*Actor Mitch Ryan is certainly one of the brightest, most refreshing up-and-comers in the world of film and television. And the kick ass Australian accent doesn’t hurt, either! Not too long ago he had a recurring role on the hit teen-opera, “One Tree Hill,” on the CW, and earlier this year he was the lead actor in the bloody, gorefest Cabin Fever: Patient Zero. Starting on tomorrow, you’ll be able to catch Mitch Ryan in a new movie – one he filmed before Cabin Fever 3, mind you – a psychological, drama-thriller called Missionary. In this feature film, Mitch plays the lead role of Elder Brock, a Mormon missionary with a serious, sinister dark side. The title is being compared to other films such as Fatal Attraction, Fear, Misery, and Obsessed. In my interview with Mitch you’ll be able to read about his most noteworthy, previous roles as well as his insight and opinions on his latest film release, Missionary. And, remember, Missionary hits select theaters and all VOD outlets on Halloween! Check out the interview below!
HorrorSociety: I read that you were on season seven of “One Tree Hill.” You had a pretty big, recurring role on that show. What can you tell me about your first big role on television?
Mitch: It was really exciting because it was my first big thing in America. I had only been here for a couple of months, I just signed with this new agency when I got that. I was so overwhelmed and I appreciated having that job because it was such a great training ground for being in front of the camera. I was stoked to have that job and for getting to use my accent! It was a great experience working in North Carolina.
HorrorSociety: Now this is a big year for you. You were also the lead actor in Cabin Fever: Patient Zero. How did you get on board with that movie?
Mitch: I got offered that, actually, because I auditioned for another part in that movie – the younger brother, Josh – and the guy who was supposed to play the part that I had couldn’t do it. They called me and offered me the role. I think it was the director or someone else was speaking with my agency and had seen some scenes from Missionary.
HorrorSociety: Oh, so these releases are out of order. Which film was filmed first?
Mitch: I filmed Missionary first. A year later I headed to the Dominican Republic and show Cabin Fever: Patient Zero. It was fun to do a movie like that because it relied heavily on special effects make-up.
HorrorSociety: It must be just as rewarding to travel so often as it is to act.
Mitch: Yeah! I also filmed a pilot a few years back for “The Lying Game” in New Mexico. I have a few things going on in LA now. I’m always auditioning for projects that film everywhere in the world.
HorrorSociety: Now you have this movie, Missionary, coming out in select theaters and on VOD on Halloween. Is that date correct?
Mitch: Yeah. It’s perfect timing, I think. People are looking to see a scary movie. Hopefully they’ll see the picture of this crazy looking Mormon and want to check it out.
HorrorSociety: In your own words, can you summarize Missionary for the readers who may read this interview?
Mitch: Everyone is saying it’s like Fatal Attraction, but it’s unique. It’s a love story about a lonely, vulnerable guy with his own fatal attraction. My character, Elder Brock, is on a mission and he meets Katherine [played by Dawn Olivieri] who believes is the woman sent to him by God. He sins against his religion by having an affair with her, and then she gets back with her husband. My character doesn’t take that too well. Things go crazy.
HorrorSociety: What genre would you best categorize this movie under?
Mitch: I’d say it’s a dramatic thriller. I wouldn’t say it was a horror film like with Cabin Fever: Patient Zero. This one doesn’t have gory stuff, although it does have a lot of scary moments. It’s definitely more in line with Fatal Attraction but with a Mormon missionary. It’s got a lot of drama and is very character driven, so, yeah, definitely a psychological, dramatic thriller.
HorrorSociety: Are you guys worried that there may be a backlash because of using the Mormon religion in the movie?
Mitch: We don’t pick a side. We don’t say it’s bad. We don’t paint it in a bad light. There’s definitely going to be people who come and criticize it and say, “That’s not what happens! You’re painting us in such a bad light!” The whole idea came about… Mormons, at the end of the day, are just real human beings and under that immense amount of pressure, they can crack. Speaking with the writer – who is a Mormon – he went on a mission and one of the guys he was with, one day, snapped and punched a dude in the back of the head. He took everyone by surprise and flipped out. I think if [the viewers] have an open mind then, they’ll be ok with it.
HorrorSociety: Basically the Mormon aspect is just one part of Elder Brock. It’s only used as one plot point.
Mitch: It’s certainly used as a plot point. At the end of the day it’s just about a guy. If you take away the religious aspect, it’s about a guy who’s searching for love, that fulfillment in life and he believes he’s found it in Katherine. And then it doesn’t work out and he doesn’t take it too well. There’s a lot more to it than the Mormon aspect. It’s a good psychological thriller even without the Mormonism.
HorrorSociety: Do you think the audience will sympathize with Elder Brock even after he starts acting crazy?
Mitch: Oh, yeah. There’s a couple of scenes when he gets back [from the mission] and he’s genuinely heartbroken that this happened and she betrayed him like that. They started something, and Katherine knew what a sin it was against his religion because he was an elder, and now she’s throwing it in his face that he committed this huge sin. He’s lost and confused. People will definitely sympathize with that.
HorrorSociety: What was it like working with director Anthony DiBlasi, who horror fans will remember as the executive producer behind The Midnight Meat Train?
Mitch: He was great, I was so glad he went with me. He took a huge chance on hiring me for the job, so I’m grateful for that. When it came to work, he was great with the actors because he would let us rehearse for a week before filming. You don’t really get that on a low-budget scale like this. He let us rehearse and try different things. If we thought we could do stuff better, he would let us do it. There was never any pressure to get it done and move along even though we only had twenty-something days to get this done. He had time to let us do it right.
HorrorSociety: What was the overall set experience like on Missionary?
Mitch: The crew was great. They used a lot of Valencia College students. Valencia College is a film school in Florida. A lot of people on the crew were those students, learning on the job and helping out. There were a ton of professionals there as well, so it was one big collaborative effort. Everyone worked very hard. It taught me to be free. It taught me to work with good people. It taught me to tell truthful performances. The movie could have gone the wrong way if I revealed the villain side of Brock too much or made him a one layered villain.
HorrorSociety: Who do you think Missionary will most appear to?
Mitch: There’s a lot of cool, sexy things. There’s a lot of scary moments, suspense, and tension. Anyone who likes being on the edge of their seat and left wondering where this is going… Anyone who likes twists and turns… The first half of the movie is a romantic movie, these people really fall in love. A boy meets girl kind of movie. Then the second half of the movie completely flips around and is crazy. Definitely anyone who is old enough to see an R rated movie will enjoy it.
*Thank you for taking the time to chat with me, Mitch! It was refreshing to talk to someone like you who is so dedicated to a project and proud of their accomplishments without coming off as cocky. Remember, folks, you can catch Mitch in the new psychological, drama-thriller Missionary, which hits select theaters and all VOD outlets starting on Halloween 2014!
For more on Mitch Ryan, please visit the following links:
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2825507/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mitchryan87
Missionary: https://www.facebook.com/MissionaryFilm
