Exclusive Interview: Marc Senter Talks Old Man, Collaborating with Stephen Lang, and Producing and Starring in the Film

Marc Senter is one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men. He’s brought dynamic characters to life in projects including The Young and the Restless, Wicked Lake, and Dementia. This fall, he stars opposite Stephen Lang in Old Man.

Deep in the woods, a lost hiker stumbles upon the cabin of an erratic and reclusive old man. What starts off as a cordial conversation soon turns dangerous as it becomes clear that one or both of them might be hiding a terrifying secret.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Marc about Old Man, starring and producing the film, and collaborating with Stephen Lang.

PC: Tell us about Old Man and your character in the film.
Marc: Old Man was originally a play written by Joel Veach, which I read and really liked. I shared it with my friend Lucky McKee. We thought it would be a great film. We were grateful to have the Paper Street team come on board—Aaron Koontz, Cameron Burns, and Ashleigh Snead.

It’s the story of a man living in the woods who is struggling with a lot. All of a sudden, this lost hiker shows up at his doorstep and he doesn’t like that too much. He’s going to interrogate him and find out what he’s doing there. Meanwhile, the lost hiker is terrified and wondering how he’s going to get out of there. Through a series of conversations, they realize that they have much more in common than they expected, and then all this crazy stuff happens.

PC: Your character has such a complex and complicated journey throughout the film, and you handle that with so much nuance. How did you create this space for yourself to dive into that arc, particularly with those darker moments towards the end of the film?
Marc: Oh, thank you so much. It was spending time with the director and the powerful, wonderful Stephen Lang during our rehearsal process. It was about learning who these characters are and diving in. We spent a lot of hours working on it, exploring and finding these characters. We had a great team to bring this to life—people who were open, available, and courageous about trying things.

PC: This is an interesting project that primarily takes place in one location. What are some of the challenges and advantages that present to you as an actor?
Marc: For me, it was great. It felt like the play. We would have eight to nine pages of dialogue that we could prepare, and I had a great scene partner. There weren’t any distractions. It felt like theater. We were together in this one space, and it’s just about the relationship and this great scene. The challenge, which was to try to keep it interesting, really lay with the director. Lucky McKee and our cinematographer Alex Vendler did a great job utilizing the space and keeping it interesting. The production designer Lili Teplan was phenomenal with everything that she designed, which was inspired by Andrew Wyeth paintings. It was a wonderful group effort to keep things interesting because we are in a single space and that could get boring.

PC: This is such an intense ride throughout the entire film. Is there a scene in particular that you’re really excited for your fans or audiences to see when it comes out?
Marc: Geez. [laughs] There are so many scenes that I love, but I will say the surprise at the end is totally bananas. I’m hoping that’s a lot of fun for people because it was a lot of fun for us to do. There is also a great moment where my character Joe is talking about his past, his upbringing, and why he feels the way he does. He’s sharing that with Stephen Lang’s character. I really enjoyed that scene.

PC: Not only are you starring in this film, but you also produced it. How challenging was it for you to wear all those different hats?
Marc: I love putting things together. I love people and the whole process. I was much more active at the start of the film, putting pieces together and hustling on that front. I hate sitting around. I get very anxious, so it was great for me. The only problem is maybe I annoy my partner sometimes because of my excitement and desire to get something going. I feel like that’s a natural thing in me that will continue to grow. I also had a superb team with Aaron Koontz, Ashleigh Snead, and Cameron Burns. They’re pros when it comes to putting movies together. We were lucky to have them. But to tell you the truth, I like wearing both hats.

PC: Have you found that the work that you’ve done behind the scenes has now impacted the way that you approach your work on screen and vice versa?
Marc: Absolutely. I really believe that producing has taught me so much as an actor. It’s given me a certain insight that I didn’t have before, which is why I feel like all actors should get to understand the whole process. Whether it’s writing, directing, or producing, it’s getting to experience that and watching people that are so good at what they do. It really gives you a certain perspective to better understand why certain choices are made or why something works or doesn’t work. That takes you out of the headspace that it’s only yourself. As a producer, you have to look at the whole picture.

PC: This film tackles so many universal themes through the lens of a thriller. Why do you think this genre lends itself to this type of storytelling? Was there a theme that hit close to home for you?
Marc: The genre creates the opportunity to tell these types of stories in an exciting way. I feel like it gives you the freedom to explore and try things. It feels like a safe space to be creative.

As a theme, I’d say loneliness. I feel like that’s something that both characters have in common outside of the obvious mistakes and poor choices that have been made: the general feeling of loneliness that we all feel. Maybe we don’t feel seen. Maybe we’re around people that are family members or people that are the closest to us, and yet we still feel isolated and alone. That’s one of the themes that I identified with.

PC: What’s next for you?
Marc: I just finished a movie in Woodstock. I just got back a couple of days ago. I’d never been to Woodstock, so that was super fun. And then I have a sci-fi rom-com that I’m writing.

To keep up with Marc, follow on Twitter and Instagram. Old Man is in theaters, On Demand and Digital.

Photo Credit: Benjo Arwas

About Daphne
Daphne Yeh is a producer living in NYC who specializes in large-scale festival and live entertainment events. With 15+ years of experience building strategic partnerships, best-in-class integrated marketing programs, branded content initiatives, and experiential brand activations, Daphne keeps her finger on the pulse of the latest in media, culture and entertainment.