Interview With “Occupation” Actor Dan Ewing
In the film, “Occupation”, a town is abruptly descended into darkness. In the sky, a group of spaceships appears. The aliens have been watching Earth for centuries; now they have arrived to gain control of our planet. As alien storm troopers cut a deadly swath through the countryside, a group of townspeople realize they must band together for a chance to strike back at the invaders in this explosive sci-fi film that draws you in from start to finish. OCCUPATION is in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD on July 20, 2018.
In an interview with Dan Ewing (“Home and Away,” “Power Rangers R.P.M.”), he talks with Jae Monique about the movie, his character, and his upcoming films.
Jae Monique: What is the film about?
Dan Ewing: Occupation is an intergalactic invasion, but it’s told from a small town Australia perspective. It hasn’t quite been done before. It’s kind of like a Red Door meets Independence Day. It’s a very unique film, especially for Australia. We don’t make a lot of these great sci-fi films. It’s a very special film. I play the character of Matt Simmons and he’s a former AFL football star. He’s had a little bit of a fall from grace so he’s dealing with some inner demons.
JM: What was your favorite part about filming?
Ewing: I loved so much of it. My favorite thing overall was the great ensemble cast. I think in a lot of genre films and a lot of Sci-fi films, there’s one lead character. There are at least 10 really rich characters that are very three dimensional and very special. I think overall the cast would be my favorite thing.
JM: How did you prepare for your role?
Ewing: It’s interesting. I think in the early drafts, my character was a little more Captain America. He was a bit more of a natural leader. He was making the right decisions and doing all the right things. I had just done a Rugby movie. A lot of the rugby advisers were telling these stories and these guys are modern day gladiators. They’re the fall from grace. Their struggling with finding jobs, antidepressants, alcohol. I asked Luke if we could put some of that in and it added a whole new dimension to the character. The aliens are the least of Matt’s problem.
JM: What do you love about this character?
Ewing: I love how Matt Simmons is imperfectly perfect. He’s not your Captain America. I think he represents humanity. When the aliens turn up, he’s not in the best position to be a natural leader or to even take care of himself, let alone his fiance and his townsfolk. That for me was really great. I love how he doesn’t quite get it together. He never quite has his proverbial together.
JM: What’s the biggest challenge about taking this role?
Ewing: I think the time. To get the special effects and the look of the film, we have to shoot it quite quickly. There are a lot of hours on set, not a lot of sleep, lots of night shoots…that sort of thing. I’m not complaining about that, but if I had to pick one thing, the lack of sleep and the hours.
JM: What other projects are you working on?
Ewing: I had a great last year. It was fantastic. I got four films in post–three now that Occupation is out. My next one is an Australian-based romantic comedy playing opposite Isabel Lucas. I’ve got a psychological thriller coming out that’s very Butterfly Effect, and another film called “One” where I’m the last man on earth. I’ve been very busy.
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