In and Out of Character

One of the funniest moments during all of my interviews occurred while I was interviewing actor James Duval at Motor City Comic Con 2012.  It was completely an inside joke though, humorous (and notable) only to my JohngysBeat.com crew consisting of Jason Fleigel and Matt Parker.
During our interview, Duval talked about his musical career.  He mentioned having characters.  Characters?  I am all about characters!  Actually, I should say, we are all about characters.
Jason has Old Man Haggerty.  Matt has several including Donald and Ronald, Kal, KJ and more.  I have Kazmir the Clown, Wilson, Atticus and countless others.
Who are these characters?  They are obviously imaginary folks we developed with some odd quirks who interact with each other or real people as forms of entertainment.
Okay, it sounds a bit schizophrenic, I admit.  Still, it amuses me when out of nowhere you might hear Jason (as OMH) yell, "Eh?"  You might hear Donald and Ronald arguing (courtesy of Matt's fruitful mind).
Some of the people around us don't understand the characters or the humor we derive from them.  Nevertheless, we stay true to ourselves and our characters.
If James Duval can have a character and discuss it openly, why can't we?
Or as Scott's (Matt's father) occasional character would ask, "What about me?  I want a character, too."

Me and James Duvall in Novi, MI-May 2012.

On the Beat James Duval at the 2012 MCCC

James Duval got into acting by way of his music.  Now years later, he is still a musician and actor and he also is a writer, producer and more.  He has a very energetic presence, without being frenzied.  Perhaps that stems from his being a practitioner of "Hatha Yoga".
We met Duval at the 2012 Motor City Comic Con, where he eagerly spent quality time with all of his fans.  It is always extra special when fans get the extra minute or two with their favorite celebrity at the conventions.
Perhaps best known for his role as Frank in Donnie Darko, Duval has a lengthy resume of interesting roles in many films (both mainstream and independent).
Duval really seemed to care about his fans and making sure they walked away with a special experience.
I can honestly say that the staff of Johngy's Beat walked away feeling we got a special interview.  Duval talked about his start in show business, his uniquely named band (or is that bands?) and more.
Most importantly, he talked about his upcoming movie, Sushi Girl.  His excitement for the movie was genuine and contagious.  I wanted to learn more.  Sushi Girl features an interesting cast, including Mark Hamill, Noah Hathaway, Andy Mackenzie, Sonny Chiba, Danny Trejo, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey (one of my personal favorites) and more.
The movie takes place six years after a robbery.  The men involved get together for a celebratory dinner and the story unfolds from there.  I am quite intrigued and will be looking for Sushi Girl and I encourage you as well.
After you watch the interview below, be sure to follow Jimmy Duval on twitter to learn more about James and to get his updates.  Also, check out SushiGirlthemovie.com for trailers, info, video and more on this much anticipated film.