Anthony Michael Hall must be psychic.
Halfway into our interview, I broach the topic of his past movie roles when he interrupts: "Sure, I see where you're going."
Busted. But the truth is, while we're supposed to be discussing his role on The Dead Zone, the popular cable series based on the Stephen King novel and subsequent David Cronenberg film of the same name, it's impossible to ignore his stint as an '80s icon from movies such as Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, and National Lampoon's Vacation.
Unlike most actors, though, who bristle at questions about the roles that made them famous, Hall doesn't seem to mind at all.
Observe that those John Hughes' films are vastly superior to today's average teen fare, for example, and Hall is as flattered as if you were praising him for his current work onstage in New York.
"I grew up in the public eye. I can't hide from that. I always embrace the work I've done before. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for those movies. I'm always baffled by actors who are like, 'I'm not going to talk about the '80s.' What? You're just forgetting that whole experience? I feel very fortunate to have been able to do those films. It gave me the tools I needed to be where I am."
Where he is is in New York, as previously mentioned, performing in a play before he returns to Vancouver to begin work on a third season of The Dead Zone. The second season of the show, which airs on the USA Network in the U.S., just began airing on Space: The Imagination Station in Canada.
In it, Hall portrays Johnny Smith, a man who wakes from a six-year coma only to discover he can see terrible events before they occur. The film starred Christopher Walken at his unsettling best. "He's such a good actor, you can't do an imitation. You can't do (Robert) DeNiro, you can't do Walken," Hall says. "I wanted to take it in a new direction ... But it's a great role because it's a portal into these different worlds" -- which Smith experiences through his psychic visions.
The chief vision of which is the realization that a political candidate running for office will one day become president and trigger a nuclear holocaust. "The core of the book is this whole coming Armageddon, tied into this guy who is running for Congress. We're going to get into that political thriller and the future of the world part of it. But we're also going to tell little personal stories. We're trying to find that balance," says producer Karl Schaefer.
The proliferation of cable networks in the U.S. has meant the series has struggled to find its own niche, although it has generated record ratings among its peers.
"It's very hard to break through. It's hard for these cable networks because they all follow the same pattern. They pour a lot of money into promoting the premiere, but they don't have the money for season two or three, so it's tougher finding an audience. But we're trying hard to turn up the heat and break through into the public consciousness."
For that, they may soon turn to a fan of the show -- King himself.
"We have heard several times through his reps that he's a fan of the show and is proud of it. So we've tried to have him do a cameo and if we can work it out, we might still do that.
"We just have to figure out the logistics. We figure it just might be funny to have him be some guy Johnny brushes up into and has some weird vision. I don't know what we'll do yet, but we'll have some fun with it."
More Artists
