I am happy to share with you yet another announcement from Nick Belial, director and writer of the upcoming independent feature, To Avenge. As he mentioned just yesterday, they have spent the past four months searching and auditioning actors for the role of Jameson Danvers, the youngest son of billionaires Clayton and Abigail Danvers, and they ultimately chose Lars A. Slind. 

“Lars brings extensive acting experience, having appeared on Days of Our Lives, America Horror Story and an array of shorts, feature films and television projects. He attended Eastern Washington University on a full academic scholarship where he made the Dean’s list. In addition to English and some Norwegian, Lars speaks Japanese, Swedish, Danish, Arabic, Spanish, Russian and Greek.”

I am happy to share with everyone my recent interview with Lars, the young man who will bring Jameson Danvers to life!

Photo by Scott Hoover

RH: Lars, it’s so great to get to chat with you today. 

LS: My pleasure, Ruth, thank you for reaching out.

I noticed that you are from Seattle.

Yes, that is correct, I am.

Photo by Jake Ryan Niemeyer

It just so happens I am from Tacoma, and I live in Yelm now.

So nice to talk with a fellow “Seattleite.”

Always nice to talk with somebody from the area.

But I do live in Hollywood now.

Which makes perfect sense, considering your current profession. Though I notice that you have a sports background.

That’s right. I played football for sixteen years. I went to Eastern Washington University on a football scholarship. I was also involved in track and field with Discus. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs, and I minored in Japanese as well.

Really? My daughter would find your minor in Japanese quite interesting. She is mildly obsessed with the Asian culture, especially Japanese culture. 

Yeah, that was just like me when I was growing up. In fact, I was working on a show for Netflix called Richie Rich, and one of the kids was really interested in Japanese and learning the language. So I gave him all my dictionaries and flashcards and said, “I hope this serves you as well as it did me.” I know I didn’t have to do that, but I am excited and happy when I see somebody else get really interested in Japanese culture–not just the anime–but the entire culture: the history, the language, the mannerisms…I mean it’s a very layered society. It’s really interesting once you start to understand it.

So with all these things–sports, international affairs and Japanese–how did acting come about for you?

Honestly, it was by accident. I never imagined that I would be an actor at any point in my life leading up to when I actually got involved in the business. I thought I was going to be working at the embassy in Tokyo and living in Japan. That was my plan. I studied Japanese in high school–my high school actually offered it, which is pretty amazing. Then I studied it in college and did my internship in Kyoto. I worked with the embassy and the consulate there.

But then I decided that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. So I retooled my ambitions, and I ended up working for the Sumi Kumo Group, which is a big multinational part of the business development of the automotive field sector of Sumi Kumo Metal. I worked with them for a while until I was a hundred percent convinced I couldn’t make a career out of it. It just wasn’t my passion, but I did learn a lot about business from the Japanese, which I really appreciate.

So like the old cliché goes, I ended up bartending in Vegas. I was making a joke to some Filipino people–you see, my third language is Tagalog–and this producer came over and was like, “Hey, you’re pretty funny. Have you ever thought about acting?” I was like, “No.” He handed me his card which said, “so-and-so’s names “at” AOL.” I was convinced that every producer had an email address that was “at Warner Bros,” or “at Paramount.” So I handed him back the card and was like, “Big-time producer at AOL?” And he just slid it right back and said, “Trust me, kid, you want to email me.”

So about a month later, I emailed him. He asked me to send him a headshot. I had some unprofessional modeling shots, and I sent him one. Fifteen minutes later, he called and said, “I got you an audition at Paramount.” And my jaw dropped! I couldn’t believe it! I was like, “Oh man, this guy’s for real!” So I drove down and auditioned. It was all improv. I was super loose, and I didn’t really know what I was doing. They called me back, and I eventually did not get the job. Probably because I was very, very green. I had not taken any acting classes and didn’t know what I was doing. But it was a good first experience.

I talked to my friend, the producer, and he said, “This is like going to school again if you really want to do this. It takes years to build your craft. Two years, you might not do anything. Five years, and it might be the first time you get any work worth talking about. And probably ten years before you can make a career out of it. If you’re okay with that, go right ahead ’cause I think you can do it. But if not, I suggest you go somewhere else and choose a different career.” I thought about it for a couple of months. I wondered if it was something I wanted to do, but I put it in perspective of other businesses. It usually takes ten to fifteen years to really establish yourself in any industry. It takes a long time to build any craft. So I thought, “You know, I really enjoyed it. It’s not going to be something that is going to be one hundred percent fun every day, but it is exciting and I really enjoyed it more than any other job I’ve ever had.” So I just jumped in.

Photo by Theo and Juliet

I am always so fascinated to hear everyone’s story about how they became an actor. While there are things that are similar, everybody has a unique story. It’s true that many people aren’t necessarily looking for a career in acting. It just falls in their lap, and they find out they have a passion for it.

Yeah, it is completely opposite from anything that I’ve ever studied and was interested in for the first part of my life.

What was your first professional on-screen credit?

The first credit I ever got–and I’ll never forget it–was on an HBO movie, Clear History. I had a scene with Eva Mendes and Larry David. And it was all improv, which I liked because that’s where I started. So I’m very comfortable in that realm. I remember Larry David saying, “Come on, guys, just come up with some crazy stuff!” And we did, and it was fun. In fact, I remember I said a pretty racy line to Eva Mendes, ’cause it was me and two other guys that were hitting on her. And I remember Larry David laughing and going, “Yeah! Yeah!” And it really clicked with me that if I’m making Larry David laugh, I must be doing something right. A day or two before that job, I went down to SAG and joined because I had to perform that role. So that was my first job as a member of the union.

With John Savage
Photo by Linda Palmer

I recognize some of the shows and movies in your credits, but I haven’t seen many of them. What do you consider some of your more significant or memorable roles up to this point?

I would say that my most significant role up to this point is a film I did with Michael Gross and John Savage called Last Call At Murray’s. I played a homophobic marine named Skip. And the reason that I say this is my most significant role was that the director really allowed me to take over the character. Originally, this character was written with a tough Southern accent and was a little bit reserved. The end result is something far different and much more complex, and I really appreciated that. I remember the director saying, “You know, we never expected anyone to take the character to the place that you took it, and it’s amazing. It’s got so much more production value.” And that, for me, was really a confidence booster to let me know that my intuition and my feeling on taking–along with the director’s advice and input–can create something that really leaves an impression on people. And I think that’s the main thing that actors want to come away with from every project they do. You want to be able to know that you left an impression…whether you made everybody laugh or everybody was scared of you. Or you made people think more deeply about things than they did before they entered the theater. I believe that should be the goal.

How did you get connected with Nick Belial and To Avenge?

Photo by Walter Tabayoyong

I study with Amy Lyndon–the Amy Lyndon Technique. A woman that works with her reached out to me and said, “There’s this role that I really think you’re right for. I want to share your information. Is that okay?” And I said, “Oh, of course!” She got me in touch with Nick and also a manager named Debbie. And when I met Debbie, I knew I had to work with this woman because she understands the business side really, really well. And with me coming from a business background, that’s super important. Everybody sees the creative side, but the business side is huge. So we clicked, and she already had some clients that were in the film. I spoke with Nick as well, and he asked me to put together a tape for the character. I did a self-tape, and sent it off. He got back to me, and he was like, “We want you.” And that was pretty much how it happened…through connections. The whole thing was pretty serendipitous ’cause as a result, I now have a great talent manager as well.

Now we realize that your character, Jameson, is not one of the nicest characters. 

No, he’s not.

What was it that caused you to want to play this character?

Photo by Scott Hoover

Well, there’s a couple of reasons, aside from the fact that he is the younger brother and somewhat athletic, which, at first glance, fits my stereotype. I am the younger brother in my family. I played football in college. I came in contact with several guys who were this type of follower. I can remember that there were these upperclassmen who were obviously doing things that they shouldn’t be doing, and the underclassmen that were around would watch these older guys. And since these guys were upperclassmen, the younger guys thought it was cool to follow along and do what they were doing. I saw that several times when I was in college, and it always ended very poorly for everyone. Lots of times, alcohol was involved. Girls were involved. So I can identify with this character and the poor choices he makes.

Obviously, he idolizes his older brother. I don’t want to spoil anything about the story, but as most characters do when faced with a big decision, he has the opportunity to make a different choice than he does. But because he wants to be cool and be like his older brother, he goes along with his brother. And that’s what gripped me about this character. Unfortunately, things like this happen every day, and if we can shed some light on it so that people make better choices instead of just going along with the crowd so they don’t look uncool…maybe my character, Jameson, can make someone second guess their decisions, and maybe they will speak up and do the right thing.

I really appreciate your perspective, Lars. I think sometimes people think that everyone wants to play the nice roles all the time. But sometimes playing a character like this can really impact people as we see that Jameson is not making the right choice. 

Yeah, and there’s a true sense of reality in this scenario and in the character. A lot of times, I think people want to vilify people and just say, “Oh, they wake up and they’re evil. They go to bed and they’re evil.” But that’s not necessarily true.  A lot of people are just kind of gray, and then they make a bad decision. I don’t believe that makes them bad, but they’ve done a horrible thing. Just because I’m making a poor choice doesn’t mean that for my whole life I’m evil. And this character is the perfect example of this. Maybe he’s not a great kid who’s super-intelligent, but he’s not evil. But in this situation, he makes poor choice after poor choice. And obviously, these things have consequences.

I can definitely understand what you’re saying about Jameson. I think what happens sometimes is that people don’t think through the situation and the consequences ahead of time. They just go about their lives, and when they’re faced with a situation like the one your character is faced with, they might act on instinct without thinking through the consequences and what is right or wrong. And if they are not strong in themselves, they will probably go with the strong leader. And then they have to live with the consequences. 

Photo by Paul Sadowski

Very true. And I will also say that a lot of poor choices come from learned behavior.

I absolutely agree with you. Well, Lars, it sounds like you have a good handle on your character. And I’m thinking you’ll be a really good addition to the film, even though we know that recently, the date for filming was pushed back to 2020. 

You know, Ruth? I’m so excited to be a part of this production. The story really touches me and hits home. After all, I have a daughter, and it scares me to think that something like this could happen to her. I’m sure parents all over the country will be able to relate to the story.

I have a daughter too, and the scenario in the film sounds scary to me too, so I’m right with you. 

While we’re all excited to start making the film, and I look forward to meeting and working with all the cast and crew, this is part of being an actor. Plans change and things don’t always work out how you want them to when you want them to. But I’m grateful to Nick for the opportunity, and whenever it works out to start filming, I’ll be ready.

Do you have any other projects coming up that you can mention?

Oh, yeah, I’m in talks right now for another indie feature, and that will probably shoot late this year or early next year. I’m also producing my own feature film right now called Nexus Dream.

I noticed that because I see you have your own production company. I assume this is something that has been in the works for a while.

Yeah, I came onto the project in May and had a really great connection with the writer/director, and I came at it from a business perspective. I had to learn some things here and there that were counterintuitive that I just didn’t know since I’d never been a producer. But the director and I are looking to do several projects in the future. He wrote for Sony, and they picked up one of his scripts. Francis Coppola bought two of his scripts. He worked with him for a while. His writing is very good.

Well, it sounds like you’ve got a good handle on things, Lars.

Photo by Paul Sadowski

You know, I feel extremely fortunate that the first advice I ever got in Hollywood was solid gold. I mean, that guy told me straight up what to expect, and his timeline has been one hundred percent perfect. I need to call him again. Like, “I need advice for the next ten years. You’ve been right on so far.” I didn’t book my first big commercial for two years. It was a Budweiser Super Bowl national commercial. And so far, everything else has worked out just like he said it would. So we’ll see how the rest of the timeline plays out.

Interesting point. I’ve heard many actors say the same thing about how long it takes to get going in this business, so I applaud this person’s advice. 

I know a lot of people give up after a couple of years, but I won’t be dissuaded. I’ve always had in the back of my head during an audition that if I didn’t get this particular job, it was okay because I was still within the timeline. You have to take everything pretty lightly in this industry. I can’t tell you how many auditions I’ve felt that I bombed, but I don’t let that get to me because if I think I’ve bombed one, I am bound to do well on the next one. And then with the way things happen, I might get a text later on saying I booked a completely different role than I even expected.

Lars, I cannot thank you for taking the time to share today, and we are so excited to see you in To Avenge and to follow your career in everything you’re doing.

Thank you for the support, Ruth. I can hardly wait for 2020 when we start filming Nick Belial’s To Avenge!

I have interviewed so many young people in the industry over the past few years, and typically, my instincts and perception of them as and artist and as a person are cemented within a few minutes of chatting with them. In the case of Lars, even though he came highly recommended, I was optimistically reticent in case I happened to discover that his outlook on the film and television universe might not be as stellar as predicted. However, within moments of speaking with Lars, I was so thoroughly impressed with him that I essentially sat on the other end of our chat in awe of his understanding and grasp of life and the business. All too often, actors are perceived as being shallow, unmotivated, and even vacuous. I am thrilled to report that none of these concerns are consistent with who Lars genuinely is. While he has impeccable good looks and undeniable talent, he far exceeds the majority of his peers in any profession. He is willing to invest the time and resources to make a career out of this business that is much more difficult than the preponderance of people believe. He recognizes what is needed to be successful in life, business, and the arts, and I am grateful to Nick Belial for choosing this incredible young man to be a part of this highly-anticipated independent feature, To Avenge. While we await next year’s production, I hope that everyone checks out Lars, To Avenge, and Nick Belial at all the links below and considers following all accounts possible. There is no doubt that with the talent attached to this project, the public is in for a massive treat that recounts a timely story, and having Lars in such a crucial role is an absolute stroke of genius. 

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