Interview: James DuMont Discusses His "Indie" Film, Jurassic World

With “American Horror Story: Freak Show” behind him — although I’m sure a lot of viewers are still thinking about that ending — James DuMont is ready to move on to even bigger things, namely dinosaurs. James has a role in the sure-to-be summer blockbuster “Jurassic World,” which opens June 12. While he couldn’t tell me a lot about the hush-hush project, he did give me a little glimpse of what we can expect this summer.

Celebrity Extra: Tell me about “Jurassic World.”

James DuMont: Well, it’s this little, independent, low-budget film that’s got some dinosaurs in it and stuff. (Laughs.) But seriously, I can’t tell you anything about story, plot, my character or anything. I’ve signed all these heavy-duty nondisclosure agreements up and down the street. But the good news to tell you is that it’s absolutely amazing. The cast is amazing. A good indication of the excitement around it is when the trailer came out; 15 million people saw it within the first 24 hours. I think we’re up to 80 million views on YouTube. So, I think I can go out on a limb and predict that we’ll be the box-office hit of the summer. Chris Pratt’s in there. Bryce Dallas Howard’s in there. It’s just really great people involved; it’s going to be a great franchise. There are a lot of cool things about the movie. They got it right. Steven Spielberg’s on board. The director, Colin Trevorrow, is amazing. I’m just excited to be a part of a big movie like that. It’s the largest-budget movie I’ve ever done.

CE: I know you can’t tell me about the plot, but can you tell me about the filming process? How was that, and where did you film?

JD: They did half the film in Hawaii, where the majority of the amusement park is. The rest of it was done in Baton Rouge, and that is where I come into the movie. Louisiana has so much filming going on. At some point we were sharing space with “Terminator: Genisys.” And “The Fantastic Four” was also filming in Baton Rouge. So, you had three $100-million-plus movies all being shot in Louisiana at the same time. That was kind of wild.

CE: And all three of those movies are so hush-hush, which I fully approve of, because I am a no-spoilers kind of movie/TV watcher.

JD: I respect that they want to keep it secret. I feel the same way about the TV shows, too. When I’m doing shows like “American Horror Story,” and even when I was doing “Treme,” I didn’t know about the other scenes. So, I get to watch the show with fresh eyes as well because I don’t know about what other people are doing other than my own scenes. I absolutely like that idea of keeping it quiet and secret. It’s fun to know inside information, but I wouldn’t want to share it, because it kills the story.

CE: I keep expecting to see you pop up as country DJ Bobby Delmont on “Nashville” again, but, alas, you haven’t made another appearance yet.

JD: Juliette Barnes (played by Hayden Panettiere) is going to have to circle back around to Houston and give them a little Bobby Delmont. I thought for sure that returning was a possibility, but, you know, it’s all about the gals and the singing. But you never know. I’m just glad the show’s still going.

CE: I do love “Nashville,” and Hayden has been phenomenal this season.

JD: She’s so incredibly talented. I mean, she’s amazing. She’s the sweetest person and is so smart and sharp, and so on her game. Beyond “Nashville,” I think that some Oscar work is going to come out of her within the next five years, for sure. I was blown away by her, to be quite honest.

CE: I see you’re currently filming a movie called “Mind Puppets.” Tell me about that one.

JD: It’s this cool little ensemble comedy where seven people at a fair are up on stage and are hypnotized by a mind reader/hypnotist. He gives them particular things to do, and the audience is loving it and having a good time. But before he pulls everybody out from under hypnosis, he has a heart attack, so they are stuck in this hypnotic state. It’s a really cool film, a very fun movie. It stars Kevin Pollak, Vinnie Jones and lots of others.

CE: That sounds like a wonderful premise for something I’d like to see.

JD: It is a great premise. The other thing that I loved about it is that it’s a very different follow-up to “Dallas Buyers Club.” I mean, half the movie I’m shirtless. And I’m not built, I’ll tell you right now. I’m a fat dude who sometimes has man boobs. But I researched being hypnotized in real life, and there are no limits or boundaries. Once you’re in that hypnotic state, you’re free from all the limitations that your mind and heart and experiences put on you. There’s something kind of amazing and scary about that.

CE: Tell me about “I Saw the Light.”

JD: It is a Hank Williams biopic, which stars Tom Hiddleston. That definitely will be cut and ready in time for him to be considered for an Oscar nomination, or at least a Golden Globe. He did an amazing job of channeling his inner country singer, and him being the low-key Brit from the “Avengers” movies; you couldn’t ask for more polar-opposite characters to embody. But that one is going to be pretty exciting.

CE: Was this made with cooperation and approval from Hank Williams Jr.?

JD: Absolutely — Junior had approval. We also consulted the people who handled the estate, the musicians who worked side by side with Hank pretty much from day one. You’ve got a lot of old, seasoned folks who handled his business and his personal life. I knew there was a big Hank Williams following, but I had no idea the generational levels of his contribution. I’m excited to be a part of it.

CE: What about the movie “Little Boy”? That comes out soon, right?

JD: That comes out April 24, and I did that about three years ago. I saw a screening of it, and it’s magical. It’s really quite amazing. It’s set during World War II, and it’s about a little boy whose dad goes off to war, and he’ll do anything to make sure his dad comes back home safe. A Japanese man comes to the little town, and he befriends the boy. It’s a beautiful lesson of if you can learn to love your enemy, you can learn to love anybody. Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, David Henrie, Kevin James — they’re all in it. It’s the kind of movie that people make with their heart, and I hope it will get a lot of attention.

Read more

Q and A: Week of May 5

Q: Can you tell me if “American Horror Story” will be back for a fourth season, and if so, do you have any spoilers for me? — Katrina R., via email

A: Mild spoilers ahead: “AHS” creator Ryan Murphy recently announced that “Asylum” will be followed by the 13-episode “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” which will take place in 1950 in Jupiter, Florida, and will feature Jessica Lange as a “German ex-pat who is managing one of the last freak shows in the U.S.” Her “freaks” will be played by returning stars Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Frances Conroy. “Entertainment Weekly” reported that Denis O’Hare and Emma Roberts are in talks to return to the show. An exact premiere date has not yet been set, but it will be this October.

Q: Are the rumors I’m hearing about a sequel to “The Incredibles” true? — Jonathan P., Erie, Pa.

A: Disney’s chairman and CEO, Robert A. Iger, announced that Pixar Animation Studios is indeed developing a big-screen sequel to Brad Bird’s 2004 superhero adventure “The Incredibles.” Brad Bird, who wrote and directed the first film, has said that he would be open to filming a sequel if it “had a truly great story” behind it.

Q: Is this season of “Dallas” already over? It seems like it’s only just begun! — Lily T., via email

A: Don’t worry — the show is merely on summer hiatus. Dallas returns to TNT for the second half of its third season starting Aug. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Fingers crossed that Sue Ellen survived the South Fork fire (I am thinking she will).

Q: I really miss “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” especially designer Tracy Hutson. What has she been doing lately? — Pamela T., Waco, Texas

A: You can still catch Tracy decorating for a cause — this time she has teamed up with the Design Network (www.thedesignnetwork.com) to star in “Momtourage,” an original video series focused on lifting up deserving moms who have done so much for their families and their communities. Each episode will follow Tracy as she pays a surprise visit to each woman’s home, listens to her story, learns about her family life, and offers a fun and inspirational interior-design intervention — all in the span of one Saturday.

When I spoke with Tracy recently, she told me how excited she was to work with TDN to help these women: “If I have the opportunity to help people, I’m going to take it. That’s just who I am. This series just goes to show what you can do, and how important and impactful it can be on someone’s life — especially someone who has had a rough time just getting on her feet. It’s so fun, and it means the world to them.”

Check back here later this week for my full interview with Tracy.



Q: I finally was able to watch “Hatfields and McCoys,” and I absolutely loved it. When can I see Bill Paxton in something like this again? — Paul T., Scranton, Pa.

A: Well, I can’t tell you exactly when, just yet, but I can tell you what. The History Channel has ordered “an eight-hour television event” called “Texas Rising,” with Bill leading an all-star cast featuring Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olivier Martinez, Michael Rapaport and many more. The series will detail the Texas Revolution and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers, and is set to premiere in 2015.

Q: My book club finished reading “The Astronaut Wives Club,” and one of the ladies said she heard that it is being made into a TV show. Is that true? — Danni W., via email

A: ABC is indeed airing a 10-part series called “The Astronaut Wives Club,” based on the bestselling book by Lily Koppel, which tells the story of the women who were key players behind some of the biggest events in American history. The series premieres July 24 at 9/8c, and stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Odette Annable, Zoey Boyle and Azure Parsons.

Q: With the final season of “Californication” upon us, does David Duchovny have another series or movie on the horizon? — Samuel D., Port Orange, Fla.

A: NBC has ordered a 13-episode period drama called “Aquarius,” in which David stars as a police detective hunting a hippie cult leader who turns out to be Charles Manson. The series will cover the early years of Manson and his “family,” with the full story playing out in future seasons (if it gets renewed). David told “Variety”: “I’m thrilled to be working with (NBC chairman) Bob Greenblatt again and coming back to broadcast television. I think ‘Aquarius’ has a chance to be a special show, and I can’t wait to get going.”

Q: I read that my favorite comedic actress, Amy Poehler, has a brother in the business too. Is that true? What can I see him in? — Fred S., via email

A: Amy’s brother, Greg, currently stars in and executive produces (with Amy) the Swedish sitcom “Welcome to Sweden,” which chronicles Greg’s real-life experiences of moving to Sweden to marry to his Swedish girlfriend. The series — which co-stars Amy, Josephine Bornebusch, Lena Olin, Patrick Duffy and Illeana Douglas — is currently airing in Sweden, and will begin airing here in the U.S. on NBC this fall.

Read more

Interview: 'Get on Up' with James DuMont

James DuMont — who’s been on tons of TV shows, like “American Horror Story,” “Treme,” “Nashville” and “Bonnie and Clyde,” and on the big screen in “The Butler,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” “War of the Worlds,” “Speed” and “Along Came Polly,” to name only a few — is one busy guy. It seems like everywhere you turn, there he is. And James is thrilled to be working so much and so hard. I spoke with James recently, and we discussed “Nashville,” his role in the Oscar-nominated “Dallas Buyers Club,” working with Robin Williams in “The Butler,” and his latest film, the James Brown biopic called “Get on Up.”

Celebrity Extra: Just a few months back you played a key role, D.J. Bobby Delmont, on one of my favorite prime-time shows, “Nashville.” What was it like working on that show?

James DuMont: That’s a great little character, and Hayden Panettiere is fantastic. She is such a wonderful actress. And she was so much fun and so good, and I was like, “Well, you know, I’m going to be manhandling you.” She goes, “Don’t be afraid, because the more you give it to me, the more I’m going to take care of you later on.” So we just had this little pact together, which worked out pretty well.

CE: You’ve also been busy with “American Horror Story” and “Treme,” but what I really want to talk about is “Dallas Buyers Club,” which was just nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, as well as Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey and Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto. Tell me about the film and your role in it.

JD: It’s an amazing film. The director is Jean-Marc Vallée, who is a French-Canadian director who directed a movie called “C.R.A.Z.Y.” a few years back. He’s a brilliant director. I have this really wonderful, amazing role playing Jared Leto’s father — Jared plays the character of Rayon, who’s transgender and is dying of AIDS. Rayon becomes part of the Dallas Buyers Club with Matthew McConaughey, who plays the real-life Ron Woodroof, a pioneer in the creation of the cocktail that kept people alive and was much more effective in warding off the early HIV to AIDS than AZT. He becomes an unlikely kind of hero in this movie.

It’s a really powerful scene Jared and I share. He does powerful work in this; as soon as we finished our scene, I tweeted that Jared would get an Oscar nomination for this role. I’ve worked with Oscar winners, and I can see and identify Oscar-caliber work.

CE: Speaking of Oscar-caliber actors, you played opposite Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker in “Lee Daniel’s The Butler.” Tell me about that.

JD: That’s true. I’m working with Robin and Forrest, and I’m thinking: “Well, one of these things is not like the other. Who doesn’t have an Oscar in this scene? That would be me!” It’s interesting to be the guy who can hold his own with what’s recognized as the highest caliber of folks. I love being able to play a historical character in “The Butler” like Sherman Adams, who was the chief of staff under President Eisenhower (played by Robin). He was kind of like Dick Cheney to George W. Bush.

And then I get to play an estranged father who has a transgender son who now has AIDS. And how do you deal with that scenario? It’s kind of a powder-keg moment. I’m just plugging along. I’m doing the James Brown biopic next, which is called “Get on Up.” I play a USO envoy for when James Brown comes to perform in Vietnam; I welcome him to come perform for the troops, which is pretty fun.

Read more