Actor Sean Dillingham has been all over commercials, films, and television. He’s appeared in titles like This is Us, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Better Call Saul, and worked with the likes of Kevin Costner, Tony Danza, and Jane Seymour. We got a chance to talk to him about his start in acting, working in horror, some of his upcoming projects, and more. Please take a few minutes to read the interview and learn about Sean Dillingham…
-PH: So when did you first decide to become an actor? You did comedy first?
-Sean: Grade school. Was a painfully shy kid that discovered I could “act” like other people and it really brought me out of my shell. From there it was community theatre, semi-pro theatre and on. I fell in love with it when I saw the film “Singing in the Rain” I saw Gene Kelly singing and dancing around these great sets, and it looked so fun – I was like “That’s what I’m gonna do!”
-PH: Was it a tough transition from comedy to acting?
-Sean: No. I got involved in theatre as a kid. Made my way up thru school theatre, community theatre, semi-pro theatre then into Improv. From there, I made the jump to commercials tv, film. Studied all the time too. Various theatre instructors, improv theatre and some of the most renowned acting companies in the country.
-PH: Since becoming an actor you’ve been in commercials, tv, and movies. What’s the biggest difference between those for you in preparing and shooting, and do you have a preference?
-Sean: Well the prep is always the same – study the hell out of the script, come up with 3,4 choices for every scene and be prepared. The difference is a commercial is fast, usually done in a day. Very performance oriented. Dont have time to get into plots, subtext, character development etc. Tv is pretty similar. Movies are different. Long run, gotta be really familiar with the script and story because most often it is shot out of order. Always gotta be prepared though!
-PH: Is there a certain type of role you like to play more than others? Is there a kind of role that you’ve always wanted to play, but haven’t yet?
-Sean: I like a character that has a lot of quirks. The leading man, straight man is often contained and all the fun stuff and action happens around him. So I like to be a unique different type of character.
-PH: Please tell us about some of the horror movies/shows you’ve been in.
-Sean: The Catcher, Midnight Zombie Massacre, Carolina’s Calling, Battlefield 2025, Rattlesnake
-PH: What is the craziest character you’ve played in horror? Have you been in any great death scenes?
-Sean: The best death scene – early on in my acting. In the film The Catcher – I was picked up by the throat, by the actor playing the killer. Lifted into the air and then thrown backwards over a flight of concrete steps! Yep! I did the stunt too. In a commercial once I was thrown backwards out of a cave on a device called and air-ram, 15 feet in the air, for a distance of about 15-20 feet.
The craziest character I’ve played, and it depends on what you would called “crazy” would have to be Better call Saul. I played the first ever character that Saul Goodman ever interacted with a pay off.
-PH: What’s it been like in some of those movies compared to some of the non-horror movies you’ve done?
-Sean: Usually horror films are in an exotic locale. Filming in the woods, abandoned house, etc. Those are ALWAYS fun! Anything else, usually a studio, etc.
-PH: Do you have any horror movies coming up in the near future?
-Sean: I guess it could be deemed a horror flick – The Manson Brothers: Midnight Zombie Massacre. About pro wrestling and zombies – I’m telling you now, it’s gonna be a classic!
-PH: You’ve work along side the likes of Kevin Costner, Tony Danza, Jane Seymour, Patrick Duffy, and many more. Who are a few actors that you still would like to work with one day?
-Sean: Richard Dreyfuss, John Lithgow, Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Cruise
-PH: It seems you’ve done a little writing and directing. Is that something you want to do more of in the future.
-Sean: It’s fun to be on both sides of the camera. I think it makes you better actor and a better director. You understand both perspectives and the challenges facing them!
-PH: What do you think acting will be like when things get back to normal? What kind of changes do you expect to see to protect everyone from the virus?
-Sean: Cautious at first. Maybe long term. Who knows. But for the near future, I think everyone will be pretty cautious.
-PH: Here’s your chance to promote anything we haven’t talked about. Let us know something more about future projects, past projects, where people can find you, or anything else you would like to mention.
-Sean: I’m always working, 5 projects on tap now, several movies: Manson Brothers, Carolinas Calling, Whiskey Sour and more in the hopper, done and completed, waiting for release. The best place to find and watch is IMDB.
We would like to thank Sean for taking the time to answer our questions. Hopefully this was a good introduction to him, and some of the work he’s done as an actor. It looks like he’ll be in some great upcoming movies, so please take note of them for future release dates. More information about Sean can be found below…
As an actor, he has appeared in over 100+ commercials and 60+ films and 18 national television series. He’s had network television appearances on Operation REPO, Discovery ID, Buried in the Backyard, The NightShift, Longmire, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, This is Us, There’s Johnny, Yellowstone, Gentified & Better call Saul! He has acted alongside Kevin Costner, Tony Danza, Jane Seymour, Patrick Duffy, Roger Bart, Don Ameche, Stacy Keache, John O’Hurley, Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Milo Ventimiglia, Bob Odenkirk, America Ferrera and more.
As a standup, Sean is known as one of the finest improvisers in comedy. He uses this skill to interact with the audience – spontaneously creating jokes specific to any audience. Sean has the rare ability to play off the audience. He is able to discover things about audience members and create an interactive show that leaves everyone feeling like they were included in a part of something unforgettable. Sean has trained with several of the top Improv Comedy Troupes in the country including The Second City, The Groundlings and I.O. West.
He was featured as a finalist and winner on the television show, America’s Funniest People, where ABC television producer Stephanie Keane sited him as,” another Robin Williams”. He was also a finalist on the Star Search spin-off, “Ed McMahon’s Next Big Star” and has been featured on “XM Radio”. He’s shared the stage with Louie Anderson, Gilbert Gottfried, Patty Loveless, Belinda Carlisle, Loretta Lynn, The Doobie Brothers, Rick Springfield, K.C. and the Sunshine band, Victoria Jackson and more.