YouthQuake
magazine: FRONT PAGE | MUSIC
| FILM | AUTHORS
| ACTORS | MODELS
| ABOUT
James Duval: staying true
to indie roots
By
Cathy L. Witbrodt
May 27, 2004
James Duval burst onto the indie film scene in 1993 playing a disillusioned
teen in writer-director Gregg Araki’s “Totally F***ed Up” and soon became
the embodiment of Generation X alienation in Araki’s follow-up films,
“The Doom Generation” and “Nowhere.” Duval’s 10-year career has been
filled with diverse and offbeat roles, making him a favorite of indie
fans and a notable presence in mainstream films.
Born in Detroit on Sept. 10, 1972, Duval’s family moved to Los Angeles
when he was 2. Growing up in a variety of L.A. suburbs, Duval eventually
settled in the small town of Covina, Calif., where he graduated from
Gladstone High in 1989. He comes from an ethnically mixed background:
His mother is from Saigon and is French and Vietnamese, and his father
is Irish and Native American. While attending elementary school in Redondo
Beach, Duval had a difficult time fitting in and was taunted by classmates
because of his heritage. Having no cultural group to identify with,
Duval ultimately realized that he had to define himself by the things
he thought were important, and not to be influenced by how other people
perceived him.
Duval later developed an interest in gymnastics as well as anthropology.
Music has been a strong influence in his life: He trained as a classical
pianist, plays the guitar, writes songs and collects rare musical recordings. He
would travel to Hollywood to buy records, and it was there that he met
actors and musicians, and was exposed to opportunities that he
hadn't had in the suburbs. In his late teens he played in a band
but soon decided to quit and move to Hollywood to become an actor.
Eighteen years old and not knowing how to break into the business, Duval
audited acting classes, looked for a job and hung out at the Melrose
Rainbow Café, where Gregg Araki did his writing. Araki introduced
himself to Duval as an indie filmmaker and showed him the script for
“Totally F***ed Up,” thinking he would be perfect for the role of Andy.
Eager to be part of this new project, Duval was inspired by Araki’s
innovativeness and how he challenged the way people thought about social
issues. He also closely identified with the isolation of the characters
in the film and understood the struggle they were going through.
It was three years before Duval found an agent and manager, but in the
interim he took jobs as a bus boy and waiter to pay the rent while he
filmed Araki’s new film, “The Doom Generation,” which also featured
Rose McGowan and Johnathon Schaech. It was for “The
Doom Generation” and “Nowhere” that Araki specifically wrote roles for
Duval that were based on the way Duval viewed the world. He
garnered accolades for his role as Jordan White, a näive and vulnerable
suburbanite caught up in a hellish road trip, but the film received
mixed reviews because of its graphic violence.
Duval then took a small role as a biker in “Mod F**k Explosion,” directed
by Araki’s friend Jon Moritsugu, and played a student in the psychological
drama “An Ambush of Ghosts,” starring Stephen Dorff. Duval traveled
the film festival circuit to New York City, San Francisco, Spain, Deuville,
Toronto and Venice promoting “The Doom Generation” but held on to his
job as a waiter.
German filmmaker Roland Emmerich came into the restaurant where Duval
waited tables, mentioned that he liked his performance in “Totally F***ed
Up” and offered him the role of Miguel Casse in his new sci-fi epic
“Independence Day.” Duval received critical praise for his performance
in “ID4” and credited Emmerich for bringing him to the attention of
a mainstream audience. He enjoyed the experience of working on a big-budget
film but wanted to continue working with indie directors and writers
who were emerging on the scene and were willing to push the boundaries
of film.
The success of “ID4” allowed Duval to concentrate on acting full
time, and he teamed up with Araki for the final installment of his
trilogy, the twisted anti-pop-culture film “Nowhere.” In a large ensemble
cast featuring some of pop culture’s most recognized stars, Duval played
the principal role of the sensitive and conflicted character, Dark Smith,
an idealistic teen looking for love.
Duval ventured into television with, “This is How the World Ends,” an
MTV pilot directed by Araki about the gay club scene, and a James Merendino
project called “Alexandria Hotel.” He then took part in the PBS miniseries
“The United States of Poetry,” an anthology of modern poetry shown in
rock video format with images reinforcing the authors’ words. The series
also featuring Johnny Depp and rock icon Lou Reed.
Next came supporting roles in two award-winning films: Duval joined
Michael Imperioli as a street hustler in the AIDS-related drama “A River
Made to Drown In,” and followed it with “How to Make the Cruelest
Month,” starring Clea DuVall and Ethan Embry. Duval also participated
in three little-known indies: “Lunch Time Special,” as a teen who mistakenly
believes he has only 24 hours to live, “Stamp and Deliver,” playing
a postal worker blamed for a massacre (the film was shelved due to lack
of funds), and as the rebel outsider in the slasher film “Clown At Midnight.”
In 1999, Duval once again teamed up with James Merendino for “SLC Punk,”
a study of the 1980s punk scene, set in the director’s hometown of Salt
Lake City and starring Matthew Lillard and Michael Goorjian. Next up
was “GO,” the indie hit about a drug deal gone bad and told from three
different points of view, co-starring Sarah Polley and Katie Holmes.
Taking another leap into mainstream film, Duval joined Nicolas Cage,
Angelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi in the crime-thriller “Gone in 60
Seconds” as a member of a gang of professional car thieves.
In the acclaimed film “The Weekend,” the story of a group of friends
gathering on the anniversary of a loved one’s death, Duval was cast
in the pivotal role of Robert, a gay artist, and his piano playing skills
are featured during a scene. The film won the Seattle International
Film Festival, New American Cinema Award for Excellence for Ensemble
Cast Performance. It co-stars Gena Rowlands and Deborah Unger.
A longtime “Star Wars” fan and avid collector of memorabilia and action
figures, Duval took part in the 2001 documentary “A Galaxy Far Far Away,”
which examined the “Star Wars” phenomenon and the fans who became part
of it. Andy Garcia, Joe Pesci and Samuel L. Jackson were among the celebrities
interviewed, and Duval said that the “Star Wars” films changed his life
and inspired him to dream about the possibilities that were open to
him.
After seeing Duval’s performance in “ID4,” Native American writer-director
Randy Redroad wanted him for the role of Hunter in his film “The Doe
Boy.” He sought out Duval to play the half-Cherokee, half-white hemophiliac
teen coming to terms with his identity, in a script based on Redroad’s
own experiences. It was Duval’s first lead role, and critics called
his portrayal “a powerful performance of a teen caught between two cultures.”
Duval won the Best Actor Award at the American Indian Film Festival,
as well as the Best Actor Award at The Wine Country Film Festival. A
trailer for the film can be viewed at http://videodetective.com/
Soon after its release in 2001, director Richard Kelly’s film “Donnie
Darko” became a cult favorite. In this psychological thriller, Duval
is the ominous 6-foot-tall bunny Frank, who convinces a delusional high
school student, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, that the world is coming
to an end. The director's cut of "Donnie Darko" is set to
be released in theaters this summer.
Duval also did a short film called “The Tag” with Djimon Hounsou,
and rejoined director James Merendino in the Dogme13 production “Amerikana,”
a road movie featuring two men who set out to discover the bright lights
of Los Angeles. This was followed by a small role in “Comic Book Villains,”
a film about murderous comic book collectors, starring Donal Logue and
Danny Masterson.
In 2002, Duval played Blank in director Lucky McKee’s horror film “May,”
starring Angela Bettis as a lonely woman who goes to terrifying lengths
to find companionship. Originally there was more to Duval’s character;
he and May bonded against society, throwing off conventional language
and names, but the scene was cut from the film. Jeremy Sisto and Anna
Faris co-starred.
In his next film, “Pledge of Allegiance” (aka “The Red Zone”), Duval
plays Ray, a Native American in this coming-of-age story set in a community
overrun with crime and violence. Freddy Rodríguez of “Six Feet Under”
has the leading role of a high school senior who gets caught in the
middle of a rivalry between Italian and Indian casinos. For updates,
the trailer and behind-the-scenes photos, visit the official website
at http://pledgeofallegiance.com/
In the musical comedy “Open House,” Duval and Kellie
Martin play a couple who break into song-and-dance routines while visiting
an open house. This innovative indie film about the real estate business
premiered at the Slam Dance Festival in 2004 with an ensemble cast who
performed their songs live for the camera instead of lip-synching to
pre-recorded music. For more info, song clips, a trailer and updates,
visit the official website at http://www.slamdance.com/mirvish/open.html
Duval made a cameo appearance in the indie horror film “Frog-g-g.” The
film was screened in Los Angeles in 2002 and is said to have the classic
appeal of old horror films. It now has a tentative release date of
“summer 2004.”
Next up for Duval are two comedy-dramas, both in post-production
and tentatively scheduled for 2005 releases.
In “Window Theory,” starring Corey Large and Jennifer O’Dell, Duval
plays Dave Kordelewski in a film about “an aimless playboy who returns
home for his best friend's wedding only to find that the bride is his
high school sweetheart.” You can view the trailer and check for updates
at the official website: http://www.windowtheory.com/
The film “Standing Still” is the story of a popular actor who reconnects
with a group of college friends for a wedding several years after graduation.
Duval joins a popular young cast, including Jon Abrahams, Colin Hanks,
Adam Garcia, Amy Adams, Ethan Embry and Mena Suvari. The film was in
the editing process in early February, and the filmmakers will soon
be looking for a distributor.
Throughout his career, James Duval has credited his success to Gregg
Araki, and has followed Araki’s advice to surround himself with people
who believe in what they’re doing and are committed to making films
with a message about the human condition.
Cathy Lynn Witbrodt lives in
NYC and is a longtime fan of indie films and experimental theater.