David Calhoun
He played in Chris Ethridge‘s Dollar Baby Survivor Type as Antonio Pinzetti.
SKSM: Could you start with telling me a bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?
David Calhoun: My name is David Calhoun and I am an actor and voice-over artist born and raised in the Atlanta area. I’ve been married right at 27 years and have a son who recently turned 25 years old.
SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actor?
David Calhoun: I think that I really knew that I wanted to be an actor after I received a favorable response/reaction when I was in the spring musical in my senior year in high school. But I have to thank my girlfriend at the time for getting me to audition for the play (“Brigadoon“). She actually dared me to audition and I did and ended up getting one of the male leads. Once the acting bug bit, I was hooked. I didn’t get to return to the stage until years later after my military service.
SKSM: How did you become involved in Survivor type Dollar Baby film?
David Calhoun: I became involved in “Survivor Type” when my agent asked me if I wanted to audition for an independent film. She said that it wouldn’t pay much, but it might end up as good footage for acting “reel”.
SKSM: What do you think it is in the story that attracts people so much?
David Calhoun: I think what attracts people to this story is the same thing that attracts people to much of Stephen King’s work. He likes to use “normal Joe’s” in extraordinary situations and then runs with it. With King’s works, there’s typically some degree of “horror”, even if it is sometimes kind of humorous. I think that King likes for his reading audience to ask themselves, “What would I do in that kind of situation?”
SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?
David Calhoun: Yep. I auditioned for the role.
SKSM: You worked with Chris Ethridge on this film, how was that?
David Calhoun: Working with Chris was interesting because Chris had a vision of what he wanted to film and he wanted to stay as true as possible to Mr. King’s work. AND– he had to do it on a shoestring budget. He has a great sense of humor that really helped because I remember during that shoot it was oppressively hot in Georgia. Humor definitely helps.
SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?
David Calhoun: Nah. Not really.
SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?
David Calhoun: I still hear from William Harrison, who played Richard as a boy). Last I heard, he’s off at college and making a name for himself. I also hear from Kelly Natividade, who now lives out in California and got married a couple of years ago.
SKSM: What are you working nowadays?
David Calhoun: I just finished an episode of “Murder Calls” for the Investigation Discovery Channel that should air sometime in March or April. Hoping that 2018 takes off and is better than 2017.
SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?
David Calhoun: There are some elements of Stephen King’s work that I DO like and some that I do not. I can’t say that I “follow” his work or that I’m really a fan. His constant use of flashbacks and the way that the story is told, is sometimes hard to follow. I think that is why his written work is hard to translate onto the big or small screen.
SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
David Calhoun: Something that most people would be surprised to know about me is that I was injured in a work-related accident that shattered my spine in two places and left doctors telling me that I would never walk again. And yet here I am years later and I am attempting to run a marathon in all 50 states and only have 16 states (plus Washington DC), remaining. Also, despite the fact that I tend to always play some rough-talking or hard-nosed character… I’m actually a Teddy bear.
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?
David Calhoun: Support your independent film-makers. Whether it be by helping finance a film or attending independent film screenings. These creative minds need to be seen and heard.
SKSM: Do you like something to add?
David Calhoun: Thanks for the questions. Feel free to go to: www.imdb.me/davidcalhounVI and check out my work. And if there are any independent film-makers out there who have a movie that you think that I might be a good fit in, let me know. It’s all about the process and a process that I am honored to be a part of.
