Chad Lowe has managed to kept a relatively low profile compaired to his older brother Rob.
Chad is far from an unknown however and is probably most recognized for his Emmy award winning portrayal
of an HIV positive teenager, in the ABC family drama Life Goes On. His 1997 marriage to Oscar
winner Hillary Swank has also helped keep the younger Lowe in the lime light.
Quiet Days in Hollywood is a sprawling tale following the lives of eight people
as they search for love, redemption, and meaning on the streets of Hollywood. It is far from
glitz and glamour however as both Chad and Hillary's characters explore the dark side of
Hollywood.
INTERVIEWER:
Growing up you were best friends with Charlie Sheen
and around a number of the brat packers like Emilio Estavez and Sean Penn. Did being
around these young actors influence you in your decision to become an actor?
CHAD LOWE:
Oh, yeah. Oh absolutely. I had the pleasure to get to know a lot of
really talented young actors before they even really hit it big. And yet what we all
had and shared in common was a love for movies. So, yeah, it certainly was.
INTERVIEWER:
Quiet Days in Hollywood has been in the can since
1997 but is now coming home to video this July. Could you tell us a little about the film?
CHAD LOWE:
It premiered at the Munich Film Festival I think in 98. Don't quote me on that I'm
not sure exactly when it did. And it was released in Germany and it played in some
countries in Europe. It has a very European feel to it.
I think what appealed to me about it was that it was this kind of different skewed
take on Hollywood as a place and as an industry and it had a very unique, almost
European perspective on that. I certainly thought that was interesting and that there
was some value in that.
Also the director, Joseph Resnig is a very passionate, unconventional filmmaker and
so I was very anxious to work with him. I think in many ways watching the film is
interesting for especially young kind of wannabe directors because in many ways he
is unconventional and the storytelling is unconventional. To me there is value in
that because so much of the movies we see are so formulaic and don't risk anything
that you at the end of the experience you feel like cheated in a way.
INTERVIEWER:
How accurate is this films' portrayal of Hollywood?
CHAD LOWE:
I think it is certainly exaggerated somewhat but I think
underneath it that there is a truth that runs throughout that is very
compelling and there is some truth and reality to it. I think there
is more truth and reality to it than there is exaggeration.
INTERVIEWER:
Quiet Days in Hollywood is the only feature
film you have done with you wife. Would you like work with her again if the opportunity
comes up?
CHAD LOWE:
Actually it's funny because we did we're in the same movie but we
never got to do scenes together. So, I still feel like we have yet to work together.
Sure, I would love to work with her. That would be great.
It was interesting to work on this to be working on the same film and having totally
different story lines. The film is really made of different vignettes that somehow
tie together. It was an interesting process because we were both working at different
times passing each other like ships passing in the night and sharing details of our
experience. It was interesting. It was as though we were working on two different movies.
INTERVIEWER:
What has been the most challenging role you've played?
CHAD LOWE:
I think each role has had different challenges. I did this role in
Life Goes On as an HIV positive character and so emotionally that was the most challenging.
It's hard to pick one role that is the most challenging because each one represents
its own set of challenges and sometimes those challenges you don't even realize until
you actually on the day you begin to start shooting the story and then you realize,
"Wow, maybe this isn't as easy of a character as I thought." That is certainly is
kind of the experience I had in Quiet Days in Hollywood.
NEXT PART >>
