Evan Hall – Orange is the New Black

By starrymag | June 23, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

A) I did an episode of “Shades of Blue” and some short films for myself. I paint as well. I do my own artwork and I write so I have been keeping myself busy during the interim.

Q) How was your character Stratman originally described to you?

A) I originally went in for the character of Blake who is played by Nick Dillenburg. It was kind of a very general breakdown. A war veteran who is kind of rough around the edges. So, I just did that. I guess I was blessed or lucky enough to book the role of Stratman.

Q) What were your first thoughts when you were told you would be in your underwear most of the season?

A) [laughs] I think I thought I should get a personal trainer! I think that was my first thought. No, I was kind of like, “We’re going to get into it this season. We’re gunna get kind of crazy this season.” So, I just got ready for that. I didn’t really know the full arc of my character. It was kind of a day by day figuring out of it, which I really like and enjoy being a part of.

Q) How does Stratman feel about his job at Litchfield?

A) The way I played it out in my head was he’s come back from the military and I think this is one of the jobs you get when you are trying to figure out what just happened to you. I think I saw it as a means of staying with “my people.” The people I knew from the military. I would think for me it was like thinking, “This is going to be an easy job. I’ll work at a female prison. I’m not going to have to work that hard. I’ll be able to clear my head after the experiences I had.” The chaos that breaks out, it’s not what I signed up for. I was like, “If this is what it is going to be, I have to go to war.” I’m not good at judging my own performance, but I think there is a hesitancy about what is going on and how far we need to go with this, at least in the last season. I think Stratman is a man of action so I think at the end of the day he’s doing just what he feels is right and what needs to be done in that moment.

Q) What did you find challenging about the role?

A) Yes, the dance. The dance was challenging. Wrapping my mind around being the kind of guy who would get to a breaking point so much that he sticks a woman on a table and tells her she has to stand there until she acquiesces what he wants her to do – even if she has to pee and s**t herself. I think wrapping my head around being that kind of guy is difficult, but that’s my job. My job is to justify that so that’s what I do. I don’t want to say it’s not hard, but it’s fun for me. I love figuring out how other people tick, how I can relate and bring myself to that and how I would react in those circumstances. That’s what gets me going. It makes me feel good to do that. So, it’s not hard. It’s fun.

Q) Nick Sandow mentioned to me that an email was sent to the guards this season asking for their talents. What did you list?

A) I think I put down “speaks French, knows how to fight with a rapier, combat certified, know how to ride a motorcycle and dancing.” So, they chose that. I do have dance training. I grew up in Nantucket and did ballet for several years and then I did hip hop, modern and jazz. I went to college for musical theatre so I did ballet and tap there. So, I had a little bit of a background, but it was about seven years since I had touched a dance floor. I was a little rusty when it came down to it.

Q) What did you think when you were told that they’d like you to do a strip tease this season?

A) My thought was, “It’s time to go to work.” So, they were kind enough to get me an amazing choreographer Michael Arnold who worked with me really intensely for about two weeks to prep everything together. So, we started banging out stuff almost immediately by working on the choreography, the transitions and clothes. It was a lot of loose ends and moving parts in that dance.

Q) No pun intended.

A) [laughs] Yes, no pun intended. So, we had a fair amount of time to bring everything together. I hadn’t danced in a pretty long time so to work with Michael was phenomenal and to have his guidance was just super key for me. Then, working with Nick was amazing because he made me feel so comfortable. So, the performance that you see is in direct relation to how Nick allowed me to work on set. That was an incredible experience as well.

Q) How was it decided that you would go down to just a sock?

A) Well, I think I can say this…Basically, we had been working out the choreography for about a week and a half. Maybe four to five days before we were supposed to show what we have created. I get an email form Jenji [Kohn] asking me if I would be willing to go full down…All the way down to the sock. I kind of thought about it for a second and said, “Yeah, that makes sense.” Of course this guy would get down to his sock because it is part of his routine. It’s what I had been doing for years in college. Then, we had to work that into the choreography. Working the clothes into was kind of a puzzle like when to take your pants off and how do they come off. That kind of thing. It was awesome. The costume people were amazing because they made me that rip away shirt in a day. That was incredible to be able to have that and help through the process.

Q) Nick mentioned there were many takes that day.

a) Yep. We did many takes that day! That’s real sweat you see on me. That was 100% me. It was a big part of the day. It was a lot of extras and we had to figure out the camera angels. I think I stayed in that room all day rehearsing for the takes or just doing the takes. It felt really good.

Q) What was your family and friends’ reaction to watching you?

A) [laughs] Very positive. My family is very supportive of what I do. I think my sister had a hard time looking me in the eyes for a couple days, but she got through it. It’s a job, like I said. They are very proud of me.

Q) Talk about filming the dance scene with Emma Myles.

A) It was a ball working with her. She was open to anything. Like the leg over the head thing and straddling, the pulling, lifting and dancing. She was like, “Okay, do that! Okay!” Everyone was very supportive of me. She helped so much. Her reactions were honest and genuine. She gave me so much to work with.

Q) Emma has been speaking your praises on social media. Do you prefer not having social media to see what fans have said about this season?

A) I guess it’s kind of surreal. I’ve heard other people talk about that. I do not have social media so I’m kind of removed from a lot of the stuff that is happening on the internet. So, my everyday life just keeps going.

Q) What was it like filming being stuck in Spanish Harlem most of the season? John Palladino mentioned to me that “the brown note” scene stood out to him.

A) I was so looking forward to seeing that. It was great! Everyone started doing the brown note to me and my reaction in that moment was to hide under the table behind me. I started crying, curled up in a ball under the table and started rocking myself. That was awesome day. There were so many awesome days. I had a ball this season. I had a ball last season, too, but this was a lot. Being stuck in that little tiny box of a set was actually amazing. We would just rag on each other and tell jokes. We would dive into this really intense stuff we were doing. I loved it. I loved all those guys. We all support each other very nicely. I hope to be stuck with them in a place again soon.

Q) What was your experience like filming in The Poo?

A) Hot! They didn’t mess around. That was an actual port-o-potty that we shot in. I think there was one scene where it was cut and you could see into it. Most of it was in the port-o-potty of me messing around. It was really fun. It was scary because I’m not the biggest fan of tight spaces, but it was still really fun. There is one scene where I start slamming my head against the bathroom and the reason why that happened was because I was on set and they started shooting the outside stuff first. One of the special effects guys is standing behind it and just shaking it like a wild man. He’s just shaking it back and forth! I had to figure out how I would really move and I decided to slam my head against the wall.

Q) Was there anyone you didn’t get to work with from the “Orange” cast that you’d like to have worked with more?

A) I think I’ve worked with so many amazing people. I got to work with Uzo [Aduba] and it was a dream to watch her do her work for me. That was amazing to be in the room for that. I got to work with Red (Kate Mulgrew). That was amazing because she’s incredible at what she does. Being able to be on set and just watch her work…All the women have worked in this industry and have such a wonderful craft. So, just being on set and watching them I just learned from everybody.

Q) Brad William Henke mentioned last season about a scene where he felt he came out to the guards where he was touching you a little longer than comfortable. Was that something you discussed?

A) [laughs] You should have seen the take before that! He slapped my ass the take before that. I loved that moment! He was so creepy. [laughs] I loved it! He’s got huge hands so all of a sudden I feel this like massive bear claw on my shoulder give this very tender touch so my reaction of that moment is pretty honest where I’m like, “What is happening?! What is going on here?!” He’s awesome. We talked about it afterwards because it was really funny and I thought it played really well. I watched that and I thought it was just subtle enough to play where you think, “Did he just touch me? Did he just do that? Nice. There is something going on here.” I think he came to me with a twinkle in his eye and said, “I have an idea.” I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “I’m not going to tell you.” So, that’s just kind of how it played out. I think he did the same thing with the butt pat, but I think that was a little giving too much away which is why they kept the shoulder rub.

Q) What was it like being directed by costar Laura Prepon?

A) She was amazing. I have to say, I was nervous about working with her. I was nervous because I’ve looked up to her for a very long time. She doesn’t know that. I was really nervous for a very long time. We had a kind of weird day where I’m dealing with the ladies in the electrical room and she was awesome. Again, it was all about comfort. We talked about what she needed from me and she would kind of let me play around. When things worked she was very open about saying, “Keep doing that.” If it didn’t, she was just like “Don’t do that.” So, I’d try something else. It was a dream working with her and she is incredibly talented. She is incredibly talented as an actor, but as a director too. She blew the lid off of it. It was amazing.

Q) What would you like to be sure fans know about Stratman?

A) Those are really my tattoos.

Q) What have you taken away from your experience working on “Orange is the New Black?”

A) A lot. I have taken away how much I love doing this. I think that being on set all the time…A lot of the actors are on set every day and the crew is there every day and it is a big job. You are doing a lot all the time. I had never done that before so this was a test for me as to whether or not even the small amount I was on – I was on a lot more than I have ever been on any other television show. So, every day on set I got more excited about doing this and being on set every day. That was probably the largest part of what I took away. This is it for me. This is everything that I want. The fact that if I have to I can bust a move…that’s a nice take away. If someone asks me if I can get down I can do it. I think there is too many things. I’d have to think about that question a little bit more because there is a lot I have taken away the last few years, more than I can express. It’s changed my life and it has made me stronger.