I may not have had the best phone connection when talking with Henry Ian Cusick on June 7, 2017, but his passion for intriguing roles and material that allows him to stretch as an actor came through clear as a bell.
The occasion of our conversation was the online release of FRANK VS. GOD, a sly yet humane comedy by Stewart Schill about a man who takes the Almighty to court in order to get monetary satisfaction for losing his house and dog in a tornado. There is something wonderfully hopeful about seeing a variety of clergy (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Moslem, and Native American) arrayed around a conference table and working together to fight the lawsuit that, against all odds, has its day in court.
We started there, but moved on to discuss his penchant for roles like this; the uses of humor to send a message; the charm of indie filmmaking; and his foray into directing with an episode of his television series, The 100, and his award-winning short film, DRESS.
We finished up with his new series, INHUMANS, based on the Marvel comic book; the pressures, perceived and not, in his portrayal of Jesus in THE GOSPEL OF JOHN; and going behind the camera to direct.
The one thing we >didn’t< talk about was his run on Lost as Desmond Hume., though there is an oblique reference to a cast reunion. Tempting, yes, but that’s been covered in so many other places. And, really, is any one actor from that series, or rabid viewer like yours truly, going to be able to unravel that plot within the confines of a 15-minute interview?
FRANK VS GOD was written and directed by Stewart Schill, and co-stars Ever Carradine, Natalya Oliver, Brian Brightman, Bern Cohen, Michael Houston King, Lauren O’Quinn, Ricky Wayne, Terry Loughlin, Matt Riedy, Tod Sod, Eric Esteban, and Timothy Bass as the very agitated preacher.
N.B. For an interview with the makers of PALI ROAD, which we discuss in the interview, click here.
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