Vanessa McMahon

ME: Hi David. Well, to be honest, you have so many projects going on...
can share with me which projects in the last year you are most proud of
and were maybe most challenging?

DAVID: The last two I did were pretty intense. In "Stricken" I played the
heroic lead, saving a young woman, played, masterfully, by my co lead
Stephanie Michelle French, from Demonic Possession. I play a good guy
1/3 of the time. Typically I'm a villain or antagonist....I must have a
dark side....soccer moms typically lock all 4 doors when they see me
approaching an intersection they're stopped at. "Stricken" is having
it's festival Premiere at the "Action on Film Festival" in Pasadena on
7/27. It's up for 4 awards. The director Matt Sconce and his crew made
it look like a 50 million dollar budgeted film. Then, conversely
I played a cannibal surgeon in another film,"POE", that I shot in L.A.,
which was demanding because we had to pack several days worth of
material into each shooting day. But I'd have to say it was alot of fun
in a different way than "Stricken" was since I always enjoy a role where
I can torture beautiful, scantily clad women and turn them into food
for the homeless. In "POE" I recruit Edgar Allen Poe's great great great
nephew to write my memoir...but he ends up rolling up his shirt sleeves
shall we say. The Role of Johnathan Poe was played by L.A. actor and
South African Star Name, Stelio Savante....and directed by Francis
Xavier. I'd have to say those are my favorites of the last year
since they are diametrically opposite characters, one virtuous and the
other diabolical. In "Stricken" we shot in a hospital ER where James
Dean is said to have actually died, as opposed to the one commonly
thought as where he expired.

ME: There seems to be a theme of thrillers you have worked on.

Is that the kind of genre you prefer?

DAVID:  I prefer 3 genres, Crime, Drama and Psyche Thriller/Horror....though I
have done some fairly broad comedy, most pointedly in "Her Minor Thing"
which aired on showtime and other pay stations over 100 times this year.
In that I'm opposite Estella Warren and Michael Weatherly of NCIS...as a
suave pickup artist...NOT, who hits on Estella in the Jacuzzi...gets
rejected....then later coincidentally picks her up in a cab and becomes
entangled in her issues.

ME: Do you have to travel a lot working on so many films in one year?

DAVID: Some years I travel more than others. One year recently I was in
Michigan, Illinois, New York State, Florida several times etc. Last year
I was in Florida, Oregon and then in alot of locations around
California. I do enjoy traveling. I always hope they get me a hotel with
a fitness center...to counteract all that craft services food and
catering.

ME: How did you get into acting?

DAVID: I first got into acting when I was 17 at the oldest rep in the country
where I took classes. Hedgerow repertory theater in Rose Valley Pa. Then
a year later did some experimental theater in cambridge mass. with a
group called the Cambridge ensemble. In 1978 I did some experimental
films in San Francisco then became an agent for 6 or so years ....during
which time I got teri hatcher her first SAG job and some gigs for Lisa
Rinna. I had alot of Comics on file then too....I believe I got bobby
goldthwait one of his first filmacting gigs on a short film by George
Lucas' Lawyer Howard Roffman. I also had Ellen Degeneres on file for a
while but couldn't get her any work. Then I went to l.a. and got my SAG
card in '88 but dropped out of the biz till the early 90's ...since then
I've been carving an underground niche like a little cave troll.

ME: Where do you want to see yourself in 5 years as an actor?

DAVID: I don't know where I'll be in 5 years. I'm hoping "Stricken" breaks out
since it's far superior to "Paranormal Activity", another demonic
possession film. Still it'd be weird to make a huge mark playing a
virtuous character since I'm darker than that. I have some interesting
3D films in Prepro but that's the next question.

ME: Is there anything about the ten films you have in pre and post production

you want to plug for us to look out for them?

DAVID: As far as films in Post....I'd say lookout for both "POE" and
"Stricken"....both star vehicles for me. In Prepro I'm very fond
of 2 three D films, one writtend and directed by Dean Yurke of
Lucasfilms, called "Golden" which is part of the production slate of
Kerner Studios ....a spin off company from Lucasfilms owned by
entrepeneur Eric Edmeades. The other 3D film is a so cal film called
"Rose", written and to be directed by best selling horror author John
Skipp. It's described as a Zombie Puppet Musical.

I'm also very eager to shoot a film by L.A. director, emmy winner and

Sundance Alum Jason Bognacki...it's called "The
BlackHeart" and is loosely connected to an award winning featurette I
starred in that he did called "The Red Door". It's another Star Vehicle
for me. Lastly I've been writing scripts since I've done some
rewrites on a few of my films. This led an actor to ask me to write a
crime film with limited locations and cast that I could do with him.
That film is entitled "The Slimming of Gordo Fat"...that one is
finished...I have a few others that I'm writing avocationally. I
think that's about it....probably left some things out but I'm busily
preparing to head to l.a. for my "Stricken" festival premiere. Oh and
for those in the UK or Ireland...Horror Channel on Sky Satellite and
Virgin Satellite tv has been airing my film "Lonely
Joe"....I play "Joe" opp my good friend and wonderful actress Erica
Leerhsen of "Blair Witch II" and the "Texas Chainsaw" remake by Marcus
Nispel. Oh, and Im also very proud of "Sensored" with robert picardo
available on amazon and going wide dvd later this summer.

ME: Thanks David. Super cool! World, look out for power actor, David Fine! :-)

Interview by Vanessa McMahon July 24, 2010

view hair-raising creepy trailer of Fine's latest film Stricken (2010) here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNACt7UxU1Y&feature=related