people from all walks of life, overseas, comedy, drama.

I will say that 2018 is looking good and 2019 is looking better. The little kid from John Q, Mike Archibald, Daniel Smith is definitely still here, still in the business. It's not the last you’ve heard of me. Hopefully when I do pop back on the scene, you’ll see an adult, a grown man, somebody different, but hopefully you’ll still see that little kid in there in a good way.

DANIEL E. SMITH REFLECTS ON JOHN Q ROLE, DENZEL WASHINGTON & MORE -- Part I

If you're an avid watcher of TV series like Friends, King of Queens or the Bernie Mac Show, Daniel E. Smith may be a familiar face.

Born in Tampa, Florida, in 1990, Smith had a unique path toward the TV sets before eventually hitting the big screen in the early 2000s. His support from his mother boosted him to early auditions and multiple roles as the industry transformed into the 21st century.

His most known role, perhaps, came in the 2002 film John Q, where Smith fit the role of Michael Archibald alongside Denzel Washington.

In Part I of a two-part series, Zach Catanzareti and the Catch-Up Blog spoke with Daniel on May 2, 2018, to discuss his start in acting, his opening TV roles and the audition process toward the John Q film.

NEW! Listen to full interview on our SoundCloud channel: CLICK HERE

Zach Catanzareti: I'd like to start with where it all started with you in Tampa, Florida. Grew up in the 90s, what was your childhood like? Did you have any siblings?

Daniel E Smith: Yeah, there are four of us including me. I have an older brother, a younger brother and younger sister. We're all the same mother just two different dads. My older brother and I have the same dad and my younger siblings have a different dad.

You grew up in Florida, correct?

It's an interesting story actually. My older brother was born in Chicago, that's where my parents met. They moved when she was pregnant with me and I was born in Tampa, Fla. After that, we moved to Indiana and my younger brother was born there. Then we moved to Arizona where my younger sister was born. The industry brought us out to California.

Moving around a lot! Throughout that process, you’re starting school, when did you start finding an interest in acting?

The funny thing is I didn’t have any interest in acting whatsoever. I was actually a very shy kid growing up, a mama's boy. I really didn’t feel comfortable around people unless my mom was there. When I got to Arizona a lot of my family -- a few relatives were close to my age and we went to school around the same time. It was a performing arts school. 

There was a play going on and my cousin talked me into trying out for it. As I got older, I got more comfortable around my family but not really open around strangers. My cousin wanted to audition and she gave me enough courage to go for it as a joke. She would always say I’m funny, but I wanted to show people that. 

Of course, not thinking I was going to get it or anything. Then, I get one of the star roles in the play. I’m sitting there thinking, "What the hell am I doing? [laughs] What did I get myself into? This was supposed to be a joke.' Then my mom got wind of it and she said, 'Well, since you did it, you have to commit to it. You got people counting on you.'

Basically, I get it as a joke and found out it was kind of therapeutic and releasing and fun to get up there, not be yourself but be someone else. People actually enjoy it.

Opening night of the play I was really, really nervous and scared. As soon as the lights came on and I got on stage, it was like an out-of-body experience. There was an agent in the audience, I got rave reviews, they loved me and the character I played. It was funny, exciting, things like that. 

A few days later, the agent asked me to come and talk to him with my mom. They thought I had a special talent and they wanted to sign me. 

My first job in the industry was a golf commercial with Tiger Woods back in the early 2000s. That was pretty awesome.

My agent at the time told my mom that it may be more beneficial for my career and there may be more opportunity in California. My mom and I came out here and said we'd give it six months. And in those six months, I booked a lot of TV, commercials. 

Then we said we'd give it two years and in those two years, that’s when John Q came about. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what I was a part of. But it wasn’t about how big it was, it was just fun. That was the important part. 

I was looking through your history and one of them was an episode of Friends from 2001. Behind Seinfeld, that's one of the biggest TV shows. There you are at such a young age at such a big set with big stars. What do you remember from being on that set?

Keep in mind, Friends, I was 12 or 13 around that time when I did that episode. I was very aware of what Friends was, I just didn’t know how big it was. To me, a 12-year-old kid, I knew it was a TV show I've seen plenty of times, I just didn’t know the phenomenon behind it. 

That's one of the greatest experiences I'll cherish forever. Nobody there had any -- you'd seem looking from the outside in that it'd it such an overwhelming, big experience, nerves. I’m honest with you, it was a testament from the stars, everyone from the top the bottom of how they carried themselves. 

Everyone carried themselves as if they were still doing the first episode of Season No. 1. 

One thing I found out they do for every episode, anybody who acts on the show, they do a curtain call for main stars and guest stars. You feel you are part of the family or you're no better or worse than them. It's all such a loving experience and I'll cherish that forever. 

Jennifer Aniston -- all of them were amazing but I did a scene with her and she’s one of the most beautiful, most amazing souls of people out there in the world. Nothing but love for her.

Do you remember much from the audition process for getting that part?

It started with my agent calling my mom saying we have a role as a trick-or-treater for Daniel and it's for a show Friends. I think this was back when Kinkos was around [laughs]. My mom would go to Kinkos to download scripts and print them out. Then, we would rehearse them, go over them.

Sometimes I would get coached for auditions. I can’t remember if I did for this one or not. It's a good bet that I did.

I remember the first time I went in and the audition was with me and the casting director. They ate it up, loved it. They called us back and that was the funny experience. There were like 15 more people in the room that day. That was such a drastic change of having two people in the room to the second time of 15. I just remembered to do the same thing I did the first time. 

I felt good about it. I want to say within the next hour, my agent called me and said they wanted me for it. It was a good day. 

(Forward to 21:39 for Smith's scene)

One other big role that came afterward was the Bernie Mac Show, the pilot episode. You got to spend some time with Bernie, got to run out, hug him, had some fun lines as well. What do you remember from that experience? 

A funny story about that whole episode. I had auditioned for the pilot and I went all the way to the network, which is the final audition for the producers, directors, writers, everybody to see if you’re right for the character. 

Though I didn’t get the main role, they liked me so much, they offered me a part in the pilot which is what you guys saw. That was just another humbling experience. Bernie Mac, rest in peace, God bless his soul, he was one of the greatest entertainers there was. He was such a down-to-earth, humbling soul and a great guy to meet and be around.

He said he loved life, loved what he did. He passed that onto everything he did. He's a legend in himself and I’m just humbled to have met and worked with him. 

We lost him about 10 years ago now and you yourself have grown as a person. You actually got to work with him as a young boy on set. How has your perception changed of Bernie Mac?

I don’t necessarily know if my perception of him has changed other than the fact of me now growing up and seeing somebody who was dedicated. Now seeing how hard it is and how much passion and drive you have to have to be successful. 

Not so much my perception has changed but my admiration has grown for him. To see where he came from and the success he had, where he was heading. If anything more, admiration and more respect and love toward him and his career and everything he accomplished while he was with us.

And what came after that was certainly among your biggest parts people remember and that is as Michael Archibald in John Q. A fairly fascinating film, huge production and you’re 11, 12 years old in the middle of it. The first thing about that is the audition process, did this differ from past parts?

This one actually did. It came before the Friends or Bernie Mac thing. The movie came out later with the whole production process, but this was different because it was my first time experiencing anything quite like this. The first audition was a casting director and associate, reading the lines. 

Again, I didn’t know, and I don’t think my mom knew exactly how big this was and what it entailed. I just knew it was a feature film. It was another project for me to break out of my shell. I stayed in there longer than usual for most of my auditions. I took that as a good sign, it was a good feeling. They wanted to talk to me a bit.

I want to say a few hours after the audition, my agent called and said I had a call-back. Great, that’s awesome. The next day, it wasn’t quite one to 15 people, the second was probably five to six people in the room. People laughed, people felt it, things like that. 

This time when we left the room, we couldn’t even get to the car without getting a phone call from an agent saying they wanted me to read with Denzel [Washington] in two days and go from there. I knew who he was, but I didn’t know Denzel, you know? I didn’t exactly know who he was. 

She was all excited. She was like, "Oh, you get to meet Denzel!' And I’m like, 'OK? Cool, that's great.' 

Two days later, I was expecting it to be a bigger room... same smaller room, there were about 20 people I kid you not. I didn’t know there were that many people who could fit in that room. People standing against the wall, standing on chairs, sitting on other people's laps. It was intimidating walking in, this room is officially a little box.

Denzel is sitting right there in front of me probably about a foot away. I walk in, he shakes my hand [says], 'Hey, how are you? I’ve heard a lot about you.' 

Keep in mind, I know who he is, I know he's an actor. I still don’t quite know how big of a moment this is or who I’m talking to exactly. it came across as very natural. I knew he was an adult and I had to respect him. But the fact he didn’t approach himself like that, didn’t make it seem that way, it wasn’t just work. he didn’t just go right to the audition, he wanted to talk to me, get to know me, what I’ve been up to, what I like, what I don’t like. 

From the moment we met, it was a natural bond.

We talked for a good 10, 15 minutes before we even read the lines. That flowed into me being comfortable and prepared with the lines. After we left, mom said, 'How'd it go, how'd it go, how'd it go?' I said, 'It was fine, I guess. Good, yeah, I feel good.' I couldn’t even get home without my agent calling saying, 'As soon as you walked into the room, Denzel knew you were his son. He wants you for the role. There was no question.'

For me, I was like, 'Great! That's awesome. Whoo hoo, another job.' But for my mom, I remember, she pulled over and started crying, was overcome with emotion. I thought I did something wrong, I didn’t know exactly what was going on. She was like, 'No, these are happy tears. I’m just so proud of you and so happy. This is a big moment in your life.'

What a sweet story. When it came to Michael as a character, there was a lot of character development throughout the movie. We learn your passion is body-building and early on you have fun scenes with Denzel and Kimberly [Elise, character's mother] in the car. It leads into the game where your condition surfaces. A various role, how do you feel you developed as an actor in those early scenes.

It's a process. It's three-and-a-half of filming. Before we started production and we started filming, about three weeks before in Toronto so we could get settled in and get comfortable to where we would be living. My, Denzel and Kimberly, we spent those two weeks before filming basically building character chemistry. Finding things I like, they like, where we come from. Spending time as a family so we could have that chemistry and it's not complete strangers hoping for the best.

That played a big part in developing the characters and also developing the chemistry you guys see on the screen.

It was a process, though. I think most actors will tell you that you do learn more and more about your characters every day. You may get lost in your character and how they may think about this situation or that. It makes it more believable, it comes across real and relatable. It doesn’t come across fake.

With the Make character, daily, it was finding new challenges and new ways to react to certain things. Opening my eyes up to a new world. It allowed me to get in the depths of who this kid was and how he would react. That goes all the way back to the first audition when you go through the script. That goes back to character breakdown and understanding who this person is.

Click here for Part II with Daniel E. Smith

ANDY LUTHER REMEMBERS DARK KNIGHT ROLE, HEATH LEDGER & ACTING CAREER -- Part II

In the second and final part of our conversation with Dark Knight actor Andy Luther, we dive deeper into the hostage scene between himself and Heath Ledger, how his thoughts on the film has changed the past 10 years and what he's up to today. 

The Dark Knight was directed by Christopher Nolan and first saw light in July of 2008. To this day, the film has earned more than $1 billion and is ranked No. 4 in IMDb's list of greatest films in history.

CLICK HERE for Part I

NEW! Listen to full interview on our SoundCloud channel: CLICK HERE

Zach Catanzareti: Where were you two during that scene? It looked like a meat factory room?

Andy Luther: It was shot in Chicago at the old post office station. I believe it's being turned into condos now. It's an old, historical building. A lot of scenes were shot in that, I believe the bank scenes were shot in that building. The meat locker scene, it was basically on the second or third floor in a room they basically turned into a meat locker.

Was it just you two in the room? He turns around and starts talking to the camera. Did everyone else leave and let you guys work it out?

It was all essential people in the room. The director was in there, I don’t even know if the assistant director was in there, but sound people. Everybody essential. That’s what’s happened after we did our first run-through -- I think some people cleared out because they thought, 'OK, this is going to be an interesting scene.' So, they wanted it quiet. I don’t know if Heath was like, 'Hey, you can see the crew when I flip the camera back.'

But those are things we worked out in the first take. By the second or third, everyone was on point. After they told me not to worry about camera angles or this stuff, I was like, 'Fine, I’ll let them do their jobs and I'll do mine.' That's what I’ve learned about being a professional, you have to know your role, stay in your lane and let everybody do their job. That’s how something great happens.

What kind of camera was used? I guess a small, homemade amateur camera?

Yeah. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the documentary on Heath Ledger where it shows him going around with a video camera all the time. It was very much that. He definitely knew his way around a video camera, shooting stuff, playing with me while he was filming. It was really quite fun. It was like a psychotic person grabbed a video camera and was like, 'I’m going to have as much fun with this tied-up person as I possibly can.'

His most captivating line was when he yelled "LOOK AT ME." I was looking at YouTube comments earlier and everyone was like, 'THAT’S what got me. Of the entire scene, it was when he yelled 'LOOK AT ME.'" When it came to you and that line, you looked terrified. You did it perfectly. I guess that was almost real, right?

Yeah. In the script, it was bolded, the 'look at me' when he yells that. Like I said, we had gone through it a couple times, but the first couple times he would [say quietly] 'look at me, look at me.' I just didn’t look at him. It says [in the script] that it's big so I’m going to wait until he does something to make me do something.

Man, he made me wet myself [laughs]. When he was like 'LOOK AT ME,' I was like, 'Woah!' That’s what I’m saying that if you focus on your attention, things happened. To me, it felt spontaneous.

He really led that scene. It was fun to work with him. It unfortunate what happen to him but he was a great person and very generous and gracious in that whole scene. In the trailer, the whole experience I had with him, even afterward, he walked down with you the entire way.

It was pretty humbling. Its great to be at this level because everyone is doing what they love and they’re so nice. I’ve also been told that is a rare experience on a set, even a typical Chris Nolan set.

Everyone knew it was a great script, a great movie. It's a superhero movie but I like to think it was one of the best ones.

I bet your family and friends have watched that scene. Have they given you any feedback on what they thought about that scene? I bet they’ve never seen you in a scene quite like that.

It was a big deal for a long time, people still talk about it. I’m on a construction crew now, I run a crew and every once in a while, people will find out about it and I get random people coming up behind me going, 'Oh my God! That was you!'

To me, it's always surprising because I thought it was such a small scene. It's nice to know, at some point in my career, I impacted people or made some kind of dent. For you to say it was a turning point in the film is how I felt about it, but to hear people say it, it's like, 'Oh OK, maybe that was a pretty cool thing.'

Aaron Eckhart once told Larry King -- he was in a scene with Heath in the hospital -- and how Heath would kind of walk around his bed and make weird noises and do weird things with his face and hands. Was he in character a lot around you?

Only when filming. I remember -- this is kind of a faded memory now. But when we started our scene, they were like 'Action!' And all I hear is this, 'WAAAAAAAAA WAHHH WAHHH WAHHHHHH"

"And then, next thing you know, here comes the Joker."

But before that, it was Heath Ledger talking to you in Joker makeup, you know?

As far as him staying in character the entire time, that may have developed along the movie, I can’t speak to that. But for me, he seemed to be able to go back and forth quite simply. When an actor's performance develops, the more they get into it. That stuff may have happened.

During the scene, I’m sure if you were able to watch all the outtakes, you would see him pulling those antics and things like that.

But yeah, he did kind of like a weird spiral-dance thing and next thing I knew, he was coming across the room to put a camera in my face. It reminded me to when I was younger and I used to take big risks. This set, I was just sitting in a chair with my arms tied behind my back, so there’s not a lot of movement. But how cool it would be to be at that level and be able to make those kinds of choices and have that confidence.

I feel it would be tough to do that when you’re working with someone like him. You said you’re watching him going 'Wow.' All we do is watch, but you were there in person. What was it like working with someone who was so committed?

As an actor in the moment, you try not to get lost in that kind of stuff. You analyze it retrospectively. In the moment, you don’t. What it does to you as an actor in the moment, it helps you raise your game. If this guy is going to take this seriously, I’m going to take seriously. it becomes a tennis ball and the end is great work.

After we did our eight to 11 takes, there was a gasp that went out of the room because everybody was confident they had it. But Heath wanted to keep doing it again and again and again. Chris Nolan was like, 'Yeah, we got what we wanted, you guys can play around with whatever you want and if something comes out of it, we'll keep it. Right now, we're confident, you can stop whenever you want.'

As far as watching Heath -- once you’re in the cast, you’re invited back, you can get on set and watch people work. I did that one time, it was the night they were flipping the truck over and I caught the end of him doing his machine gun scene, the truck flips over and the Batman is coming at him.

I was like, 'Wow, this character has really evolved in a terrifying way.' The way he was committed to it, you could tell his confidence had gotten stronger as well.

To be in those shoes after Jack Nicholson. Everybody was comparing him to Jack Nicholson before he even got a chance to show them his work. To see him rise above that and focus on his Joker was enlightening to me as an actor. You’ve got to do your thing.

Was that the only scene you saw before the final product?

Yeah, I didn’t see the final product. They had a screening for the crew in Chicago and I went and saw that. I didn’t even watch my performance the first time until it came out on DVD and I could watch it by myself. I didn’t know I was one of those actors, but there were some things I thought in retrospect, 'Oh, it would’ve been cool if I did this or that.' The end of the day, I accepted it was a decent performance people responded to.

There was one shot when he set the camera down on my legs, I was doing the screaming and things like that and that was the only direction Nolan gave me, he said, 'If you’re conscience of him setting the camera down by your feet, it would be great to see while you’re screaming to see your legs do something.' I sat there like a rock, I didn’t even think about that.

That was a lesson to me on set. You have to act with your whole body. The more you get captivated in that make-believe world, the better off you’ll be as an actor.

Since then, unfortunately, we lost Heath the January before Dark Knight came out. How did you find out about his death?

People texted me because I wasn’t a big Facebook person at the time, social media person. They texted me saying, 'Hey, did you hear about Heath?' I found out pretty quick, but I found out when everyone else did, I didn’t have any inside-scoop or anything.

I was very saddened by it because he had become a hero to me. The way he treated me, how gracious he was, just what a nice human being he was. He really had this aura that made you think everything was going to be OK and everything you did was great.

Damn, it's too bad that his life ended so short because I feel he had so much more to give. Instead of the Joker being one of the biggest things he did, it could’ve sunk back and been one of the smaller things because I really think he was on a trajectory to do pretty amazing things.

When did you first meet him?

I met him in the makeup trailer, I want to say June 14. I was in a buzz that day because I had my costumes fitted previously and they were like, 'You know, you’re going to be with Heath. He's in the trailer right now.' And I said, 'That’s OK, I’m not here to get autographs, I’m just here to do my job.'

I just sat there, got my makeup on. It took a while because they experimented with a few different things. They had to take down the makeup in how beat-up I was. Heath was talking about his garage band, skateboarding, things like that.

He had his own makeup artist and at one point he got up, walked over and said, 'Oh mate, they’re really doing a number on you.'

And I go, 'Yeah, I think you’re doing this to me!'

And he goes, 'Oh, that’s great mate, you want to go have a smoke?'

I said no and the makeup guy kind of hit me on the shoulder [kind of saying] if an actor like that invites you out, you should go out. After we got our make-up on, we had a little session before we went out.

It was business. After he had his make-up on, you could tell the mode was starting to swing to focusing on the scene. There was so much stuff happening in the background and they really minimized that room for us. It was a special moment for me. I look back and I know it was cool that I got to experience that even at the 1/10th of what I could’ve if I pursued acting. I’m glad I had that experience.

Did you have any experiences with Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan as well?

Yeah, Chris Nolan, too. His attitude and Heath's were one of glee, you could tell they were enjoying doing the film. Cillian Murphy is someone I got to spend a lot of time with, I thought I spent the most time with him on a set.

I loved watching his work now because I actually got to spend an entire day with that guy on a set. He would tell me, they’d give you director chairs to sit in and I told him that I was too small on the totem pole and he goes, 'Hey mate, that's your chair over there. You should probably sit in it. And it's OK to ask for things, if you want water, let they get water because they want to do something.'

We were both smokers at the time and we would have a couple smokes. He'd ask me, 'So, what is your experience like with this?' And he told me about his family, he had a boy at the time. It was just interesting.

And Christian Bale, to him, I have to say I was starstruck at the time. He is an incredible actor and someone I really looked up because of his style and how he gets into things. It was intimidating working with him, but he was very professional. I didn’t have the personal interaction with him, he had a lot of places to be.

I got to work with him in that scene, we did that take four or five times. [I say] 'What the difference between you and me?' [And he says] 'I’m not wearing hockey pads.' Those things where you can barely hear each other because you’re so far apart.

All around, it was a great experience. It's taken years to process all the little nuances that went on. It was a great opportunity for me and an experience I'll never forget.

That was my final question about how you’ve processed this. Its been 10 years and how your thoughts of your experience have changed over the years. Does it seem like a second life to you?

First of all, it doesn’t seem like 10, 11 years. He shot it in 2007, so it's been 11 years. Its such a popular movie and the funny thing is we're still getting residual checks for it. I’ve been told for years that those are going to run out and they keep coming.

Having that big of a thing happen in your career so early, right out of college, it put things in perspective for me. I got to see the hills I had to climb at the age I was. 'What can I actually get out of this?' I have always compared my other experiences to that one, but the ones I had after that, I brought more confidence to the set, more confidence in me and my choices.

It's something I look back on fondly. I’ve stepped away from it, I’m a character actor. I know I’m a utilitarian actor and I feel I could step right back into it if I want on my terms. I don’t have any spouses or children so my debt is all on me. It got to the point where I knew I had another career that I knew could take off.

Is that one of the reasons you chose to step away, to do something new?

I had a multi-million-dollar opportunity come my way and it required all my attention. Now, I have the responsibility of 30 + workers, I run an installation group and it s requires more of my time. It's a way to get some security.

It does tie back to the whole Dark Knight experience because when I got out of grad school, I had that feeling of security. I didn’t have any debt, I was able to focus 100 percent on my acting. The result was the scene people say turned the mood, so to speak. It turned the mood of the whole picture. I felt like a trained actor coming out.

I have an opportunity again to do that with my business. Everything I’ve learned through acting, I take with me every day, even if it's just recognizing when someone is upset, it affects your life.

I guess you’re a big movie watcher now and some sports as well?

Yeah, I’m a big Cleveland Browns fans, Cleveland Indians fan. All my sports teams are Cleveland, you can share in my misery there. Film is something to this day, it relaxes me. Post-retirement, one of the things on my bucket list is to take improv training in Chicago, audition and try to go through those two-year programs. Improv is something I’ve always wanted to do, I was told that was a skill I already had.

That is something I will go back to someday and maybe I’ll do improv comedy for a nursing home or something when I’m older [laughs].

(Below is some of Andy's work in 2013 and '14)