Next on the impressive list of talent joining the cast of To Avenge is Tom Schmitt, who will be playing Jason Danvers, a rather unsavory character to say the least. Again, while I was unfamiliar with Tom’s work, Julie Stackhouse mentioned him a couple of times in her interview since they had worked together on more than one occasion. Additionally, Nick Belial, the director/writer of To Avenge had worked with Tom as well, thus adding much credibility to Tom’s professional persona before we even had our initial conversation. Thankfully, Tom exceeded the glowing reports I had heard, and chatting with this young man was a joy and a delight as he shared his journey in the world of entertainment with a special emphasis on his significant and upcoming roles.

RH: Tom, I’m so glad we were able to make connection today.

TS:  Me too, Ruth. Thank you for reaching out.

How did you get started in acting?

I got started in acting probably when I was in high school. I helped out with one of the local “haunted” attractions during the Halloween season. I think I was fifteen or sixteen at the time. It was pretty much just scaring people, but I always knew there was more to acting, and I wanted to explore that. Then I took an acting class in community college. But then I kind of gave up on it for a while. I actually came back to it though, because I had a friend that passed away. That gave me the urge to think, “You know, I could die tomorrow, so I might as well do what I want to do today. ” And that’s when I started pursuing acting as an actual career.

Sometimes things like that remind us what’s important. I’ve heard other actors share similar stories that brought them back to acting as well. You might as well do what you love. 

I actually had a safety job at the bar in downtown Philly, but I quit about a month and a half ago. I’ve just been surviving off acting work since then. So while I’m taking a chance and I may not be able to pay the rent this month, I’d rather be suffering doing this than suffering doing anything else.

What do you consider your first significant acting role in the business?

There is a movie that has not been released yet, and it’s the biggest thing I’ve done to date. I think we filmed it over a year ago or maybe longer, but it was produced and financed by the Weinstein Company. With all the stuff going on with that company, this film has been put on the shelf for now.

It is a movie called The Upside, and it’s a remake of the French film The Untouchables, which is a wonderful, wonderful film. They remade it over here and shot most of it in the Philadelphia area. My part was almost non-existent, but I would sit on set and share some time with Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman, and Kevin Hart. It was a surreal experience. Working on low-budget or no-budget indie stuff, there’s a freedom that comes with it. You can choose your own blocking and talk to the director about anything. Working on that set with that caliber of crew and acting talent, it was almost that same freedom. We got to decide everything as we were doing it. I definitely want to work on that same level and more, but I know it’s gonna be a hard road to get to that.

I believe Julie was in that one too, right?

Yes, that’s right. This movie set the bar in my mind. Doing more on that level is the kind of work I want to get into.

How did you get involved with To Avenge?

Well, I play the older brother, Jason Danvers, which is going to be a challenge that I look forward to. I first met Nick on another film set. I was a gaffer for an indie horror film. It was a fun set where everybody got along. It was a pleasurable experience making the film. Nick was the on-set photographer. I think we connected very well because we have the same sense of humor. In fact, there was an on-set accident on this set where nobody got hurt, but the accident could have been easily avoided. Nick and I just had to walk away because we were both laughing. After talking with Nick for awhile…on set, he had taken a picture of me in my wardrobe in a certain pose. I really only had a small role in that horror film. But Nick said that when he looked at that picture, he got the idea for this character for his project To Avenge. I guess he based Jason on the wardrobe and the physical mannerisms of me acting a fool, kicking some stones in the street. He told me had this idea that he was working on and he wanted to keep me in the loop. That was maybe two or three years ago, and I know Nick has been working on the idea ever since then.

So that’s why Julie told me when I talked with her that Nick had always had you in mind for that character. He used you as inspiration to write that character. 

Yeah, maybe not the full extent of the character’s behavior, but definitely the way he looks and his mannerisms.

I can see that. After all, he’s not a nice guy by any stretch of the imagination. Have you had any experience playing a bad guy?

Yeah, usually I’m cast either as a Type A hero or a Type A villain. So yes, I do have experience playing a bad guy, though maybe not to the extent that this character will be. When I am choosing projects I might want to be involved with, I usually try to say “yes” to things that ultimately carry a message that I want to convey and communicate to others. So a character like this is going to be complicated, but I feel if I find that balance to where the audience–when he’s not doing the horrible things–they can connect to the character. In some way, maybe it will be eye-opening, and maybe people will recognize certain behavior they have seen in others in their lives. I wanna be able to make people aware that a story like this can happen and does happen. And there’s ways that people can avoid it by recognizing behavioral patterns or things like that and hopefully stopping something like this tragedy before it even happens.

I can see that being beneficial if you portray this character in such a way that people can understand that this does happen and how it happens. And it can happen to just about anyone. I think it’s more prevalent than we realize. 

It would be so easy to play the character one-dimensionally and kind of like a cliché. I could play him like the villain or antagonist, but I want to find a way to make him human so young people can connect with who he really is. Hopefully, people can learn from my character, and when the credits roll in the movie, people can make phone calls or rethink or reevaluate the way they behave, even though it’s hopefully nothing like my character’s behavior. But if I can change one person’s mind or maybe save one life, then I say it’s worth it.

I really like your perspective, Tom. I would hope that every actor would approach a role like this in that same way, but sometimes, it just doesn’t happen. Some are only in it to do the job and not really give a powerful message like you want to do. Unfortunately, even experienced actors sometimes miss the opportunity. But I can see that Nick did a great job of picking you for this role. 

I just hope I can live up to the script’s expectations.

The fact that you’re thinking that way already tells me that you have the right mindset. With the exception of Julie and Nick, have you met and/or worked with any of the other cast members attached to the project?

No, I haven’t had a chance to work with anyone else except Nick and Julie, so I’m looking forward to it.

From talking to the cast members that are attached so far, I think everyone is genuinely excited to start filming this project. It’s nice to see how everybody’s ready to jump in and get busy. 

With a project like this, it’s gonna be fun to jump into it. Like every project, you have a chance to practice new things that you’ve learned as an actor and about the craft. While I hate watching myself on screen, I always go back and watch some of my stuff before I start a new project to see if I feel like I’ve made any breakthroughs. It’s an evolution of things and it’s nice to remember that I experimented with some new technique or something, and it’s great to see that it turned out all right. With a big project like this, there’s so many opportunities. Lots of time, you get a part and you’re on set for one day. But when you have more time and you get the chance to live your character out, you know it’s gonna be a good opportunity to try to experiment with the new things and the new techniques which I’ve been learning in class. I’m very eager to get on set.

So we’re waiting on The Upside. Hopefully, we’ll hear something about that soon. And you’ve got To Avenge coming up later this year. Is there anything else upcoming that you can mention?

I recently directed a short film called Don’t Dawn for a fellow student at Playhouse West. He was trying to put all the pieces into place, and I  found out he didn’t have a director. I told him that I liked his script and the message of his story, so I jumped on board. We did that film a couple weekends ago. I’m also the editor of that film. I think I have a PA Lottery commercial that’s airing. I’m also in talks right now with a guy about a Neo-Noir feature film.

What I notice in this business is that they like to call me about two days before they want to film something, and then I book it. So I often don’t know what’s coming down the road. I think that kinda makes it exciting.

I think this business has become very last-minute. I hear that a lot from actors. I regularly have to reschedule interviews due to auditions and calls to set.

Yes, that does happen. I’ll get the call the day or two before a shoot because for some reason, they’ve lost someone, and they want me to come in and take his place. And of course, I agree to it, even though it might mean canceling something like going to my mom’s birthday party. After all, if you don’t make those sacrifices, someone else will and you’ll miss out on an opportunity to advance in your career.

Tom, you really have a great understanding of the business. I’m quite impressed. 

Thank you. I think one lesson all actors should learn when they first start out acting is that it’s not about you. It’s about the story. So anything that an actor thinks makes them valuable or irreplaceable is just not reality. At the end of the day, our personalities separate us from one another, but if for some reason we don’t work out in the role and need to be replaced, they always seem to be able to get someone else at the drop of a hat. Somebody else is in, and it’s just the nature of the beast. Sometimes background actors will sit around and talk about how they have been background actors on this or that project, and I’m like, “Okay, but we’re all background actors on this project now, so let’s just be quiet so we can all go to sleep while we’re waiting.” {laughs}

It looks like you’ve done a little bit of everything from acting to writing to directing and more. You’ve been behind the camera and in front of the camera. 

Well, filmmaking is my Plan B, so how scary is that? Whether I’m an actor or a filmmaker, I think I’m screwed either way. I put all my eggs in a very shaky basket, but you gotta do it. I think that’s the scariest part.

I’m sure it’s scary, but when you’re in the midst of doing it on set–

–it’s all worth it.

I know everyone’s got their struggles along the way. Except for the few people who get it handed to them on a silver platter.

And hopefully those people are of reasonable mind and they realize just how lucky they are. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of a gift. For me, I think I’ve been fortunate enough to pretend for this long, and I hope it goes on for the rest of my life. Knocking on wood.

Tom, I wish you all the best, and thank you for sharing so much of your perspective and yourself with us. 

Ruth, thank you for giving me the opportunity. I look forward to getting started on To Avenge, and I hope everyone supports and enjoys the project.

As I continued to speak with Tom, it was like watching an oyster gradually open and reveal an artistic pearl. Tom detailed his experiences in his humble, retiring manner, but the topics about which he felt intense passion prompted him to become much more open and direct. Additionally, his sense of humor emerged on more than one occasion, and when an actor arrives at that level of comfort, a bit of magic occurs as I behold a genuine glimpse of who the individual is beneath a sometimes introverted exterior. There is no doubt in my mind that Tom has the makings of a formidable voice in the entertainment universe, and his discernment and perception are far beyond his years and experience. Comprehension of one’s proper place in the world of film and television is something that is not always seen amongst seasoned professionals, and witnessing it in a young person such as Tom is enough to engender within my soul a thriving hope for our future. Tom has extraordinary ideals and expectations for himself and the business, and while he knows that he and the projects to which he is attached may not always attain that criterion, the fact that he has a standard is enough to applaud this intuitive man for not sacrificing quality for a quick ride on the ladder of success (that almost always ends with an unseen crashing blow from which actors may never recover).

I do hope that while we await the commencement of filming of To Avenge that everyone will visit Tom’s links below as well as the links to the movie itself. Knowing that Tom along with the other performers who have been cast are soberly examining their respective roles while maintaining a controlled exhilaration and anticipation for filming is enough to thrill me in the extreme!

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