EXCLUSIVE TO STARK SANDS ONLINE: JOHN SEGER INTERVIEWS STARK SANDS.

John Seger: Hey there, Stark! First of all, thanks very much for taking the time to do this interview with me.
Stark Sands: It's my pleasure, John.

JS: It's really cool to be able to do this interview with you, and I feel it will be a nice addition to the website. You are somebody I have great respect for, and I enjoy your acting very much.
SS: Well thank you for saying so. I'm flattered by all the attention the site is attracting, and still trying to get used to the idea that I have fans at all. Thanks for everything you've done with the website.

JS: So how are you, man? I imagine it's a really busy time for you right now.
SS: It has been. But things are slowing down now, so I'm spending more time working on the house. Just little projects here and there to keep me busy.

JS: I want to begin by asking you a question almost every actor is asked, because each person's story is different. Stark, when did you first realise you wanted to become an actor, and why?
SS: In my high school, everyone has to take one creative arts elective at some point before they graduate. I chose theatre, and after a session with the teacher, was placed in the TAG (talented and gifted) class. I just had an amazing experience in that class, and more importantly, found a way to get any pent up emotions out of me when I needed to. It's like therapy.

JS: How was growing up in Dallas, Texas? Do you ever miss it?
SS: I go home so much that I don't really need to miss it. I probably make 6 to 8 trips home every year, for different reasons. Growing up in Dallas was great. I had a fruitful childhood, lots of friends, and a (mostly) trouble-free existence.

JS: Stark you seem to have strong family ties. And you have a twin bother. Was your brother ever interested in acting? Do you guys look alike?
SS: My brother is my best friend. He and I have always had different interests and talents, so we never really competed for anything. I don't think he's ever been interested in acting or performing. And no, we don't really look alike. He has a stronger build than I do, and I'm a little taller. He has brown hair and mine has always been more blonde. But I think we definitely look like brothers.

JS: You have a big interest in music. I have heard that you have a strong singing voice both on stage and in a little rock band you once were in. Fill me in?
SS: Where did you hear that? It's so funny to me how people find things out about you. Yeah, I had a band in high school, we played around Dallas and gained a small local following. I didn't play any instruments back then, so I guess I was the "front-man". We wrote and self-produced an album my senior year, and we won the battle of the bands at my high school that year too, probably because of the hype of actually "having an album". But I mostly crack up and cringe listening to it now. For lots of different reasons. It's really fun to have a little time-capsule of what I liked musically and sounded like at that time in my life.

JS: What was it like attending USC? Was it exciting making the move to California?
SS: It was. And I had a wonderful experience there. By leaving Texas I was forced out of my comfort-zone, and as a result, really figured out who I am as a person. I learned so much about myself, and made decisions for myself about what I really believe in, and who I want to be. I made lifelong friends and was given an opportunity to learn my craft. So, yeah, it was great. The biggest and most life-changing lesson I learned at school was in an acting class my senior year. My teacher was applying it to acting, but it really is a life lesson: When you stop caring about what people think about you, you're truly free. Someone in class was "holding back" in a scene because they didn't want to look stupid or something, and my teacher explained this concept to us, relating to acting. I have since adopted it as a personal philosophy on life. When you're not worried about "looking stupid," or "what so-and-so will think," you really are truly, creatively free, and open to so much more. It has enriched my life and my work so much.

JS: How soon after you graduated from college did you get your first professional acting job? Were you nervous?? It seems things moved pretty fast for you after you finished college.
SS: Well lets see. I graduated in May, and I booked Six Feet Under in December of that same year, so things really did happen fast. I owe a lot to the casting directors of that show, Junie Lowry-Johnson and Libby Goldstein. They brought me in to audition even though I wasn't a member of SAG yet. The producers of the show have to pay a fine if they cast a non-union actor in a speaking role, so they didn't want to even see people who weren't in the union. But Libby and Junie brought me in anyway, and didn't tell the producers about my non-union status until after I had read with Lauren Ambrose for the final callback. At that point, I guess I was "the choice," and they hired me, paid the fine, and with that job, got me into SAG.

JS: Stark, can you tell me about your tv series that aired on ABC a few years ago and the experience working on it? I believe it was titled "Lost at home."
SS: Lost at Home was a multi-camera sitcom I worked on in 2002. It was a family comedy about a workaholic dad who realizes that he has missed out on raising his kids, so he tries to find a new balance between work and family. I was Will, the oldest of the three kids, and kind of the "cool kid" at school. We shot the pilot episode in March, and the show was picked up for the following mid-season (spring). We filmed seven more episodes that fall, and then the plug was pulled. In the end, only four episodes aired in spring '03 before the show was pulled from the schedule. I loved working on that show, because it's the only time so far in my career that I had a regular, set schedule. It was five days a week, 9 to 5. We shot on the Disney lot, I had a parking spot and a dressing room that never changed, and a commissary where I had lunch every day. I loved that. On every other job I've had in this business, all of those factors change on a day-to-day basis: where you're working, when you're working, how long you're working, IF you're working... I have loved all the jobs I've been lucky to have in my career, but that one was the most comfortable.

JS: And your first movie roll, was it "Catch that kid?" What's the difference in the creative process working on tv compared to film, Stark?
SS: Actually, Catch That Kid was my third film. Die, Mommie, Die was my first. There are lots of differences between sitcom tv and film. In a sitcom, you shoot the story in sequence, whereas in film, that's a rarity. With a sitcom you are also performing in front of a live audience, so that energy is amazing to have. Because of the live audience, you know when the jokes aren't landing, and the writers huddle up and re-write the jokes on the spot. In film, they don't know if something doesn't work until they screen it. Then, based on test-screenings and budget, they sometimes go back and re-shoot things months after production has wrapped. In a sitcom, the entire episode is shot in a matter of hours. Movies can take anywhere from 3 weeks to many, many, many months.

JS: Ok, let's talk a bit about "Die mommie, Die." Stark, I gotta tell you, I love that film. It's one of those rare movies I can watch over and over. Your portrayal of Lance Sussman was excellent. Did you have reservations at first playing a gay character, being that you are a straight man? How did you approach preparing for this role?
SS: I never had any reservations about playing a gay character. If I limit my choices as an actor, then I'm probably missing out in life. Plus, there wasn't like a heavy gay sex scene or anything, so there wasn't much to be nervous about, it was really more about the opportunity to play a fantastic character in a great project. I always knew I wanted to play roles like this here and there in my career, but I just didn't think it would be my first job. I'm very lucky for that. Lance was a lot more than just gay, too. He was obsessive-compulsive, he was a pothead, and he had the extremely unhealthy combination of obsession with his mother and hatred for his father. So there was a lot of stuff to mix around.

JS: You had a nude scene in this film. Was that a difficult thing to do?
SS: I was excited about that. I don't consider it a nude scene, really, because it's not frontal. I wouldn't have done that. But I don't care about anyone seeing my bum. Doing that scene was so liberating. They gave me this little pouch to sort of "contain" my business, but it wouldn't really stay on, so I just tossed it. It was just me and a guitar with a golf course behind me. Some golfers actually played through while we shot the scene, so they probably got a good look for themselves and wondered what the hell kind of movie we were making.

JS: Stark, you had a really solid cast to work with in that film, including Francis Conroy from "Six feet under." She seems like a really cool lady and she is such an amazing actress.
SS: Working with Franny on two projects in 6 months was my first example of the phrase, "It's a small business." She is a wonderful lady. The first day of shooting, I knocked on her trailer door to say hi and remind her who I was, but she totally remembered me and we had a great time working together again.

JS: What was it like working with Charles Busch? My friend, actress Jill Haworth, knows him and tells me he is a really funny, talented and cool guy.
SS: Charles is all of those things. For those who don't know, Charles is an award winning playwright. I had studied his plays in college, so to work with him was a real honor. Especially considering it was my first movie, and it had been adapted from one of his plays. The director, Mark Rucker, is an acclaimed theatre director, so we all spoke the same language. It was a perfect way for me to make an easy transition from theatre to film.

JS: Were you surprised by all the acclaim you received by critics and audiences for your role as Lance? How about your article in the Advocate magazine? I imagine that must have been exciting to learn the magazine wanted to feature you.
SS: I was definitely surprised. I am still surprised. It takes some getting used to. The article in The Advocate was definitely exciting. I met with the writer when I was in at the Toronto Film Festival to support 11:14. We had lunch and just talked with a little tape recorder on the table. It was easy. The surprise came when the magazine came out and I found myself on the cover-- that was a trip. Nobody told me that would happen.

JS: Stark, in your recent feature film, "Pretty Persuasion," there was an actress I really loved from the film "Edge of seventeen." Her name is Tina Holmes, and coincidently she also had a guest stint on "Six feet under." You didn't have any scenes with her in the film, but did you get a chance to talk with her? She seems lovely.
SS: I remember sitting with Tina at lunch when we were shooting at the courthouse. Later I recognized her when she appeared on Six Feet Under as George's daughter. After seeing her work on 6FU, I was blown away. She is incredible. I don't think they really gave her much to do in Pretty Persuasion, but I'm sure she's not hurting for work now.

JS: Moving on the "11:14," what was your experience working on that film? You seem to always appear in a movie with such talented seasoned performers, and that film had plenty, including Hilary Swank. The director, Greg Marcks did a great job. That was his first film wasn't it?
SS: It was. Greg and I have stayed friends, he is so talented. When I think about the fact that he wrote and directed his first film at 26... it makes me want to work harder and make things happen faster. It's good inspiration. Making that film was another great experience. The entire film takes place outside at night, so our working parameters were sundown to sunrise. For 6 weeks, we were all like vampires-- my normal day was waking up at 5pm, driving to work, working until 6am, driving home, and going to sleep. Even on days I wasn't working, I had to keep that schedule or I would feel jet-lagged all the time. It was like going away from real life for 6 weeks. As a result, I came away with some great friends from the shoot.

JS: Your role in "Shall we dance" was small, but fantastic. Once again you were in a film with a great cast. Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Lopez. Any cool memories from the shoot?
SS: My dad had just died of pancreatic cancer, and Richard could tell I wasn't my normal self, even though he didn't know me. I opened up to him and shared a lot about my experience, and he really was a great listener. He gave me some real insight, and opened my eyes to another way to look at the situation. I'll never forget that. Susan was amazing, too. On one of my first days, I was sitting alone in my hotel room, and she called and invited me to tea up on the "gold floor" of the hotel. We sat and talked for an hour, about travel, about family, about everything. She gave me a glass blown four leaf clover on my last day of work. Wonderful people.

JS: Stark, when you aren't acting, what hobbies do you have?
SS: Lately, I have been busying myself with home-improvement projects. In 2003 I bought a fixer-upper and have been working on it consistently ever since. Right now the garage is the bane of my existence. It is stuffed with all the things I either don't need, or don't want to part with. So that's the current project. But it's coming along nicely.

JS: Do you have any pets? I have two cats, the oldest is turning 20 in June!
SS: I also have two cats, Cougar and Lynx. They are 4. I have always had pets in my life, and definitely always will. I will get a dog in the next few years.

JS: Do you keep in touch with old friends? Do your old friends treat you like the same Stark Sands they knew?
SS: My old friends would never treat me any differently than they always have. The whole acting thing is exciting for them, but it's really not a big deal for them either. And thank God for that. When I go home, it always seems like the people who didn't know me that well only want to talk about the acting, which I guess makes sense. To my old friends, I will always be just one of the guys. If I ever got too big for my britches, they would be the first to knock me back down, put me in a headlock, and remind me who I am. But I don't think it will ever come to that.

JS: Ok, you have a part in the highly anticipated film, "Flags of our fathers." This was directed by Clint Eastwood and produced by Steven Speilberg. Stark , that really must have been amazing to work with two legendary film makers in one film. Can you tell us what that shoot was like?
SS: I could talk about it for hours. But I'll try to keep it brief-- We shot on the beaches of Iceland for 5 weeks, then moved the production to CA. I worked for another week and a half here, and then the production moved on to other cities for location shoots. Working in Iceland was amazing. We shot all the war scenes there, so it was all guys. We realized that if we were playing marines at war, we needed to be closer than brothers. We all spent tons of time together as a result, exploring Reykjavik, drinking local shots and beers, just a great time. I made some more really great friends on that job. We all get together when any of the NY guys come into town. I am stoked to see everyone together again at the premiere. Shooting in LA was amazing too-- every day I drove down to Long Beach Harbor, boarded an actual period troop carrier, and sailed the sea until sundown. Clint also brought in some actual WWII fighter planes for the shoot, they would "buzz" the ship-- it was incredible.

JS: Clint Eastwood is one of my heroes. What was he like, Stark?
SS: Clint is simply put, the coolest guy I've ever met. Like, the definition of cool. Effortlessly cool. Completely laid back and easy going. He's 76 but physically is like a 35 year old. He would flop down on the sand and belly crawl across the rocks to figure out what we would look like in the shot. For a week we shot on top of a 700 foot mini-mountain, and the only way up or down was on foot, the exception being a helicopter for Clint's use. He refused to use it and hoofed it up and down with the rest of us. He's just a badass.

JS: When will the film be released to theatres?
SS: I had lunch with Clint a few weeks ago, and from his mouth to my ears- October 22, 2006.

JS: Any plans to tackle Broadway someday?
SS: It's a goal, certainly. I miss doing theatre. I also really want to live in New York City for a few years. So whether it is musicals, theatre, or both, I will definitely give it a shot.

JS: Stark, who are some of your heroes? People you greatly admire?
SS: Clint. Johnny Depp. Matthew Broderick. Tom Hanks. Christian Bale. To name just a few.

JS: Any big plans for the summer, Stark?
SS: I'm helping my mom move to Boulder, Colorado. My sister lives there, and they are starting a business together. I'm also going to Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands for a Sands family reunion of sorts. My extended family on my dad's side will all be there.

JS: Stark, can you tell us about any upcoming projects you will also be working on?
SS: I produced a short film called Jack Rabbit earlier this year, and we have just finished the post-production on it. So we're starting the process of submitting it to festivals, and marketing, etc. I will give updates as they occur.

JS: Stark, thanks once again for this interview. I gotta say, you are one cool dude! I will continue to dedicate myself to making your website the best it can possibly be, with Karen's help of coarse.
SS: John, you're the best. Thanks to you, Karen and Laura for everything you have done.

JS: Thanks, Stark!!! I hope you have a wonderful summer!
SS: Adios.

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