David, I see you trained at Second City. As an actor, how do you think this has helped you?
David Koechner: Well before that I studied at the IO (Improv Olympic). I guess the benefit is stage time. It’s repetition, it’s doing it so that’s the greatest benefit. I believe that even in a drama, people are looking for laughter. No one is looking to be bummed out, so any darkness in any role is really about seeking the light.
What was the hardest scene for you to shoot in Cheap Thrills?
David Koechner: Well, I don’t have the difficulty that the other guys do. In fact I’m just the guy pulling them along. For me the only challenge is that perhaps the audience comes to me with a little bit of baggage in terms of thinking what’s this guy going do because they haven’t see me doing that type of thing before.
I felt my challenge was to make it completely real and believable and never seem as if I’m trying to do anything for a laugh. In fact, I didn’t know that there were that many laughs in this film. I was surprised when I saw it with a festival audience how much laughter there is, and I would say that it’s probably a different experience at home.
It’s definitely a different experience seeing it at home. I would love to watch this movie with an audience to see how they react to it.
David Koechner: My wife had to leave the room twice. Watching it with the festival crowd, I was honestly taken aback at the laughter. And of course by the end of the movie, there is no laughter.
I think it’s a better experience watching this movie with an audience as opposed to watching it by yourself because you are able to let a lot more of your nervousness go through laughter more easily.
Sara Paxton: You’re right. People are laughing because there’s tension and they are releasing it, but I also think it kind of makes it more menacing, especially with David’s character of Colin. At first look he’s like this fun party guy, but that kind of adds to how scary he is in a way.
David Koechner: Yeah, and with an audience that’s a body of people making this decision together with the people on screen because that’s what happens at home or in an audience. So that adds a sinister level to it. It’s like watching the Christians and the Lions; we’re all agreeing that we’re enjoying this blood sport, so what does that say about us psychologically?
Was there anything that you were able to add to the movie that wasn’t in the script?
David Koechner: No, not that I remember. Maybe here or there we’d talk about a word or two that I wanted to make sure wasn’t insulting to anybody, and if this guy would still say this type of thing. The original model for my character was more of a frat boy, and obviously because of my age and my personal proclivities, I thought in a different way. But no real dialogue changes or anything like that.
Have you ever been dared to do anything for money? If so, what was the craziest thing you were asked to do?
David Koechner: Well I’m older now, so there’s less likelihood that I would do a dare for money. Nothing comes to mind. Probably, more likely, pride. Once with a guy who was a football player we did the cigarette game where you put your forearms together and then someone puts a lit cigarette between you to see who can last the longest. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. He rolled his arm into mine and we both put the cigarette out. I took that as a sign of he’s done, so that was good. I just have the tiniest scar of that. But I have seen guys who have long burn scars, real stoners. It’s quite a sensation.
That concludes our interview but be sure to check out Cheap Thrills when it arrives in theatres on March 21st.