In Sheepdog, decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole is court-ordered into treatment and into the care of a VA trauma therapist in-training. Things become even more complicated when Calvin's father-in-law, a retired Vietnam Veteran, shows up on his doorstep having just been released from prison.
As Calvin's plan to run from his past becomes even more challenging, he learns through the support of his community, tough love and compassion, that he must put himself back together again for his family – and for himself.
We recently had the good fortune to sit down with screen icon Vondie Curtis-Hall to discuss his role in the movie as Whitney St. Germain, the Vietnam Veteran who bonds with Calvin as he gets to grips with being a free man.
Vondie-Hall, who is known for standout roles in Chicago Hope, Daredevil, and The Recruit, talks to us about some of his biggest scenes in Sheepdog. We also hear from him on the benefits of working with a co-star who is also your director, how being part of the Vietnam generation informed his performance, and why it's important to make room for movies like this one in Hollywood.
Finally, the actor reflects on his role as Ben Urich in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and addresses the possibility of returning to that world.
The hope with Sheepdog is that its message could help save lives, and you can learn more about what it's doing for veterans by visiting the movie's website. For now, check out our full conversation with the legendary Vondie-Hall below.
I've got to bring up the confrontation between Calvin and Whitney outside the house, where your character recalls being spat on when he came home from combat and everything he's been through. I'd love to know what that day was like for you on set, because it was a terrific scene.
It was a really interesting day. The night before was my first day showing up for rehearsal, and Stephen and I rehearsed the scene. Initially, Stephen was going to be grabbing me and slamming me around, but in the rehearsal, he came to the realisation that it would be better if we switched that dynamic. So the next morning was my first day of shooting, starting with that scene. I was quite nervous because I didn't feel fully into myself yet. I knew the lines, but I didn't know what was going to come out and how it was going to play. There were definite elements of drinking in the scene, and just before it started. It was definitely a challenge, but I was really happy with the way it came out. Yeah, it was nice.
From there, that bond and relationship between Calvin and Whitney really develop. I love that scene where he's giving your character a haircut and the other little moments between the two of you. That must be something quite exciting to delve into as well, in contrast to that first scene.
Yeah, absolutely. And just how his character ultimately embraces me, to the point where he's like, he's going to hit the road and watch the house for him. It was just a lovely journey to work with Stephen on this film and to play this character. It was a great arc. I knew it was my age group—the Vietnam folks—and knowing people who went and didn't come back, or people who came back but were scarred. Ultimately, no ticker-tape parade—speaking of being spat on. So yeah, it was great.
When you're playing a character like this, and you talk about being part of that Vietnam generation, do you draw a lot on your own life experiences and maybe the people you've had around you in your life, or is it really the script that points you in the right direction?
Well, it starts with the script. The words were great. Then, knowing so many folks who volunteered. I grew up in Detroit, so for some, that was a way out. Seeing the scars from that, even to the point where I have a friend I was just with last year who has cancer from Agent Orange. There were so many elements—it was such a rich time to dive into. Then, just knowing the peace marches, 'get out now,' the ending of the draft. So I drew on all that, with the foundation of a great script. That was the journey.
As a filmmaker yourself, do you find it beneficial when one of your main co-stars, like Stephen here, is also your director? You said you hashed that scene out the day before. Is that something that really benefits you as an actor?
Yeah, I think it's great to work with actors directed by actors because they get it. They know how to pull things out of you. But it was really interesting working with Stephen in terms of his direction because he really let go of that component when we're in the scenes—he was just another actor, focusing on being there for me. I was, of course, trying to be there for him. He would call cut and action. It's really interesting to see how everybody works slightly differently, the directors who star in their own movies. But this was great. I think Stephen will say he just trusted the words.
At the moment, theaters are struggling. There's a lot of talk of mergers with studios. As you see all of this happening, why would you say it's important to you to make sure you're still part of telling stories like this one, especially at a time when films are struggling so much to find an audience?
Oh, it's super important because every studio is trying to make a movie that's going to make a billion dollars. So the personal stories are few and far between. I think it's incredibly important to storytelling—and storytelling that isn't the same as every other war movie. The scars that you don't see. The scars that we don't necessarily see in the movies—we're seeing people in battle and all that—but the PTSD, the battle scars that you bring home are maybe more than the scars you see on the battlefield. The emotional scars. Yeah. So very important to make movies like this.
I'm very glad we've got people like you making films like this. But a big franchise you were part of was Daredevil, of course. They've brought that series back now. They've introduced your character's niece, so would you ever go back to that world? Maybe for the odd flashback or two?
It was a really good character. I don't know if they... I would definitely go back to play a little bit with Vincent or someone. I had a great time doing that show. It was fun. Charlie, we had some nice scenes together. I always remember him standing in the rain, freezing in his little Daredevil suit, while I had a coat and was all layered up. We're opposite each other, and I see his body just start to shake from the cold. I was like, 'Oh, man.' But yeah, that was a fun show.
Sheepdog is now playing in theaters.