Read our exclusive interview with actor Josh Hammond, who’s preparing for his role of Scott Salazus in the upcoming horror film ‘American Girls.’ The movie, which is currently in pre-production under the direction of Eric Pereira, is based on the true events of the abduction, rape and murder of two high school girls. The story also chronicles the fallout that nearly destroys their small Midwestern town, as long-buried secrets are being brought to light as the police begin investigating the crime. ‘American Girl’ is told through multiple character points of view, as it presents several psychological looks on the tragic crimes. Hammond, who has made a name for himself in guest-starring television roles on such shows as ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and ‘Scrubs,’ discusses with us what attracted him to ‘American Girls,’ and why he likes reuniting with directors he’s previously worked with.
ShockYa (SY): You play Scott Salazus in the upcoming horror film ‘American Girls.’ What attracted you to the character, and convinced you to take the role?
Josh Hammond (JH): Well, I really enjoy playing twisted and sick individuals in film roles, because it’s fun. You get to step out of being a family-man and dad between action and cut. That’s kind of exciting, because there’s no consequences while you’re shooting. That’s what attracted me to the role.
I was also approached by (screenwriter and actress) Devanny Pinn and (actor) Brandon Slagle about working on the project. They’re friends of mine, and I said yes, that sounds like a delightful adventure to take with you guys. I guess it’s pretty much that I like to step out of my norm, and play somebody who can fly off the handle a little, and creep people out.
SY: ‘American Girls’ is based on true events. How much knowledge did you have of the true story before you began filming, and what kind of research did you do to help you prepare for your role?
JH: I actually didn’t have that much prior knowledge of the actual story. I was sent a few news clips and YouTube footage of what happened. So that was interesting, because our characters were based on real people. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. To prepare for the role, I pretty much went into the woods near my house, and hunted down some squirrels and dissected some insects.
SY: The film uses multiple character points of view to offer viewers a psychological look at the crime. Do you think this technique helped benefit the telling of the story?
JH: Yeah, I do. I kind of like that style of film where a bunch of characters’ stories weave together. I think having a lot of different sources and mediums telling the story keeps the viewer interested, as they can see it through a bunch of different eyes.
With how flashy culture is now, when you watch commercials or MTV, it’s always fast, colorful and bright. It’s moving rapidly to keep your attention. I think it’s an interesting concept to tell it through that kind of storyline, because then you get to feel the different feelings of each character. It gives it a little more variety.
SY: Eric Pereira both directed and co-wrote ‘American Girls.’ Do you think it’s easier for you as an actor when the director worked on the script?
JH: Yes, I do. When the director’s directing me or any of the other actors, if they have a good sense of where the script is at, and how it was developed, it helps develop the character, even though it was based on a true-life person. They can get what they need by talking you to the place where you need to go to, and where they want the story to be told from. So yes, I like it when the director is the writer, or co-writer, as well.
Sometimes when the director is not the writer, the writer is sitting on set, and they’re whispering in the director’s ear, oh, I think it should be like this. That division conflicts a little bit. So I think it’s good when the director is the writer, then they have a little more say. You don’t have so many conflicting notes from so many people that tell you how to do the same thing. That’s what I think, with the films that I’ve acted in.
SY: You’re remembered for playing Jake Spencer in ‘Jeepers Creepers II.’ How did shooting that movie compare to filming ‘American Girls?’
JH: Well, we actually haven’t filmed ‘American Girls’ yet, we’re shooting it in January. But working on ‘Jeepers’ was a very good experience. We shot maybe two-and-a-half months on ‘Jeepers,’ and Victor Salva wrote and directed it. It was a good experience because being there for so long, we lived that experience, all of us on the bus together.
It was a good, big-budget film to have under my belt. To be able to take that experience into other roles and other jobs that I’ve been able to do after the fact, was great. It was good in having me prep a lot of material and having experience on set.
SY: What was the experience like working on a bigger-budget film like ‘Jeepers Creepers II,’ as compared to lower budget movies?
JH: Well, obviously I prefer the big budget studio pictures, because there’s a lot more money involved. But shooting indie films, there’s a lot more freedom involved. They both have their pros and cons, but doing the indie films, as an actor, you can comes with more choices. You can a have a little more say in what happens, because you don’t have a studio giving notes, saying we need more scares or less scares. So you can bring a raw performance to an indie film. A director can tweak it-they can shoot it and edit it in post (production) to where he wants it. So on the one side, studio is good, because they have money. On the other side, indie is good, because there’s the artistic factor.
SY: You’re also slated to appear in the mockumentary ‘White House Party.’ How did you become involved in the project?
JH: Well, I recently shot a film out in Connecticut, ‘Penny Dreadful Picture Show,’ with the director, Leigh Scott. It’s an emporium of three short films, with one set in the ’60s, one set in the ’70s and one set in the ’80s. I was in the one that’s set in the ’70s, called ‘The Slaughter House.’ I met Leigh there, and we got along real well. I play the lead in that film, and we worked really closely together on that film. We became friends on and off set. We stayed in touch afterward. We shot that in early October, and we’ve been in touch since.
We thought, oh there’s the elections for the president coming up, and why don’t we make a film about running for president. So we’re actually running, and the official nominees for the “Party” Party. Our official mascot is the Platypus. So it’s Scott/Hammond 2012. We’re actually going to throw a White House party once we get to the White House.
SY: Why do you find it appealing to work with a director more than once, like you’re going to do with Leigh for ‘White House Party?’
JH: Well, I think if you look at some crews, like Judd Apatow and his actors, or Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, once you start working with the same director multiple times, you get to have a good rapport. You get to have inside jokes and fun things, and be comfortable on set. You can let go and perform, without being self conscious. They know what to tell you on how to get the performance they need out of you.
Also, it’s a fun time to go work with your friends. It also cuts out some parts of the auditioning process. They know you, and they say, hey, I wrote this script for you. It cuts out the middle man of having to go through casting. It’s a lot more fun, because you know how they operate. Leigh, for instance, has a really great crew that he works with all the time. He also likes to reuse his actors.
I also have a good friend, Bill McAdams Jr., who I just did the film comedy ‘Agua Caliente’ with. I’ve worked with him on a few occasions, and I have another film coming up with him, called ‘Gallows Road.’ I really like working with a director multiple times because it’s easier, and way more fun, I think.
SY: You have guest starred on several television shows, including ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ ‘Scrubs’ and ‘Las Vegas.’ How is appearing on a television series similar and different than starring in a film? Do you have a preference of one medium over the other?
JH: That’s a good question. I’ve really enjoyed working on the TV shows that I’ve worked on, they were really fun. Going in to do a guest star role for a week, and you shoot with the established characters, is really exciting, and it’s really great money. You go in and out, and you’re done.
But I honestly prefer film as a medium, only because television takes place over so long. It takes 13 episodes to tell the whole entire story, during the season. For films, you get an hour-and-a-half of finished product. It’s like ding a painting, and you put the painting on the wall, and people can see it.
With television, it’s a constantly changing picture. So I do prefer film. Plus films can go to more extremes, because of the ratings, like the PG, PG-13 and R ratings. I think there’s a lot more of an extreme boundary that you can go to inside of that 90 minutes.
Written by: Karen Benardello
