ON/OFF SCREEN

ZC | You have an on-screen role in this miniseries as Elliot, which is the case for many of the projects you’ve been involved in. How were you able to enter the subjective realm of this character, while simultaneously maintaining a less subjective role as a director?

XD ── I don’t have a very sophisticated theory about this because it’s mostly instinctive. A lot of actors cannot stand to look at themselves because they become too harsh, noticing imperfections and flaws, mostly physical. I’ve had to make the decision that I cannot hate myself or love myself. And the people I surround myself with, we’ve been working together for so long, and the reason for that is that we confront each other on artistic visions and opinions. They can really advise me and can be brutally honest with me and just say, “You were bad. Let’s do it again.” And I’m not shocked or offended. I am there to work. I’m there to make the best possible scene, so my acting should never be an obstacle or an impediment; it should always be complementary to the task of directing. I could be listening to music and withdrawing and focusing, getting prepared and being more professional about my acting job. But I can’t. I’ve got to fix a dozen things that didn’t work. There’s a light there, and there’s that accessory, and there’s that piece of furniture and that curtain on the window. It’s just all these things that I have to deal with. And I’m often wondering, if I weren’t directing, would it take as much time to get into the character? Or would I already be into it?