Jonathan Stanley – Misled

By starrymag | April 9, 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

A) Most recently I landed a supporting role in the new Warner Bros. blockbuster Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Although I live in Los Angeles now, I still audition a lot for movies in the Midwest and East Coast, seeing as I’m from Detroit and still have a great agent there. I’m also currently writing another screenplay, a comedy this time.

Q) Please tell us the premise for Misled and about your character Jason.

A) The overall premise of Misled is the brotherly bond of Jason and Bobby and how much they are both willing to sacrifice for one another. As an outsider, Bobby comes off as a racist lowlife who is only concerned with his own welfare. However, as we dig deeper into the childhood and backstory of the brothers, we see that they both have troubled pasts that have lead them to abandon their morals in order to survive. Jason is an introvert who is attending a Theatre College and trying to support his widowed mother at the same time.

Q) How did you come up with the concept for the film?

A) I wrote Misled based on my own life experiences, growing up in Detroit and trying to support my mom at the age of nineteen. I got sucked into the stripping life for a few years, which led to some pretty crazy stuff that you’ll see in the movie in order to make ends meet.  But, ultimately, I paid my way through college. I, like Jason, have a brother who’s spent a lot of his life in prison and that, combined with other gritty stories from friends and family, made me believe I had the makings of a really interesting screenplay.

Q) Why was it important for you to tell your story now?

A) I feel that I’ve matured and have enough life experience to dissociate from my past, but still be close enough to relive it honestly. So many people have amazing stories, but  fear of judgment and failure keeps them from ever taking action. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that nobody is promised a tomorrow and acting now is the best way to live a life fulfilled. I’d rather die on empty than live a life  half lived.

Q) Was there instant chemistry when the cast began working together or did it take some time to bond?

A) I can honestly say that the whole cast bonded right from pre-production.  Scott Baldyga and I did the casting ourselves and it allowed us to really spend time with all the actors auditioning for Misled. We spent a lot of time seeing hundreds of actors in Detroit, Los Angeles and hundreds more on tape from New York, Chicago, etc. We always spent at least an hour in the auditions with the actors we felt could be right for each role. We had to make sure they could handle the subject matter and emotional range that every character has in Misled. Plus, we knew the shooting schedule was very aggressive and we needed passionate team players. In the end, we found and hired terrific actors in Detroit and others flew in from L.A., New York and Chicago. All of them are not only talented and dedicated actors, but good-hearted people as well, which was important to us. It took no time at all for us all to bond. In fact, it was very easy for me to slip into close onscreen relationships with each of them and we all remain close friends to this day.

Q) What piece of advice did director Scott Baldyga give you that you took to heart?

A) Scott had a lot of great advice throughout production, but the one thing that really helped me the most happened in the audition process. In the auditions, Scott felt that I was playing Jason too cocky, with no vulnerability whatsoever. I had always pictured Jason a bit guarded, but also overly confident. That made for a very flat performance. Scott saw this and said that he didn’t like the “Jason” I was playing, that he couldn’t empathize with him. I knew I had to change this immediately and I went to work on myself to make Jason a more lovable guy. This was a crucial piece of advice and, ultimately, made the difference in not only having a strong arc for the character, but also helped me to create a lead character that the audience cheers and pulls for.

Q) What was your most memorable moment from filming?

A) That’s tough, there were so many. We shot in the same neighborhood I grew up in. The houses we used as locations felt like my childhood home. There were many emotional moments for me, recreating parts of my real life in a house that felt like my old house and putting it all on film – at times it was surreal. But I have to say, my most memorable moment of filming was when we were in my old neighborhood in Southwest Detroit and we turned the Highwaymen Motorcycle Club into a strip club. This was the very neighborhood I grew up in as a child and it was so nostalgic to be back on those streets shooting a movie about my life. As a poor little ghetto kid, I wouldn’t have dreamed that I would be back in my old neighborhood making a movie. I remember sitting in the motorcycle club that night thinking, “Is this really happening?”

Q) What have you taken away from your time working on the movie?

A) If you have a dream or goal in life that is calling you, take immediate action and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. I had no idea how I was going to make this movie, but I kept doing little things to motivate myself and keep me moving forward. So many filmmakers that I thought were my friends weren’t supportive of me. I’d ask for advice and they wouldn’t call me back or sometimes when they did, they’d ask, “How are you going to just make a movie?” Those very same friends then asked for jobs once the financing and production was in place. This showed me who my true friends were and not to let anyone’s opinion of you become your reality! The flip side to that is our Executive Producer, John Blackwell. He remained 100% supportive throughout — and I don’t mean just on the investing side. He was constantly a source of encouragement, faith and great advice. John got onboard with Misled because he wanted to help me with my career and he wanted to help me tell my story. Without him, none of this would have happened and it is a blessing I will always be grateful for. I hope one day to help out a creative artist so completely — the way John has done for me.

Q) Why will people want to take their time to see the film?

A) I feel that Misled leads people from all walks of life on a cathartic journey of love, family, passion and commitment. Misled gives people a glimpse into the struggles that so many face growing up in impoverished homes in tough cities like Detroit and just how much they have to hustle to make ends meet. Ultimately, I believe Misled is about how far you would go and what you would sacrifice to save your family. I think it’s something everyone can relate to.

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

A) Yes, very much so. I plan on making more films in the future so having a fanbase and a platform for our audience to reach out to us and tell us what they like and do not like is a huge asset going forward.

Q) Is there anything else you want fans to be sure they know about Misled?

A) Sure. Most of the events in the movie are true stories that have happened either to me or to close friends and family in my inner circle. I didn’t have to go far to find content that would be both gritty and compelling. There is a lot going on in Misled and some of it is pretty far out, but like I said ninety percent of these events actually took place.

 

 

MISLED LOS ANGELES PREMIERE APRIL 9, 8PM

CREST THEATER, WESTWOOD

 

Jonathan Stanley   

Twitter @joncstanley 
Instagram: jonathancstanley 


MISLED 
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/misledfilm  
Twitter @misledmovie 
Instagram: misledmovie