Acclaimed Australian actor Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood”) chatted about his new horror film “Glorious,” which premiered on August 18 on Shudder.
‘Glorious’
The thriller “Glorious” was written by Todd Rigney, Joshua Hull, and David Ian McKendry, and it was directed by Rebekah McKendry, a filmmaker, genre journalist, and celebrated podcast host. “Glorious was one of the greatest experiences of my working life,” he said. “One of the reasons that I got into the business and I continue to stay in the business is there is such a beautiful and talented collection of people that are involved in a project like this.”
“For this film, you had a small crew that did a lot of work. The work looks like it was done by a crew 10 times that size. You had one person doing the job of three departments and that’s really inspiring. That reminds me of just how good humans can be when they put their heads together and work towards a common goal. In this movie, it happened to be a crazy, crazy movie like ‘Glorious’,” he elaborated.
“Shudder has a great history of picking some really interesting content,” he added. “The fact that they have been behind this film from the get-go has been huge. I hope the fans of Shudder will dig this little movie of ours called ‘Glorious’.”
The synopsis is as follows: Spiraling out after a bad breakup, Wes (Ryan Kwanten) ends up at a remote rest stop miles away from civilization. His situation worsens after he finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure (Oscar winner J.K. Simmons) speaking to him from an adjacent stall.
As Wes tries to escape, he finds himself an unwilling player in a situation bigger and more terrible than he could possibly imagine.
“I would work with Rebekah McKendry again in a heartbeat, and the same holds true for J.K. Simmons,” he admitted. “My first conversation with Rebekah was seamless and easy. It felt like we worked together a bunch of times before. She knew the project like the back of her hand. She was so utterly prepared, and that for me, is a big thing, especially for an indie movie like this where you have a limited amount of time.”
“J.K. Simmons is a Hollywood heavyweight for sure, he was already on board on this movie before I was even attached to it. He was very gracious with his time and he was nothing short of incredible. J.K. really believed in this movie,” he said.
“This is a horror movie but we are having a lot of fun. There is humor to be had,” he said. “It’s a movie that you haven’t seen before, it’s an original of a movie that I can think of.”
‘Section 8’
He is also looking forward to “Section 8,” which will be released in theaters and on AMC+ on September 23, 2022. It was written by Chad Law and Josh Ridgway, and it was directed by Christian Sesma. “I am really excited about this film too,” he said. “We had a great cast with Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, and Dermot Mulroney.”
In “Section 8,” after avenging the murder of his wife and child, a former soldier is sent to prison with a life sentence. He’s given a shot at freedom when a shadow government agency recruits him for an off-the-books assignment, and he soon realizes Section 8 isn’t what it seems.
‘True Blood’
He recalled “True Blood” as an “amazing experience” since it involved eight years of his life. “That show completely changed my life in many incredible ways,” he said.
‘Summerland’
Kwanten noted that the 2000s TV drama series “Summerland” was his “breakthrough role in the United States.”
He praised actor Shawn Christian, who worked with him in “Summerland.” “Shawn is such a lovely guy,” he said. “I actually miss Shawn a lot.”
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Kwanten said, “It’s very strange, I feel fortunate that I have had my career before the digital age, so I know who I was and where I was going before the digital world. I am pretty much on the outskirts of what I need to be doing from a posting standpoint. As little as I can do, the better for me.”
Alternate career choices
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to be themselves. “The reason behind a part of my success is that I bring a sliver of who I am into everything that I do. If actors and actresses can do that, then there is a way that they can do something that nobody else is doing because what is have is unique and beautiful,” he said.
If he weren’t in the entertainment industry, he would have been either a lawyer or a triathlete as his alternate career choice.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “Baz.”
He acknowledged that there were many moments in his career that helped define him.
‘Home and Away’ soap opera
Being a former soap actor, who appeared in the Australian daytime drama “Home and Away” from 1997 until 2002, he praised the experience and training that he received on that set. “It was great,” he recalled. “It definitely helped my film fitness. You can learn a decent amount of information in a short amount of time, and then forget it, and move on to the next step. For me, it was a wonderful stomping ground.”
Superpower
“I would love to be able to hold my breath immeasurably underwater,” he said about his desired superpower. “I just love the mystery of the ocean. That, for me, is something I would love to explore more.”
Dream acting partner
Kwanten listed the late but great Paul Newman as his dream acting partner. He listed the Australian thriller “Van Diemen’s Land” as one of my favorite films. “It’s a pretty crazy movie but if you like ‘Glorious,’ you may like ‘Van Diemens’ Land.’ It’s incredible,” he said.
Favorite motto to live by
His favorite motto to live by is the following Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” “I’ve always loved this quote, that has been a life quote of mine,” he said.
Success
He defined the word success as follows: “Honestly, still being able to smile at the end of the day.” “Success is something as simple as that, it is not based on money or any altruistic endeavor,,” he said.
