"Around the Fire" Interview

Devon: Simon Harris…ah he you know…The movie's really a coming of age you know story about a boy becoming a man and the problems he faces you know with his family and friends and everything and deals with a lot of peer pressure, you know of drugs.

The ups and downs of drugs. He gets rehabilitated, you know and that whole thing. Great range in the character. You know it went from being the nice prep boy to this kit starting out on drugs, you know and all these problems to being rehabilitated, getting his life back together, and you know finding himself, finding the truth in his past and everything and stuff. Great script, great cast. Um…yeah.

How has your character developed?

Well my character was developed through the other characters of the movie basically because you have the whole thing with the father, you know he, he, obviously like a lot of fathers out there, wants his son to go a certain route in life. You know probably t he route he took and then you come to the friends, Jennifer ah Trace who get him into the whole deadhead (?) scene.

Um he starts getting in the drugs you know though Trace shows him through the good side of the drugs and he now goes overboard with them and creates these problems through himself and Kate, there's Kate who shows him the way out, I think by letting him find his own way out you know and telling - she's obviously gone through the same problems and seeing the same thing so now she's this nurse, at a rehabilitating center and ah she's showing him how to get out of it by himself.

How to find himself?

Devon: How to find himself. (Nods head)

Is that sort of process what attracted you to the role or was it sorta your mention of the range of the character that you have?

Devon: Well it was really the producers that attracted me to the role…(Devon smiles) I'm kidding I'm kidding! No ah…whoo! I was attracted…you know I read the script and loved it. You know I fell in love with the script right away because of the different levels that Simon goes through as of the fact that he's prep, to drug, to rehabilitated and found himself. It was such a great you know great amount of colors. You know what I'm saying? Like such a rainbow of emotions and you know it was…a…a tie-dye of emotions. (Devon Smiles)

Cut to…

Devon: You know I can't express how much you know thankful I am that I worked with such an amazing cast. The chemistry, the acting was brilliant you know it was so good ah…and you know.

Did it happen just like in your character? (I think)

Devon: Yeah and a lot of that happened off set as well which was very helpful you know. We all built this great friendship and it really shows on screen it shows…you know. It's not like we're a bunch of actors coming, shooting and that's it. You know…went to museums, parks (smiles) no bars and clubs! (Devon makes funny face!)

So what's next?

Devon: Well I'm um…there's a lot of stuff I'm considering right now. There's a movie I'm looking at called SLC Punk! that I'm thing about doing; well I'm hoping to do which would be a completely different thing. I got a Mohawk and you know the whole shebang! (Claps hands) But I don't think I will ever have an experience quite like Around the Fire. (Smiles) Brilliant. It was a lotta fun…you know…I learned a lot.

Watch the video here or you can check it out on the Around the Fire DVD!

Back 12.31.2007.