William Sanderson – Deadwood: The Movie

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects you have been busy working on?

A) I did a show called “American Gods” with one of the stars from “Deadwood.” They didn’t kill me off. My book Yes, I’m That Guy: The Rough and Tumble Life of a Character Actorthough is consuming me and I’ll be lucky to make it through there. I’m glad that it comes out May 23rd. I hope as many people like it as they don’t like it.

Q) What made you decide now was the time to write your biography?

A) Vanity. I put down in the book the reasons. I don’t want to repeat too much of what is in the book, but I remember going to an audition one time. I said, “I don’t want to go to this.” My wife said, “Go. They’ll know you’re not dead.” Maybe that’s the reason to write it. There are lots of reasons. But the first answer is probably, too. It’s self-sabotage, so it’s a scary process for me. I tell a lot of stories about dumb things that I did, but also how grateful I am to get a second chance. It’s a lot about self-sabotage and certainly a young actor could maybe spark a dream because of the cliché – “If I can do it and end up happy and at times making an excellent living…” It’s real hard to say why I did it, but I’ll stick with vanity.

Q) What advice then would you offer up and coming actors?

A) Yeah. Or, frustrated lawyers. I went to graduate school. I graduated and never took the bar exam. I guess my life took a wrong turn, but I achieved my dreams. I hate saying the awful things, but it could be a way to not do things. [laughs] Don’t waste your time in law school if you aren’t sure if you want to be a lawyer. Don’t drink too much. I got that under control, but it’s about that and numerous arrests and things like that. All these actors talk about their bad childhoods, mine was a little bit precarious. I’ll put it that way. But my dreams came true! So, as much as anything, it’s a thank you and don’t stop dreaming.

Q) Where can people go to get a copy of your book?

A) They can preorder it now on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble and others. They can go to williamsanderson.net and my Instagram is @actor_william_sanderson. My Facebook is “Official William Sanderson Fanpage.” I never thought I’d be so tacky. I thought I was above it all, but when you talk to these big publishers, they want Kim Kardashian numbers. We started a year ago and it’s self-published. I wanted to keep the price down. It’s a gamble, but I don’t want to mislead anybody. It’s hard to brag on myself here.

Q) You have had quite a lengthy career with such incredible roles. What have been some of your favorite projects to have done?

A) Well, Bladerunner. It’s a sci-fi cult film. Some people call it a “cult classic.” That was a great one for me. It’s one of the films I’m most asked about, notwithstanding it’s from thirty something years ago. But I played a more sympathetic character and from that time on I didn’t just play a redneck or ex-con. Of course, it was nice to have a regular job on “Newhart.” I learned a lot from him. Bob Newhart is a classy guy. And my parents were still alive so they could see a show without all the four-letter words. I had friends who passed away whose parents didn’t get to see their success. It’s not uncommon to work for ten years before you can make a living at acting. “Deadwood” wasn’t as much fun as I’ve ever done, but we’ll see if in the reboot I didn’t embarrass myself. I’m much older and was concerned about dropping the ball, so to speak. I haven’t seen it and I use the phrase, “Have I passed my sell by date?”

Q) What were your thoughts when they approached you to return to “Deadwood?”

A) Skepticism because they had talked about it for a long time. You can’t let your hopes get up, but once they got closer and they tell you to grow a beard…Then, they tell you to keep three months open. Then, they didn’t want me to me the script. They just wanted me to sign on the dotted line. Anxiety, as usual, but thrilled to get to repeat a great experience. We don’t get to do that that often. You have three years of fun, you make friends and then I get to go back and do it again. So, it turned out to be a wonderful experience. The script was great, but I haven’t seen it so I don’t know how it will be.

Q) Where we pick up with “Deadwood” for the film?

A) It is quite different now. I love Ian McShane. He’s a great villain and we have all across the board wonderful actors like Timothy Olyphant and Kim Dickens. But George Hearst, played by Gerald McRaney, I’m doing his bidding in the reboot. Of course, I miss the cook that I used to get to berate (Ralph Richeson). I’d go across the street and Ian McShane would terrorize and then I’d go across the thoroughfare and take it out on Ralph, who was a sweet man. About what they can expect? I think there are more poignant scenes, not just violence and reigniting old rivalries. That happens, but there are some touching moments in it. You could call it love – a love story. But Farnum is just continuing to be a weasel. It was fun. It was a lot of fun! The creator of the show was there to pep you up. My character is like this story…Someone offers a man five thousand dollars to write a story. And the guy says, “What kind of a man do you think I am?” But another person offers the guy five hundred thousand dollars and the guy says, “What kind of a man do you want me to be?” That’s Farnum. He’s in my psyche so long that I’m wondering how much David knows me. It’s hard to shake the character. I might say a monologue or something to fall asleep. I need to find a healthy guy, a healthy character. [laughs] He continues his eavesdropping and is a real cockroach, if you will. But David Milch said, “Blessed are the cockroaches, they are some of God’s creatures, too.” The main thing is he is trying to survive in a very tough time. That’s what I’m trying to do right now.

Q) What was it like for you to revisit Farnum and slip back in to playing him?

A) The thing I look for is something very different from myself. So, that’s what I thought as the time went on. He didn’t start out that way so I think he’s very unlike me in real life. I may be wrong. I get confused. You mix yourself up. I’m sure some young, romantic lead people see themselves as that in real life or tough guys. It’s very hard to know the line between what people say about you or write about you and who you really are. I get it mixed up. He was fun to play. I didn’t think he was me. The townspeople don’t like him, but I don’t allow myself. I think that’s the irony. He gives himself too much self-importance. We have that in common. [laughs]

Q) What were some of your favorite moments from filming “Deadwood” over the years?

A) The great writing that people have called “pseudo-Shakespearean.” When he gave a lot of people soliloquys and monologues. He gave me one where I was scrubbing the floor and they had killed somebody in my hotel. He’s just feeling put upon by Swearengen. Any monologue or soliloquy that Milch gave. Farnum talks to himself a lot. He talks to himself in the reboot, too. They are fun. David, you may have read, taught English Literature at Yale. He might invert a sentence two or three times where Shakespeare might do it twice. I was really just trying to make the words believable. It was fun to get to say David’s writing. A number of people in the reboot contributed to this so it’s inevitably going to be different.

Q) What do you think it is about “Deadwood” that has made it such a cherished series?

A) I know from my Instagram there are a lot of followers. I think the writing. Of course, it starts with that. I thought we had wonderful actors across the board. I wish I could name them all. If you have good actors and good writing it’s a pretty good time because acting is reacting. For instance, if I’m in a scene with Ian just listen and react to him. Same with Alma or Molly Parker and Robin Weigert. She’s a wonderful actress and we had some severe exchanges. She’d walk over and say, “I hope you know I don’t’ really mean that.” [laughs] They were a decent bunch of people to work with and I could feel the respect when we got back not knowing. People were emotional. That’s a tough question. I guess it’s all about Farnum. They watch because of my character.

Q) Is there anything else about your time on the upcoming film of Deadwood that you want us to be sure we share with our readers?

A) You know the story that HBO put out about the line about “statehood.” They are celebrating South Dakota’s statehood ten years later. I just think it should be a terrific show. If it’s half as good as I had fun, I know it will be. I miss Powers Boothe and Ralph Richeson. Those two were so terrific. Titus Welliver wasn’t available either.