Standish913.com has been blessed to do an exclusive interview with...
"NATHAN CLARKSON"!
Let's get into some exclusive questions..
STANDISH: You played "Freak" on "The Purge", can you tell us more?
This was the first role I ever landed in a movie. I could never have known at the time what a huge cultural hit the film would become. As a young actor, I was just thrilled to finally get on set. I had images in my head of what shooting a Hollywood movie would be like, but it was all abstract until I was actually there, in costume, cameras rolling, that it really sank in.
The shoot was an absolute blast. I basically spent a week running around in a mask, holding an axe, playing pretend. It was amazing to act alongside some of the best stunt performers in the industry and witness acting legends like Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady up close.
This film was a huge education for my craft and, even with a small role, a launching pad for the rest of my career. Since then, I have been able to call myself a working actor and it was that movie that began my long list of credits playing (much to my mother’s chagrin) lots of bad guys. And while I have and hope to play more heroes down the line, playing villains is a hugely interesting thing for an actor and human to do, as it gives you insight and empathy into even the darkest parts of humanity.
Fun fact — the movie ends on a shot of my dead body. To get that entire scene, I had to lay there for what felt like hours. When we were done, my legs were asleep and I couldn’t stand!
STANDISH: How'd you land your "The Purge" role?
I got a call from a casting director who asked me to drive out to set and meet the director. After waiting for production to finish a scene, me and a couple other guys stood in a line for the director. After some deliberating, I was chosen to come back the next day!
STANDISH: What was the set atmosphere on "Community"?
I had a small role in the TV show Community, which was also my first real role in a TV show. I had the very important role of “surprised student,” where I was directed to be surprised and tell my classmate to look out the window as the main cast went by on a ship in the parking lot. In addition to the small role, I was also asked to come back multiple times throughout the show’s run to be one of the regular background students in the series, which was great for a poor starving artist who could use all the work he could find. I always loved being on that set. It was markedly more fun and inviting than so many I’ve been on. There was a culture of fun, collaboration, and laughter. That behind-the-scenes energy translated onto the screen.
STANDISH: If you could be on one tv show, what would it be?
Right now, I think Severance is the show that, for whatever reason, seems to be resonating with culture at large in significant and lasting ways — which is a rare thing these days. I can only imagine this is because of its honest and riveting portrayal of the human experience, the highly imaginative concept, and the stunning quality of acting, writing, cinematography, and music. To have even the smallest part on a show like Severance would feel like getting to be a stroke of paint on a masterpiece.
STANDISH: Tell us a little about your overall mission, Nathan -
Humans are intrinsically story oriented creatures. Which means stories are powerful. Stories have the ability to inspire us, teach us, entertain us, comfort us, and give us vision. They help us articulate reality and have the ability to address the deepest questions we can ask better than any other medium. Humanity has been telling stories since the dawn of history. The way we tell stories today is on screen. So my desire is to create and be a part of movies and TV projects that touch humanity in a meaningful way and promote the themes of true love, real redemption, and lasting hope.
STANDISH: Out of all the work you've done, which one was the hardest to work & why? Your favorite work & why?
Out of the hundreds of days I’ve spent on set, and the dozens and dozens of projects I’ve been part of, the one that stands out as both the hardest and my favorite was an original art-house film that I wrote and produced called Don’t Know Jack. It was a very personal and probing story that came out of a deep recess of my mind and heart in an attempt to find light in the midst of darkness. It’s about a young man who gives a counselor one hour to convince him not to take his own life. This has been the least successful (monetarily speaking) of all of the films I’ve created. But it's the one that seems to have resonated most deeply with the few who have seen it. That, to me, makes it entirely worth the difficulty of creating it.
STANDISH: How old were you when you first realized you wanted to do what you do today?
I spent the grand majority of my childhood in my backyard playing pretend. So in a way, I guess I always knew I wanted to act and make films. But it didn’t become a conscious decision until I left high school and had to decide if I wanted to follow my friends to college, or do what my heart was telling me and move to New York City, and then eventually Los Angeles to pursue acting and play pretend for a living.
STANDISH: What is something you want your fans to know about you?
I love intellectual pursuits. I love thinking deeply about ideas and the big questions of life. This practice of thinking deeply about everything has been hugely beneficial to my acting craft. So much so that I wrote a book detailing my acting method called Acting From The Intellect.
In line with my love of both art and intellect, I co-host a podcast called The Overthinkers where every week, we ask a big question and have a leading thinker, author, academic, artist, etc. on to figure it out with us!
STANDISH: What's on Nathan's playlist?
I tend towards introspective indie music, often on the acoustic side, where there is real thought put into the poetry and lyrics. This music helps usher me into an emotional experience that helps me see reality more clearly. One of my favorites is Sufjan Stevens.
STANDISH: What are you currently working on?
I’m currently in pre-production for another art-house indie that I wrote and am directing called Act of Contrition. The film revolves around an A-list actress going to an old and empty church to confess a deep and dark sin to a mysterious and complicated priest (played by me).
I’m shooting the film in just a few weeks, right here in New York City.
STANDISH: Who are your mentors?
My mother was the one who opened my eyes to the power and beauty of story. She is still my mentor to this day.
STANDISH: Top 3 things on your bucket list…
Visit Tokyo
Voice a video game character
Play a superhero
STANDISH: What are your social links?
Website: www.nathanclarkson.me
Instagram: @nathanjclarkson
Facebook: /nathanclarkson
Podcast: The Overthinkers
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