W. Earl Brown – Preacher

By: Kelly Kearney

Q) When I was live tweeting the pilot, I made some comparisons between Hugo Root and Boss Hogg from “The Dukes of Hazard.” Is there anything or anyone who who’s been a creative inspiration for you in developing this role?

A) That’s great! No, I don’t think Boss was an inspiration. I’m not sure I have any, but I’ve done things where some of “The Dukes of Hazzard” was filmed so maybe I’m getting Duke’s osmosis. It’s seeped in a little.

Q) We’re you surprised by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg spearheading this project? Seth is mostly known for his outrageous comedies, but this show has a totally different vibe. Did you think it would be more of a comedy and not this dark and stylized version?

A) Those two guys dreamed of doing it since they were thirteen years old. So, for 20-plus years they wanted to do this. I don’t think you could find any bigger fans of that comic then those guys as it was one of those seeds that inspired them. I have those touchstones in my youth that drove me to do this. For example, Animal House is the movie that made me want to be in movies. I was a Freshman in high school when it came out and I can remember going to see it time and again. I remember the first time having the cognizant thought all I wanted to do was that. I got to work with Ivan Reitman a few years ago and my kid is going to the University of Oregon where they filmed it. I spent my entire time in Eugene, Oregon going to Animal House places where they film the movie. That was the fire that made me want to do films. Going back to Seth and Evan, those guys were in high school when There’s Something About Mary came out and that movie is a touchstone in their lives. That makes me feel old, but it makes me feel proud to be in a touchstone comedy for a generation below me. So, I guess the answer to that story is “Preacher” is one of the things that made them want to tell stories and the fact that they’re getting to do this is a pinch me moment for them. Seth Rogen said this is my favorite comic ever and I really don’t want to f*** this up!

Q) In the pilot, your character had some great one-liners. He’s kind of a racist. He’s definitely a bad father and he’s most certainly a terrible cop. But there’s this funny Southern swagger that makes him seem a little less imposing. As Root goes head-to-head with Jesse will we see more of that?

A) [Hugo Root] is an engaging performance and I rely on the directors for that in my roles. For example, if I’m doing a comedy, I ask myself what’s the emotional truth to this and then like with “Deadwood,” (which was uber macho and violent) we were always trying to find where the softer elements of those characters or a funny aspect. That’s the way I approach everything that I do. I’ve told directors before, “You can just dial me back. Take that comedy dial and knock it down a notch or two.” So, that approach is what I think makes it more interesting and that’s the thing that I think elevates “Preacher.” I find myself describing this new show to people and I always say, “Look, it’s bloody, violent, gory, thrilling and it’s funny.” I just think tonally I understood [Seth and Evan] and that combination of sensibilities where we each got one another, it made it easy to do what I do.  Actually, going back to what you said about Root being a terrible cop – he actually turns out to be a very good cop. He’s not a bumbling cop. You don’t see it yet, but you will see what happens down the way. He’s quite good at it, but he’s just not very good at personal interaction. I did want to make him a little quirky, like with Eugene’s meat shake. There were small little comic moments in that scene when I’m making him that dinner, that meat shake. I didn’t purposely look for those moments just because I think it makes it a more interesting portrayal. The thing about Root is, he has something to lose. In the comic, he hates everyone and he’s more one sided. He hates his son. He has nothing to lose. So, as our story progresses, he loses things so that gives him an arc. It gives the character a place to go.  He also has this strange outlook on the world. He’s a conspiracy theorist who you know, thinks the worst of everything.  There’s an upcoming episode, I think it’s called Monster Swamp, I have this big speech where I say, “…the world is a monster swamp, I tell ya.” Then, we come to find out he’s right. He thinks the world is full of monsters and beasts and creatures that are all out to get you and it turns out his paranoid assumptions are correct, which I think is an interesting twist to Root.

Q) Do you have any memorable moments from filming “Preacher” so far? Anything that stands out and was a lot of fun or exceptional?

A) Well there was a lot of things that stood out that were pretty exceptional and a lot of fun. I have to be careful, I don’t want to give any story away. A scene with me and Dominic [Cooper] that’s coming up in an episode. That whole cast is a top-flight actors and it’s thrilling when you get to play with people that are that good at their craft. I’ll use the analogy, it’s like a ball going back and forth. As we’re throwing the scenes back and forth between players, the performance just elevates. We find new little subtle nuances that are reflected off the person you’re playing with, which takes them to a new place or level. So yeah, there’s this scene I have with Joe Gilgun (Cassidy).  I love Joe. He’s phenomenal and he’s like a savant. Derek Wilson, who plays Donnie Schenck, those two have the most fascinating stories of how they became actors that and vie worked with and I know a lot of actors. When I found out Joe’s story and then I met Derek and we shared a house, he told me that’s kind of how he became an actor. He has a Master’s in acting, from NYU Tisch and I went to the Goodman Theater school in Chicago so I asked him how he became an actor. Working with those two guys, because they’re both immensely talented, It’s just like me, when I was thirteen years old. I always knew that I wanted to do this, but it seemed like a dream, an impossibility that you could actually do this and make a living at it. I count myself as lucky so you can tell that’s the thrilling part of it for me.

Q) In the comics, there was quite a lot of backstory to Hugo Root and his wife as well as his son Eugene a.k.a. “Arseface.” Will we see more of that on the show as the season progresses or are we sort of gong to step away from that back story and focus on Jesse, Cassidy and the people of Annville?

Q) There will be elements of it. Certain things will be changed. Some due to time period. The comic book story [with Arseface] that’s got to be based off of the Judas Priest suicide because Arseface (Ian Colletti) looks exactly like the kid who survived after blowing his face off. In the comic [Eugene] is on that merry go round, same as those kids those boys in the Judas Priest suicide. So then, of course, in the comic they changed it to fit the time frame because of Kurt’s [Cobain] suicide. Now the time frame of our show is later so you’re going to see how that girl, Tracy the girl in the vegetative state. You’ll see how she’s connected to Eugene. So, elements of it are changed from the book for a myriad of reasons and as far as [Sheriff] Root’s ultimate demise…I told the guys [Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg] I’ve spent months in yoga and Pilates. Man, I’m ready! I told them when I first met them that I’ve been doing this quite a long time and I have died on screen 26 times. I really thought I had shoveled off this mortal coil every imaginable f****** way until I read the Preacher. So, again, there are elements that are different and we’ll see what those differences are as they unfold.

Q) The graphic novel is extremely dark and gritty, the fans were worried it wouldn’t adapt well on screen but from everything I’m hearing during my live tweets, the fans love this stylized version. It really captures the vibe of the book. Was that something you were concerned about? How this would adapt on screen and how the book fans would respond to it?

A) The vast majority of fans are really jumping on Seth and Evan’s vision of the book. Things that are just brilliant to me…Well, hell, it’s in the damn show! The Big Lebowski is one of my favorite comedies ever, if not my favorite. I’ve probably watched it more than any other comedy besides Animal House and There’s Something About Mary.

Q) It’s funny you mentioned The Big Lebowski, I was going to ask you about that debate between Jesse and Cassidy in the last episode. Do you abide with The Dude or do you side with Cassidy on this one and think the film is over rated?

A) No, I really love that movie. Again, that is addressed within the show as that’s a running issue that’s throughout the entire first season, Cassidy’s dislike of that movie. I’m wondering if that was actually an argument in the writer’s room at some point and it somehow became part of the script? I don’t know where that came from. Maybe it was truly an argument that was had and maybe they thought, “You know what? This would make a great story element,” or if that was just created for Cassidy. If there’s an anti-Coen brothers somewhere in that writer’s room, we have to burn them out! We’ve got to find them because I love the Coens. The show also reminds me of Quentin’s [Tarantino] work. It’s not a copy of Quentin, but it has those ultra-gory, ultra-violent yet funny elements and that’s a hard tone to strike. It’s hard to run that gamut. I think we successfully do so.

Q) You’re now on Twitter and you’re a part of this social media world, have you been enjoying the instant fan feedback?

A) Yeah, sure, and for the most part everyone’s responses have been 99% positive. I was thinking about the rabid fanbase of this comic book and I think when you adapt a book to television or film… and I can only think of one example of a film that surpasses the book, or no, The Godfather is a much richer story. But I think when people read a book the visual imagery they have is of their own making entirely. I think with a graphic novel, it gives you hints and your mind fills in the story and the action between those panels because it gives you a visual hint of what it’s supposed to be. You know if you’re like a literalist and you open that book and well Tulip is a blonde haired blue eyed character. Never mind you could never find a better actress to play this role than Ruth [Negga]. I’ve seen the fanboy backlash, but that was mostly before the show was aired. So, that’s way the rabidity of certain readers is more ingrained. It’s because they have a visual cue that’s been given to them, but then their mind takes over the rest. I think there may be more resistance. I think that goes across the board to any adaptation of a comic. That’s why I love to read. A great novel or literature allows your mid to make your own movie. That’s why I said earlier, you’re not going to find a bigger fan than Seth Rogan or Evan Goldberg of that comic [Preacher].

Q) You played Dan Dority on “Deadwood,” and during season two you started writing for the show. Is this something you would do again if the right project fell into your lap?

A) Oh yeah, actually when you write with David Milch he’s basically a sounding board / dart board. David is a genius and I don’t use that word lightly, DAVID IS A GENIUS. So, getting to work one on one with him, I learned so much and not just about writing but about many, many things. I’ve recently been a sounding board for the [possible] “Deadwood,” movie with Dave. Um, I’m actually supposed to go in when I get back from Bonnaroo and delve further into that. I wrote a movie for a Chinese company last year called Kung Foo Cowboy, which looks like it may head toward production. They wanted a genre mashup. I still actively write, but my meal ticket is through acting. I don’t want to leave acting. I want to continue to do it. I asked Sam [Catlin writer of “Preacher” the series] on how to transition from one to the other because I love doing it [writing]. Sam was trained as an actor and then he got is MFA. He said, “I came out to LA in the 90’s and I couldn’t get anything so I started with a theater company. I started writing monologues for myself for plays and one thing led to another and suddenly I have a job as a writer.” The show “Breaking Bad” was like his second or third gig ever as a writer. I mean, it was Vince Gilligan’s show, but he worked his way up to I think story editor. I think he was an Executive Producer also. So, yeah, I mean he just found his calling. My joke is my megalomania knows no bounds. I’ll do it all! [laughs] I love to draw and paint and I play music.

Q) Finally, Earl, is there anything else you’d like to tease or share with the fans about Preacher?

A) I don’t want to give away any parts of it, but even before the show aired I was getting questions about if there were killers in the show or what it was about. They [Seth and Evan] kept it quiet. They were quiet about Graham [McTavish] being part of the show. They were kind of keeping the Saints involvement on the down low. I’ve told people if they think the Saints are vengeful, try crossing the network (AMC and spoilers do not mix). So, because of that, I hesitate to mention any up in coming elements lest I let the cat out of the bag. I’d like to keep working for them. AMC makes quality shows. There right up there with what HBO has done for years.