Actor Cory Dagg shot by Vanie Poyey
With his timeless face, emotive eyes and a look that audiences find easily relatable, actor Cory Dagg is arguably every casting directors’ dream.
His impressive range has made it possible for him to take on the bad guy role just as effortlessly as he does the hero, and his appearance is just familiar enough to make his characters physically come across to viewers as though they are someone they know off the screen in everyday life.
Over the years Dagg has played a diverse range of characters like the unforgettable and well-meaning General Michaelson in the seven-time Emmy Award nominated miniseries “The Andromeda Strain,” Jack Strassman, a brilliant scientist on the run for his life in the dramatic crime series “The Sentinel” and a bartender who is up to a whole lot more than pouring drinks in “The X-Files.”
A dedicated actor who continually seeks the kinds of roles that will challenge and further his craft, Dagg is definitely not the kind of actor that attaches himself to a project just to beef up his resume, and he doesn’t need to.
In our interview Dagg opens up about doing his first big movie acting alongside Oscar Award winners Robert De Niro and Sean Penn, and how the big break he’d been pining for almost went terribly wrong; but instead, it went terribly right. Since that fateful role nearly three decades ago, Dagg has gone on to act alongside the industry’s unequivocal best, such as Johnny Depp, Demi Moore, Mickey Rooney, Ray Liotta, David Duchovny and Michael Chiklis.
While he’s amassed a beyond impressive repertoire of work that includes the films “Wrongfully Accused” starring Primetime Emmy nominee Leslie Nielson, John Dahl’s (“Joy Ride,” “House of Lies,” “Hannibal”) mystery drama “Unforgettable” and Oscar Award winner Neil Jordan’s “We’re No Angels,” and the three-time Golden Globe Award nominated series “Millennium,” the Gemini Award winning series “Street Legal” and “The Net,” Dagg has also flexed his chops in a plethora of high profile theatre productions where he’s proven hat he can captivate live audiences with the same finesse that he brings to the screen.
Over the years he’s given a slew of riveting and thought provoking performances in productions such as the Kelowna Actors Studios’ run of “The Laramie Project” and “Misery,” as well as “Deacon Blues” and “Mud” at the Havana Theatre in Vancouver, Canada.
To find out more about how actor Cory Dagg got to where he is today and what drives him to perform, make sure to check out our interview below!
Hi Cory thanks for joining us! Can you tell us where you are from?
CD: Vancouver, BC Canada. LA is home now but I still get the opportunity to travel back to Vancouver to do some acting, just often enough to keep me from getting homesick.
When and how did you get into acting?
CD: I was 24 years old and working as the assistant manager of an office supply store (like Staples), I was not suited for the job and hated it. I opened up the store one morning to find a flyer on the floor by the mail slot, I can still remember reading it as it lay on the floor, it was an advert for acting classes at a local theatre. It was a huge moment and it changed the course of my life. I signed up for the classes of course and later went on to study full time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, CA. After my studies at the Academy I moved back to Vancouver to become a professional actor.
Can you tell us about some of the film projects you’ve done?
CD: One of my first films back in 1989 was “We’re No Angels,” produced by Paramount Pictures and directed by Academy Award Winner Neil Jordan. The film starred Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn and Demi Moore. During my three call-backs, I impressed the director and producers so much that they scrapped their plans to audition other actors from LA, giving me the chance to work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. What happened during filming is something that would fill even seasoned actors with dread, and it’s something I will never forget.
In my role as a border guard/aspiring writer, there’s a scene between me, DeNiro and Penn where my character is trying to convince DeNiro and Penn to read my manuscript as they’re crossing the border. The interaction is supposed to be funny, but after being on the set for 15 hours, no one was feeling comedic. After a few takes, the lead actors were agitated and tired and decided to call a private meeting with the director. Nearby, I could tell the group was discussing whether or not to cut the scene. Knowing how this could impact my career I made a bold decision that could have jeopardized my entire career.
I intervened.
Imagine, if you will, telling Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn that they’re making a mistake, but I knew remaining quiet could cost me a huge break. Gathering up my courage, I poked my nose where DeNiro made it clear it didn’t belong, he said “would you excuse us please,” but his eyes were really saying FU, I’m quite sure my eyes were saying the same thing, we stared at each other for what seemed like a minute. Finally, I walked off, certain I would be fired. DeNiro was not just one of the biggest names in Hollywood at the time, he was also the Executive Producer on the film.
Early the next morning my phone rang, and when the person on the other end said “Mr. DeNiro would like you on set immediately,” I didn’t know if I was going to be filming the scene or getting fired. The tension on the set was palpable, no one would come near me and just whispered when I walked by, but when DeNiro put his arm around my shoulder and told me to get ready for shooting, I knew I’d made the right decision. Two days later De Niro and Penn approached me on set to say they had seen my scene in daily’s the night before, and wanted to say what a great job I had done and that they really liked my work! It’s as if it all turned out much better because it went horribly wrong for that brief moment.
I was in “The X-Files” episode ‘Travelers’ directed by Billy Graham and I play the character anonymously named the Bartender, but I wasn’t running your average watering hole. It was a relief to finally book an episode of “The X-Files,” anyone who owned a television in the 90s knew all about the show and were usually fans, and it was shot in Vancouver. So I got the question all the time when someone found out I was an actor or from family members and friends, “have you worked on The X-Files or when are you going to work on The X-Files?”.
I really got tired of it, it wouldn’t matter if I was doing great work on another show, the question was always the same. Now it became hey I saw you on “The X-Files”! Since the episode is partially set in the 1950’s I had the chance to do a bit of period acting which is really enjoyable for me. I like the challenge that comes with researching the role to make it more accurate, and I can actually get a little obsessive about it. At this time I was booking a lot of white collar roles so it was fun playing the shady guy who takes deals under the table. After the episode aired I started getting more and more calls, being on the show gave me a lot of exposure.
I played Detective Peters on the Columbia-Tristar television drama-thriller “The Net” directed by Jim Charleston. I was talking with the director [Jim Charleston] between takes one day, and he said that it was my “quiet intensity” that won me the role. I must have had a questioning look on my face, because he went on to say that the other actors came in yelling and screaming, we were auditioning and reading for one of the interrogation scenes. I had a different approach though, I came in very quiet… I know from personal experience that when a person really means business, they get quiet, not loud . So that’s how I read it , and I guess that’s what got me the part.
Whenever I get a new role, I get to know that character as if they were going to be my new best friend. I try to think of every aspect of them – how they feel, how they would respond in certain situations, what they would say, that kind of stuff. With Peter’s being a cop, I knew I could handle that since I ‘ve done a lot of cops and military roles. But Peters is a bit of a dirty cop, so I had to dig deep to bring that out in him. Really, it comes down to immersing myself in the character, finding something – anything – I might have in common with him, and playing on that. It was a great experience, we shot in Vancouver, and that is such a great city. The people are awesome, and the city is very welcoming to television and film crews, so being on location there was great. Working with Brooke Langton and the other actors was also an unforgettable experience. They are true professionals who are passionate about their work, as I am, so it’s nice to be able to work with people who share your love for what you do.
I played the role of General Michaelson in the TV miniseries “The Andromeda Strain” based on the novel by Michael Crichton and produced by three-time Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott. It was a four-part miniseries, and was nominated for seven Emmys including Outstanding Miniseries. The plot centered around a deadly virus that comes to Earth when a satellite crashes in the Utah desert. Once unleashed, the virus kills anything in its path, so scientists and military personnel must work together to quarantine the affected area and eradicate the virus before it wipes out the entire population.
My character, General Michaelson, was the military leader in charge of quarantining the entire town and ultimately protecting the human race from the virulent disease. I originally auditioned on tape for the casting director for a smaller role and sent the tape to the producers in Los Angeles. I thought my reading was okay, but not brilliant, when I hadn’t heard anything after a week I was sure the role went to someone else. I got a call from my agent over three weeks later saying the producers and director loved my audition so much they are giving me the much bigger role of General Michaelson, and I ended up being in three of the four episodes! The director said later he was surprised I didn’t have military experience, that’s how convincing he thought I was. It’s the dramatic roles I love the most, when the stakes are really high I’m able to separate myself from other actors and usually get the role.
It was shot in a small town in Canada made to look the Utah desert, they booked me into a great little motel that seemed to be frozen in time called The Tumbleweed Inn. I always try to keep myself in top physical condition for roles like this, it not only plays a part in landing the role (besides solid acting chops), but once you land the role you’re not scrambling to try and get in shape. It was an amazing experience overall, being on location is always the best in my opinion, there are no personal distractions, you can just focus on the work and immerse yourself in the role.
I learned a really valuable lesson from the audition, I’m not the best judge of how did in the reading, I thought I was just okay, some of the top producers in Hollywood thought my audition was amazing!
When my agent called with the audition details for the Paramount TV series “The Sentinal” directed by Gail Hickman, she said to show up 30 min early for the audition to get the sides, normally this is given to the actor at least a day in advance, I didn’t question it, no problem I’ll have a half hour to look it over, and besides all the other actors would be in the same situation, that’s fair. I got there 30 min early as planned, waited and waited, no casting director, I’m seeing other actors show up but they have sides, she finally shows up and I get my sides, I barely look down at the page when the casting director says, “We are going to ask everyone to wait after they read and we will give you our decision, it starts shooting tomorrow, whoever wins the role will go straight from here to wardrobe fitting.”
Before I had a chance to respond I was told, “Cory you’re first up.” As I’m walking down the hall to meet the director and producers I’m thinking, okay the other actors seem to have walked in with their sides, I am walking in literally not having read one word on the page. I was excited, I’m at my best under pressure. They gave me direction as we went through scene after scene. I felt like I did my very best. After all the actors had read we were lined up together and it was announced I had won the guest starring role.
While other actors might have demanded more time to prepare, I knew from past auditions that getting on the casting director’s bad side doesn’t win roles. Winging it proved to be the formula for success, and my reading was exactly what the producer and director were looking for. Equally won over by my professionalism and positive attitude, the casting director said to my agent, “Down to earth actors are hard to come by sometimes, so it means a lot when you’ve got a guy that is enormously talented, but doesn’t have the ego that goes with it.”
Getting the role of Jack Strassman on “The Sentinel” also added to my experience in playing emotionally complex and multi-faceted roles. In the show, Strassman is a brilliant scientist working on environmentally friendly energy solutions until the government discovers that his research holds the key to creating weapons that make nuclear arms look like child’s play. Forced into hiding with his family, Strassman must evade government and military authorities to protect his family. A role like this required immense adaptability, shifting from an intellectual scientist to a man on the run in a matter of seconds. Feelings of joy, power, fear and anger were inter woven into the character, and I was praised for my seemingly effortless portrayal of this.
You get approached all the time to work on projects with people, what makes you pick one role over another?
CD: You know when I read the script, I think “is this something I would be proud to be associated with?” When I was younger I was attracted to action scripts, now although I still like the drama, it’s important to me that the script have a positive message, or at least a lesson to be learned by the hero. And then there are times when i just wanted to do something my young nephews would like, and this usually involves meaningless action and violence.
Do you feel that you get cast to play a certain type of character more than others?
CD: Early in my career I used to get mostly good cop roles and white collar, I look more intense now just naturally, and I get way more bad cop and military roles, characters with an edge.
Can you tell us about some of the theatre productions you’ve participated in up until now?
CD: My favourite role so far has been on the Kelowna Actors Studio stage playing Paul Sheldon in “Misery” by Stephen King. I was on stage for the entire two hours (except intermission) and in bed for most of that time, but I loved the role. Sometimes characters can be a struggle in the beginning, figuring out who this person is and what motivates them, but Paul Sheldon came to me quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I put an incredible amount of work into rehearsal, and it was a gruelling performance night after night. Paul Sheldon is the author of a best-selling series of Victorian era romance novels surrounding the character Misery Chastain. He has just finished the manuscript of his new crime novel, “Fast Cars,” while staying at the Hotel Boulderado. Since 1974, he has completed the first draft of every one of his novels in the same hotel room in Colorado. With his latest project finished, he has an alcohol-induced impulse to drive to Los Angeles rather than fly back home to New York City. However, a snowstorm hits while he is driving through the mountains. Sheldon drives off a cliff and crashes upside down into a snowbank. He is rescued from the car wreck by Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who lives in nearby Sidewinder. She takes him to her own home rather than a hospital, putting him in the guest bedroom, but his legs are shattered. Using her nursing skills and stockpiled food and medical supplies, including an illicit stash of codeine-based painkillers, Annie slowly nurses Paul Sheldon back to “health.” Instead of setting his legs, as a doctor would have done (so that they may mend and eventually work), she puts them in makeshift splints. This results in his legs looking somewhat like a child’s doodle. She proclaims herself as his “number one fan,” being an avid reader of the “Misery Chastain” series. However, when she reads the manuscript for “Fast Cars,” Annie argues with Paul on its violent content and profanity, causing her to spill his soup. Saying that the accident was “his” fault, she punishes him by withholding his medication, then forcing him to wash it down with soap water. Paul, who has done extensive research into mental disorders, suspects that Annie is dangerously disturbed.
So here is a character who is in an incredible amount of pain, and fear. I worked closely with the director to show the right amount of pain in a truthful way. I knew it was crucial to be incredibly fearful of what Annie might do to me next, I had to be truly afraid, and then the audience could be afraid. I had to completely trust the director, Randy Leslie. I loved this role!
Out of all your productions both in the theatre and on screen, what has been your favorite project, or projects, so far and why?
CD: I have to say “We’re No Angels.” At the time of shooting Robert De Niro was possibly the most in demand character actor in the business. If I was allowed to pick any actor on the planet to work with I would have chosen him. And now I was going to be on set with him for 25 days. It was a dream come true!
What is your favorite genre to work in as an actor?
CD: I love the intense drama roles, that’s where most of my work is, I don’t fight it like some actors who say why don’t they see me for this or that. I have received favourable reviews for comedy roles as well, and they are a nice break from the heavier dramatic work once in a while.
What separates you from other actors? What do you feel your strongest qualities are?
CD: Hard work, love of the craft, taking chances when the moment is right. Don’t work too hard in a scene, don’t try to hit a home run when the scene only needs a base hit. However, when the scene does call for it, I give it everything I have, while being being truthful. I’ve never stopped working on my craft, I need to always keep growing. I need to be willing to fail, to make an absolute fool out of myself, and sometimes that happens, but you just get up and go on to the next scene. I know what my strengths are, I don’t fight it, I embrace it!
Have you been in any commercials or music videos?
CD: No Music Videos, just never appealed to me, I didn’t think that’s what a serious actor did. So I requested not to audition for any. Looking back, I’m sure they would have been a lot of fun.
Early in my career I did a lot of commercials, mostly regional, but some national spots as well. It’s not really what I wanted to be doing as an actor, but it was paying the rent and it got me into the union. There was a particular wine commercial that got a lot of airtime on tv, literally night and day. I know for a fact this got me more auditions for the roles and work in tv and film that I actually wanted to be doing. So when I look back now I see that commercials played an important part in launching my career. Eventually I turned down all offers for commercial auditions, they just became too time consuming and were a distraction from the acting work I wanted to be doing. For a film and tv role the casting director has already shortlisted each to 5 or 6 actors they know can do the role and then bring them in for an audition. For a commercial audition they might bring in 50 or more actors, not to sound ungrateful, but they consistently run a couple of hours behind schedule, I guess I just didn’t want to be doing commercials, and I was now a working actor in TV and film. Now put me in a waiting room for a good acting role, and I will wait all day, I don’t care how long it takes!
What are your plans for the future?
CD: I am writing a play and there are plans for it to open in Los Angeles and then go on tour.
An exciting feature film role coming up that could be somewhat career changing, I can’t share yet, but you’ll be the first to know!
What do you hope to achieve in your career as an actor?
CD: To know that your fellow actors respect you and your work, this means a lot, but more important is that I respect my work and knowing I did my best. Always pushing myself and growing as an actor, this is everything! Never let yourself fall into a comfort zone and fall back on any success you have achieved, it can be dangerous and is tempting for all of us. I feel so blessed to be a working actor!
What kind of training have you done?
CD: My formal training was at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, but I’ve never stopped working on my craft, I’m always in a scene study group with fellow professional actors, it’s crucial to stay on top of your game, always ready. You’re like an athlete that needs to stay in shape. The harder you practice the easier and more fun the game is. An amateur practices until they get it right, a professional trains until they can’t get it wrong.
Why is acting your passion and chosen profession?
CD: If someone tells me they are considering becoming an actor and would I be willing to pass on some advice, I give them the best advice I ever got, if there’s anything else you could be remotely happy at, then go do that, only become an actor if there’s nothing else that can give you any satisfaction. Acting for me was not so much a choice but something I just had to do. It’s the only time I feel at peace. For me – Acting is life, everything else is waiting.
Leave Your Comments