Interview With Kevin Durand For CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD

Kevin Durand has been well known in television and film for a long while, specifically in the genre space. His newest: Clown in a Cornfield provides another opportunity for the talented actor to show his range in comedy and horror. Film Inquiry spoke with the actor about his love for his work, what he looks for with projects, working with Liam Neeson and more!

Hello Kevin, congrats on the movie! When we spoke at SXSW I hadn’t seen the film yet. So, I’m excited to chat about it now!

Kevin Durand: Oh, you hadn’t seen it! Oh, my gosh. It was such an explosive audience. It was so great to see. That was the first time I saw it on the screen.

Oh, I’m sure! Have you had other films screen at festivals before? 

Kevin Durand: I’ve had several films open up in festivals, but not of this genre. So to see how all of the beats hit the way that they do… was amazing. I had seen it at home, on my television before going and I was in awe, and I absolutely loved the film. But to see it with that type of audience that wants to see that type of film and wants to be scared, that wants to laugh, it was really such a pleasure. And I think that’s one thing with this film. It’s like, you grab a bunch of friends and family members and go sit down and be scared and laugh together,  because it’s really like a great experience in a group setting.

Definitely make it an experience! So before I go back into this specific movie, I’m just wondering, because you’ve had such a, you know, amazing filmography and career so far. I’m just wondering, what do you look for in particular when you’re reading a script or looking for a new project, like, what really grabs you and makes you say, like, I want to go for this.

Kevin Durand: You know, no matter the genre or forum that I’d be working in it’s about having some kind of visceral reaction to the material and belief that that it can be successful in getting across whatever it needs to get across. Sometimes, I’ll get offers for things, and I’ll read them, and I’ll be like: “Yeah, this isn’t the best version of this.” So, how do we figure out how to make this as effective as possible? With this one, the title tells you so much about the film, but then the way it was written and the humor that was interwoven into it… it is effortless humor that I felt had a chance to be successful. Then, I kind of threw everything that I possibly could to try to make my part successful. But when I got to see how everybody else executed their jobs across the board, it turned out even better than I had dreamed it would have, you know? And that’s, that’s when you feel an incredible sense of victory.

Amazing and yes, I love how direct the title is.

Kevin Durand: Yeah, that’s fantastic!

Eli Craig has made some very good like comedy horrors. This is just another one to add to the list. It’s a lot of fun. And you seemed like you were having a blast making this movie.

Kevin Durand: Oh, it’s just such a joy. I mean, first off, it’s such a joy just to get to do my job. I love my job, I love my job! But the fact that people hire me and put this confidence in me to get to play these very different characters that usually are fully leaning into whatever it is that they believe in. It’s just, it’s just such a joy, because I spend most of my day trying to be the nicest guy that I can be. I’m a northern Canadian, so, you know, I’m representing! So, when I love being able to step out of that and and  just dig into something different than what I do from my day to day, it’s kind of therapy.

I love that. Did you have any opportunity to kind of play with the character at all, like improv, or add any kind of nuances to it that weren’t necessarily in the script?

Kevin Durand: Eli is very, very open to suggestions. We had a really specific kind of take, and he hadn’t seen any of it until, until we got to set. And he was really happy. And definitely, as all good directors do, he helped me kind of figure out the tone and  set the tone. But I really had a good idea. I would ramble off, because I get into character, and things just start to happen. And you know, if, if no one’s yelling at me, saying, “What the hell are you doing? Get off my set!” Then I figured, let’s go for it and lean in. But it was on the page. Anything that comes beyond that is just because what was on the page was really good. I was just real lucky with this one.

You mentioned you like doing things different than your everyday. I’m just wondering preference, do you like to be a little like a bit of a challenge, kind of go to the polar opposite of how you are every day?

Kevin Durand: What’s most interesting and most attractive to me is just the idea of stepping away from who I am. Ultimately, my essence is always there. And I’m always going to look like a guy who’s a six foot six lumberjack from Thunder Bay, but I get to add layers to that. Which is so fun! I’ve actually always been drawn to antagonists, to play them, just because I just feel like it’s such a great escape. And I was always drawn to the bastards and with Shakespeare I never wanted to play Romeo. I wanted to mess things up. So, the fact that probably eight out of every 10 characters usually up to something that that the main character in stories would think is up to no good, that’s pretty fun and fulfilling for me.

That’s awesome. And you’re fantastic as a bad guy. Even Proxima Caesar. Which, I am sure, very new thing for you.

[Does Proxima Caesar voice]

Thank you. That made my day!

Kevin Durand It’s so much fun.

And you have been in a lot of horror and genre related titles, do you have any anything in particular about that genre horror that fascinates you, because right now you’re definitely on a roll!

Kevin Durand: I mean, it’s kind of what’s been coming down the pipeline for a while. And I love it. I love the concept of eliciting reaction from fellow human beings with the extremity of my emotional spectrum. Horror is a great avenue for me to do that. I have another one that I just finished shooting up in northern Canada called Ithaca, which falls in the same, similar category.  What I love about horror too is like it’s no different than any other genre I’ve ever worked in, in the sense that I’m being asked to play really different humans than myself. And in Ithaca, I’m actually kind of a good guy, which is kind of like a bit of a departure from the things I’ve been playing in the last three/four years. I’m just grateful that that all these wonderful filmmakers are just putting confidence in me to create something different and new for them. And I’m excited that on May 9, everybody is going to get to go out and see Clown in the Cornfield! It really hits the mark even better than I had dreamt it would. And I can’t wait. I literally can’t wait to see it again tomorrow night. I just think it’s so much fun!!

It’s got a great energy!

Kevin Durand: Like a real escape, right? Like you want to escape: go check this film out. Because it takes you into this world that pulls all the freaking drawstrings on our hearts and consciousness and  it’s entertaining.

It’s good stuff! I also know that you have the Naked Gun with Liam Neeson coming out. What was that experience like?

Kevin Durand: Oh my god, Liam is so brilliant. He’s so brilliant. Whenever I get to work with actors that I’ve been watching since before I was even working as an actor, I like to go to set, and just watch them work. And I went to set, and there was hundreds of people there, and I didn’t even know that he could see me, and he’s doing this scene, and he’s doing an absolutely ridiculous thing, especially to watch Liam Neeson doing it… it makes it even that much funnier, right? It’s freaking Liam Neeson who is one of the greatest actors in the world, and he’s played so many dramatic parts, and here he is doing this really absurd thing. I won’t tell you what it is.

It’s Naked Gun so I can imagine [laughs]

Kevin Durand: It has to do with an excessive amount of balloons in a vehicle. So, after, he goes back to his seat after they yell cut, and he sits down. I didn’t even know that he knew that I was there. He then calls his assistant over, and I’m so creepy that I’m watching him. And I’m watching his assistant go up to him because he’s a hero of mine. Then all of a sudden, the assistant starts walking towards me, and I’m looking around. I’m like, “oh, where’s she going? Does she need coffee? Does she need help with water for Mr. Neeson?” You know?
And she comes over to me and says “Liam wanted me to give you a message.”
And I go: “Oh, what’s that?”
He says “That… is how you fucking do it.”

That’s amazing [laughs] 

Kevin Durand: He was just so lovely, and I think people are going to fall in love with him in a completely different way. He’s so naturally funny. And Pamela Anderson is amazing, and Paul Walter Hauser is amazing. It is just such an amazing cast. So two really great movies: Clown in a Cornfield, May 9. And then in August, we got Naked Gun. So off we go to the races!

Come out and get scared with Clown and then laugh with Naked Gun!

Kevin Durand: Yeah!

Well, thank you very much for your time, Kevin. It was wonderful speaking with you and congrats on the film! Have a great rest of your day!

Kevin Durand: Thank you so much. You too, my pleasure. Thank you for the great chat.

We want to thank Kevin Durand for speaking with us.