AN INTERVIEW WITH BARRET HACKNEY
BY CHRIS GRAVES
1. For those who do not know, what is your background and how were you introduced to the world of View Askew and Kevin Smith?
My name is Barret Hackney and I played the head stygian triplit in Dogma. I first met Kevin at the callback for the role.
2. Any memorable moments during the filming of Dogma behind the scenes for you?
One that sticks out for me is on the last day of filming in Asbury Park. The boardwalk scene that opens the movie was the last scene we shot. Anyway, we where ready to roll at 6 am and we had the boardwalk framed up for a wide shot and then an old man with a cain and a pipe wobbled on to the set. This AD went to go and tell the old man to move and when he asked him nicely to please move, the old man said “what the hell for?” and the AD said “we are filming a movie and you are in the shot”. The man raised up his cain and yelled “A movie! I don’t give a shit about a movie! I walk here every day, and I ain’t gonna stop for a damn movie!” Then we had to hold the filming for about 45 minutes until he wobbled out of frame. I thought that was funny.
3. What were your thoughts of Kevin Smith as a director and the direction he was giving you?
I hadn’t worked with too many high profile directors at that point of my life, but now that I’ve been a working actor for about twelve years I can say he was a great director. I thought he was laid back and professional at the same time. He knew how to relate to an actor and get what he wanted out of an actors’ character. He was always excited about his work and art, that in itself is inspiring to everyone around.
4. Did you always want to be an actor? Any formal training?
I’ve been dabbling in acting and modeling since I was five but I started to get paid for theater when I was sixteen. I have trained at Point Park University, Stone Street Studios ( New York University ) and the Stella Adler Studio ( New York University ).
5. Do you still get recognized for your role in the film? And was it surreal being around celebrities, especially since Ben Affleck and Matt Damon had won their academy awards during the shoot?
When the film first came out people would recognize me all the time, now if I meet someone they usually say “You look familiar, but I cant tell from where.” I was raised around alot of actors so I just look at actors, famous or not, as people doing there job, but it was a good learning experience to work with such accomplished actors.
6. Did you get to know Jason Mewes during filming?
Yep, Jason was a good guy. He seemed very committed to his role.
7. What was it like working along side Jason Lee?
Jason Lee was the man. He is one of my favorite actors and a really genuinely cool guy. He had a monologue that got cut from the film, but after he did it everyone’s jaw was on the floor, even the camera men! Everyone was so stunned that they rolled film for like a minute untill Jason looked up and laughed because no one had said cut.
8. What was your reaction to the whole controversy the film gained? Was it scary after a while with all the death threats people involved with the film were getting?
I think that was caused by ignorance so I didn’t pay much attention to all that nonsense. I do remember after the Pittsburgh Premier at the REX, we came out and there were about fifty catholic protesters outside the theater all knelt down not asking God to forgive us (forgiveness being a corner stone of Christianity) but asking God to damn us. I had to laugh because none of these people had even seen the movie.
9. You were in the “Night Of The Living Dead” spin off “Children Of The Living Dead”. Anything interesting about that shoot?
It’s a cheesy B movie but I did get to work with Tom Savini so that was cool.
10. Do you have any new projects coming up?
I have several, I played Dan in “The Screening”, a movie that was directed by Cameron Romero, George Romero’s son. I also played Joseph in “Smart People” with Dennis Quade and Sarah Jessica Parker. There is a trailer for an indi I starred in on Youtube under REX trailer, and I just got cast in the first TV series filmed entirely in Pittsburgh called “Kill Pit” to be aired on Spike TV.
11. What is your favorite View Askew/Kevin Smith flick (Dogma excluded)?
“Clerks”, because of the raw humor and the black and white kept the right context for the plot and dialogue. I think that film is amazingly funny and well done.
12. And finally, do you still keep in contact with anyone from View Askew? And did yo stay in touch with your Stygian brothers?
Not really, Kevin does most of his stuff on the west coast I think and I work on the east coast. I did go to View Askew in Redbank, NJ the summer after we shot Dogma and me and my brother got to hang out with Kevin while he edited Dogma.
Major kudos to Chris for some good questions, and thanks to Barret for those great answers! Some stories we’ve never heard told before there, and that’s certainly saying something. Thanks, guys.
