Having the right actor can sometimes make or break a production.
When Fall City brothers Jared and Brandon Drake were in the initial stages of developing their movie “Visioneers,” the duo had a few things to consider, including casting.
For their dark comedy about a man facing his reality and fighting for his dreams, comedian Zach Galifianakis fit the bill.
(The movie was filmed in the Valley over the last two months; finishing in September 2006.)
“Zach is great,” Jared said. “He immediately put everyone at ease.”
A stand-up comedian and writer with a loyal – and ever expanding – fan base, Galifianakis has appeared numerous times on late-night shows and starred in his own VH1 television show “Late World with Zach.”
He has also toured with the “Comedians of Comedy,” which the network Comedy Central made into a movie and television series.
He was a series regular on the 2003-2005 Fox television show “Tru Calling” and has made many guest appearances on various television shows including “Reno 911!” and “Dog Bites Man.” He has also appeared in movies, including “Out Cold,” “Corky Romano,” “Heartbreakers” and more.
Besides “Visioneers,” Galifianakis, who makes his home in New York and North Carolina (where he is from originally), is also working on the movie “Into the Wild” that’s being directed by Sean Penn and is set for release in 2007. His comedy DVD special “Live at the Purple Onion” will be available through the Web site Netflix (www.netflix.com) in December.
His experience working with Jared and Brandon was a good one, he said. (Galifianakis spent much of his time working, he said, so he was unable see many Valley highlights, but he was interested in the train at the Snoqualmie depot and was complimentary of scenic views.)
“They both seem like they have a lot of experience,” Galifianakis said. “They have a confidence I never had [starting out].”
The creativity of the script played a big role in his acceptance of the part, he added.
“As an actor, you get so many crappy scripts, this was fun to do,” Galifianakis said. “The script is so weird and different, and I just like weird and different stuff.”
As an actor/comedian, he said he often finds himself playing comedic roles.
The “Visioneers” provided Galifianakis with the opportunity to create a fully-realized character.
“I want to experience a lot in this so-called career,” he said, jokingly. “A movie like this, you just want people to see it and appreciate it.”
When he first met with Brandon and Jared, he said he wanted to make sure he was understanding the role and its demands and that, in general, everyone was on the same page.
“You want to be able to trust the people you’re working with,” Galifianakis said. “It’s all about communication.”
Galifianakis began his career 10 years ago doing comedy in New York City. His first gig was performing in the back of a hamburger restaurant in Times Square.
Because of the nature of the film, Galifianakis has resisted the urge to improvise his dialogue (common with comedians), though he said he was able to add some physical improvisation to the film.
Working 12 to 14 hour days for the past 23 days of filming, Galifianakis said he was most looking forward to sleep. That and, the comedian said jokingly, “[getting] back to my heroin addiction.”
