Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Cuck’s Zachary Ray Sherman

Zachary Ray Sherman is delivering a transformative performance as Ronnie Palicki, a frustrated loner who gains popularity as an Alt-Right vlogger, in the gripping film Cuck. Cuck is a fly-on-the-wall character study and psychosexual thriller that has received rave reviews from the Guardian, the Daily Beast, and the Hollywood Reporter. Pop Culturalist caught up with leading man Zachary Ray Sherman to chat about Cuck and his preparation.

Cuck

PC: Tell us about Cuck, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Zachary: Cuck is a new movie out in theaters and on VOD that follows my character, Ronnie Palicki, as his life slowly spirals out of control. He lives most of his life online. He’s lonely, he’s lost, and he begins to feel powerful after launching a video channel where he vlogs about his frustrations. He’s influenced by the YouTube personalities he looks up to and begins ranting about his problems with the country, women, immigrants, etc. We observe Ronnie’s life, and you’ll likely grimace and wince along with him as he gets caught up in trouble and spins out of control. What attracted me to the film was its fearless storytelling, strong unflinching material, and the character. After meeting the creative team, made up by Rob Lambert (writer/director), Nicholas Matthews (director of photography), and Joe Varkle (co-writer), I knew I was in good company and joined ship.

PC: You underwent a drastic transformation, both physically and mentally, to play Ronnie. Walk us through your preparation.
Zachary: Rob and I discussed Ronnie’s look and agreed on a husky, lazy type of guy who lives for soda, fast food, and the internet. I decided to put on as much weight as I could to play Ronnie and put on 45 pounds. The prep was really about finding where is Ronnie coming from and why is he living this way. So I explored that. Benicio Del Toro talked about the preparation process as this ongoing unfolding of ideas and how he gets surprised by what comes up, but he follows everything to see where it takes him. I like that very much and certainly found myself exploring Ronnie in the same fashion—endless ideas and seeing what hangs around and sticks. It’s always the script, the script, the script, but the invisible is building

PC: The film tackles a lot of heavy and relevant topics. How did you decompress after a day on set?
Zachary: I was actively trying to keep the weight up and to continue to get heavier. Beer provided heavy calories that’s easy to get down. I’d finish each day with a beer, then prep for what was up tomorrow and get some rest. You decompress naturally but have a job to do, and that’s all about focus, so it doesn’t stop on the whole until it’s all in the digital can. I decompressed in Japan once we wrapped. It was a lovely trip.

PC: What was the biggest takeaway for you being a part of this film?
Zachary: That I can’t wait to do it again and in a larger way. Being given the trust to commit and do my job was freeing, and I can’t wait for the next project.

PC: What do you hope audiences takeaway?
Zachary: I hope people see the film. I hope they tell their friends about it. I think our audience—although it’s a tough film, a tough subject—the audience could be pretty wide and diverse. All sides of the political spectrum, young and old—I hope people will check it out. I think it’s a relevant film to be seen in the America we are all living in here in 2019.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Zachary: There’s a few answers to that. My sister asked me to attend an acting class. I was probably thirteen, and it blew me away. I was cast a year or so later to play Kirsten Dunst’s little brother in a movie of the week filmed in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. Being on that set revealed my love for moviemaking and cemented my direction in life. Lastly, a year or so after that, I saw a high school senior perform Cyrano de Bergerac exquisitely. It was incredible, and I knew I wanted to try and be that good—to do whatever the hell he was doing. This guy went on to Broadway, somewhere I’d love to land at some point.

PC: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
Zachary: Perseverance is key. Do what you love. Follow it. Keep busy. Find ways to if you’re not.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Zachary: Sasquatch documentaries until they become boring, usually pretty quickly.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Zachary: The Santa Clause

PC: Favorite book?
Zachary: The Dharma Bums

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Zachary: There are so many terrific plays. Tracy Letts comes to mind. I saw Long Day’s Journey recently for the first time with Lesley Manville, which was wonderful. What comes to mind now is a great actor/writer/artist named Tim Crouch in the UK. He’s written many, but if you’re an actor and you ever hear of a production in your area going up called An Oak Tree, get in touch with the production, and be a part. It’s imperative you go in blind—no Googling about the play, etc. If you want to be a part, it must be blind, no knowledge. I saw it a handful of times in LA and was amazing. It’s done all over the world. Keep an ear out for it: An Oak Tree.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Zachary: I have no idea.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Zachary: The Righteous Gemstones. They are genius with their comedy—the whole group. Amazing stuff. And I have to point out the fantastic series directed by Ben Stiller: Escape at Dannemora. This is the best TV since The Night Of.

PC: Hidden talent?
Zachary: Finishing interviews without answering the question. [laughs]

To keep up with Zachary, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Cuck in theaters and on VOD today.

Photo Credit: David Zaugh