Pop Culturalist Chats with Future Man’s Kevin Caliber

Kevin Caliber is one of the hardest working actors in showbiz, with credits including over 50 television and film projects. Currently, he can be seen starring opposite Josh Hutcherson, Derek Wilson, and Eliza Coupe in the laugh-out-loud time travel comedy, Future Man—executively produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The series follows a gaming janitor who’s recruited to help stop the spread of herpes, which will ultimately lead to the downfall of civilization. Yes, you read that correctly. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Kevin about the role, what drew him to this project, and his love for 80s pop culture references.

PC: Tell us about Future Man and your character.
Kevin: Future Man is a wild time traveling adventure that follows a video game enthusiast janitor and two soldiers from the future, Tiger and Wolf, who are trying to save mankind from a deadly virus. I play the character of Blaze, who befriends Wolf when he separates from the group in the 80s. These two have a real bromance!

PC: What drew you to this project?
Kevin: I have been a fan of producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s work for years. When you have a concept like time travel involved, anything is possible. After reading the first script, I knew it was going to be something special.

PC: Since Blaze’s character and story takes place in the 80s, how did you get into character?
Kevin: As a child of the 80s, I really appreciated every film and pop culture reference. Practically every scene was a satire of previous work and was very nostalgic. We had a great time trying to not only match, but to top some of the scenes we were referencing by taking them even further. I would like to think I got most of the references but I’m curious to re-watch and see what I missed.

PC: Blaze is, at one point, Wolf’s business partner and best friend. Is there more to that back story that we didn’t get to see?
Kevin: The late 80s and early 90s flew by in a quick montage, so we didn’t get to go very deep into their relationship, but they were, like, the perfect opposites. Wolf was a serious hardened soldier who has a lot of discipline, while Blaze doesn’t worry about anything and is just looking for the next party. Blaze is exactly who Wolf needed in order to learn how to have a good time. Unfortunately, the good times had to end when Wolf took things too far and spiraled out of control. I’d love to find out more about what happened in those years!

PC: Your storyline and the show itself took so many cues from classic 80s movies, music, and people. What was your favorite thing from the 80s?
Kevin: I am a huge fan of 80s movies, from the action films with Arnold and Stallone, to the Slasher flicks, or raunchy comedies. They just don’t make movies like that anymore. That era is what made me want to be an actor and filmmaker.

PC: If Blaze had been able to time travel, where would he have gone?
Kevin: Blaze would have been a great hippie in the 60s. He would have fit right in with the free love and good vibes!

PC: If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
Kevin: I would go back to London in the 60s to see the Beatles live! It’s the greatest band in the greatest era of Rock n Roll. It seems Blaze and I have more in common than I first thought.

Check out the trailer for Future Man below:

PC: Besides Future Man, do you have any other upcoming projects that you can chat about?
Kevin: I have a few horror movies coming soon. Ugly Sweater Party is a Christmas horror comedy that is sure to shock and entertain. For the first time, I will play the big bad villain in The Campus and that is sure to scare audiences. I like that you probably won’t recognize me because it’s a blast to play a character so unlike myself.

Photo Credit: Glenn Marsden

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Kevin: Family Guy—I love how they make fun of everything and it’s a great commentary on society.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Kevin: Bachelor Party! Ironic it’s an 80s comedy, but also hilarious to see one of the greatest actors of my lifetime, Tom Hanks, in such a crazy comedy.

PC: Favorite book?
Kevin: I am a Harry Potter fan and my favorite was The Prisoner of Azkaban.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Kevin: Avenue Q

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Kevin: Am I the only one that misses MySpace?

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Kevin: The Beach Boys!! I’ve seen them more times than I can count and know every song they play live.

PC: Hidden talent?
Kevin: Not sure how much of a talent it is, but I am a sports stats idiot savant. Just saying—you want me on your trivia team when the sports category comes up.

Keep up with Kevin by following him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and stream the first season of Future Man today!

Photo Credit: Glenn Marsden