Interview with Chillerama’s Anton Troy
So like most things in my life, events happen and transpire unexpectedly and generally for a reason…at least I tend to always cling on to that hope they do. Such was the occasion when not only did I get to attend the premiere screening of Chillerama at Comic-Con with one of my favorite directors, Adam Green (listen to my full interview with him here), but also got to meet and converse with directors Tim Sullivan, Adam Rifkin and Joe Lynch, as well as the fabulous ensemble cast that was on hand to meet and greet fans and press alike. Among such talent was an actor named Anton Troy. Along with my San Diego DJ friend, Lauren Winston, we got the exciting opportunity to attend the film’s after party at an upscale nightclub called Stingaree. We ended up enjoying a beautiful evening with the cast and crew of “I Was a Teenage Werebear,” the second segment in the horror/comedy anthology Chillerama (see the full review here).
So I guess before we go any further we should clear the air and talk a little bit about the Tim Sullivan directed segment known as “I Was a Teenage Werebear” within the gut wrenchingly hysterical, totally offensive (and I mean that in a good way for us fans) horror/comedy anthology Chillerama. The segment is both a musical and a spoof of Rebel Without a Cause, Grease and The Twilight Saga. Tim talks openly about his love for musicals, and most importantly one of my all-time favorites, Moulin Rouge, in my candid audio interview with Adam Rifkin and him here. The segment is set in the 60’s and erotically explores a teenager’s curiosity with a pack of werebears, nevertheless led by the handsome and rugged bad boy of the clan, Mr. Anton Troy. And guess what? Today I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to sit down with the leader of the pack, Anton Troy. So let’s get started (my questions are in bold below)!
Good day Anton. Thanks for stopping by today. How’s it going?
Doin’ peachy, thank you.
So tell me a little more about your character Talon in “I Was a Teenage Werebear,” how you became involved in the Chillerama segment and just what the hell is a werebear?
We could have an entire interview structured around this one question—thanks for starting me off easy Brian… The bad boy, the brute, the misunderstood angsty, well-intentioned loner kid with heart that could probably still kick your ass—that’s Talon. I became affiliated with Chillerama totally by fate I believe. I met Scream Queens 2 winner Gabby West at a small gathering of mutual friends. Gabby was already slated to play Peggy Lou after her work in Saw and her working relationship with Tim on Scream Queens. So several months passed and out of the blue I wake up to this voice mail from our mutual friend saying “Gabby recommended you for an audition TODAY with Tim Sullivan… oh and by the way they want you to sing, dance and read for two parts, can you make it?” I was TERRIFIED as I was like sing? WHAT, today, like 5 hours from now, serious? But how are you gonna say no right! So evidently they were open to recommendations as Tim being the discerning director that he is just could not find the right bad boy for the job and deadline was approaching. Needless to say we hit it off, they auditioned the hell out of me and now here I am. As far as Werebears go, look up the definition of Bear—no not like Yogi and combine that with Rob Halford and a pinch of Lon Chaney and there you go.
Gotcha! Speaking of director Tim Sullivan, I had the pleasure to meet, interview and hang out with the man. He’s a real class act. You’d be hard pressed to meet anyone nicer in Hollywood. So with that being said, how was it working for the man on the set?
Tim is very passionate about his art and he is also someone with a definite voice that resonates throughout his work, definitely not a drone or a wishy washy personality. He’s incredibly considerate of your feelings on set and always took the time to make me feel comfortable about what was going on even under pressure. He knows what he wants in a shot and was very gracious in allowing me the freedom to allow Talon to evolve into something special. It really was an evolution as Tim ended up doing a lot of re-writes on the set for Talon simply because we were coming up with so many fantastic ideas that weren’t envisioned in the original script. Talon started out as sort of a comedic villain and then ended up being more of an anti-hero. I am very grateful to Tim for noticing the potential of the character to have more depth and then making me such a part of that creation.
Well, as I said before, you gotta love Tim Sullivan! Since Comic-Con, have there been any plans finalized as of yet as to exactly where and when the drive-in Chillerama tour will take place? Please say Cleveland, OH!
They have not even told me yet—but the good news is they have announced the official Blu-Ray release to be Nov 29th, and rumor has it that you can even pre-order copies! I suggest signing up at www.chilleramafilm.com for more details.
That’s awesome news about the Blu-ray release date. I just looked online and sure enough the pre-order link is up on Amazon today! So tell me more about you. What makes Anton Troy tick? How did you get involved in acting and what do you like to do for fun or to unwind? We all have our vices, right?
I come from an entertainment family really—My Grandfather was a rodeo cowboy and Hollywood stuntman who did all the westerns and doubled such greats as James Cagney and my Mother was a professional mime and children’s entertainer so I guess you could say I kind of grew up in a dressing room. My Father was non-existent and acting became an outlet to express my feelings in a constructive way. I get high off of the rush of being in sync with another actor in a scene—that point when the connection becomes magic. I love interacting with people and spending time with friends, but my alone time is very important to me especially during the creative process.
I have to agree with you 110% on that alone time statement. What’s next on your plate in the entertainment world? I saw on your IMDB page that you also have a short called Grapple in post-production and a film I need to check out one day called Filth to Ashes, Flesh to Dust.
Grapple is a great little comedy I did about High School wrestling and Filth to Ashes is a 70’s style slasher film directed by my talented friend Mr. Paul Morrell. We will see where the wind takes me…
The following is a three-part question. I’m notorious for these. I do apologize. Are there any particular genres you want to try doing in the future? And what about directors and actors? Are there certain ones you would love to work with some day?
It has always been a dream to work with Clint Eastwood, I have always been mesmerized by his level of cool. Darren Aronofsky is a gritty favorite, James Cameron rocks and I think I would be perfect for a Tarantino film. Would be a dream to act with Michael Caine or Gary Oldman and of course I hope I get to do more with my immensely talented pals, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green, Joe Lynch and Adam Rifkin. The talent of all these men is a great source for my inspiration. I have done a lot of comedy, but would love to get opportunities to do drama, action and thrillers.
I couldn’t agree with you more on the Chillerama 4-man brain trust. So I have to ask you…what are some of your all-time favorite films and actors out there? It’s always kind of cool to know who or what has influenced people’s career choices in life.
My taste is so vast—I love the quiet strength of Russell Crowe, the presence of Brando, vulnerability of James Dean, darkness of Johnny Depp but I also own more Schwarzenegger films than one should probably have! High Plains Drifter is my favorite Eastwood film, A Beautiful Mind touches my heart and Mickey Rourke’s performance in The Wrestler resonates with me on a soul level. Robocop is an all time favorite and I love misunderstood anti-hero archetypes like Mel Gibson in Payback.
For fans of yours reading this or any aspiring actors out there, do you have any words of wisdom for them about getting into the Hollywood scene and getting your name out there?
First of all make sure you are getting into acting for the right reasons, simply wanting to be famous will not sustain you when your broke and no one cares who you are, it has to be a passion or rather an obsession. Be nice to EVERYONE as you never know who someone is and where you might get that break. Take the time to learn the skills to become excellent at what you do, entertainment is a business and should be treated as such and I recommend all would be film actors read Michael Caine’s book Acting In Film.
Alright…what else should your fans and our readers know about you? What matters most in life to you?
Excellence. It is my hope that I can be a beneficial presence within the film industry and on earth and I just sincerely enjoy entertaining people and artistically exploring the human experience. Everyone can also check me out on my official website www.antontroy.com or on Twitter @anton_troy.
Great answer! I love it! Well thanks again for taking the time to sit down with me today. I appreciate it! I will probably be in the Los Angeles and San Diego area towards the end of the month trying to secure investments for my film Amy so hopefully we can try to hang for a bit while I’m there if time permits. I look forward to seeing you again real soon and wish you much luck in everything you set out to do. Take care!
Yes of course and thank you so much for having me Brian, you rock brother!
Anton Troy ladies and gentlemen (round of applause)…
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