By Christine M. Gieseke
The John Hughes Files
September 4, 2001
(All responses below are direct quotes as written to me through e-mail.)
What is your character's name?
Knox
Could you describe the story and your character's relation to it?
the story describes a high school revolution brought about by a student who
feels a need to be more than the system will allow him to be. he chooses the
easiest path available to him, sensationalistic violence. my character is a
respected athlete at the school whose unquestioning respect for the status quo
leads him to attempt to undermine this revolution. i suppose i am a
representative of complacency.
What was your first impression of the film and your character?
i feel that the film deals with a pertinent topic in a way that many films will
not, by exposing the potential violence that is inherent in teen angst. we
assume that teenagers are relatively harmless and that they'll "get over it" but
Columbine and the other explosions across the country, while isolated incidents,
show that kids are going further and further to quell this pain inside of them.
in the end, the movie calls for compassion and validation, something that many
educators are not providing.
my character is one of the lucky ones who is sailing unimpeded through life and
will probably not question his lot until he's locked into an adult life and it's
too late to fix anything. there is some hope for him in the middle of the film
when he begins to see the point of the revolution, but when the shit hits the
fan, he attempts to stop the violent insurrection with his own violence. he is
not a hero. i don't even think he's a good guy. he just reacts.
Do you think you are similar to your character?
i think i am more reflective than reflexive, and this was a challenge in playing
the character. but it was definitely fun to play the school bully after twelve
years of running from him.
What do you think about the controversy surrounding the content of the film?
as with many works of art that have been labelled inciting, I would like people
to look carefully at the punchline, where the administrators of the school take
responsibility for as much of the problem as they can, and approach these
"problem children" with as much compassion as they can. if people want to cite
the stuff that leads up to that punchline as inspiration for school violence,
then I think they should look at the state the school was in before this movie
came out. i don't want to downplay the influence of movies on our social psyche,
but i think if a kid watches American Psycho and then goes out and starts
killing people, that kid was fractured to begin with.
What kind of reaction are you hoping viewers come away with from this film?
i hope people walk away saying, "Wow. that brad johnson is a great actor. let's
pay him millions of dollars to be in all of our movies."
Can you tell us a little about what it was like working with your co-stars?
all of the actors on the set were pleasant, laid-back, and extremely approachable.
i made some good friends, and i never felt tension between actors.
Did you meet John Hughes? What was your impression of him?
he is an incredibly confident and grounded man. i was a bit in awe of him, not
because of his celebrity but because of the surety with which he made every
decision. he really knows what he's doing, as evidenced in the other films he's
created.
What kind of roles have you worked on in the past, and what would you like to do
in the future?
i have worked and continue to work primarily in theatre. i love film and would
love to do more film, but i am committed to staying in chicago for now, and this
is not a city that shoots a lot of films. as far as roles, i love to play dirty,
dark characters. i love to be able to play with that edge of violence and
nastiness that propriety will not allow me to play with in my offstage life.
i like being the bad guy.
I read on your that you're a tutor. What do you tutor?
i tutor for a college prep program for underprivileged students, and i cover any
subject the students need help with.
What interests do you have besides acting?
teaching is pretty great, and i place a high value on leisure time. i love to
read and go for long walks.
Anything else you would like to add?
thanks for asking interesting questions. it makes me feel smart.
