Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Embattled’s Darren Mann

Darren Mann has emerged as one of the most dynamic young actors of his generation. His ability to disappear into a character has quickly caught the attention of Hollywood, nabbing him coveted roles in Giant Little Ones, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Fortunate Son.

His latest project is IFC’s Embattled, which finds Darren stepping into the cage as an aspiring MMA fighter looking to follow in his father’s footsteps. But on his journey, he learns to pave his own path.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Darren to discuss his knockout performance in Embattled, why this project was so special to him, and his purpose and mission as an artist.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Darren: When I was a little kid, my mom worked in a lot of different facets of the industry. I was extremely shy when I was younger, so she thought it would be a great idea to enroll me in acting classes. I must have been around eight years old. She wanted me to get out there a bit more. It definitely helped. I really enjoyed the classes.

I continued on until I was thirteen or fourteen, and then I became too busy with hockey. But it was always in the back of my mind that the day would come when I could no longer play hockey, and this may be something that I want to go back and explore because I had fun as a kid doing it.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Darren: That’s a hard one. I’ve been blessed with a lot of people who have been really impactful on my life. I’ll never forget certain conversations I’ve had with my junior hockey coaches or mentors in the hockey world over the years. That, I feel, has set me up for success through the rest of my life in whatever I want to do. So, I’m forever grateful for my sports background and the hard work that instilled in me as a young man.

Then as I grew up in the acting world, it would be my longtime acting coach, Rick Tae, from Vancouver. He’s still my personal acting coach that I bring with me on jobs. I’m forever grateful for him. He’s been such an amazing influence on my career and my growth as an actor.

And, of course, my mom and my brother Tyler, have been absolutely instrumental as far as being fantastic supporters and fans.

PC: In addition to acting, you’re also a writer and producer. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actor and vice versa?
Darren: Writing is something that’s been so important for me as an actor to explore more because it’s helped me to strip down a script. My script analysis has improved greatly since I started writing. My ability to break down scripts and what the writer’s trying to do with each scene and why that scene’s there has really improved since I started writing. Every single scene that you put into your script is there for a reason; you’re telling something with that scene.

Embattled

PC: You have a new film out now. Tell us about Embattled.
Darren: Embattled is a great everyday drama that happens to have the backdrop of MMA. It doesn’t get better than that when you want to physicalize a father and son against each other. It’s great. I happen to be a huge UFC and MMA fan, too, so that was always exciting to get to do. The film is about a young man finding his own path in his own way.

PC: Throughout your career, you’ve done a fantastic job choosing which projects you want to be a part of. What’s the process like when you’re evaluating which projects you want to work on? What stood out about this script?
Darren: Well, thank you—that’s a very kind compliment. I try to pick things that I’m extremely passionate about and really, really want to do. That’s been easier in the last few years than at the beginning because you have to get your feet wet, but getting to do stuff that you’re extremely passionate about is something that I always told myself I wanted to get to do because I do this because I love it. I enjoy telling stories that I feel are impactful and can hopefully positively change people’s lives.

With this script, I saw a fantastic opportunity for me to not only show my acting ability, but to also use my athletic background as a hockey player. There’s a lot of range with Jett. He’s an extremely selfless young man, but at the same time, he can flip a switch and enter the cage and really become somebody else. It was a great opportunity.

PC: You’ve said in previous interviews that when this project came to you, you had to make a difficult decision. What ultimately led you to make the decision that you made?
Darren: Ultimately, the reason I do this is to get to tell stories that I really want to tell. I saw this as a story that meant a lot to me as a guy who grew up with a single mom and not necessarily in the richest neighborhood or anything like that. I just worked my ass off, wanting to be able to help my mom and family. For me, that was through hockey, which I got to a pretty good level in.

I didn’t end up making the big bucks in the NHL or anything like that, but I definitely could relate in some ways to this character. There were some parallels between us. I loved his selflessness, what the story was really telling us, and the life lessons that are in the story. It was a story that I thought could impact people and hopefully change them for the better.

PC: Speaking of parallels, when you’re diving into a character who feels this familiar, is that more or less challenging?
Darren: He’s definitely a lot different than me, I’ll tell you, so we’re definitely split because one thing I’ll say is I hate being Darren on camera. I never want to just learn lines and say them—that’s horrible to me. I definitely created Jett. We had a lot of differences from each other. There are things that helped me understand him easier because of things I’ve experienced, but I definitely went through my regular process of creating him and the way he carries himself, the way he talks to his family, and really getting deep into that world.

PC: One of my favorite things about the film is that there are a lot of different relationships and dynamics between the characters. Which was your favorite to explore and why?
Darren: Definitely the one with his father because I think every young man looks up to their dad and wants him to be their idol, whether that’s realistic or not. For Jett, at the beginning, he’s a little blinded by it all, and his dad is an opportunity to give his family a better life.

He slowly starts to realize that when he puts in the same work that he puts in at the gym with his dad into other things that he could really be successful at anything that he strives for. His dad, ultimately, isn’t the man he wants to become either, and that’s okay, but it’s a good thing for him to come to that realization. It allows him to become his own person and find his own path.

PC: The film is out now and has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Darren: That’s a tough one. Like I was saying earlier, it’s a really great everyday family drama at its core. I think a lot of people have their own difficulties in life and within their families. I’m sure there are some aspects within this film that a lot of people can relate to, whether it’s the single mom, the distant father, or a family member with special needs, like Jett has with his brother. There are so many different aspects and layers that people can relate to.

PC: As an actor, what was the biggest takeaway for you?
Darren: All the great friends I got to meet in the stunt community, in the acting and film industry, and the MMA world. I got to meet so many great people working on this film that I’ve become lifelong friends with. For me, that’s the most important thing. That’s not always the case. You have great times on sets, but you don’t usually stay in touch with that many people—it’s nothing personal or bad. So, it’s really special that I got to create a family here that I still have today, and I’m very blessed for that.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Darren: Survivor. I secretly want to be on it. [laughs]

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Darren: Pineapple Express. One hundred percent. I’ve watched that movie a hundred times.

PC: Favorite book?
Darren: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robinson.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Darren: I’m not a big musical guy but I’ve always loved Grease.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Darren: I’m so eclectic and all over the place with my music. Some days I’m listening to Stevie Nicks, the next day, I’m listening to Jay-Z, so I’m all over the map. I don’t know what’s really the most surprising. Frank Sinatra. There you go. He’s on my playlist.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Darren: Can I do it?

To keep up with Darren, follow him on Instagram. Watch Embattled in theaters and VOD.

Photo Credit: Charles Zuckermann & Zenna Wong