DJ: Rodriguez was the best thing ever
What you need to know:
The actors are now touring promoting their series. this week they are in south africa after a stop in Mauritius
DJ Cotrona was part of the star cast at the Multichoice Content Showcase in Mauritius where he and Zane Holtz took journalists through their journey as actors in their various roles and now as as Seth Gecko in Robert Rodriguez’s ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ TV series. Here are excerpts of the interview
What should your worldwide fans expect?
“They can expect blood, heightened dialogue, action, stunts and horror,” Cotrona explains. “It’s a slick mashup of noir, western and horror, all in classic Robert Rodriguez style. We take the characters into completely new and unexpected directions.” He’s back for Season 2 on August 25, and in an interview this week, he explains why he loves acting and what he’d be doing instead of killing vampires on TV.
What is it like working with director Robert Rodriguez?
“We’re unique in the sense that we’re a singular vision. Robert’s our creator, writer, director, editor, composer, director of photography … and even our cook half the time. We have an amazing team helping create and flesh out all aspects of the story, but Robert oversees and controls it all. His vision isn’t watered down. We don’t answer to anyone but him, so our look and tone stays unique. Nobody creates more iconic pulpy characters than Robert and Tarantino. Dusk lets you follow some of their best ones in new stories.”
How did you get the role in the Dusk TV series:
“It all happened fast. Got a call to meet with Robert Rodriguez with an hour’s notice, sat down, and talked about work, what we’ve been up to, and then he explained his vision and the way he would shoot it and direct it. A few days after that, I read with some other actors and then finally Zane, and about a week after I was at Troublemaker Studios putting on the suit.”
How was it like working with George Miller?
“I love George; I had a great time in Australia with him and his crew and I learned a lot from him during that experience. He’s one of the greatest storytellers of our time. He recently came down to Austin, and we had a chance to hang out and reconnect. I was disappointed when it fell through, but it all happened as it was meant to. George asking me to work with him gave me a confidence boost at a time when I needed it. That was a gift in and of itself. Mad Max: Fury Road was the film he was meant to make. The world needed that movie. It’s a masterpiece. It took him 15 years to get it to the finishing line, and it was worth it. I’m a huge fan of Zack Snyder since Dawn of the Dead, so I can’t wait to see his take on it. The Batman v Superman trailer looks incredible.”
How do you approach roles as an actor?
“As an actor, I want to work with a director I respect and a character that’s interesting and fun to play. When the source of material is iconic, there’s going to be comparisons.
People are precious with the films they love, myself included. What gave me confidence was that this wasn’t some other guy reinterpreting what Robert did the first time. It was Robert himself.
He asked me to revisit it and create a new interpretation with him. When you get that opportunity, you just dive in.
My ‘process’ was probably the same as the other guys on the film: Read the dialogue, make some choices, and trust Robert. Buckle down and do your job. I’m proud of the work we are doing together.”
What do you do when you are not acting?
I’d love to write full time; I plan on directing at some point. I love tearing stuff down and rebuilding around the house; my dad built houses for a living, so I guess it’s in my blood. But I’m very happy to do this as long as I’m afforded the opportunity... Love to travel, love to write, draw, paint, read … I come from a family of gearheads so there’s always a project in the garage. I’m basically your run-of-the-mill human male.
