‘Sopranos’ Star Kevin Interdonato Talks About His Starring Role As ‘Bad Frank’
New Jersey-born Kevin Interdonato plays Frank Pierce in the independent movie hit Bad Frank. The movie tells the story of Frank Pearce, a construction worker and former Marine. Frank is the victim of circumstances that drive him onto a “path of righteous vengeance” against a crime family. Bad Frank has been well received by the critics, and as reported by the Herald Mail, it has been winning awards. Frank’s tale follows a somewhat traditional story of a “good man” turned bad by circumstance, but Bad Frank goes deeper than most movies in the genre.
Superficially, Bad Frank is an action movie about a former soldier who wreaks a path of vengeance after his wife is kidnapped. The action is exciting, but it’s the subplot that sets Bad Frank apart. Frank Pierce’s personal relationships are put under the microscope, as is his mental health. Kevin Interdonato is widely praised, including by Flickering Myth, for his ability to bring that depth of character to life.
In truth, the role of Frank Pierce could have been written for Kevin Interdonato. Like Bad Frank, Interdonato is a former soldier who has served time in combat zones, notably in Baghdad. Interdonato began studying as an actor while still serving in the New Jersey Army National Guard. After time in Baghdad during the Iraq war, Interdonato questioned whether he wanted to continue as an actor. One would assume that Interdonato would use his own experiences to help with the characterization of Frank Pierce.
On the contrary, Kevin tries to keep his military experiences “in a box” and other aspects of Frank’s story attracted him to the role.
“Even though it was a sub-story, I had to pick and choose the elements to layer Frank with, and nothing from the military lent itself to the character, other than a story being told about him. I stayed away from it.
“Frank’s ‘bad bone’ [attracted me to the role]. What exactly does that mean, you know? I knew a couple guys that had similar characteristics. I was intrigued.”
His mental illness wasn’t in the original script, it came to the table after I got involved, and ended up being an integral aspect of the Story. Classifying his illness, medication, dosages, and withdrawals. These elements attracted me to dig into the psyche of someone like Frank, it needed to be crystal clear to me, to play him effectively.
“So finding Frank’s justification and vulnerabilities are what ultimately led me to obsess about the character.”
Interdonato feels that Pierce’s internal battles are what sets Bad Frank apart from movies like Falling Down, possibly the biggest movie in the genre. The complexity of Frank Pierce’s family, neighborhood, and external relationships are something that Interdonato and the production team were aware of throughout filming. Kevin revealed that they continued to “add layers to the puzzle” as the character of Frank Pierce grew.
Is Bad Frank All Bad? Not According To Kevin Interdonato
For Interdonato, Frank is a victim of circumstance, lost in complex relationships, and struggling with his mental health, a man driven over the edge by others. Bad Frank opens the door to a consideration of undiagnosed mental illness and the possibility that Frank was abused as a child. It’s a dark glimpse into issues that we don’t often talk about.
Interestingly, Kevin says that he doesn’t see Frank as a “bad guy.” He doesn’t judge who he plays. Instead, he does all he can to understand the character’s vulnerabilities and to sympathize and empathize with the character. It is perhaps this quality that reveals why Kevin Interdonato turned in such a powerful performance as Bad Frank.
Bad Frank is the first feature film by writer/director Tony Germinario. Interdonato says that Germinario gave the cast the gift of trust and that the crew “caught lightning in a bottle in Bad Frank.” He is delighted with the plaudits the movie has received because every actor wants to “make movies that move people.”
Kevin Interdonato formerly appeared in one of the biggest TV shows in history, The Sopranos, an experience he describes as “pretty d**n cool.” Inerdonato played Dogsy, one of Tony Soprano’s henchmen. Sadly, Interdonato’s run on The Sopranos ended when he was called up to serve in Iraq.
Kevin Interdonato stars in a new TV series, Dirty Dead Con Men, which is due out this winter. In September, Interdonato begins filming for the much anticipated Asbury Park, which charts the rise of Bruce Springsteen.
Bad Frank is available on several video on-demand services.
[Featured Image by Kevin Interdonato/C2Talent]
