Actor and filmmaker Austin Nichols (“One Tree Hill” and “The Walking Dead”) chatted about directing the new movie “The Long Shot.”
The films stars Ryan Hansen, Adrianne Palicki, Dulce Sloan, Justin Chatwin, and Reggie Bush.
The synopsis is: Slacker Ray Mueller works at Austin’s historic Muny golf course. When a consultant arrives to assess its future, Ray (Ryan Hansen) and his misfit crew must prove the course’s worth against tech bros, corrupt officials, and the city’s rising costs.
The film will be released on April 10th on such streaming platforms as Apple TV (where it’s available for pre-order on Apple) and Amazon.
Directing ‘The Long Shot’
On directing “The Long Shot,” Nichols remarked, “It was a really, really special movie for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, it’s my first movie that I directed and it’s about my hometown, people, and places that I know. Also, it turned out so great!”
“So, there are a lot of reasons that I love this movie,” he added.
Working with Ryan Hansen as the lead actor
On working with Ryan Hansen as the lead actor, he said, “Ryan is my leading man and I play a small role at the end of the movie. I met him on another film and he’s fantastic.”
“There was actually a time where there was talk about me playing the lead because making independent film is really hard and there’s not a lot of money and there’s not a lot of time and it’s hard to pull off,” he elaborated.
“So, there was talk of it at one point, but I always wanted Ryan,” he admitted. “My producers always wanted Ryan and we’re glad we got him because he’s really charming and funny in this movie.”
Nichols on the characterization in the script
On the characterization in the screenplay by Drew Mackintosh, Nichols said, “The characters are fun. They are from all different walks of life. Everyone is unique, different, and it’s super diverse.”
“At the end of the day, it’s a family and everybody’s trying to take care of each other and just save their home,” he added.
Lessons learned from the screenplay
On the lessons learned from “The Long Shot” screenplay, Nichols reflected, “I think it taught me that nothing is ever perfect. With the script, so often everybody wants it to be perfect. It’s subjective and everybody has different ideas of what perfect is.”
“So, it’s something that’s unreachable and impossible in my opinion,” he admitted. “Also, in a comedy, you’re gonna end up having lots of improvs and ad libs and the actors are gonna play.”
“So, the script, as important as it is in a comedy like this, it’s okay to drift over here and drift over there and let the actors play. So yeah, I think it taught me that we’re a work in progress always,” he elaborated.
‘The Walking Dead’
On “The Walking Dead,” Nichols remarked, “It was really, really fun. I love violence! I love post-apocalyptic stories. I love zombies and all kinds of things. I love horror. I love gore. So, that was a really fun job for me. It was awesome!”
“Spencer [Monroe], my character was a spoiled brat and I struggled with him,” he noted.
“Actors always say that they love their characters, but Spencer was not super lovable. Not at all. He wasn’t a big fan favorite, but my time there working with the writers, the actors, and the crew was a blast and I cherish it,” he elaborated.
‘The Day After Tomorrow’
On “The Day After Tomorrow,” he recalled, “That was my first big movie with an $125 million budget. It was a massive budget, and it took five months and shooting in multiple states, countries, and cities. Roland Emmerich is an amazing director.”
“The cast had Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid. I was really young at the time and I was thrown into a massive movie with massive talent,” he acknowledged.
“I’m glad that it happened to me early on, and it was a really positive experience. Everybody had a great time on that film. The movie was a box office success,” he noted.
“I kind of wish I had a time machine where I could go back and do it again. It was really fun,” he admitted.
The digital age
On being an actor and filmmaker in the digital age, Nichols said, “It is definitely different. It has changed. You hear a lot of actors talk about self-taping and being at home and using cameras and lights and learning all this.”
“In a way, that’s excellent because we actually have more time to work on it instead of going into a room and having 10 to 20 minutes or even three minutes. So, that’s a really positive part of it,” he noted.
“I think one thing that we have lost is the human interaction with directors, writers and casting directors, which is really important as well as seeing people in the flesh and bouncing ideas back and forth and giving direction and having the actors change,” he elaborated.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, Nichols shared, “A lot of them have defined me. I would say that when I was younger, I was involved in athletics, and that taught me discipline, how to train and to show up for practice every day and give everything I’ve got. That was really an incredible way to start my childhood and my life.”
“That makes you disciplined and it sets you up for success,” he noted. “I really think athletics are really great for kids and you just learn things that are going to help you down the road.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Nichols revealed, “It’s Nichols Time.”
Superpower of choice
If Nichols were to have any superpower, it would be “to breathe underwater” and to “teleport.” “I want to be able to go anywhere I want,” he said.
Advice for young and emerging filmmakers
For young and aspiring filmmakers, Nichols said, “Don’t wait for anyone else. Make your thing, make it now, and start now!”
“I don’t care if it’s you building little houses in your room at your desk, and filming little houses with your phone. I don’t care. Just make your thing. No matter how little money, just do it yourself,” he elaborated.
“Start making things, be creative, and don’t wait for anybody,” he underscored.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Nichols said, “When I was younger, it definitely meant money and material things, but the older I get, success means having great people in your life, great friends and family, and spending time with quality people in quality places.”
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, he said, “Thank you! I had no idea that I would still be working, watching my career evolve, and change this many years into it.”
“Thank you for sticking with me from the very beginning, and here’s to another 25 years of doing this,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘The Long Shot’ film
For fans and viewers, Nichols expressed, “I want people to see it! It’s very hard to get an independent film out there, and it’s even harder to get it in front of the world when you don’t have a big budget… so we want people to see it.”
“Ultimately, its message is about a family that is just trying to take care of each other, and the sort of joy and laughs and all that is involved with that,” he noted.
“So, if I can make one person feel something from this movie (that may help their lives or change their lives), then that’s all I need,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor and filmmaker Austin Nichols, follow him on Instagram.
