Kent Vaughan
He played in Scott Albanese‘s Dollar Baby All That You Love as Alfie Zimmer.
SKSM: Could you start with telling me a bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?
Kent Vaughan: I’m a member of SAG and AFTRA. After graduating from Weber State University in Utah, I was a traveling music teacher for one year. I moved to California, where I worked in the railroad industry for many years. I’ve been involved for most of my life in performing in musicals on stage. As an example, I played Capt. Von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music’. I’ve been in most of the major musicals–usually performing in smaller theaters locally. I’m now on the Board of Directors for one of them, ‘Alliance for Performing Arts’ in San Dimas, California. I’ve been involved in film and television for the last 4 years, starring and co-starring in a number of films.
SKSM: How did you become involved in All That You Love?
Kent Vaughan: I auditioned for Scott Albanese, and, about a month later, received a call that I would be playing Alfie
SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?
Kent Vaughan: I auditioned for the part.
SKSM: You worked with Scott Albanese on this film, how was that?
Kent Vaughan: Scott is a sensational director. This part was quite a challenge for me because the character is about as opposite from myself as any I’ve played. After coming from stage work, where everything is played much bigger than life, with big gestures and characters who really are all bigger than life, Scott had to rein me in to play this man who was pretty dead inside, and showed very little emotion, and very few gestures at all. Thankfully, Scott knew exactly what he wanted, and was able to convey that to me so that the result was a very well made film, which you probably already know, won best picture in competition at Chapman University.
SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?
Kent Vaughan: Two things come to mind.
1-The overcoat that I wore, was chosen by me for very sentimental reasons. It was my Dad’s favorite overcoat–he’s now deceased. The coat is now about 70 years old. I wore it to make my father a part of the movie. Also, in the book-signing scene I had a book of my father’s poetry near my desk for the same reason. I’m sentimental that way, I guess.
2-In another scene, Alfie goes to the door of a very sloppy housewife with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. The very next movie I starred in was the full-featured movie with a very similar name: ‘All That I Need‘. My wife in that movie turned out to be that same lady, who now looked so different (in a very good way), that I didn’t recognize her at all. I’ve attached a picture in which I’m welcoming people to a yacht party…I’m a judge who convinces all of them that our pyramid scheme is totally legal and they should trust me. They do, and that’s their big mistake. Anyway, you can see my wife near the right side, with dark hair listening to me spout.
SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?
Kent Vaughan: I do talk to Scott occasionally. And I’ve seen him at several festivals where it has shown. I also email my ex-movie wife who is a very good actress on her own.
SKSM: What did you do after All That You Love?
Kent Vaughan: “All That I Need” was the next movie. It did very at the Cannes Film Festival in France. I went there to promote the film. I was interviewed about the movie by E! Entertainment, and I later did the DVD commentary with the director of the film after a short run in the theaters here in the states.
SKSM: There are four different adaptations of this story. What do you think it is in the story that attracts people so much?
Kent Vaughan: I’m sure that there are many Alfie Zimmers out there, and it’s always interesting to ‘get in the head’ of someone else, and use that experience to better our own life, or, at least, understand others a little bit better. Scott mentioned to me that one of the reasons he wanted to do the film was because he knew two families who suffered the loss of one of their own to suicide. The idea that someone thinks so little of his own life that he could leave his life in the hands of a shorting-out lightbulb at the edge of a field, is compelling. You want to know just how anybody could get to such a state of mind.
SKSM: Are you (or were you) a fan of Stephen King’s work?
Kent Vaughan: I’ve always been very much into sci-fi, and am working on a couple of sci-fi stories of my own. Stephen King is a genius, and I’ve read many of his works. I enjoy his work very much, and would love to be in his movie version of this story if he decides to make it into a full-length movie.
SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything else you want to say to the fans that read this interview?
Kent Vaughan: Without sounding too corny, I really want the fans to know how much it means to an actor to know that people enjoy their work. If my work can bring a tear, a laugh, or help someone to emphasize with another person, then I am one, very happy, satisfied actor! I appreciate my fans more than I can say.
Thank you for your interest in my work.
Kent Vaughan
