Actor Chad Michael Collins chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about the upcoming films “Assailant” and “Dead Zone.” He also opened up about being an article in the digital age.
‘Assailant’
“I had a great experience on our forthcoming suspense/thriller film ‘Assailant’,” he said. “Drama, action, romance, and more, all set against a tropical paradise backdrop. Director Tom Paton was a visionary collaborator and a hell of a lot of fun to work with, as were my co-stars Poppy Delevigne, Casper Van Dien, and Jeff Fahey.”
“I play male lead ‘Jason’, and it was a unique opportunity in that he starts off as a bit of a prick to his wife, and redeems himself heroically as the movie progresses. Largely the hard way at the merciless hands of Casper’s ‘Michael’ who beats my ass up and down the island start-to-finish. I’m so used to playing the hero that beats the bad guys, so it was a fun reversal to be more of a jerk who is forced into that self-awareness through lots (and lots) of physical punishment,” he elaborated.
‘Dead Zone’
He also opened up about “Dead Zone.” “It was also a blast to work on, alongside the legendary Michael Jai White and Jeff Fahey again. Director Hank Braxtan was a joy to be around, possibly the most chill, low-key director I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” he said.
“The project is a military action/horror film, centered around an elite team of soldiers who attempt to retrieve a humanity-saving experimental vaccine from a post-apocalyptic shell of a city overrun with mutants and irradiated freaks. We get in, get the goods, avoid getting killed, get out. Well, that’s the plan at least. And as we know in movies, plans often go horribly awry,” he said.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Collins said, “Streaming is the new king of entertainment, and it’s been fascinating to watch the industry shift from network and cable broadcast and hard media (DVD) to every platform being on-demand.”
“On one hand, it’s easier than ever for anyone to find and watch your projects; on the other, there are so many platforms available that it feels overwhelming. As an actor, more platforms mean more content, which means more opportunities to work, so I think it’s a net positive for me,” he explained.
“As a consumer, I far too often will spend a half-hour scrolling and scrolling through all the choices available before I settle on one of the many amazing things to watch. Endless choice is probably a good problem to have though,” he added.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he remarked, “I think there have been a couple. Originating the ‘Brandon Beckett’ character for our ongoing Sony Pictures ‘Sniper’ franchise was one such moment. It not only cemented my brand as an actor who can embody the all-American soldier/good guy, but it was a turning point for me in terms of fully committing to an acting career there forward.”
“I’d say the other was playing ‘Alex’ in ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ 2019. That was a huge turn into a new arena for me, starring in such a massive critically and commercially successful video game franchise. Before that, my career consisted of TV and film work,” he said.
“After that, I saw a whole new avenue of opportunity for me in my acting career, not only with interactive media/performance capture but also with voice-over work as an extension. Plus, I’ve been an avid gamer my entire life, so it felt like a bucket list item for me as an actor in many ways,” he added.
Dream acting partners
On his dream acting partners, he shared, “There are probably too many to list here, but I’ll go with those that I’m a huge fan of Brad Pitt; Michael Fassbender; Bryan Cox; Kurt Russell. All veterans, all extremely talented.”
“I’ve had the great fortune to work with some highly experienced actors, and what they can offer you is invaluable – always so much to learn. Being a huge fan of ‘Alias’ back in the day, I’d say Jennifer Garner as well. Charlize Theron has been doing amazing work at every level for years now too. All would be an absolute privilege and joy to work with and learn from,” he said.
When asked what superpower he would have, if given the opportunity, he responded, “Growing up a comic book fan, I’d probably lean into a safe choice: toughness. Resilience.”
“Whether that’s having the steel skin of Colossus or having the healing factor of Wolverine or just the grit and resolve of a Punisher or Batman, I think toughness is double-dipping: you can withstand severe amounts of punishment, but also it proves that you’re mentally strong as well — knowing something is going to hurt, but plowing bravely forward regardless,” he said.
“I’m sure there’s a metaphor in there about an actor needing to have ‘thick skin’ just waiting to be pulled out of this offering,” he added.
Success
On his definition of success, he said, “For me, I’d say success is the degree to which I can clarify what I want and then the achievement of attaining it. Sometimes, the success in that equation isn’t necessarily about achieving the intended goal/thing, but instead about the lessons learned along the way that set you up for even greater success down the road.”
For his fans, he remarked about “Assailant,” “One of the main story themes I love in ‘Assailant’ is something I find far too common in the human experience: the way we can sometimes put off fixing something now when it’s small before it becomes too large and problematic to avoid down the road.”
He continued, “The couple Poppy and I play in the film have relationship problems that get exacerbated over time because of neglect, lack of communication, and just plain dishonesty (with themselves, with each other). They don’t communicate their true feelings, wants, or needs clearly, which sets them up for a ‘one last-ditch effort’ situation that gets railroaded by a psychopath intent on forcing the lessons upon them both.”
“If nothing else, ‘Assailant’ is an interesting experiment in the high cost of avoiding things when they could be easier and paying a much bigger price when it has to be sorted the hard way. Despite their flaws at the beginning of the movie, I promise that the audience will be strongly rooting for them by the end,” he concluded.
To learn more about Chad Michael Collins, check out his IMDb page, visit his website, and follow him on Instagram.
