Tribeca Film Festival 2018: An Interview with Richard Kohnke

Richard Kohnke is a familiar face. You’ve seen him in blockbuster films and hit television programs, including When the Game Stands Tall, Pitch Perfect, The Carrie Diaries, and My All-American.

Despite all of his success, he hasn’t let any of it go to his head. He continues to remain grounded and humble choosing projects that he feels a deep connection with—big or small.

His latest film, Exit Strategy, made its Tribeca Film Festival debut this week. The short centers around two brothers who are caught in an endless time loop and must work together to prevent a catastrophic fire from occurring. It’s, without question, a stand-out in the competition. Pop Culturalist spoke with Richard during the festival to learn more about Exit Strategy, the types of projects that he’s attracted to, and the exciting next step he’s taking in his career.

PC: Tell us about Exit Strategy, your character, and how you got involved with this short.
Richard: Exit Strategy is a film about two brothers who love each other but have different ways of expressing that love. By the end of the film, they come to the realization that the most important thing in life, especially with the people that you love, is to spend time with them and to live in the moment. My character is a firefighter who embodies that. He meets up with his brother, for what he believes is the first time at the diner, and he’s excited about the prospect of spending quality time with him.

I was attracted to this role because of Travis—the writer, director, and editor. He’s a genius. I met him a few years ago through mutual friends. We did a short together, about two or three years ago, along with Christopher O’Shea, who plays my brother in Exit Strategy, and the three of us got along really well. I think Chris and I have pretty good chemistry together. We made a film for the Shreveport Film Festival called Con, which is about two men who scheme to make a quick buck. We had so much fun making that film together and we almost won the festival! Two years later, Travis called me about this movie and had Chris and I come in for a table read. We both immediately fell in love with the script and the concept. We had total faith in Travis. We filmed it over the weekend with very little budget, and Exit Strategy ended up winning that same festival two years later.

PC: Exit Strategy has a mass appeal. It’s a sci-fi thriller with plenty of suspense, drama, and a powerful message as its core. What attracted you to this project?
Richard: You don’t see a lot of original premises these days. I know we have time travel and this sort of narrative has been done before with films like Memento and Groundhog Day where you relive the day over and over again, but this one has a unique edge to it. Typically with these films, everyone lives happily ever after at the end, but here you’ll see these guys have given in to how little control they have over the world, and they realize it’s important to enjoy what you have as you experience it.

Travis is a great editor and very detailed storyteller, and Chris is one of my favorite actors that I’ve ever worked with. We have this great camaraderie. We’re able to adlib a lot and riff of each other. Maybe he hates me [laughs] but, we talk about how we really enjoy working together. There’s no ego between us. The first film we did together, I was nominated for “Best Actor” and for this one, he was nominated for “Best Actor.” I think he’s so talented. I’m happy with my performance but I think he carries the film. That’s a long way of saying, I’m attracted to working on projects with people I love. [laughs]

PC: There have been a lot of great films that have explored time loops and time travel. What are some of your favorites and did you draw on any of them as a source of inspiration?
Richard: Groundhog Day is a stand out. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for that film. I love sci-fi films. They’re fun, exciting, and at times you can turn your brain off. But Exit Strategy is very much cerebral and you have to pay attention.

PC: How much of Richard is in Matt?
Richard: That’s a good question. I would say a fair amount. I care deeply about my family, and there’s nothing that I value more than spending time with them. It’s funny; my mother thinks Chris actually looks like a brother that I have. Chris is from the U.K. but he feels like a brother to me. Our director, Travis, puts an emphasis on us being ourselves.

PC: You’ve done a lot of shorts in your career. What are some of the major differences between shorts and full-length films? Do you have a preference?
Richard: That’s another good question! I did a short right after Exit Strategy, which hasn’t come out yet, and I think will be pretty good. That budget was outrageous. For this one, it was friends who got together, and that’s something that’s really special. With these bigger budget films, you have really great effects, big stars, but people come and go. With shorts, you’re able to relax and build a bond knowing that you’re all in this together.

PC: Besides Exit Strategy, do you have any other upcoming projects that you can chat about at this time?
Richard: Yes! I did a film called Billionaire Boys Club, which I’m not actually sure what the status is on that project, but the cast is extraordinary. It’s some of the best actors that I’ve ever worked with. Taron Egerton is probably one of the most talented people coming up. Ansel Elgort is also in it. It’s about kids who live in L.A. who get involved in a scheme and things end up not going to plan.

I also have another movie that I did with a bunch of social media influencers, which should be coming out later this summer. And another short called The Big Break which should be out later this year.

I’m also heading to Law school really soon but acting will always be my first love.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Richard: Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Richard: Wanted

PC: Favorite book?
Richard: Life of Pi

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Richard: Book of Mormon

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Richard: Instagram

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Richard: Queen Bee (Beyoncé)

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Richard: Stranger Things

PC: Hidden talent?
Richard: I play basketball.

Make sure to follow Richard on Twitter and Instagram, and get your ticket for Exit Strategy today.