By TAYLOR VAN ARSDALE Special to the Daily Press
Nick Stahl looks wiped out. Adorable, but exhausted. When I meet him, he’s just finished a late lunch and has been through a full morning’s Q and A from the “darlings of the media” (and after spending time with my cohorts — I feel for Stahl), yet despite what must seem like a monotonous litany with every reporter, he is incredibly gracious and forthright and more than happy to discuss his role in “Sleepwalking.”
His character, James Reedy, is a complex man who has been beaten down (both literally and figuratively) during the course of his young life. When we meet Reedy, his mental state and lack of self esteem have him living in abject poverty, losing his job, and making choices that exacerbate this downward spiral.
“I’ve always been attracted to complicated characters,” explained Stahl. “There was a certain mystery about Reedy’s past, [about] where he came from, and why he was the way he was.”
It’s this complexity that Stahl taps into and drives his riveting performance.
The advent of Reedy’s niece, Tara (played by AnnaSophia Robb), and the predicament of being forced to care for her provide the catalyst that allows Reedy to finally confront his past.
“He gets the gift of courage from her, even if it’s on a more subconscious level, to seek some sort of redemption with his dad [played by Dennis Hopper], to make things right,” he said. “Inevitably he’s got to go back and face [his father], and see if things are still what they were, and if he remembers them correctly, which leads to his final confrontation.”
It’s not often you watch a film that culminates in an act of patricide where you actually feel pathos for the murderer. Stahl’s intense portrayal of this distraught young man is so visceral that his actions ultimately seem justifiable. At the end of the film, Stahl’s character, now wanted by the police, rides off down a long open road — choosing not to turn himself over to the authorities. When pressed if he really thought Reedy would get away with it, Stahl likens it to, “…a moment of clarity,” and even though we know, “He’ll probably end up in jail, he’ll be free,” because he’s freed himself from all the emotional pain.
The cast and crew spent a little over a month braving insanely cold weather, in the town of Regina, Saskatchewan. When Stahl says the name of the town, I think I’ve misunderstood, but he quickly clarifies, “It’s called Reg-eye-nuh.” I wince incredulously, and he nods, as if concurring with me — that neither of us understands why the Canadians would inflict this pronunciation on their town.
“That’s how they say it,” he said, with a laugh. One can only imagine the “joke mileage” the cast and crew were able to milk from this fair city’s name.
“The two main recreational spots were the mall, which was really kind of crappy,” Stahl added, “and the Casino.” At which he, Charlize Theron and the crew spent many a weekend night, gambling, bonding and letting off steam.
“In places likes this, you tend to have the most fun because there’s nothing to do.”
Born in Dallas, Texas, Stahl always loved acting and knew he’d make a living at it. He quickly landed roles in “The Man Without a Face,” “The Thin Red Line,” the HBO Series, “Carnivale” and my personal favorite, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” Stahl was five years old when the original “Terminator” was released.
“I’ve never been the biggest sci-fi fan and never was into the ‘Star Wars’ movies,” though he did see “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and of it said, “I thought it was amazing.”
Once he was cast, he watched all the films and “got a real understanding for the mythology behind the franchise.” Up until then, Stahl had never been a part of a movie close to that scope and scale.
“It was a really exciting time,” he added. When he’s not working, he writes, tries to stay creative and goes to movies. Stahl, now a Westside local, moved to Venice about two months ago.
“I lived in Santa Monica when I was 17, so this is my return to the Westside. I like the community... the beach, and you can walk places, like Abbott Kinney, which I love.”
“Sleepwalking” opens today.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 14, 2008. Read the original PDF.