An Interview With Dave Vescio of Gemini Rising
Guest Post by Sarah Solomon
Dave Vescio is an actor best known for playing the twisted villain in sci-fi movies. He goes above and beyond to emotionally connect with his character, and capture the dark persona on film.
His upcoming roles include an evil scientist in Gemini Rising, a DEA agent in Blood on the Border, and the supporting role in Showdown in Durango. In real life he seems to be a pretty nice guy.
How do you emotionally connect with your horror film characters?
I play the role of the villain in horror movies, and never forget that these people do exist in real life. If I do my job properly and play it as a real human being, then I’ ll scare the audience. I achieve this by playing the moment as truthfully as possible, and feel the same emotions my character. It s a necessary exercise if my character needs to be completely shattered. If I’m supposed to act scared, I’ ll think scary thoughts and go off script and do whatever is necessary to bring the character to life. Whenever I have to play an angry role it’ s not that difficult because I’ m ex-military.
After all is said and done, I hope the audience walks away disturbed enough to look out for themselves and their loved ones. There are horrible and villainous people out there, and we should always be reminded of that and look out for one another.
What is so appealing about playing the antagonist? Have you ever secretly wanted to play the hero?
When I first started acting, I wanted to play the hero…an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Charles Bronson type. But because of my appearance I’ ve always been cast as the villain. However, by playing the villain you’ re the hero of your own story, they don’ t regard themselves as the bad guy. You also have more leeway to do what you want in the film regardless of rules or boundaries. And the good guy usually can’ t curse whereas the villain is expected to.
What was your favorite role and why?
My favorite role was a comedic one. It comes easily to me, and the commercials I do are always comedic.
My least favorite role was playing a child molester- I had to go someplace I didn’t like to go, and I had to tell the story as truthfully as possible. It’ s very, very challenging to allow yourself to do this. It was imperative to make the audience believe this and scare them into being more inclined to keep an eye on their kids. It’ s sickening that these sort of things happen every day. The most challenging part of these roles is that when they’re completed successfully, they end up changing you as well.
What roles would you like to play in the future?
I would like to participate in a movie that would make AFI’s top 100 list, something along the caliber of Jaws or Psycho. I would like to be part of a great story that’ s never been told before.
Have you ever been to Philadelphia?
Yes, I’ m actually from Somerset PA.
With all the sci-fi movies you appear in, do you consider yourself a geek or purely a victim of circumstance?
When I was younger I was definitely the geeky kid, and tended to get picked on. Now I think it’s a lot of fun to play a geeky role, and in the end isn’t it the geeks that run everything?
