Kevin Dillon Interview: Buddy Games | Screen Rant
Buddy Games, available to watch now on digital and on demand, is Josh Duhamel's (Love, Simon) first foray into both writing and directing. He pulled triple duty by starring in the comedy as Bobfather, a wealthy but emotionally stunted man who reunites his friends for a weekend of escalating contests for a hefty cash prize.
Among the friends is Doc, played by Kevin Dillon (Entourage), a stuffy chiropractor who lets a little too loose around his old buddies. As his best friends deal with issues ranging from failed Hollywood careers to relationships in ruins to a grudge over a lost testicle, Doc has plenty of on his plate - and he can't use his skills to work out the friendship kinks.
Dillon sat down with Screen Rant to discuss the bond between the buddies onscreen as well as Duhamel's work as a director offscreen, and to reveal what some of the toughest physical challenges were on set.
Your character Doc is maybe not the best doctor. Can we talk about a little bit about what's going on with him?
Kevin Dillon: I think he's a good doctor, and he's a chiropractor. Kind of a serious guy. but when he gets with the fellas, he becomes a kid again.
Yeah, it was a character that was - when Josh approached me with it, I read the script and I loved it. But I felt like there wasn't a lot to do with Doc at that stage. So we really kind of had to work on him, and do a lot of improv and kind of develop him on the set.
Speaking of the improv side of things, or just even your own backstory, what did you discuss as the origin of such a strong friendship that can survive the superhuman issues that you create between yourselves?
Kevin Dillon: Yeah, I have friends like this as well. I have friends I've known forever, and they we kind of treat each other the same way; busting each other's chops a lot. And it's all, with us, it's all kind of like humor.
Of course, it gets a little serious in this movie with some of the situations. But these guys still love each other, and that's what makes the movie work. In the end, they care about each other. And that's why you love the guys. It's very similar to Entourage that way, it's about them and their love for each other.
I don't know if you guys have Buddy Games in real life, but I heard Josh does. If you had to organize one for your friends, who would win? Who do you think would come out on top?
Kevin Dillon: I would compete real hard, I'll tell you that. I don't know. I mean, I got some pretty good athletes in my crew. Maybe I drag my brothers in there, too. Maybe I get Paul and Matt in there, and Tim and Brian. I got a huge family, and they're we're all really competitive with each other. I'd be up there, though. I think I would. I'm very competitive, so I would fight hard for the win.
This was Josh's first film writing and directing. What was that experience like on set, with him? How did he come across as a director and yet also a colleague?
Kevin Dillon: He was great. Josh, I thought did a great job directing. And at times, he would be staring at me as I'm doing my thing, and be like, "Oh, sorry, I forgot my line," because he's being a director at the time. Kind of staying in it as an actor, which is tough when you're looking at it, and you're looking at the other actors as a director.
He was great, though. I feel like actors are often pretty good directors. They know actors, they know acting, and they they're usually good storytellers. Josh told a great story with this.
I was impressed by the escalating amount of contests, or feats, that you guys had to perform. Was there one that was your favorite, or were there any that were just too much for you guys that you had to change around?
Kevin Dillon: Well, there was the deep mud, where we had to run through the deep mud, and I'm the only one who got through that obstacle. The guys sunk down so low, they couldn't even get out of the mud. It was literally like quicksand, but I kind of just splayed myself out and crawled across the top.
So, I would say the mud was one, and the motorcycle. I rode bikes a lot in my life, so I have the upper hand on a motorcycle. And my character won that part of the movie, so I'm gonna go with the bike.
My final question is what is it that you hope audiences take away from this? What was the main message for you or for your character?
Kevin Dillon: Well, I just hope that they have a good laugh, because that's what it's really all about. It's all about fun. You're gonna laugh, but it's also about friendship, too. So, I feel it's it's a feel good movie all around. If you walk out, you have a couple laughs, and you go want to go hang out with your friends - that's what it's all about.
Buddy Games is currently available through digital and VOD.