Steve Byers – Amish Abduction

By starrymag | November 9, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

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

A) I literally just wrapped a feature in Northern Ontario. It’s called Against the wild: A Journey Home. It’s a film about a blind man who’s on a ferry taking him home when it runs aground. He and an Alaskan Malamute named Chinook have to find their way back home through the wilderness.

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

A) It’s a good question. When my agent brought it to me, they had offered it to me and said that my friend Sara Canning would be doing it. So, it was pretty much a no-brainer already that if Sara was going to do it then I was going to do it. But then she also said Ali Liebert, our director. It was her first time directing and Sara had nothing but good things to say about her.

Q) What kind of research did you do into Amish life for the film?

A) I’ve actually played an Amish gentleman one time before this, but it was a comedic role. So, the challenge was once I read it that it was quite an interesting perspective. I didn’t know too much about the Amish world other than the nature in which they live. So, it was kind of eye opening for me.

Q) Was there something you brought to the role that wasn’t in the character breakdown?

A) Yeah, the thing is…The time that I played an Amish guy before this he had embraced and was part of the Amish culture whereas Jacob in this film is very resentful of the constraints and the rules and the lifestyle that he’s sort of feeling trapped in. Coming from a totally different perspective, I really have to try and dig deep and see what it must be like to be a part of something where you want to escape, but I think despite the drama and what have you in this I think he genuinely loved his wife and child. So, finding that place where you have someone with such a dichotomy of emotion, I think was something that I really had to look into.

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

A) We actually shot the movie almost a year ago. It was in November and it was in Vancouver. I would often forget that I had this Amish style beard. In Vancouver…There is something about the Vancouver cold, it’s not nearly as cold as say Toronto or other places in Canada. It’s quite temperate, but when it gets cold there is something about it that is hard to shake. It’s ironic that you use the phrase “shake off.” I’d usually go to get a coffee or something like that and I’d forget that I had this beard. People would give me a double take because it’s such a distinct style and very sort of indicative of someone who partakes in the Amish lifestyle. Even though I know how popular beards are amongst the trendy dudes and what have you, this particular style hasn’t caught on for anyone other than the Amish people. Until I shaved off that beard, I was sort of in Jacob the whole time.

Q) Talk about working with Ali Liebert as a director.

A) Ali was lovely. Without sounding negative, it’s always a little trepidatious to work with someone who is doing it for the first time. But Ali is a very experienced actress and she is a lovely person. As it turns out, she is fantastic for the job. She is very prepared. Her storyboards were hilarious! I wouldn’t give her the award for artistry in drawing. She would send me pictures of some of her storyboards where she thought out the shot. She has used stick figures of us in her storyboards and they are hilarious! She had me in tears with some of the storyboards where she would draw Jacob with his little beard talking to Sara’s character. They had me in stitches! That said, she’s also funny and kind. She was very, very prepared. She knew what she was doing. To me, that says everything you need to know about a director.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming?

A) There were a few that were challenging, just in the sense that there was emotional heavy stuff. Again, those kinds of challenges are a favorite. I know that we spent a lot of cold nights out in Vancouver, but there was one particular night where we were…We shot the film on the set that “When Calls the Heart” filmed on. It was a pretty ominous place when all of their stuff was gone. We were out in the woods in the tall grass. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard coyotes when they start to howl. When they get going it’s quite eerie. They were out in a pack that couldn’t have been less than a kilometer away from us. When they got going…I’ve never heard that kind of sound before. It gave life to the place when we were shooting, that’s for sure.

Q) What do you think it is about Amish Abduction that will make it a favorite Lifetime thriller?

A) That we will have to see. I don’t know what people will make of it. I know Lifetime and some of the other networks like to do themes when they are doing television features. This one has sort of a timeless nature to it in that it’s not a Christmas or Thanksgiving film. It’s something that sort of transcends the thematic situation. It can be enjoyed by audiences that like this genre any time of the year.

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

A) Social media is a tough place to sort of look to for feedback because everyone has an opinion. Sometimes the opinions are voiced quite aggressively. So, I try not to look for reviews – per se – on social media, but I do hope everybody who watches it enjoys it and knows what it is and watches it again and again for sure.

Q) How do you plan to celebrate the movie’s premiere?

A) I am going to celebrate probably by…Truthfully, I’m probably going to be driving my daughter to dance. [laughs]

Q) You’ll be playing Gordie Howe in the upcoming movie Goalie. How did you get involved with this film?

A) That was a really interesting story. The film is about Terry Sawchuk. He led quite an interesting life and was a tortured soul. When Adriana said they were interested in me playing Gordie Howe – there was no negotiation. I was just like, “Where and when?” It’s Gordie Howe. Are you kidding me? My only regret is agreeing to put on the original skates. I have so much more respect for these gentlemen after skating in those skates. In fact, Terry Sawchuk’s son was there for consultation purposes. He made fun of me the first time I went out in the old, old style of skates. He was like, “You fit them all the way to the top! Gordie would never do that! Come on!” [laughs] That was quite a challenge as well, but a lot of fun.

Q) What did it mean to you to play this hockey icon?

A) You don’t say no. That’s it.

Q) What did you personally take away from working on the movie Goalie?

A) Like I said, I think I certainly garnered a lot more respect for the work that these guys did and the equipment that they were in. In sort of learning about Gordie, it was realizing these guys paid a heavy price to play that sport. It’s not like today where they were being paid so incredibly well that it superseded other issues. They were being paid a working person’s salary and busting their butt and getting hurt. But they did what they had to do.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share with our readers about Amish Abduction?

A) I just hope that everybody who tunes in enjoys it and understands that the movie was made to please people and put a little drama into their lives where they didn’t have to focus on a lot of the other drama that’s going on today.

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

A) I would just say that with an absolutely huge heart that I’m always so grateful for the support that people give to me. I often feel like an imposter because it doesn’t seem fair that people would give me any adulation at all. But I do really appreciate it and I couldn’t really do it without the support of everybody behind me. So, I’m eternally grateful.