Antonio Cupo – Sleeping With Danger

By starrymag | August 1, 2020

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the film Sleeping With Danger. 

 

A) Mortal Danger is a story inspired by Ann Rule’s true crime collection where a seemingly perfect man (Paul Carter a/k/a moi) meets beautiful flight attendant named Grace Tanner (Elisabeth Röhm).  She is quickly whisked into a love affair and everything is seemingly perfect until she discovers who he truly is.  As with many real-life stories of jealousy and manipulation, when you are in them they are incredibly difficult to recognize as the blame is often placed on the victim.  As Grace begins to see the light, she manages to escape the abuse and begins on a journey to have Paul brought to justice.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the movie? 

 

A) The idea of playing such a flawed and psychologically twisted character instantly struck me.  The script was very compelling and I couldn’t wait to dive in.  When I discovered that Elisabeth Rohm was to play lead female, I was convinced.  It isn’t often these dark characters come along. I find it can be a lot of fun creating a character that is both charming and deeply troubled.

 

 

Q) How was your character Paul Carter originally described to you? 

 

A) “There is a character, but I don’t think you want to do it.”

“I don’t think you play these kinds of characters.”

“I don’t think anybody sees you as this kind of guy.”

 

Me – “I want to do it.”

 

 

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t in the initial breakdown?

 

A) I feel that when you are given the liberty to freely create, so many things come out that aren’t in the script.  Elisabeth is someone who likes to go all the way to explore the dark corners of characters and take the scene to new levels.  We truly were able to trust each other and let go of any ideas we had and just “be” in the moment. There is nothing more original that just being able to “BE.”

 

Q) What did you find challenging about your portrayal?

 

A) I think there is always things you would to have liked to have tried in discovering the different nuances but, ultimately, I trust the director David Weaver to get what he needs to tell the story.  It is always helpful having an amazing executive team like Manu Boyer and Kim Raver to bring things to the next level.

 

Q) Talk about working with costar Elisabeth Rohm. 

 

A) I love Elisabeth. It is rare to be able to TRULY connect with a co-star. We instantly clicked and decided early on that we would allow ourselves to go where it felt most natural, no matter how uncomfortable.  Often times I would leave set shaking from the craziness that had ensued in a prior scene.  Both characters were complex and the discovery was electrifying and often times shocking.

 

Q) What advice did director David Weaver offer that you took to heart while filming?  

 

A) David has some of the best film references of any director I have worked with.  We always had a plethora of images on which to build the scene.  I love how David is truly an actor’s director as he allows the actor to play and trusts the process to achieve the best possible result.  He’ll let you “go there” and dial you back as needed.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite or most challenging scenes to shoot? 

 

A) I’d have to say the scenes that had violence and physicality were definitely the hardest. There is no way to prepare to be completely out of control.  Trust is all you have at that point.  Trust in your scene partner, director and executive producers.

 

Q) How did you shake off a long day on set?  

 

A) Elisabeth and I would often message or talk after intense days.  We had similar feelings and often we just felt grateful and thankful to have each other.

 

Q) What do you think it is about Sleeping With Danger that will make it a fast favorite Lifetime film?

 

A) The movie is edgy. I think it definitely skirts the line, even for Lifetime. There are many moments that are completely unhinged and raw and I think it will resonate with the viewers.  It may seem uncomfortable at times but we were dedicated to bringing truth and justice to the characters and the vision of the author.