Damon Runyan – The Cheerleader Escort

By starrymag | September 14, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I did a Christmas movie for Lifetime network. I believe the working title is Magical Christmas Shoes. Prior to that, I was working on another Lifetime thriller called A Widow’s Nightmare.

Q) Please tell us the premise for The Cheerleader Escort and about your character.

A) The premise there is an escort service at a university where the cheerleaders are sort of farmed out to the alumni. The alumni date the cheerleaders and it’s kind of a mutual relationship until things go off the rails. I play the president of the alumni, Terry Dunes. The way I empathized with him was he was a man that is trying to cling to his youth. He’s forty-two years old and basically has no dependents and doesn’t want to leave the university, essentially. So, he stays in that realm.

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

A) [laughs] That’s a funny question. I had worked with Pierre David (the producer) before and he offered me the part. It’s funny, right before he asked me to sign on, he said he’d like to speak with me and the director. I thought it was going to be that the film was going to be in the #MeToo movement era. This is obviously a pretty taboo topic. It turns out he had been calling me basically to realize that there are men out there that do behave in this fashion and to not judge it too much, just accept that there are these types of characters in the world and aren’t necessarily bad. They are just clinging to a different way of life. I just found it to be an interesting perspective in that as a man in his early forties to look at what beauty is like at this age. It’s very fleeting, obviously, and to become enamored with trying to constantly capture that innocence and beauty…I can relate to wanting to be around it. Obviously, it feels creepy to actually inhabit that character, but at the same time I could empathize with sort of his world view and the selfishness of it. It’s one of those things as an actor it’s not necessarily about playing good or bad, but identifying with that part of you at a different address. I thought that I could have some fun with it.

Q) What did you find challenging about this role?

A) Sex scenes are always tough, but this was particularly tough in terms of the awkwardness of the difference in age. For myself, I don’t really think about spending time with eighteen-year olds – or I don’t really spend any time with anyone in their teens. Especially to be involved sexually or an implied romance with someone of that age it was a little challenging to give over to that attraction. I’m not attracted to someone so young. To put yourself in those shoes, I found that a challenge to belief. Also, it is to not shy away from that commitment of what it takes to make that believable.

Q) Talk about working with costar Keara Graves.

A) She was delightful. Everything was light and bubbly. It was only when things got a little bit dark that ever changed. It was a really light atmosphere. They had a lot of pressure to be cheerleaders and get the routines down and keeping that persona alive. It was fun to watch.

Q) What advice did director Alexandre Carriere offer that you took to heart while filming?

A) Yeah, the biggest note that he gave me was to not judge the character. He asked me if I could find a way to connect with him that was not purely predatorial. These characters don’t see themselves as predators. They see themselves as affording certain luxuries that other people can’t and enjoying spending time with someone of that age. Definitely it was not to judge the age difference. Behavior aspects of being attracted to someone so young inherently feels creepy to me, but to not judge that was a big note. Obviously, you shouldn’t judge a character ever, but there are certain situations where you’re working in that thriller or whatever is where you’re the bad guy it’s easy to cast disparaging notions about why these people are doing these things.

Q) How did you shake off a long day of filming?

A) [laughs] Well, I have a two-year-old daughter. I left it in the trailer every day. It’s one of those things where you come home and I have a beautiful wife and a beautiful daughter. There is a wholesomeness to that which equally allows you to reconnect, especially I find when I’ve been away from my daughter. When I’m able to reconnect, the only thing I want to think about is how to make her happy and to appreciate that moment and not to hold on to anything in the past. It was relatively easy!

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

A) I thought the initial first date and the whole proposal of getting together and that initial attraction, just having fun in the moment and keeping the connection alive. Also, being in that moment on the first day we just had a lot of fun finding the deep that actually makes that connection real. From that perspective, that is the fun of any acting scene – when you’re able to drop your guard and sort of expose your heart. Given that scene and my perspective of playing, that was probably the most fun to me.

Q) What do you think it is about The Cheerleader Escort that will make it a fast fan favorite Lifetime Network thriller?

A) I think the topic is pretty risqué. I think that people can associate with those first couple months at university when you get there and you basically have gone from being a child to being told you’re an adult now. You have this independent freedom. When you get there, you put on the armor of being an adult, but you don’t realize there are predators who can take advantage of your innocence, especially in those first couple of months where you are basically putting these new clothes on. Maybe it’s like makeup, but whatever it is there is this innocence that catapults you into this adult life and how she wrestles that and overcomes that and empowers herself I think enables a young woman…And it’s a cautionary tale in the sense that things don’t always seem as good as they look. I think that’s highly relatable. Also, I don’t know, I think a lot of people become attracted to these or can see themselves in the young female perspective for (I hate to say it) the “middle aged perspective.” I think it’s highly relatable, especially as a parent.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll receive to the film?

A) Well, I’ve done some predatorial type things in the past. I’ve played a lot of bad guys. Initially, I was sort of hesitant in terms of what sort of feedback I would get. But, generally, it’s positive. It’s usually about whether a performance is good or bad. It’s one of those things I try not to invest too much of my confidence in, obviously. Hopefully, people think it’s an interesting portrayal of a guy at that stage in his life. It’s an internet roulette wheel, essentially.

Q) What would you like you to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the work you do?

A) Keep interacting with me on social media and I’m always open to answering any questions. I definitely appreciate the support. Especially in the sort of social media landscape of determining whether you are popular or not, I appreciate whatever support is given to me. I do put my heart into everything that I do, so hopefully that is appreciated.

 

 

 

The Cheerleader Escort airs September 14th at 8/7c on Lifetime