As a mammoth Wayward Pines fan, I always did my utmost to notice every single character who made an entrance into the season two of the show, even if they were only there for a fleeting moment. In the case of Dakota Daulby, I was fully impressed with his ephemeral appearance, and I contacted him immediately for an interview. Recently, Dakota took some time from his frenetic schedule to answer a few questions about the extraordinary experiences and opportunities he has had throughout his career and even some hints as to what is up ahead for him.
RH: What inspired you to become an actor? What kind of training have you had?
DD: I get asked this question a lot and I have a hard time pinpointing an exact moment where I was inspired or had some grand vision for my future. I’ve just always loved telling stories. Before I obsessed over movies, it was books about the Romans and the great Coliseum. Before that, it was just me dancing and acting out stories for my parents and my very unimpressed older sister.
I’ve always been a storyteller and loved to entertain. So I guess that’s what inspires me; to be able to create something that will entertain and hopefully enlighten people to an idea or outlook they have never seen before.
I took a two-year intensive acting program right out of high school at an excellent private college called New Image College. It was an enlightening two years! It really showed me the type of work ethic I would need if I was going to make this dream into a career.
What has been your most favorite character to portray?
It’s really hard to choose since the majority of the characters I play are vastly different, and I put a lot of hard work into all of them. With that said, about two years ago I played a character named Jake Henson in a really edgy, dark and intense indie called Black Fly. It was my first great lead role, and the project was exhausting on every level. We were doing fourteen-hour days and playing some really dark characters. I mean we’d finish a full day and then go rehearse for another three after wrap. I remember sitting on set waiting to film a big scene. My body’s aching, I’m tired, it’s raining, we’re into overtime, but absolutely happy.
It’s those moments I live for. It’s those moments I’d take over a beach in Malibu any day of the week. It’s what I love about my job.
From Falling Skies
Please tell us about how you got involved with the show Falling Skies. As that has been your longest-running guest spot/recurring role so far, please tell us about your character and on-set experience.
I read for Greg Beeman – who, at the time, was one of the major creatives and execs behind Falling Skies – about two years prior to appearing on the show. I found out later I got really close to coming on board, but it didn’t pan out. So I put it out of my mind, and two years later I got called back for this super interesting Nazi-esque character, Kent Matthews.
I knew right away that I had to do this. It was a character that was so brutal, brainwashed and committed to his cause, yet spoke in a manner that was charming and elegant. It’s one of those roles that you know no one else is going to be able to tell it right except you.
I remember my first read-through. We’re all sitting around a massive table, and I’m reading across from actors I’ve seen my entire life: Noah Wyle, Doug Jones, Will Patton, Moon Bloodgood, on a Steven Spielberg show! It was definitely a pretty amazing first introduction to the world of TV.
From Black Fly
Please tell us about how you got involved with Black Fly. You got to work with Jason Bourque and Matthew MacCaull amongst others. What was it like working on this project and working with them?
Black Fly came as an opportunity from one of Vancouver’s best casting directors, Judy Lee. She has been a massive supporter of mine throughout my career and really pushed hard for me on this project. Production ultimately agreed, and I read for Jason. It was just one of those moments where everything just clicked, you know? I got the gig, and about two weeks later we were on location.
From my first day on set, I knew that working with Jason was going to be special. As every actor who has gotten the chance to work with Jason will know, he is incredibly collaborative. He is an actor’s director. He’s a cinematographer’s director. He’s a costume designer’s director. Hell, he’s even a grip’s director. No matter what position you are in, he makes you feel as if you’re involved and are a crucial component to telling this story.
Now, me and Matt MacCaull, as we found out later, had run into each other numerous times over the years without really being introduced. On Black Fly, we kind of instantly clicked. We had, and still do, this natural brotherly relationship. And since Black Fly is largely relationship-driven, that really lent itself to the story. We both were just super excited to be working on such a gritty project, and ready to buckle down and do the necessary work. We really pushed each other to be better throughout the shoot, and developed an amazing friendship along the way.
I remember sitting in a diner with Matt a few weeks after Black Fly wrapped, and having him scold me like a true older brother in front of the cute waitress for swearing! Needless to say, in our case, life has imitated art.
Tell us about your experience with Wayward Pines. How did you get the role? What was your experience like filming it?
I have been a massive fan of Wayward Pines since the first season. It was late, around 9pm when I got the call, and the audition came in, I already had three others I had to get done for that week, so I remember being kind of overwhelmed. When I read through the sides, I realized if I got it, it would mean that I would get a chance to work with Djimon Hounsou. Now, something you have to know about me. I love Gladiator. I mean, I LOVE GLADIATOR. So the second I saw that, it was game-on. This role was mine, and I was ready to kill for it. So again, like Black Fly, I truly believed it was one of those roles that was meant for me.
Flash forward a few weeks, I’m on set, got a super cool director named Jeff Thomas, and I’m standing across from Djimon. I’ll admit, yeah I was nervous. But the second we got going and got into the material, it was easy. The guy (Djimon Hounsou) is phenomenal because there is no ego, or anything else. He’s there to make you and the story we’re trying to tell the best it can be. It really showed me the type of skill and professionalism it takes to play at that level.
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
I’ve got a really fun Hallmark-produced film called Pretty Little Addict that’s making it’s rounds at the moment. It was a great project that was directed by Monika Mitchell about a young girl who’s dealing with alcoholism after the death of her father. In an alcohol-fueled accident, she paralyzes a young track star, and when she thinks the worst is over, the track star’s brother looks to take revenge. I think people are going find the story has some great twists and puts the audience in a place where it makes you think – what would you do if you were in that position? {Note: In the U.S., this appears on the Lifetime Movie Network.}
In addition to that, I have an awesome fantasy epic that is getting ready to hit theaters. It’s called Warrior’s Gate, produced and written by Luc Besson, directed by Matthias Hoene and starring Dave Bautista. I can’t say a whole lot about it, but it’s an incredible journey that takes place throughout ancient China. It’s got magic, fun bad guys, and some great action scenes. It’s going to be a great movie for the whole family.
I see you’ve also done writing, producing, directing, etc. Please tell us about how you got involved with that and your experience with these shorts. Is this something you intend to continue pursuing?
I’ve always simply loved to create and tell stories. It doesn’t really matter to me which side of the camera I’m on; if there is a cool story to tell, I want to do it. My first introduction to actually making movies came while at New Image College. The school actually has a production element to it, and we made a lot of our own shorts and series while studying. It kind of gave me the bug for it.
So when I’m not acting, I’m writing. I’m a workaholic so I have to keep busy. Right now I’m actually gearing up to do this awesome short film called The Samaritan, that’s been a passion project of mine for the last few months. We’re going to fund it through Kickstarter, so if you’re interested in helping us get this made, please look it up and donate what you can! {Note: The link to the Kickstarter campaign for this film is in the links below.}
Do you have a favorite genre or type of role?
I play bad guys. I don’t know why or how it started, but for the most part it’s what I do. And I LOVE it! Bad guys are fun! They don’t live in a box like the hero does. The audience wants their bad guy to be charming, ruthless and unpredictable, all in one. They give you so much opportunity to step outside that box and try something unique, which is what I live for.
Who would be a dream person for you to work with one day?
There are a lot of actors out there that I love and can’t wait to get the chance to work with. But consistently throughout my life, I’ve always been, and always will be, a massive Tom Cruise fan. For me, he is the epitome of a movie star. He’s an incredible blend of artist and businessman, and intelligent actor who hasn’t allowed others to control his career. So, hands down, without a doubt, it’s Tom Cruise.
From Wayward Pines
As far as I’m concerned, it is gifted actors like Dakota for which this business is clamoring. Dakota is one of those with visceral insight into his art, and he uses every experience to its fullest no matter how seemingly insignificant or how decidedly prominent the role might be appear to be. He immerses himself into every role, and while he may be the nicest guy on the planet, he adores the challenge of playing villains, and he does it with such artistry and passion. Furthermore, he is willing to invest the time and resources in every project with which he is involved. As he has been cast in such phenomenal projects in recent years, I greatly anticipate the astronomical rise of his proverbial star, and I can hardly wait to see what kinds of roles he will bring to the film and television screens in the not-so-distant future. Be sure that you follow this humble, adept young man via the links below because after all, you won’t want to miss any of the rungs in his ladder to his well-deserved success!
FOLLOW DAKOTA
