Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Night Clerk’s Johnathon Schaech

Johnathon Schaech is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men, and he’s been doing that thing he does since the early ’90s. The actor, director, writer, and producer has dozens of credits to his name, including blockbuster films and hit TV shows such as DC’s Legends of Tomorrow; Ray Donovan; Comforters, Miserable; and That Thing You Do! Currently, he can be seen starring opposite Tye Sheridan, Ana de Armas, Helen Hunt, and John Leguizamo in Michael Cristofer’s The Night Clerk, out now in select theaters and On Demand. The film follows a young man with Asperger syndrome who becomes the subject of a murder investigation. Pop Culturalist caught up with Johnathon ahead of the release to chat about his career and The Night Clerk.

Career

PC: You’re an actor, director, producer, and writer. How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Johnathon: After high school, I went to the University of Maryland. I had a tough time reading, but the textbooks were really hard for me. I had a difficult time retaining the material. Growing up, I was always a drawer and a painter, but I didn’t have that outlet. I’m dyslexic. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was much older in my forties. The words jumped off the page. Because of that, I really excelled at the arts.

PC: You’ve had tons of success in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Johnathon: There are a lot of highs and lows in this industry. Nothing compares to That Thing You Do! [laughs] I’ve had so many great experiences, and I’ve gotten to work with so many incredible actors. But man, making a movie about a rock ‘n’ roll band in 1964 was just so much fun.

The Night Clerk

PC: Your new film, The Night Clerk, is out now in select theaters and On Demand. Tell us about The Night Clerk and what drew you to that project.
Johnathon: The film is like a whodunit. It’s a beautiful character study of a boy who has Asperger’s. He’s trying to learn how to communicate better by recording people and mimicking them. He has cameras set up in the hotel rooms where he works. During the course of the film, he witnesses a murder. They are trying to figure out who committed the murder, and he gets blamed for it.

The script was sent to me by an old acting coach. It was so well written. I’ve been around screenplays for such a long time, and I knew Michael Cristofer [director-writer] from a previous film. I did a movie with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange called Hush. When I went out to Virginia to make the movie, Michael was there as our script doctor. He helped us punch up our dialogue and find out different things with our character. He would be there all day with us for weeks! [laughs] I couldn’t believe it was his writing. We were also on Ray Donovan together. I played this movie star named Sean Walker, and he was the priest who molested Liev Schreiber. Isn’t that amazing?

PC: Yeah! That’s the perfect segue. You’ve worked with Michael in the past. How valuable was it to have that rapport? What was the collaboration like working with him?
Johnathon: I think that’s how I got the job more than anything. He was like, “Oh yeah. Johnathon’s great.” He trusted me to play the part. It allowed me to take the risks that I needed to give the necessary performance. I’ve worked with so many great actors throughout my career and Ana de Armas is one of them. She’s fantastic. She has this real vulnerability but with strength. She’s brave and afraid at the exact time. That’s great work. I witnessed it with Gwyneth, Jessica, and Tom [Hanks].

PC: In the film, it feels like you’re playing two characters: the one we see in the public and the one behind the curtains. How did you prepare to play Nick?
Johnathon: It’s amazing because we watch men on trial. I felt like I was on trial. My character doesn’t want people to know the truth. He’s trying to justify his actions. But that’s the truth, right? Most human beings don’t want to admit that they’ve lost control and that they’ve done something wrong.

PC: You’ve said in the past that you really enjoy working with writer-directors. How do those experiences differ?
Johnathon: Writer-directors look to collaborate more with the actors. From Gregg Araki to Tom Hanks to Stephan Elliott, they have a story that they really want to tell. By taking their time writing it, they know it much more than a director who’s coming in. It feels like a much more passionate piece when they have written it.

PC: Besides The Night Clerk, you’re also writing extensively. Is there anything you can tease about what you’re working on?
Johnathon: It’s funny, but I can’t. [laughs] I did write a screenplay that’s set in a unique world about a police officer who was abused and now he seeks revenge. He helps people who are trying to find justice.

To keep up with Johnathon, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch The Night Clerk in select theaters and On Demand.

Photo Credit: Ben Miller