Film Review/Interview: Actor David Hyde Pierce on his new film The Perfect Host

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David Hyde Pierce plays the consummate host. His character, Warwick Wilson can whip up a dinner party for a small gathering of friends effortlessly. Table presentation is key, in addition to great food and wine. He prepares duck timed for serving at 8:30. Then a knock at the door changes everything. A criminal (Clayne Crawford) needs a place to hide as he’s just robbed a bank. He pretends to be Warwick’s niece’s friend whose been mugged and lost his luggage and needs to borrow the phone. What the does not know is that Warwick himself is dangerous. Warwick is a prominent detective.

As the movie unfolds you see how these two characters lives unfold and we get a glimpse as to how deceiving appearances can be. Directed by Australian director and co- writer Nick Tommy, it’s a slippery psychological thriller that exposes true human nature and reveals the lengths people will go to satisfy their needs.

 

 

Do you cook?

No.

Do you have dinner parties like your character Warwick in the movie?

No. You would think so but no.

The film was shot in 17 days how did you prepare?

I made sure I knew the script and called a friend who explained to me how indie films work and he said be sure you know the script really. well. Unlike a big budget film where you shoot a scene a day with an independent film you shoot 5 scenes a day. So you have to know the material ahead of time.

Your character is a detective and psychotic. Without giving the plot twists away, How did you also make him slightly charming and almost likeable?

Because I found reasons as to why he did the things he did and there was real need there. He just expresses himself differently. But his needs are not that much different than ours. For example the need to have friends. and not just sitting home alone with your things.

Helen Reddy (I am Woman) plays one of your friends that you imagine is attending one of your dinner parties at your fabulous LA home in the movie?

The director and she share the same manager. I recall Helen Reddy when she was actively performing in her career as this sexpot now she is a bit of an earth mother. She had a cameo and she was great. She has a nurturing with a really warm personality.

Why did you take a chance with a first time director?

I had been drinking. No it was that I really liked the script and obviously this is a character and incredible role for any actor to play.

The script provided you with what to get you signed up to play the lead?

If there is humour in the script I am always interested, especially if it is not heavy handed to the audience.

This started out as a short first then became a feature and grabbed you straight away?

Yes The script was really funny twisted, twisty and kept me interested.

Did you study a lot about multiple personality disorders?

Yes in his voice (then no in another voice). No actually I read a bit on hallucinating and delusions. But as an actor in general I could make an analogy that we are always playing different roles. Most of us have different elements of various people in our personalities. Every day we read about people in power of positions doing things that seem odd.

So you did no real preparation other than rehearsal before you started shooting?

No it was all on the page. Because it was so well written and of the course being so complex I had to keeping reading and re reading the script to find the motivation to his dark side. It was a great group we all trusted each other. There were no arguments we just did the work.

What is your next project?

I am going to direct my first independent film.

What’s it about?

It a musical comedy called It Should Have Been You.

Do you think you will do some theater again soon?

Yes a play called Close Up Space. It’s a new play and will be at the Manhattan Theater Club

The Perfect Host opens in theaters July 1.

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Cynthia Parsons McDaniel works as an artist in the mediums of video installation, collage and illustration and diorama. She recently attended the National Academy Museum & School in New York City for Drawing and Visual Story Telling and Monotype Printmaking. Her collages were shown in a group exhibition at the NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN. Other exhibitions Include CHESTERFIELD GALLERY, ART TAKES SOHO, TRIBECA ART + CULTURE NIGHT, SEEME + SCOPE ART FAIR + MIAMI ART BASEL + CHASHAMA GALA + ARMORY SHOW + GUILD HALL MEMBERS EXHIBITION EASTHAMPTON LI She is represented by the New York Museum of Contemporary Art in Manhattan. At the American Museum of Natural History she studied with the curator in charge of building and maintaining their DIORAMAS. She has written about design, film and theater for METROPOLIS, ELLE DECOR, IN STYLE, ELLE, DAILY NEWS, FASHION JOURNAL and NEWSWEEK. She has contributed to five books on design and film related subjects. She was nominated for an EMMY while a producer at NBC. She was head of pr and marketing at Cannon Films, New Line Cinema and VP Grammercy Pictures, then special projects editor at IN STYLE and Features Editor New York Daily News. McDaniel then went back to working with actors on MAD MEN, WEEDS AND 30 ROCK and doing personal publicity and creating Tony, Emmy, Grammy and Academy Award Campaigns. She has produced events and handled press including European Film Awards in Berlin, Cannes Film Festival Party at Hotel Du Cap, Sundance and Toronto Film Festival and Elton John's Oscar party, re-opening of the Hall of Mirrors and the Royal Opera House at Versailles and the Bob Hope Memorial Library Ellis Island. The short she produced was shown at both the Tribeca Film Festival and the London Film festival. She recently did props for Boardwalk Empire (HBO) including window displays using antiques She has wrote a one act play about early broadway called ZIGGY and created the props by hand using various antiques and paper techniques. She has worked on over 200 movies as studio executive and worked as unit publicist in ROME BERLIN LONDON BUDAPEST LOS ANGELES PARIS working with some renowned directors including Fellini, Wertmuller, Godard and The Coen Brothers just to name a few. She was the personal publicist for Daniel Day-Lewis, Carrie Fisher, Lauren Bacall, Matthew Modine, Jane Krakowski, Paul Bettany and many other gifted actors. She is a member of National Women Film Critics Circle. She contributes to the national Arts Express Syndicate Radio WBAI RADIO. She is currently writing a memoir. http://cynthiapmcdaniel.wix.com/home/ http://vimeo.com/user51648799/videos http://www.boxdioramas.com/cynthia-parsons-mcdaniel/

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