Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Return’s Richard Harmon

Richard Harmon has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile young actors. Since bursting onto the scene, Richard has captivated audiences with the dynamic characters he’s brought to life in projects like The Killing, Continuum, and The 100.

Currently, he can be seen leading the extraordinary cast of the must-see horror film The Return.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Richard about his thriving career, The Return, and what he learned about himself and his craft working on The Return.

PC: Your family is heavily involved in the industry. Has acting always been the plan from the get-go? How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Richard: I wouldn’t say it had always been the plan from the get-go. I understand why my parents, having worked in film for as long as they have, wouldn’t want my sister or me to get into acting. The chances of success are pretty slim. If you’re not ready for it or a strong enough person, it can be a pretty rough place. But it can also be a beautiful place, and that’s how I always viewed it.

It wasn’t always the plan. But my parents are proud now of both my sister and me for making the choice for ourselves to go into it because it was something we loved. My plan had always been to be a wide receiver for the University of Notre Dame, but God did not bless me with that type of physicality in my body. [laughs] You can plainly see.

PC: Speaking of success, you’ve had a lot of it in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Richard: There have been quite a few instances in my career where it felt like all of a sudden people were starting to pay attention, like when I booked The Killing for AMC. That was such a stepping stone in my career. People started taking me more seriously after that. The show had such incredible actors on it. The experience was certainly trial by fire, but that helped me grow.

Then I did Continuum, where they truly put their trust in my acting choices and allowed me to take some big leaps. I’m incredibly grateful for that.

Then for sure, The 100 changed everything in my life and led me to where I am today.

PC: Speaking of The 100, you were a part of that series for seven years and Murphy’s probably had the biggest transformation out of any character. How has that project shaped you as a person and creative?
Richard: It made me so grateful first and foremost (and I think most things in my career have). I’m always so grateful that someone is willing to pay me to do what I love for a living. So first and foremost, it made me grateful.

As far as how the show has helped me grow as an actor, Jason Rothenberg, the show’s creator, and guys like Dean White and all of our directors and writers put so much faith in me. They really helped me believe that I knew the character the best—that I could make choices and do things off-the-cuff and go a little crazy with the character. They really fostered that approach for me. I’m eternally grateful for that because it made me a lot more comfortable and confident as an actor.

PC: You’ve got a new project out now. Tell us about The Return and your character in the film.
Richard: I’m so glad that people are finally going to see it! I know some people already have, but I’m glad that we’re broadening our audience. I’m a huge horror movie fan, so this was always going to intrigue me from the get-go.

It’s about my character, Rodger, who is returning to his childhood home for the first time in a couple of years because his father has sadly passed away. I was the last remaining member of the family. My little sister passed away when we were both young. My mom disappeared when I was a child. I’m the only one left in the family. I have to go back to my childhood house for the first time in a while and deal with the will and obviously deal with a lot of past traumas.

I bring along my girlfriend, who’s played by Sara Thompson, and my childhood best friend, who’s played by Echo Andersson. They’re both fantastic actors. Definitely go see the film for them.

There are so many things that I’ve repressed from my memory, which start to come back. There’s more to the house and the spirits in the house than meets the eye. Some bad things start happening there—things I had repressed in my memory. Then I start to wonder if these entities are what killed my father, and it hadn’t simply been happenstance. It’s a haunted house movie, but there’s a very fun twist in the third act that I will not spoil at all. You have to go and see it. I remember when I read the script I was like, “That’s a different take on a haunted house movie!” I really liked it.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as an actor?
Richard: The passion. If you’ve done an independent film that means not many people helped you along the way to get the movie done. It means you got the movie done on your own merit—you found other people who believed in it to give you the money to make it or you funded it yourself. No matter how it happens, there has to be a lot of passion to get a movie done independently.

Not to say the same thing isn’t true for studio films. There’s usually a lot of passion there too. But you know it for a fact with an independent film. A lot of the time, these people have put their livelihoods on the line and are using their own money. Money that could be paying the mortgage next month is paying for this movie. You have to respect that. When I look at it that way, it’s definitely something that catches my attention early and often with projects like these. To have people like BJ [Verot], our director, who believes so fully in the project, it’s contagious. It’s contagious when you get there. You want to work hard for these people.

PC: Your fans will know that music played a huge part in how you prepared to step into Murphy’s shoes. Was that a similar process for getting into Rodger’s character? What was that like?
Richard: Absolutely. I have Rodger’s playlist on my computer. It’s 335 songs long and twenty-three hours and thirty-four minutes. [laughs] I never delete any of my characters’ playlists, because sometimes I like to go back and see them.

PC: Do you think we’ll ever see you share those playlists out into the world?
Richard: I would have no issue sharing them. Some people have asked for me to publish the Murphy playlist, which is easily my longest one. After seven years, I think that one has grown to nearly a thousand songs. People seem to think I have a privacy issue with that. I don’t. It’s a laziness issue. I don’t want to go and add the playlist on Spotify. [laughs] It would take me days. I’m too lazy.

PC: If you had to pick a song off Rodger’s playlist that best encompasses his journey in the film, which would it be and why?
Richard: Of the top few that I’m looking at right now, I’m going to go with DLZ’s “TV on the Radio.” Tonally, it makes a lot of sense.

PC: You shot this film in sixteen days. How beneficial was it for you to have that prior relationship with Sara heading into this project?
Richard: It was great. We worked together on a movie called I Still See You the year before in Winnipeg. Both movies were shot in Winnipeg. Shout out to Winnipeg. It may be my favorite city on the planet, other than Tokyo.

It was good. We didn’t actually get to know each other too well on I Still See You, but that gave us a little bit of an opening where we at least knew each other a little heading into The Return. She’s one of my best friends. I absolutely love that woman. Same with Echo. I didn’t know Echo at all before. I love both of them.

It’s a three-person movie, really. There are other characters and terrific actors in it as well. But for the majority of the film, it’s three of us in the house, and we got really close.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, you’re no stranger to horror or sci-fi. What is it about these particular genres that excites you as an actor?
Richard: That’s the thing: growing up, I was never a sci-fi guy. It wasn’t what I was shown by my parents when I was a kid. My dad worked on a sci-fi series. He worked on Andromeda for years. It’s funny that I’m probably best known for sci-fi in my career. I’ve definitely grown to appreciate the genre more than I did when I was younger.

Horror, I’ve always loved. I love getting scared. I love watching it. Horror movies have a different scale when I rank them. I always have fun watching horror movies. It’s rare that one is really bad. If it’s bad, I’ll still like it. I always enjoy horror. There’s great horror. There’s not so great horror, but you can tell they really happily tried. I don’t know what it is with me and horror. I’m a big fan of Halloween, being afraid, and scaring others sometimes.

PC: You’ve also said in past interviews that you learn something new with each project. What was the biggest takeaway working on The Return?
Richard: Oh boy. I learned how to be an effective leader on set, which is something I’ve been trying to learn for the past twenty years that I’ve been doing this. But when you get the opportunity to be number one on a movie, there’s a different responsibility there. I’m sure there are times on The Return that I absolutely biffed it and did not do well. But I eased into that by the end. I have a better understanding and better appreciation for what number ones do because it’s not like any other job on set.

I generally prefer being a side character that can go crazy. It gave me a much better understanding and respect for what number ones do. It’s similar to painting. If you’re the number one, you’re like the canvas for everyone else to paint on. I’m usually the paintbrush that’s going crazy. But as the number one, you have to take all the paint from other people and react to it. It’s a different responsibility. I have a lot more respect for that now.

PC: Is there a scene that you’re really excited for your fans to see? What was the most challenging one to film?
Richard: I don’t think there’s one scene in particular. I’m just excited for people to see the chemistry between the three of us. It’s really natural. We got along so well. A lot of it was ad-libbed. I think that people will connect and resonate with the chemistry that the three of us have. The hardest scene to shoot I can’t give away. I can’t.

PC: The film has made its way around the festival circuit, and it’s been incredibly well-received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences? What do you hope they take away after they see it?
Richard: As with most of my movies, I hope that the takeaway is a sense of fun and entertainment. A lot of times, we make a movie that will prove a point. I love that as well. But at the end of the day, I still want my movies to be entertaining. I hope you get a couple of frights out of it. I hope you laugh. I hope you gasp. I hope you’re yelling at the screen at points. I hope you really have a good time when you watch it. That’s the only thing I’d want people to take from it.

PC: Besides The Return, where can fans see you next?
Richard: I’m actually shooting a movie now called Margaux, which I’m very excited about. It’s my first return to the horror genre since The Return. I’m having an absolute blast. It’s so much fun.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Richard: Nope. I’m standing behind all my pleasures. No guilt.

PC: Favorite movie?
Richard: The Big Lebowski.

PC: Favorite book?
Richard: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Richard: My girlfriend is a big musical person. I’ve never been that big of a musical person. As for plays though, I would love to do A Christmas Carol onstage or Endgame because my dad did Endgame when he was younger and I’d like to replicate that.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Richard: People might be surprised that I like Lorde. I love Lorde. She’s awesome.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Richard: I’m so young. I’d have to use a younger actor than me. I’m only 29. I’m going to give it to my buddy Lee Majdoub, who’s older than me and looks nothing like me. But I think he understands me so well that he would really bring some beauty to it.

To keep up with Richard, follow him on Twitter or Instagram. Catch The Return anywhere you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Mescondi