Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Movies | Tagged: Believe Entertainment, Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, exclusive, interview, Jordan Belfi, Nefarious, Sean Patrick Flannery

Nefarious: Jordan Belfi on Supernatural Thriller, Flannery & More

Jordan Belfi (Entourage) talks to Bleeding Cool about this latest supernatural thriller in Nefarious, co-star Sean Patrick Flannery & more.

Jordan Belfi has been one of the more reliable TV presences on screen, mostly guest starring on several shows throughout his career. Some of his early work includes Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, and Smallville. With his biggest signature work on HBO's Entourage in a recurring role, he's continued his run on several high-profile TV shows, including the Magnum P.I. remake, The Good Doctor, The Resident, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and most recently, a recurring role on The CW's All American. Belfi spoke to Bleeding Cool about his latest supernatural thriller Nefarious, his co-star Sean Patrick Flannery, his life-changing event, and how the shooting of the film compares to his work on episodic television. The film follows Dr. James Martin (Belfi), who must conduct a last-minute court-ordered evaluation on a convicted serial killer (Flannery) after the previous doctor's mysterious death.

Nefarious: A Cerebral Chess Match

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Nefarious?'
Belfi: The movie is complex, rich, complicated, and had a thrilling script. When you're coming from my side as an actor that you look for, it boils down to a two-man movie, and you live for those roles. Those kinds of roles don't come along often, but because it's a delicious, rich, and complex role—my character [Dr. James Martin] goes on a real journey. He's the one with the arc that changes by the film's end in a certain direction. As an actor, those are the kinds of things that intrigue you. You want to sink your teeth into parts like that. I knew the film's set-up was so cool, and it had something to say. There was a soul to the story that it was telling. For all those reasons, you jump into something like that.

Speaking of "soul," what was it like working with Sean [Patrick Flannery] on this? Did you meet beforehand to build a rapport before filming?
I see what you did there. Sean is a good soul. He's a good, loyal, and fun guy. He's serious about the work but a giving and generous soul. I'll say that off the top because you brought it up. What was it like to work with Sean? We did not know or meet each other beforehand, and we didn't have the opportunity really to rehearse. The schedule didn't allow for it. A lot of times with movies…in a certain sense, because of the nature of the material, you love the opportunity to almost rehearse it like you would a play for a couple of weeks. You work it, mine it, and make discoveries together and then get it up on its feet.

With most movies in general, depending on the production, and with this one specifically, there wasn't that luxury. We were at the mercy of our trust in each other and our trust in our own and each other's capabilities because it's the two of us. That's a big leap of faith, no pun intended or maybe pun intended to make. In terms of Sean and I, no, we met almost a day or two before filming at the hotel, and we were shooting in Oklahoma City. We met up a couple of times ostensibly to read through some stuff. To be honest, we spent most of the time chatting, getting to know each other, and finding out who each other was. We sized each other up quickly and knew that we would have a partner because it's such a dance in a piece like this.

It's about the tennis match, the volley back and forth, teeing each other up, being generous as an actor, and giving to the other. I'm fortunate that it was Sean on the other side of that table because he's a good actor and person. I had somebody I could trust, going to be a backstop for me and bring stuff out of me in the way that I would bring out of him. Your performance gets to the next level when you've got a partner that brings that out of you.

Aside from directors Chuck [Konzelman] and Cary's [Solomon] script, was there anything external that helped put you in the headspace for Dr. Martin into your role?
Besides Carrie and Chuck's direction and their script, my first child, my son, was born on day one of filming. I live in L.A., and my wife was here, ten months pregnant, and I was in Oklahoma City. She went into labor the night before we started shooting this movie. On day one that morning, I got my hair and makeup in, then went into my room to get into my wardrobe. At that moment, I got the text, and I FaceTimed, and my son was 90 seconds old and on my wife's chest. It's this surreal out-of-body experience. As anyone with kids could explain, I had this moment where I connected with her and saw him. He's an alien, but he's me, and then, "Knock! Knock! Knock! Jordan, we're ready."

I had to hang up the phone and walk to shoot the movie's first shot. It's an inevitable kind of experience when the stakes are so high; it's an impactful, emotional, personal moment where your life changes. It's a turning point in your own life, an inflection point. An experience like that would inevitably be in you and inform how you feel, your emotions, your choices, and becoming a father. I'm only speaking for myself, but I think most people who've become parents would agree.
It changes your perspective, priorities, and how you see the world. It's something that consciously or unconsciously informs you. Having that happened right when I started shooting this movie, I'm sure it invariably affected my performance and served my performance. That was the most significant thing that probably affected my headspace in the way that you asked.

How do you compare the structure of an indie film like this to your more mainstream episodic TV work?
When you're doing television work, episodic stuff, particularly network television stuff, that moves fast. It's more so particularly if you're an actor that's coming to guest star on a show or you have a recurring role, you're dropping into a world and you're expected to just be on at the level, and in that world, there's no rehearsal. You're expected to execute and perform. I'm used to doing that, and I've done a lot. I love it, and I enjoy it.

Typically the difference between that and a piece like this would be that there would be more time. It would be you have a longer period to sink your teeth into something and investigate it, make discoveries and dig in and give the role all the complexity and the richness that you look to give to something when you're bringing it to life, particularly when it's a role this big with the whole movie. The ironic thing is there wasn't, as I was just sharing with you, there wasn't that kind of time.
Typically, there might be, but in the nature of this movie, there just wasn't for various production reasons, how the film came together, and how it was shot. It was a little last minute; the script came to me, and I read it. I had to decide quickly, almost within 24 or 48 hours, whether I would do it. It was a monumental decision whether I would take this because we knew I would most likely be there when our son was born.

That was a decision that my wife and I came to terms with and made peace with and agreed it was best for us. I flew to Oklahoma City, and we started shooting right away. Typically, there would be a difference in terms of time and the luxury of time to dig into something. With this movie, it was closer to the way you have to work in episodic. If you've got the right collaborative relationship with your acting partner and your directors, your writer-directors in this case, sometimes you don't need all that time. Sometimes you drop in, and you don't have to overthink it. You dig in, and you bring all your instincts to the table. Luckily, I had Cary, Chuck, and Sean, who are wonderful artistic, collaborative partners.

Believe Entertainment's Nefarious, which also stars Tom Ohmer, is currently available in theaters.

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