1. How did you get started acting in films?
I met Jim Haggerty while we were working together in the
music business in the 90’s. It was a great time for the music
industry. There were huge selling acts in so many genres –
grunge, metal, hip-hop, punk-pop, rap-metal, bubblegum pop –
and this was before illegal file sharing and later itunes turned
the business on its head. The economy was booming and
people were buying a lot of CDs. Of course, music business
employees were still paid crap salaries, but we were showered
with VIP passes and open bars and we all took full
advantage.
One night at a going away party for a friend and colleague
that was moving to London things got a bit wild and
debaucherous and I was at the center of the antics. At one
point Jim turned to me, gave me a funny look, and said that
he was making a movie and asked if I would like to be in it.
It sounded cool to me and a week or so later I was at his
apartment in Queens ready to shoot an alien movie. Jim had
covered his daughter’s entire bedroom in tin-foil so it would look like the inside of a spaceship. As I
remember, it was supposed to be a short film, but either way the project got scrapped because the lead
actress just stopped showing up and rather than re-cast the role and start from scratch, Jim was ready to move
on to other things.
Shortly after that, Jim let me know that he wanted to make a slasher film and asked if I would like to play a
cop. Once again, it sounded cool to me. It wasn’t until I got the script that I realized I had the lead role in a
full-length film. I really had no friggin’ clue as to what I was getting myself into…
2. How much preparation goes into your roles – is there a specific method of getting to know the character of
does it come naturally?
In the beginning, the most honest answer would be not much preparation at all! That, of course, has
changed, and although I favor a natural and instinctual style, I do put work and preparation into my roles.
The process is always changing and I hope improving. Working with Jim has given me, for better or worse,
the opportunity to learn about acting for film while acting for film.
I don’t have any formal acting training, so there is no specific method I use to get to know a character. When
I get a script, I read it thoroughly until I have a good understanding of the story and what my character is
going through and feeling and how he relates to the other characters throughout the film and in each
particular scene. I try to create the character in my mind and think about what makes him tick and what his
life is like even when the audience isn’t watching him.
Then, I make sure I learn the dialogue perfectly. Jim gives actors a good amount of space to improvise and
add their own things to the character, but I find that knowing the script cold as it was originally written
actually helps in stretching out because you always know where to land in order to not throw off your fellow
actors and the crew. This is a lesson I unfortunately had to learn the hard way!
In Jim’s movies, there is no time for rehearsal, so you have to be ready
to jump right in when the camera’s start to roll. So, I arrive on set
knowing my character, knowing my lines and understanding the script
and when the time comes I just do my best to react to the other actors
in a natural way and tell the story.
3. You have had roles, usually leading roles, in “The Slasher”, “I Dream
of Dracula”, “Grave Danger”, “Witchmaster General”, “From the
Inside”, and the now-in-production “Is This a Joke”, making you the
only actor to appear in all of Jim Haggerty’s films. Can you discuss
the chemistry you and Jim have?
Jim and I are friends. So, I feel very comfortable working with him, and although we get work done, there is
a lot of joking around. Jim is a very funny guy, (he’s actually done standup), and he always keeps me
laughing. Sometimes the jokes on set are at my expense, but I don’t mind at all because it’s never mean
spirited, and I occasionally come back with a few zingers of my own. Also, I’d like to think that the banter
puts all the other actors at ease – especially the ones who are newer to the Haggerty experience.
In movies, time is money and there is never enough of either. Everyone works hard, and Yellow Ape runs
more like a well oiled machine all the time. However, as serious as you take things, there should always be a
sense of fun and play. In a sense, we are all just a bunch of overgrown kids playing an advanced game of
make believe. Between Jim and I, no matter how stressful things can get, that aspect of movie making is
never lost. Some guys meet up with their buddies and play softball, shoot pool, or work on cars. Jim and I
make movies.
4. This year marks the tenth anniversary of you and Jim collaborating on your first film “The Slasher.” What
do you remember about that experience and did you ever expect that ten years later you guys would still be
at it?
I mostly remember how it felt like we were just flying by the seat of our pants. Jim had written a script, and
the idea was to just get together and go for it. As far as I could tell, Jim didn’t write the script with locations,
budget, casting, or resources in mind. So, we were just improvising and making do the whole time.
I remember driving all over Queens and Long Island in Jim’s biggole black hoopdie that he was driving at the
time. The car seemed to be held together by duct tape and it must have gotten around 6 blocks to the gallon.
It was huge and able to fit all our equipment, special effects, costumes, and most of the cast with room to
spare. It was also a convincing car to use as the vehicle that the two detectives in the film drove – it was a
real “Columbo” kind of car. We would just pull up to a “location”, jump out, and start shooting as fast as we
could before the cops and security would show up asking for a permit that we of course didn’t have.
There wasn’t much of a production schedule, and we would all show
up at a certain time and just film what we could, when we could. We
were learning on the fly. I certainly didn’t know what the hell I was
doing, and I didn’t do much to prepare for the role. Communication
wasn’t all that good. It wasn’t until halfway through filming that Jim
and I realized that we had different ideas of how I should be playing
my character. Some people who have seen the film have noted that
there is a certain point where my acting improves. That is where Jim
finally gave me some direction!
I never thought that we would be at it ten years later. I honestly
didn’t necessarily fully expect to ever complete the first movie!
5. How have things changed since those early days?
A LOT has changed since the early days. What has stayed the same is the independent spirit, the dedication
to the old school “midnight movie” style, that Jim is still directing and that I am still around. Aside from that,
it seems like almost EVERYTHING has changed.
Things are now WAY more organized. Jim has a great production team behind him these days, and that
keeps things moving both on and off the set. There is a well thought out shooting schedule – so when actors
get a call time, they can be assured that they will be doing some work that day. Jim is a much smarter writer
now – and all scripts are written with the availability of locations, actors, and other resources in mind. All in
all, Jim has gone from being a guy who decided to make a movie and just figuring things out along the way
to being the head of a tight little midnight movie production company.
6. You’ve gotten a lot of good critical notice for your work in the recently released “Grave Danger”, is this
your favorite film you’ve made so far?
Not necessarily. It was my first time back working with Jim in a few years. I had been involved with other
things, and hadn’t done any acting since I had filmed “From the Inside” with Jim. So, I felt like I was trying to
re-find my footing in front of the camera while shooting “Grave Danger”. Quite frankly, I remember being on
set and feeling like I could have worked harder and smarter on my preparation. Working with Rebecca Rose
McCain was great, but I was also worried that I wasn’t up to snuff. So, I was very, very pleasantly surprised to
find that people liked my performance.
Yellow Ape really came together through the making of “Grave Danger”. So, there was an overall feeling of
everyone getting acquainted and re-acquainted with one another and the whole process – at least from my
perspective. I look at “Grave Danger” as something that gave us a glimpse of what we are capable of. It
gave us an energized and optimistic view of the future, and that is what makes it special.
I think that “Witchmaster General” is the first full-fledged Yellow Ape movie. The team was fully formed from
its inception, and it is just a big improvement in every aspect. I have a
very small role in it, and it was mostly comedy relief, but regardless of
that, I’m happy with my performance and the whole film. Although I am
not personally getting the kind of reviews I got with “Grave Danger”, the
movie itself is being received better and that is honestly what I am most
proud of.
We’re filming a straight-up comedy right now, and because comedy is
so subjective, I have no idea how it will go over with audiences, but
regardless, this is the most fun I’ve had in the making of a movie!
7. How much fun is it on the set of a Jim Haggerty movie?
It’s a hell of a lot of fun!!! I must say that as things get more organized, it becomes more fun all the time.
Making movies with Jim is always a good time, but now that he has some more experience and a good team
behind him, things are less stressful, and much more gets done in a shorter amount of time. We move at a
faster pace now, and that helps keep enthusiasm up and performances fresh. A good feeling of creative
accomplishment and anti-Hollywood independence permeates the atmosphere. I simply wouldn’t put in all
the time and effort if I wasn’t having a fun doing it.
8. Jim Haggerty has said on many occasions that he's seen you grow tremendously and consistently as an
actor from "The Slasher" onward. How much more comfortable have you become with your acting?
My confidence and comfort in front of the cameras has grown a lot. Jim’s confidence in me is a huge factor in
this. He has actually had a lot more faith in my acting abilities than I have.
The so called “lost” movie in the Haggerty collection, “From the Inside”, was actually the first movie where
Jim really took on a formal production crew, had an organized shooting schedule, etc. He also went out and
hired professional actors, and scheduled auditions and readings for the casting rather that just getting his
“creative type” friends to act.
There was still low pay, but there were plenty of people who wanted to do the film because they liked the
script. There were actors who were new to New York, and experienced stage actors who were looking to
transition into film. They were all serious actors with formal training who had gone through an audition
process to get their roles. And then there was me. Needless to say, I was friggin’ petrified. I was so
intimidated that I even tried to back out of the project. Jim wasn’t having it. “No, you’re my guy!!!”, he
yelled. It’s hard to argue with him when he gets like that.
I haven’t seen the movie, so I have no idea how things came out, but I didn’t get laughed off the set, which
was good enough for me. Since then, every time Jim raises the bar, I just do what I can to step up to the
challenge. When someone you respect puts his trust in you, you do your best to not let him down.
9. In the ten years you’ve been making films, there must have been
some pretty funny stories – give us one.
You mean I haven’t already?
There really are so many – but mostly they are jokes that are
spontaneously made on set. One story would be the wig story. My
character in “I Dream of Dracula” was Roger, an over-the-top
stereotypical sleaze bag. Gold chains, tasteless shirts, cheesy
moustache, the works. I had shaved my head shortly before Jim
contacted me about the role. When I showed up to a reading with a
skinhead ‘do, he was not pleased. Jim had pictured me slicking my
hair back to top off the look. I argued that I knew plenty of scumbags with shaved heads. Much to my
chagrin, Jim was not convinced and it was decided that I would wear a wig for the role. Of course there was
no budget for a convincing looking wig, so a cheap Halloween costume wig was picked up from a hobby shop
or maybe a drug store. It looked awful, ridiculous, totally fake, and quite funny to everyone on set besides
myself. It was then decided that the cheap, obvious wig would be a part of my character, and that I would
constantly adjust it as a running gag throughout the film. I thought it was silly and too much and I didn’t want
to do it, but Jim talked, or rather bullied me into it.
Then someone had the brilliant idea that if would be a great sight gag if I let my hair grow in as much as
possible before filming, and that on the day of the shoot I would shave the front and top of my head down to
the skin so that it would like I was truly balding and had a horseshoe when the wig was removed. At that
point, I was in too deep to argue, so I went with it.
I thought the wig thing was a total fiasco and I went along with it pretty reluctantly. However, when the
reviews for the movie came out, a lot of folks really liked the wig gag. At least one reviewer absolutely raved
about it, and went so far as to publicly ask for a re-appearance of the wig in future films.
Perhaps some actors would not be happy having their performance overshadowed by a silly dime store prop.
I’m personally happy if anyone enjoys a movie I’m in for just about any reason. Since then, I don’t argue with
Jim on set as much…..
10. In closing, how long do you plan to be a mainstay on the Yellow Ape film sets?
For as long as they’ll have me! If Yellow Ape calls, I will answer.
I met Jim Haggerty while we were working together in the
music business in the 90’s. It was a great time for the music
industry. There were huge selling acts in so many genres –
grunge, metal, hip-hop, punk-pop, rap-metal, bubblegum pop –
and this was before illegal file sharing and later itunes turned
the business on its head. The economy was booming and
people were buying a lot of CDs. Of course, music business
employees were still paid crap salaries, but we were showered
with VIP passes and open bars and we all took full
advantage.
One night at a going away party for a friend and colleague
that was moving to London things got a bit wild and
debaucherous and I was at the center of the antics. At one
point Jim turned to me, gave me a funny look, and said that
he was making a movie and asked if I would like to be in it.
It sounded cool to me and a week or so later I was at his
apartment in Queens ready to shoot an alien movie. Jim had
covered his daughter’s entire bedroom in tin-foil so it would look like the inside of a spaceship. As I
remember, it was supposed to be a short film, but either way the project got scrapped because the lead
actress just stopped showing up and rather than re-cast the role and start from scratch, Jim was ready to move
on to other things.
Shortly after that, Jim let me know that he wanted to make a slasher film and asked if I would like to play a
cop. Once again, it sounded cool to me. It wasn’t until I got the script that I realized I had the lead role in a
full-length film. I really had no friggin’ clue as to what I was getting myself into…
2. How much preparation goes into your roles – is there a specific method of getting to know the character of
does it come naturally?
In the beginning, the most honest answer would be not much preparation at all! That, of course, has
changed, and although I favor a natural and instinctual style, I do put work and preparation into my roles.
The process is always changing and I hope improving. Working with Jim has given me, for better or worse,
the opportunity to learn about acting for film while acting for film.
I don’t have any formal acting training, so there is no specific method I use to get to know a character. When
I get a script, I read it thoroughly until I have a good understanding of the story and what my character is
going through and feeling and how he relates to the other characters throughout the film and in each
particular scene. I try to create the character in my mind and think about what makes him tick and what his
life is like even when the audience isn’t watching him.
Then, I make sure I learn the dialogue perfectly. Jim gives actors a good amount of space to improvise and
add their own things to the character, but I find that knowing the script cold as it was originally written
actually helps in stretching out because you always know where to land in order to not throw off your fellow
actors and the crew. This is a lesson I unfortunately had to learn the hard way!
In Jim’s movies, there is no time for rehearsal, so you have to be ready
to jump right in when the camera’s start to roll. So, I arrive on set
knowing my character, knowing my lines and understanding the script
and when the time comes I just do my best to react to the other actors
in a natural way and tell the story.
3. You have had roles, usually leading roles, in “The Slasher”, “I Dream
of Dracula”, “Grave Danger”, “Witchmaster General”, “From the
Inside”, and the now-in-production “Is This a Joke”, making you the
only actor to appear in all of Jim Haggerty’s films. Can you discuss
the chemistry you and Jim have?
Jim and I are friends. So, I feel very comfortable working with him, and although we get work done, there is
a lot of joking around. Jim is a very funny guy, (he’s actually done standup), and he always keeps me
laughing. Sometimes the jokes on set are at my expense, but I don’t mind at all because it’s never mean
spirited, and I occasionally come back with a few zingers of my own. Also, I’d like to think that the banter
puts all the other actors at ease – especially the ones who are newer to the Haggerty experience.
In movies, time is money and there is never enough of either. Everyone works hard, and Yellow Ape runs
more like a well oiled machine all the time. However, as serious as you take things, there should always be a
sense of fun and play. In a sense, we are all just a bunch of overgrown kids playing an advanced game of
make believe. Between Jim and I, no matter how stressful things can get, that aspect of movie making is
never lost. Some guys meet up with their buddies and play softball, shoot pool, or work on cars. Jim and I
make movies.
4. This year marks the tenth anniversary of you and Jim collaborating on your first film “The Slasher.” What
do you remember about that experience and did you ever expect that ten years later you guys would still be
at it?
I mostly remember how it felt like we were just flying by the seat of our pants. Jim had written a script, and
the idea was to just get together and go for it. As far as I could tell, Jim didn’t write the script with locations,
budget, casting, or resources in mind. So, we were just improvising and making do the whole time.
I remember driving all over Queens and Long Island in Jim’s biggole black hoopdie that he was driving at the
time. The car seemed to be held together by duct tape and it must have gotten around 6 blocks to the gallon.
It was huge and able to fit all our equipment, special effects, costumes, and most of the cast with room to
spare. It was also a convincing car to use as the vehicle that the two detectives in the film drove – it was a
real “Columbo” kind of car. We would just pull up to a “location”, jump out, and start shooting as fast as we
could before the cops and security would show up asking for a permit that we of course didn’t have.
There wasn’t much of a production schedule, and we would all show
up at a certain time and just film what we could, when we could. We
were learning on the fly. I certainly didn’t know what the hell I was
doing, and I didn’t do much to prepare for the role. Communication
wasn’t all that good. It wasn’t until halfway through filming that Jim
and I realized that we had different ideas of how I should be playing
my character. Some people who have seen the film have noted that
there is a certain point where my acting improves. That is where Jim
finally gave me some direction!
I never thought that we would be at it ten years later. I honestly
didn’t necessarily fully expect to ever complete the first movie!
5. How have things changed since those early days?
A LOT has changed since the early days. What has stayed the same is the independent spirit, the dedication
to the old school “midnight movie” style, that Jim is still directing and that I am still around. Aside from that,
it seems like almost EVERYTHING has changed.
Things are now WAY more organized. Jim has a great production team behind him these days, and that
keeps things moving both on and off the set. There is a well thought out shooting schedule – so when actors
get a call time, they can be assured that they will be doing some work that day. Jim is a much smarter writer
now – and all scripts are written with the availability of locations, actors, and other resources in mind. All in
all, Jim has gone from being a guy who decided to make a movie and just figuring things out along the way
to being the head of a tight little midnight movie production company.
6. You’ve gotten a lot of good critical notice for your work in the recently released “Grave Danger”, is this
your favorite film you’ve made so far?
Not necessarily. It was my first time back working with Jim in a few years. I had been involved with other
things, and hadn’t done any acting since I had filmed “From the Inside” with Jim. So, I felt like I was trying to
re-find my footing in front of the camera while shooting “Grave Danger”. Quite frankly, I remember being on
set and feeling like I could have worked harder and smarter on my preparation. Working with Rebecca Rose
McCain was great, but I was also worried that I wasn’t up to snuff. So, I was very, very pleasantly surprised to
find that people liked my performance.
Yellow Ape really came together through the making of “Grave Danger”. So, there was an overall feeling of
everyone getting acquainted and re-acquainted with one another and the whole process – at least from my
perspective. I look at “Grave Danger” as something that gave us a glimpse of what we are capable of. It
gave us an energized and optimistic view of the future, and that is what makes it special.
I think that “Witchmaster General” is the first full-fledged Yellow Ape movie. The team was fully formed from
its inception, and it is just a big improvement in every aspect. I have a
very small role in it, and it was mostly comedy relief, but regardless of
that, I’m happy with my performance and the whole film. Although I am
not personally getting the kind of reviews I got with “Grave Danger”, the
movie itself is being received better and that is honestly what I am most
proud of.
We’re filming a straight-up comedy right now, and because comedy is
so subjective, I have no idea how it will go over with audiences, but
regardless, this is the most fun I’ve had in the making of a movie!
7. How much fun is it on the set of a Jim Haggerty movie?
It’s a hell of a lot of fun!!! I must say that as things get more organized, it becomes more fun all the time.
Making movies with Jim is always a good time, but now that he has some more experience and a good team
behind him, things are less stressful, and much more gets done in a shorter amount of time. We move at a
faster pace now, and that helps keep enthusiasm up and performances fresh. A good feeling of creative
accomplishment and anti-Hollywood independence permeates the atmosphere. I simply wouldn’t put in all
the time and effort if I wasn’t having a fun doing it.
8. Jim Haggerty has said on many occasions that he's seen you grow tremendously and consistently as an
actor from "The Slasher" onward. How much more comfortable have you become with your acting?
My confidence and comfort in front of the cameras has grown a lot. Jim’s confidence in me is a huge factor in
this. He has actually had a lot more faith in my acting abilities than I have.
The so called “lost” movie in the Haggerty collection, “From the Inside”, was actually the first movie where
Jim really took on a formal production crew, had an organized shooting schedule, etc. He also went out and
hired professional actors, and scheduled auditions and readings for the casting rather that just getting his
“creative type” friends to act.
There was still low pay, but there were plenty of people who wanted to do the film because they liked the
script. There were actors who were new to New York, and experienced stage actors who were looking to
transition into film. They were all serious actors with formal training who had gone through an audition
process to get their roles. And then there was me. Needless to say, I was friggin’ petrified. I was so
intimidated that I even tried to back out of the project. Jim wasn’t having it. “No, you’re my guy!!!”, he
yelled. It’s hard to argue with him when he gets like that.
I haven’t seen the movie, so I have no idea how things came out, but I didn’t get laughed off the set, which
was good enough for me. Since then, every time Jim raises the bar, I just do what I can to step up to the
challenge. When someone you respect puts his trust in you, you do your best to not let him down.
9. In the ten years you’ve been making films, there must have been
some pretty funny stories – give us one.
You mean I haven’t already?
There really are so many – but mostly they are jokes that are
spontaneously made on set. One story would be the wig story. My
character in “I Dream of Dracula” was Roger, an over-the-top
stereotypical sleaze bag. Gold chains, tasteless shirts, cheesy
moustache, the works. I had shaved my head shortly before Jim
contacted me about the role. When I showed up to a reading with a
skinhead ‘do, he was not pleased. Jim had pictured me slicking my
hair back to top off the look. I argued that I knew plenty of scumbags with shaved heads. Much to my
chagrin, Jim was not convinced and it was decided that I would wear a wig for the role. Of course there was
no budget for a convincing looking wig, so a cheap Halloween costume wig was picked up from a hobby shop
or maybe a drug store. It looked awful, ridiculous, totally fake, and quite funny to everyone on set besides
myself. It was then decided that the cheap, obvious wig would be a part of my character, and that I would
constantly adjust it as a running gag throughout the film. I thought it was silly and too much and I didn’t want
to do it, but Jim talked, or rather bullied me into it.
Then someone had the brilliant idea that if would be a great sight gag if I let my hair grow in as much as
possible before filming, and that on the day of the shoot I would shave the front and top of my head down to
the skin so that it would like I was truly balding and had a horseshoe when the wig was removed. At that
point, I was in too deep to argue, so I went with it.
I thought the wig thing was a total fiasco and I went along with it pretty reluctantly. However, when the
reviews for the movie came out, a lot of folks really liked the wig gag. At least one reviewer absolutely raved
about it, and went so far as to publicly ask for a re-appearance of the wig in future films.
Perhaps some actors would not be happy having their performance overshadowed by a silly dime store prop.
I’m personally happy if anyone enjoys a movie I’m in for just about any reason. Since then, I don’t argue with
Jim on set as much…..
10. In closing, how long do you plan to be a mainstay on the Yellow Ape film sets?
For as long as they’ll have me! If Yellow Ape calls, I will answer.
| Jae in "Grave Danger" |
Jae Mosc
| Jae in "Witchmaster General" |
| Jae in "Witchmaster General" |
| Jae in "Is This a Joke?" |