Actor Matt Dallas (“Kyle XY” and “Shoulder Dance”) chatted about starring in the new film “Sheepdog,” which will be in theaters on Friday, January 16th.
The movie was written and directed by Steven Grayhm.
Dallas stars alongside Steven Grayhm, Emmy nominee Vondie Curtis Hall, Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen, SAG Award nominee Dominic Fumusa, and Tony nominee Lilli Cooper.
The synopsis is: Decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole (Steven Grayhm) is court ordered into treatment and into the care of a VA trauma therapist in-training.
Things become even more complicated when Calvin’s father-in-law and a retired Vietnam Veteran Whitney St. Germain (played by Vondie Curtis Hall), shows up on his doorstep having just been released from prison.
As Calvin’s plan to run from his past becomes even more challenging, he learns through the support of his community: tough love and compassion, that he must put himself back together again for his family – and for himself.
‘Sheepdog’ experience
On being a part of “Sheepdog,” Dallas exclaimed, “It’s so exciting! After 14 years of working on this project and all leading up to this moment, it’s nerve-wracking, but also exciting that we are finally able to bring this story out into the world this week.”
Playing Darryl in ‘Sheepdog’
Dallas was drawn to playing Darryl for several reasons. “What I love about Darryl is one of the sadder things about him. Darryl is somebody that really does smile through the pain,” he said.
“What I love about him so much is that he does lead with love,” Dallas noted. “Darryl is somebody who just wakes up every morning and wants to make everybody happy and just wants to spread some joy and love into the people around him.”
Working with Steven Grayhm
On working with Steven Grayhm, Dallas remarked, “It’s interesting because for so many years, we’ve been working on this project since 2011.”
“We’ve been researching and developing the project. We’ve spent three months crammed into a tiny car together and sharing hotel rooms and hotel room beds. So, we became brothers from another mother, and it was interesting leading up to it,” Dallas elaborated.
“To work with him as a director, I think was a real gift because I could see the gentleness that he approached the script, as well as the care, the thoroughness and the thoughtfulness. Everything had so much thought and care put into it… to every tiny little detail,” he explained.
“Then, once we stepped onto set, it was really a continuation of our friendship and our working partnership. Everything was quite seamless,” he added.
Lessons learned from the ‘Sheepdog’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, Dallas shared, “I think a lot of what I’ve taken away from the screenplay — and just the stories that were shared with us over the years — is the journey of healing and growth.
“Everybody knows the term Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) but our film really has a focus on post-traumatic growth,” he said.
“I think that really is a powerful message that has stuck with me… being able to hold your trauma or whatever your trauma is and to do the work and to grow and come out on the other side as a stronger person; I think is a really powerful message,” he elaborated.
“I think that anybody that has worked on this project or seen this project, there is something that they can take away,” he noted.
Dallas on the hug between Calvin and Darryl — the need to check on our veteran brothers
One of the most poignant moments was the hug between Calvin and Darryl, which resonated with many people that have seen the movie thus far (especially for the need to check on our veteran brothers and their mental health).
“That hug just lingers a little too long. Especially having seen the movie and knowing when it’s coming, it is quite a powerful moment,” Dallas elaborated.
“As a backdrop of this film, the town that we shot it in is very rich in symbolism throughout,” he noted.
“I think it really does play a character. I mean everything from the colors, the color schemes, the water, the snow, the bleakness in the beginning and the hope,” he added.
New York premiere in Manhattan at AMC Empire 25 in Times Square
Dallas recalled being a part of the New York premiere in Manhattan at AMC Empire 25 in Times Square, which followed with a Q & A with some of the cast members, producers, and filmmakers. “That was so exciting,” he exclaimed. “I mean, I love New York City. There’s always a part of me that wishes that I’d live there at some point.”
“Every time I go and visit, I come home and I tell my husband Blue, ‘how do you feel about moving to Manhattan?’ Then, we’ll fantasize about it for a while,” he said.
“It was exciting to have some of my friends in the city come out, and to be able to share in this experience with them was really special. I love New York City, so I’m always excited to be there,” Dallas elaborated.
‘Shoulder Dance’ vs. ‘Sheepdog’
Dallas previously starred in the critically-acclaimed film “Shoulder Dance,” which was written and directed by Jay Arnold.
“That was a completely different film,” he admitted. “It was very different. I definitely that Darryl brings some comedic relief to ‘Sheepdog,’ but my character Ira is a very different character.”
“Both Darryl and Ira are very grounded in truth, physically and emotionally. Even when we approached ‘Shoulder Dance,’ this story was so big and just chaotic,” he noted.
“What I liked about both characters is that they were grounded in truth,” Dallas reiterated. “‘Sheepdog’ is definitely a different kind of story, indeed.”
Message for the fans
For the fans and viewers, Dallas underscored, “I think the biggest message is… for anybody who is in the military, or a veteran, or anybody who has been touched by trauma in their lives, you are not alone and you matter.”
“Beyond that, it takes a village,” he admitted. “These men and women go and they fight for our freedoms, and when they come home, it is part of our responsibility to provide them with support, or even just a conversation, or a simple question such as ‘how are you doing?'”
“Also, just being there for them, even if it just means listening,” Dallas concluded.
For more information on actor Matt Dallas, follow him on Instagram.
To learn more about “Sheepdog,” visit its official website and Instagram page.
Read More: “Sheepdog” review.
