A Conversation with Keith Poulson
I spoke with actor Keith Poulson about his role in PVT Chat, in theaters February 5, 2021 and On Demand & Digital February 9, 2021. We also discuss the film industry and how the internet affects our humanity.
Yanis: Why this role? Why Duke?
Keith: Ben [Hozie] reached out to me and said he was interested in me playing Duke. So from the first time I read the script I was already reading it like: I am either Duke or I am not involved at all. So, it wasn’t really a question of “why Duke” and more “why this film”.
Ben and I met for drinks and talked for a couple hours and he’s a very alive, very energetic, very curious person and it made me want to work with him and on the film and I approached the whole thing with his buzzing nature leading the way.
Y: How did you prepare to play Duke?
K: I put on Ben’s clothes, I read his script a few times, we did a full cast read through, he gave me some books that I didn’t really read and then I just showed up and we figured it out together.
Y: I’ve often wondered what the logical conclusion of “onlyfans”, sugar daddy apps and streaming culture is. Do you fear the “Jacks” of the world?
K: I try not to fear a certain type of person too much. Too abstract and seems like a limiting way to look at others.
I guess there is a legit fear that many people’s online fantasies lead to real-life LARP’ing and that’s how you end up with a lot of the madness that’s going on (Capitol storming, doxxing, etc.) so in some ways it’s a realistic concern, but I have no real theories about the ultimate outcomes.
It’s the Wild West out here. GameStop stocks are rocketing due to Redditers going wild.
PVT CHAT Trailer (2021) Julia Fox Movie — YouTube
Y: Do you fear the Scarlets of the world? Should their unscrupulousness be kept in check or should we accept this new culture as just another form of free enterprise that markets will correct?
K: I’m not living in fear of a Scarlet and don’t feel like I should say what others should accept or keep in check.
That all sounds a bit controlling. I thought, for the most part, Scarlet seemed like the more noble person in the film, from what I can recall.
Y: PVT Chat thematically implies we are all whores. Does society promote individualistic ambition so much so that it has corrupted its citizens and turned them into fame and money whores?
K: Most people aren’t online posting themselves and competing for attention. I think that’s good to remind myself of.
If you gauge the world by the extroverts and attention seekers alone (or the anonymous haters online) you ignore a large majority of the world that doesn’t feel the need for you to see them.
I could go on a long ramble about fame and money and entertainment, but it’s kind of an answerless slog and ultimately a depressing slippery slope to delve into.
Y: There was a lot of handheld camera footage in this film. Why was that directorial decision necessary to tell this story?
K: That is not for me to say. I think the fact that Ben was shooting most of it himself is kind of an interesting thing to think about when you think of your question.
Y: In the past you’ve talked about not doing many workshops to prepare for auditions. Is this still the case? If so, why?
K: There’s a pandemic is the honest answer of why I’m not doing any. I actually had started going to a twice-a-week acting class for about 6 months leading up to March 2020 but obviously that got taken away as none of us were too interested in making it a Zoom acting class.
I don’t remember bad mouthing workshops, but if I did, I think it’s because a lot of actors don’t have the money for them and have a justifiable skepticism about a lot of the things that are offered out there.
A lot of acting courses seem to give off a stench that they might be cash grabs by corn balls. But I know there are some great ones that I would benefit from. One day…
Y: Have you worked with method actors? Do you think method acting is ultimately worth the potential problems it can cause?
K: I’m sure I have worked with method actors, but I have no horror stories. I think when you work on small films, there’s so little space for everybody, so sometimes actors need to fight for their privacy and space to stay in character more.
I think that’s good. But if it’s being abused and not helping, that’s no good. I have seen actors give insanely intense performances and then when the director calls cut they are goofballs within 3 seconds, so I know it’s not necessary for everybody, but I’m sure many of my favorite performances ever came via the method. No absolutes about whether it’s worth it.
Y: You’ve talked about how directors can sometimes over direct. How did you and Ben work together on this project, especially since he also wrote the film.
K: Ben was a fun, open director. He really wasn’t under-directing or over-directing.
He was directing in the spirit of the film and would try things different ways, shoot it differently if it wasn’t clicking, change lines, encourage improvisation, whatever. It was loose and focused, a good combo for me.
Y: What’s next for you? Where can people follow you on social media?
K: I don’t have a public social media outlet, so no need to promote that I have shot some films that will hopefully see some sort of light in 2021, but nothing on the immediate horizon project-wise.
I will say that I am excited to work again. It will be a great joy for me when things somewhat go back to normal — when people are back to playing shows and making movies and having wrap parties and overnights and becoming communal creators again. That’s the light at the end of the tunnel for me.
Darkstar Pictures will release the psycho-sexual thriller PVT CHAT in Theaters February 5, 2021 and On Demand & Digital on February 9, 2021.
Pre-Sale/Ticket Link: https://watch.laemmle.com/videos/pvtchat/601239c06d422c000159e9fc
Soundtrack Link: https://pvtchat.bandcamp.com/album/pvt-tape
