Acclaimed actor Kim Coates (“Sons of Anarchy”) chatted about his new film “Neon Lights,” which will be released on Demand and Digital on July 12, 2022, via Momentum Pictures.
Directed by Rouzbeh Heydari, Dana Abraham wrote the film and stars in “Neon Lights” alongside Brenna Coates (“Coroner”), Brit MacRae (“The Eden Theory”), Stephen Tracey (“Good Sam”), Rene Escobar, Jr. (“Air Crash Investigation”), Erika Swayze (“Workin’ Moms”), Lauren Howe (“Reacher”), and Kim Coates, who plays the role of Denver. “To inhabit the character of Denver was cool,” he admitted.
In “Neon Lights,” tech tycoon, Clay Amani (Dana Abraham), retreats to an off-the-grid location in search of meaning and peace, with disconnected siblings and their offspring, only to be caught in a bone-chilling killing spree within his new estate.
“It’s a psychological thriller and it’s a crazy little film about mental health,” he said. “It was cool to read the script knowing that Brenna was going to be in it. I read it three times and I finally grasped it and said ‘yes’ to it, and that was a really cool thing for me.”
“A movie like ‘Neon Lights’ gets to be seen on VOD and on all of these video streaming platforms. Without them, a lot of these little movies wouldn’t make any money and they wouldn’t be seen,” he said.
“Film festivals are very important for a movie like ‘Neon Lights’ because we get to go to film festivals, people can see it there, and we can talk about it. That’s why I love film festivals, and theaters are also opening up again,” he explained.
“This film is about mental health and you can learn a lot about it when you watch this movie. It’s very tough to watch but it won’t let you go. I think viewers and fans will be glad that they watched this movie,” he added.
Playing Tig in ‘Sons of Anarchy’
He played the iconic role of Tig Trager in “Sons of Anarchy.” “That was a crazy show, right? I did it for seven years, and everybody still gets along. It has been off the air for eight years, but when we all see one another and it’s like we’ve never left. We still enjoy hanging out with one another,” he said.
“That show was a big hit around the world,” he added.
‘Bad Blood’ film
For Coates, “Bad Blood” was a great experience, and he served as a co-producer. “When I got offered to play Declan in ‘Bad Blood,’ I made sure the scripts were going where I wanted them to go. I wanted to help find the character Vito Rizzuto and I did with Anthony LaPaglia with my good friend Mark Montefiore. We shot that film in Montreal so I have some pretty fond memories there, and ‘Bad Blood’ was a special project to be on,” he elaborated.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Coates said, “I’m F-ing Exhausted.”
Advice for hopefuls in entertainment
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “I don’t think there is any better time to be an artist than now. The world is such an uncertain and fragile place. If you want to be an actor, you need to take classes and you need to learn improv. You need to have your iPhone and write a little film and put it on your tripod and film yourself. Get a couple of actors in a room and shoot a little movie.”
“Do theater. If you have a spark, a little bit of talent, and a little bit of luck like I did, you are going to have a pretty good career,” he added.
Success
On his definition of success, Coates said, “To be happy at the end of the day and that you are a good person, and for people to keep offering you roles because you are talented, and when people talk nicely about you behind your back.”
