Actor Dominic Fumusa (“Nurse Jackie” and “Homeland”) chatted about being a part of the new film “Sheepdog,” which was written and directed by Steven Grayhm.
Fumusa stars alongside such actors as Steven Grayhm, Emmy nominee Vondie Curtis Hall, Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”), Matt Dallas (“Kyle XY”) and Tony nominee Lilli Cooper. Fumusa plays the role of “Coach O.”
‘Sheepdog’ experience
On being a part of “Sheepdog,” Fumusa remarked, “It has been an amazing experience. It has been a three-year journey, almost. I was sent the script back in December of 2022, and we filmed it at the beginning of 2023.”
“Overall, it has been brilliant,” he exclaimed. “We have been all over the country with this movie. We have been screening for various festivals and communities, and the military response has been wonderful!”
“That has been so rewarding because even though we make the movie for everybody, it’s a military film about our soldiers and what they go through when they come home,” he elaborated.
“It was really important to us that we told their story in a genuine and honest manner,” he explained.
“I think we accomplished that because the response that we’ve gotten from the men and women who have served our country has been nothing but really positive, and that is very rewarding for us,” he added.
Playing ‘Coach O’
On playing his character, he stated, “Coach O is a good guy! His heart is in the right place. I think he is a big brother to Steven’s character in many ways. He is his coach but then, he becomes his good friend.”
“I love that the relationship also has some wrinkles and some darker moments to it; it’s honest that way,” he observed.
“Coach O is trying to help Steven’s character, Calvin, get his life back together, and that’s not an easy thing for anybody,” he noted.
“There are going to be a lot of bumps in the road. I think this film honors that, and tells is truthfully,” he acknowledged. “That is something that I appreciate very much as an actor.”
Lessons learned from the ‘Sheepdog’ script
On the lessons learned from the screenplay, Fumusa reflected, “Well, I think the screenplay serves as a reminder that we all need to be cognizant of what our soldiers are going through.”
“Obviously, it’s different for everybody. There is no one response to trauma or to grief,” he said. “We need to keep the men and women in our military and our first responders in our thoughts and prayers, and we’ve got to act upon it.”
“We’ve got to try to help everybody who needs help. Not everybody is going to need help. Not everybody is going to go through what Steven’s character goes through but obviously, we know the statistics,” he elaborated.
“Depression and anxiety and even suicide in the military for people who are coming home is a very real issue. So, we have to find a way to help them,” he underscored.
“Our veterans have given so much to our country. We need to give back. What is great about this film is that we focus on what we call ‘post-traumatic growth,’ not just post-traumatic stress,” he explained.
“It’s not just PTSD. It’s about growing from that experience,” he clarified.
Fumusa on the character’s relationships in the movie
“Steven’s character is helped by Virginia’s character, the therapist, and Vondi, who plays another fellow soldier who goes back to the Vietnam era. These relationships are very meaningful for Steven, along with Coach O, and everybody in the film,” Fumusa elaborated.
“His ex-wife is played by Lili and his best friend, Darryl (played by Matt), who was side by side in combat with him,” he said.
“We’ve got to keep all of that in mind and know that hope is there,” he said. “These men and women who have gone through all these things, they matter, and they hear us tell them that you matter and we care for them.”
“We are going to work to do all that we can for everybody to get through it together as a community. That is what the film is about,” he acknowledged.
“Hopefully, that’s a beautiful, hopeful message that people will take away,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Fumusa said, “I’ve got mixed feelings about all that.”
“I think with any new technology, there are pros and cons, and it’s great,” he said. “So, there is so much content now, especially with all these streaming platforms.”
“People are watching all kinds of content, and they are getting to see all kinds of stories that they otherwise probably wouldn’t have seen, and that is a great thing,” he said.
“We are able to share our ideas and our responses to things so quickly; however, there is another side to all of that,” he indicated.
“I hope it doesn’t take away from the FaceTime of being in person… talking to people, getting on the phone, or certainly meeting in person face to face over a cup of coffee or a meal with our friends, family, and our loved ones, our family,” he elaborated.
“Reaching out and being with people such as our soldiers who come home, that is equally important. So, I think we are all still trying to figure the digital age out to navigate it as best as we can,” he explained.
“To be perfectly honest, it’s not something I intuitively respond to. I’m a bit of a Luddite. I’m a bit of an old school guy,” he admitted. “I still keep a date book, and I work with pen and paper. I write down my schedule for the day. I don’t do it on my phone. I don’t read on a tablet.”
“I like some of the older ways of doing things, to be perfectly honest, but it doesn’t matter what I think. We are here and we are doing it. We’ve got to get through it and live the best life we can,” he added.
Starring in ‘Nurse Jackie,’ working with Edie Falco
On starring in “Nurse Jackie,” he recalled, “That was a great show. Working with Edie Falco was incredible. It was a true highlight of my life and my career. Edie is a queen. I’m very grateful for that job. To be honest, the ‘Nurse Jackie’ job changed my life.”
“Edie is one of the few people to ever win an Emmy for both a comedy and a drama,” he noted. “I think the only other people that have achieved that milestone are Carroll O’Connor for playing Archie Bunker in ‘All in the Family’ and ‘In the Heat of the Night,’ as well as the great Allison Janney for ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Mom’.”
“There are very few actors that have that kind of range and those chops… Edie is definitely one of them,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Family.”
“As I get older, I realize that it’s all about family,” he said. “The most important thing is to just love the people in your life, your family and your friends.”
“Don’t take anybody for granted, because when you get to be my age, you start to lose people. That’s the message of my current chapter,” he added.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Fumusa stated, “There are many different definitions but as an actor, I would say success is about choices.”
“The more successful you are, the more choices you have,” he noted. “There have been times in my life where I felt like I’ve had lots of choices. There are times in my career where I feel like I’ve got to do whatever is put in front of me because it’s either that or nothing.”
“Working in ‘Sheepdog’ was a labor of love. It’s an independent film. Nobody was making a ton of money doing this movie, but it is such an important story,” he said.
Fumusa continued, “That’s an element of success for me… that I had the privilege and the opportunity to tell this story, even though I knew it wasn’t going to be very high profile necessarily, although hopefully now that we’re going to be in 600 theaters starting on Friday, January 16th.”
“That is an incredible feat for a small independent film,” he noted. “So, I’m really proud of that, and I’m really proud of Steven Grayhm and his team of producers that made that happen. That was not an easy thing at all.”
Fumusa continud, “I told Steven the other day that I’ve done a lot of independent films, and I don’t think any of them has had the chance to be in that many theaters. This is a really big deal.”
“I’m really excited for Steven, and for all of us. I am also quite excited for the public to get to see it,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Sheepdog’
For fans and viewers, Fumusa remarked, “First and foremost, ‘Sheepdog’ is just very straightforwardly a reminder to check in with the people who have served this country so admirably and made so many incredible sacrifices.”
“We’ve got to take care of them when they come home. This is what this film is all about,” he underscored.
“If we can save one life with this movie, then we’ve done a great job,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Dominic Fumusa, follow him on Instagram.
