Episode 215
#215 - Interview with actor Matt Drago
I sat down with Matt Drago, a Los Angeles-based actor originally from Virgina. Now a star of the newly released indie film "Somewhere in Montana". In this powerful cinematic masterpiece, Matt plays Fabian Verdugo. A West Coast director who must navigate cultural divides. forging an unlikely partnership with a Montana rancher, portrayed by Graham McTavish. Finding legacy, connection, and resilience. Somewhere in Montana is a must-watch for fans of real storytelling. Showcasing a dynamic relationship that feels present, and raw.
Matt takes us through his journey from rural Virginia to the bright lights of Los Angeles. Sharing insights into the transformative power of theater to film. He also opens up about the dedication required to bring Fabian’s character to life. Including the physical and emotional preparation that shaped his performance. Showing a different way to method acting.
Be sure to check out Matt's website with the link provided below. Somewhere in Montana will be available to stream within the next few months:
We have a magical link below with all our socials and handle so you can find us on your favorite pod spot 🤟.
Transcript
Lost in the Groove Podcast
I'm like i'm an artist, so like I'm one of those people that, it it kind of like hurts a little when you you see people that are creative and passionate um have to go through something like this, you know?
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Matt Drago
I was just looking at my levels. They look like they're a lot less than yours. I don't know if that's a problem.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Um, I, I'll be honest with you, sometimes I like I don't even adjust my like levels properly. Because I'll sometimes do like audio recordings, like, um like music and lyrics and stuff. And then I just totally forget to update that when I go back into recording.
::Matt Drago
I just don't want to make sure I'm not spiking.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
ah
::Matt Drago
Oh, yeah, I am spiking now.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, I'll raise it just a little bit.
::Matt Drago
OK, hold on. I got a turn.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, there you go.
::Matt Drago
How's that? Is that better?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
OK.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
on And like honestly what I was getting at is because you know, I know that um Even for for your own self, um I don't know how long how long have you been out there money asking in LA?
::Matt Drago
About six, seven years now.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Is that the longest you've been somewhere or you've been in other places the longest I
::Matt Drago
but About the same amount of time in New York, and then I i was raised in Virginia.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Okay, the reason I'm asking this is because I know even for myself that ah whenever you move to different environments, you know, it could be like the place you grew up or the place that you were like there for a few years and kind of experience and things, those kind of add a lot to your own story, like even to your, like what you do, like your passions.
::Matt Drago
For sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
um How does how has that been like for yourself, to be honest?
::Matt Drago
um Honestly, ah it's are we are we recording right now?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Oh, hell yeah.
::Matt Drago
OK, cool.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Oh, hell he see yeah.
::Matt Drago
I like it. I like it. we're We're going. We're going.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And where you going?
::Matt Drago
I love it. I love it. I love it. I didn't know if you're going to do an intro. um Actually, it looks like I'm still really hot.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
and You know, is it?
::Matt Drago
Yeah, I want to make sure this sounds OK. How's that?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
i I'll tell you something. I had um ah had once a guest on. I'm not gonna say who and they know who they are.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Are we recording yet? A recording? Oh, did we start yet? A recording yet? Okay, a recording? Okay, great. ah Hi, this is Lost in the Groove. um We have... Hello? Hello? Five minutes. like the first I'm like, that's it. I don't give a shit. well We could start at three, we could talk for 10 minutes, but I'll press the recording button button whenever I'm fucking ready.
::Matt Drago
I like it. All right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yes. But um yeah, I mean, even for yourself, like, you know, your own creativity, your own experience, like, I feel that even the place you grow up or the different places you go with, it adds something to um to your career, you know?
::Matt Drago
For sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
How how has that been for you?
::Matt Drago
Yeah, I think. Yeah, I think for me, growing up, humble beginnings, rural Virginia, you know just kind of gave me the opportunity to focus in on really just kind of being you know in in in nature a lot of times, not being around the crazy societies that I now have been in my adult life in New York City and l LA. And I think it's just been, um you know it was a
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
bigger populations.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, bigger populations. I think it was a really good starting point for me. It forced me um you know to really just kind of immerse myself in in creativity. um And my outlet for that was local theaters, ah primarily in rural Virginia. I got my first paid gig going to dinner theater, which again is a humbling process because you're on stage and then you're serving tables.
::Matt Drago
uh you know before the show and after the show and so that's kind of where i started and then when i moved back to new york city it was just uh you know like going back home uh my family my mom and dad actually are originally from new york city so it felt like moving home and i got to live with my grandmother and i just felt like you know, within a big city, I got to really come home every night. And that was really important for me. And it really gave me the opportunity to just kind of, I don't know, focus on my career and my craft and just take in the city in every way that I could. So, you know, then I just kind of really did I got my equity card, which is for your listeners, the Broadway Union, I ah
::Matt Drago
you know, was on a professional tour, an equity tour. And I just caught the bug really early on and got to study with some great teachers. You know, one that really sparked my move actually out to LA was Terry Schreiber, who has trained some great actors.
::Matt Drago
He has his own studio there. ah He actually was Edward Norton's coach for for a while. And he just
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Really? I didn't know that.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, and so he he really honestly became like a grandfather to me is it just such a warm soul, a lover of actors. And he brought me into his office and he was the one that said, you know, maybe you should give l LA ah a shot. I was up for quite a few Broadway roles.
::Matt Drago
And um you know just missed you know final callbacks and things like that. And so the next journey for me was maybe trying the West Coast. And ah my my girlfriend um at the time, now my wife, we we moved out to LA in January. And it was 85 degrees out here. And ah we just kind of never looked back. And that's kind of where the journey continues on to this day.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, I think it's honestly incredible. And I mean, you started off with theater, and then you moved on to acting.
::Matt Drago
Yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, I and i know. I noticed that like there's a lot of actors that they start off in theater and then they move on to actual like film or television or other forms of media, which believe it or not, there's a lot these days. um But I find that interesting because theater is very different than a movie. Because a movie, you're not in front of an audience. You're in front of directors, producers, a whole slew of crew with a camera and like you being given direction. Like in theater, you can be in front of thousands of people, especially if you're on Broadway,
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, it's just, whoa. It's just like night and day.
::Matt Drago
they're they're They're both, yeah, 100%. I mean, yeah they they are challenging in their own unique ways, right? I will speak to theater, you know, because it is live, it is alive. And, ah you know, it's it's very much like you said, like the training wheels are taken off because ah there's no second take, third take, right? But there are challenges within film too, is that you, you know, prepare so long like I did for this film somewhere in Montana,
::Matt Drago
for two years and then um you have essentially ah you know one or two days to or really one or two takes sometimes to really give away that scene and there's a lot of technical elements to that too I mean I always jokingly say um you know the reality is that you know actors should be doing most of their work in pre production, coming prepared to set because crews are what make films great.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
screenplays. Yeah.
::Matt Drago
And, and, you know, there are a lot of moving parts to a film, but you have to be on point when you are called upon in film, which is equally hard, honestly, in different ways.
::Matt Drago
So
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
it is
::Matt Drago
I will say I think, you know, growing up in theater definitely gave me a lot of the artistic backbone that I have now as ah as ah as a film and TV actor, but I would always want to go back to theater because it's my roots and it's kind of the origin story of um how I came to be an artist.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It is.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's interesting because the the meld or almost mesh between theater and like film or production is sitcoms. I mean, you know, when they did have live audiences that that are there, you know, I'm gonna give a very famous example. I mean, if you take, for example, like even Friends, even though they had a live audience, they could sometimes, I think it was like three, three recordings. So there'd be like one live, one without the audience. And then there was like another take. I don't know all the terminology, forgive me.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
But it's almost an interesting adaptation of this you know of theater but in television form. um we we it's There isn't that many shows that are made that way anymore either.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
you know we've We've kind of veered very far away from that dynamic.
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
um I've always wondered why. I don't i don't i don't know why like that's kind of like become a thing of the past. you know i don't I don't think like people have said, like oh, we don't want sitcoms anymore. Made that way, specifically.
::Matt Drago
Sure, I mean, things evolve. It's really just kind of mostly to do with the audiences, right? It's what people, um you know, want to consume as as audiences, right? So a lot of times it really just comes down to how they test and how they do. But I obviously grew up in the sitcom era, and I do miss it. um There are still some around, but you're right, not as much. I think a big dynamic now is that a lot of TV has become film. um It's just long form film. And the productions for some of these shows, I mean, I can speak to um my friend, Graham McTavish. He's in House of the Dragon. I mean,
::Matt Drago
the the though the The Game of Thrones, ah you know, um Enterprise, I'll say, is extraordinary. It is a film. I mean, the the the the absolute production value alone is astronomical.
::Matt Drago
So it really does.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Long form, yeah.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, it plays to just kind of the grandness of what TV has become and the median it's become. And so I think because of that, And because of how these productions have formulated TV nowadays, I think it's kind of ah pushed some of the smaller budget sitcoms out of the picture.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
itanic came out, you know, in: ::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You know, it was long. And part of that was like, you almost got this immersive experience being in the movie theater and being able to watch this. i We to your point like we've we've kind of moved very much in that direction We're it's not anymore where it's just films that are like this It's like TV like again like limited TV series. That is a very popular thing. You can find it on history sci-fi Psychological thrillers now they have limited series. There's a ton on Netflix um
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You know, it's it's like, oh, you know what, I know it may sound strange, but it's where you can understand history if you watch the films and kind of like television of that era. You can kind of get the understanding of how the people think and how they act. And I think that resonates very well with the people that are making these films at the same time, no?
::Matt Drago
Absolutely. I mean, I think that art reflects humanity and it reflects the times that you're in. And a lot of times to your point, it, uh, reflects just kind of what, you know, what is, um, relevant at the time. So I think that, uh, that's a great point, Dave, I completely agree.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I think the big elephant in the room, though, is technology, because we went from, you know for example, you take like you know like Westworld that came out in the 70s.
::Matt Drago
For sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
We could do that in a week. A week. It took them, what, like four years?
::Matt Drago
Mm hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
so We have that ability now to make TV shows like the House of Dragons or the Game of Thrones where they have these insane budgets where they're just pouring tons of technology into this. you know Think about like AI, right? We may be able to watch a film from start to the end with Amy Winehouse. Start to finish.
::Matt Drago
Yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
her dancing, her singing, her saying her story, her having struggle, all of that. And it's completely made by augmented reality.
::Matt Drago
Hmm, yeah, that's gonna be a whole other challenge. Obviously, it's one that I am on the forefront of.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I know.
::Matt Drago
And, you know, it it really does come to I think a lot of times, I mean, I'll take it from the actor's perspective, because there are so many perspectives within um AI is I always wanted to act for acting, you know, and I love the process of acting. And if you told me right now, you know, you're a producer and, you know, get in this booth and get the scans and get your voice taken away from you. And um we'll just put you in a computer program and pump out a performance that we feel like is in line with what you might do might gain the keyword.
::Matt Drago
um I would 100 out of 100 times say no, because it's not, it's that's not the process for me. The process is, you know, human tears, human emotions. And I do I worry about future generations, if we get too lost in technology, and we let go of our humanity, because human stories matter. And I never thought I'd be saying that.
::Matt Drago
But you need people that are telling them and you need the connection to the real emotions or else you lose something. And I think you lose something not just in the art.
::Matt Drago
I think you lose something in ah the society at large because, you know, you need to see um reality or else you'll get lost in augmented reality or artificial reality.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
it started in like the early: ::Lost in the Groove Podcast
to be able to have, you know, great example is in the fashion industry. You know, you have now this way of technology where not only they're able to create like augment fabrics, but figure out the textures, the way that they work, the way that they feel, they can do this even, for example, in digital animation, across the charts, like, yeah, we weren't sure 25 years ago,
::Matt Drago
Mm hmm.
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
but there's still very much a human aspect now that makes it what it is. you know I feel that veering away from like the people that make these things a reality, like, for example, like yourself, and you know you have the production team and you have everybody that comes along with it, it may become smaller, but you still need that human interaction, that human intuition to make those things, even with technology.
::Matt Drago
i think yeah I think intuition is a key word that you just said. I think that's dead on. I think when you lose the intuitive factor of your humanity um in art, you lose really what art even is, right? Because art is human. um It has been a reflection, as we've discussed today,
::Matt Drago
of our you know history of our societies um you know from age to age to age. And if we give that up right now, we are actually losing part of our own society. We're losing part of our own humanity. And I do. I fear for future generations because I don't want you know young kids to look at a movie 20, 30 years down the road and be like, wow, mom and dad, this is a really crazy movie. There's actually people in it.
::Matt Drago
And i think there is like something to that right now where you know we should be afraid and there are protections in place for some some are better than others i gotta be honest i think the writers union did a better job in contractually.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
ah locking it down, ah where they said, you know, AI cannot be a writer, and that is black and white. ah There's no gray area where sag after I think really missed. um On record, I'll say it, you know, and I did tell them, you know, because I was on a lot of their talkbacks,
::Matt Drago
They basically made it so that you know actors could consent whether they wanted to um you know consent to AI or not. And I think that opens up a wormhole because if you are the type of actor that maybe isn't in it for You know i'll say the right reasons or for the love of the game for the process of it then essentially you know what happens if you're the producer and it's between me and and and and and and and and and joey over here and joey will get in the booth and he'll get his likeness scanned and he'll get his voice taken away from him.
::Matt Drago
And I say, no, like i I want the control of being able to tell my own story with my own instrument. ah it It really puts me in a compromising position. And then essentially, who's going to get the role? Because maybe it's cheaper to get, you know, Joey's likeness taken away from him and, you know, just put it into a computer program.
::Matt Drago
So there's a wealth of problems that I think are stemming from this. And honestly, it's just the start of it. That's what's crazy. ah So we really honestly don't know where it's going to go. But I fear for the future right now. and And I fear for the future, not just as an artist, as an actor. I fear for what it does to our humanity if we get human beings taken away from it.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
i um
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It always fascinates me, particularly with this idea of a dystopian future. You know, great examples are like the Terminator, you know, or the Matrix.
::Matt Drago
Sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And it's kind of crazy now more than ever that like, we kind of are in a matrix, like we we can't we kind of are in a virtual reality.
::Matt Drago
Absolutely.
::Matt Drago
For sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And then when you realize that the universe is just a quantum computer, because it quantum computes on a molecular level, like I mean, we're literally single cell organisms that multiplied and complex.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's just when you realize that even within organic Substance in organic material you have this almost computerized interpretation I'm not saying that like humans are robots what I'm getting at is there's always this kind of blend of science math technology and nature and like or the organic world that we live on and
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
and And in many ways, like they kind of add they they kind of live almost within harmony. We have to kind of almost live in harmony with it.
::Matt Drago
Mm hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
you know We can either use technology to destroy our national national parks, or we can use that technology to better enhance the environment of those national parks.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Do you see where I'm going with this?
::Matt Drago
Absolutely. It's a show that I've actually really taken to with my wife recently. It's it's Severance and it's a brilliant show. It is scary and terrifying.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I'm on season two, it's on season two. and
::Matt Drago
Yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
i won i remember I watched that show when I had a corporate job refilling CPAP supplies. There are nights I couldn't sleep. Because ah I'm gonna say this, there was that constant thought of what if my job author offered a severance program?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
So I don't have to remember this horror for eight hours every single day. Just like that.
::Matt Drago
Would you do it?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
That's the scary shit, bro. Like, when you're in that that corporate insane environment, like, youre you're pondering to yourself, like, am I literally thinking about, like, sacrificing my brain to a company to put a chip in there?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
So I lose eight hours of my days and, like, they compare me to an innie and a fucking outie like i have now two people i have to fuck like me and then this other person it really makes you think it it really
::Matt Drago
Mm-hmm. Oh, it's an incredible think piece. Absolutely. Yeah. But again, I think in in many ways, we've already been severed, right? Because like we've talked about on your show today, it's it's that we are really kind of up against AI anyway. And a lot of people, I think younger generations are completely immersed in social media. And they see that as their primary like life um and their life source. And so in in many ways, I feel like
::Matt Drago
the severance has actually already happened, ah regardless of the chip being planted in our brains. And I think that's what's scary about it is I think it plays to a lot of the things that are already happening in our culture and our society. And yes, it's that I think the the the the way that it does it so well is it's like if you give um yourself to severing your your yourself from yourself,
::Matt Drago
then what are you giving up? And I know that we're only in season two.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I love that, by the way.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
i you know it um One thing also to notice is the environment in Severance. you know If you watch Severance, I grew up in New York. okay You've lived in New York City. One thing you know is it's gloomy a lot of the time of the year.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
and that i like When I'm watching it, like I can remember that cold feeling and all the old crummy cars.
::Matt Drago
Mm hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
it's like The show in itself is like an analogy. It's like, hey, you think you're living in like paradise, but hey, put on this pair of glasses.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
This is what the world looks like. Crappy cars from the 80s and New York in fucking January. It's not in New York, but that's... I'm like complaining from New York. You know what? I should shut the fuck up because like there's people in like Wyoming, you know, in Washington that have it hella way worse than I have. But damn, that, that feeling of being cold.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, and I mean, regardless of where you live on on this planet, I got to be honest, I can't imagine a worst hell than um being away from this planet.
::Matt Drago
e they live, who knows, like,: ::Lost in the Groove Podcast
They don't know.
::Matt Drago
an experiment. And I think that is like terrifying to me. So regardless of anything that might be better or worse in the world, I would still rather live within the world um and not separate myself from my own humanity.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Oh yeah, for sure. 100%. And like, I feel that
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I feel that also, like, going back to the point of, like, being cold, okay? We're... When it's really cold outside, I don't know, for me personally, I like being around other people, particularly in, like, a room, you know, inside, and just...
::Matt Drago
Sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
The reason being is because, like, I don't want to, like, constantly remind myself that it's, like, negative five degrees outside. I kind of want to just enjoy my time right now. It's almost where like, for me, cold pushes me to be like, I don't wanna experience this now.
::Matt Drago
Hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Let me delete this out of my brain.
::Matt Drago
Hmm. Yeah. 100%.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I wonder though, I wonder though these TV shows particularly like Severance. You know, I'm like almost getting into like the conspiracy realm of,
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
What are these writers trying to tell us? you know Because I feel like it all stems down to that person, that that motherfucker that sits down with a pen and decides to start writing this.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
but Why? What made you decide to start writing this? like what we we're were Yeah.
::Matt Drago
I think I think, yeah, I think they're telling us everything that we already know if we're really connected to our own humanity and if we're awake, right, if we're seeing what's in front of us, I believe that, like I said, I think art dictates reality a lot of times and it enforces reality and it forces people to see things that maybe they aren't quite seeing and it brings it to the forefront. So, um you know, just because we're we're talking about this show and kind of, you know,
::Matt Drago
really how it's kind of dictating our modern times and technology and distancing ourselves from reality is ah yeah, I think it's some I think art is so important. And I think it needs to be told from the human perspective for this reason, right?
::Matt Drago
AI would not write severance.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
AI would not write severance. um A human would write severance because a human would understand that AI or technology is taking over and that people are being disconnected from their feelings.
::Matt Drago
And people are being disconnected from their humanity. But you think AI is going to write that? No. So I think that's where, you know, where shows like this are so important.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
One. Yeah.
::Matt Drago
And that is, in a nutshell, why acting and and and filmmaking and really all art is so important to come from a human perspective and only a human perspective.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, it is.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
True. It really, you know, um you touched on this earlier, you're talking about, i it's called Somewhere Montana. I you ah wanted you to like, just ah go over, it's a film, right?
::Matt Drago
Yep.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
um what's the What's the story about? Because I'm actually curious.
::Matt Drago
Absolutely.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
So Brandon Smith wrote a really great story of the times. It's very powerful. The basic premise is that there's a West Coast director, Fabian Ferduco, played by yours truly, and John Alexander, played by Graham McTavish.
::Matt Drago
And um we basically need each other. It's a ah situational story in that we both need each other, but we are two uniquely different people from two different worlds.
::Matt Drago
I need his ranch because Kat, played by the incredibly talented Michelle Hurd, my friend, um is ah is is my producer. And producers look out for their directors. You see producers work with directors over and over again because they're in alignment with each other.
::Matt Drago
And she's that kind of person in my life that you know tells me what I need to hear as as a director, um as a tough love, right?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Tough love.
::Matt Drago
And so we have a great scene in the beginning that really showcases that.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Mm hmm.
::Matt Drago
And it's a scene that's very um dear to my heart. And it is on the way to John's Ranch. Because again, I think people don't understand when you're a filmmaker and you know you love your craft so much,
::Matt Drago
It's part of your legacy. It's part of who you are. And everything, ah if you are type A, like I am in my life and like Fabian is in in in the story of somewhere in Montana, everything has to be perfect. Everything has to be just right to be able to articulate the story that you want to tell. And so John's Ranch is that perfect location that we've been seeking.
::Matt Drago
And unbeknownst to Fabian, John is going through some really financially troubling times. And you know his daughter, Laney, played by my friend Kaylee Macchio, is trying to be the peacemaker and being like, Dad, won't you just give them a chance because this could save our ranch again, his ranch is his legacy. My film is my legacy. So we have two legacies at play in this film. And you can just see from the first scene, um where we finally meet Fabian and john that the the two of them just don't get each other. They're from two different worlds.
::Matt Drago
And there's like, just instant judgment. And there's instant dissonance. And it speaks to the times that we're in right now as a society in the world, where we just have forgotten the ability to see each other. And I do think that, you know, since we're talking about it, I think social media and technology is a big part of our of that because it distances you from seeing the full person you're really just seeing maybe a line on a social media platform or you know something that's been reinterpreted through media, you're not getting to know people as well. And so I think it really does um you know just create an automatic dissonance because of the reality that we don't learn
::Matt Drago
how to let other people in anymore. We just shut them out. And so this is a story of the times and that we are put in this impossible situation where we have to work through it.
::Matt Drago
We have to find a way to work through it because at the end of the day, and I think this is a big throughline through line through the film, is that we need each other.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
um You know, there's more that can connect us than will ever divide us if we can just let other people in and start to see the humanity within them.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, you know, something you realize over time is that. You can't be successful by yourself.
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And you can't be happy if you can't share it with others. You know, even for myself, I can say that you you have to have people in your life.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You know, just like the way that you were talking about like the passion of that connection you have with the producer. they there's There's something that people can give you.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I don't know, like maybe it's a beer or just like a tap on the back or like, hey, stop being a fucking idiot. You know, I love those. Those are my favorites.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, sure, sure. Of course. 100%. And I mean, it to your point, it's one of the lines in the movie. And it's a great line. It's not and people in life that matter.
::Matt Drago
I'm sorry, it's not things in life that matter. It's people um not ideal, not not not ideologies, people.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
People.
::Matt Drago
It's not things that matter in life. It's people, not ideologies. It's people that matter. And I think that that is a key element to Brandon Smith's script is that we really need to go back to the beginning of how much we really needed each other, especially in our country since we are you know both speaking as Americans, is that you know there were times where people from different sides of the aisle used to really let each other in and and and and work together.
::Matt Drago
And be part of the same um solution and i just feel like at this point there is just such a massive disconnect between people that think differently in that the way that we just kind of like.
::Matt Drago
say, you know, fuck it to the other person. And it's never really come to that, at least on this level that I've seen. And I do, I think that social media and media is the fuel to the flames when we we think about that. And this was such a unique experience for me personally,
::Matt Drago
because I was in Montana and I'm a, you know, I've been a city boy my whole adult life with New York City and Los Angeles, but being able to reconnect myself to nature, I actually drove myself up to set.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
um I was the only person to do to do that um that wasn't a Montana local.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Good for you.
::Matt Drago
and i And I did that on purpose because I wanted to take almost a trip that would take me out of, you know, the the the the city, the complications, the the the sophistication of the city.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Just imagine, listen, imagine the playlist on this man's car.
::Matt Drago
I do have a playlist, actually, it is my summer in Montana play.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
everro Oh my God.
::Matt Drago
There's a lot of there's a lot of counting crows, a lot of Tom Petty. um But there is there, is there is still a Spotify playlist, you got me.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
How long is that drive from LA to Montana? That must be like 20 hours.
::Matt Drago
so So I broke it up. I broke it up. Yeah, it's ah it's about 18 to 20 driving hours.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Okay.
::Matt Drago
But I think for me, I wanted to take little stops, right? So I came from l LA.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Did you do the two day or the three day stop?
::Matt Drago
Oh, gosh, I think I made it actually four or five days. I did five days. um
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Good for you, you really, yeah.
::Matt Drago
I took my time. I took my time.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
yeah
::Matt Drago
So this is how I did it. I went from LA to Vegas. I actually ironically stopped in Vegas the night that Mad Apple was premiering. So I got to like walk the red carpet and meet some of the cast members from mad apple which is a phenomenal show in case you're ever in a vegas i highly recommend it and and what i love about mad apple specifically is it really is a love letter to new york city so you can imagine me as a new yorker my family from new yorker i mean when they played new york state of mind that's one of my favorite moments in the show
::Matt Drago
I started to cry. It really, really just kind of made me um really just reminisce about the times in New York City. So it was a perfect two day trip, you know, just kind of, um you know, getting back to basics and and and just kind of, ah you know, having that like LA kind of grand experience, which is probably very much in the vein of Fabian Verdugo,
::Matt Drago
because he isn't eccentric, right? And so that was the the start of my trip. And then from there, it was total nature. I went to Zion, and I stayed at the Zion lo ah Lodge, which um shout out to some of the people that I met there.
::Matt Drago
um you know Frank was really awesome there. He you know showed me all the different hikes to do. And that night that I got there, I hiked till it got dark. And I almost didn't make it down the mountain because I was so immersed with the Crystal Lakes.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Was there, there wasn't any light pollution there, was there?
::Matt Drago
and
::Matt Drago
Mm-mm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
So, wow, you got to see the real Milky Way.
::Matt Drago
So it was gorgeous. I mean, I got to like basically hike up to the Crystal Lakes. And um I can't remember, Dave, the last time that I've literally looked at a waterfall for a half an hour. And it was that trip that I did that, and just started to reflect and started to just kind of get back in touch with my own humanity. And then from there, I went up to Salt Lake City took the hike to the highest point there looked ah over the snow capped mountains.
::Matt Drago
and then made we my way to set because I did make it there early so I could shadow Brandon ah because he is a director so I could.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Oh my god. Not only but only does this man travel a five-day road trip, for four or five days, okay, but he arrives early. Damn! Damn! um Okay, I'm sorry. Sorry, I just i just had to. i just had to
::Matt Drago
Yeah, it's a little bit of a method thing. And I think method gets a bad rep sometimes. But for me, I wanted to experience the journey being, you know, someone who was raised in a rural area of Virginia, but then have Liz have lived my whole adult life in, you know, sophisticated cities, I wanted to give myself that um ability to take that
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Right.
::Matt Drago
emotional journey as well as the physical journey into Montana and I had the most extraordinary feeling as I, you know, came into Paulson Montana where we shot the whole film shout out to Paulson Montana is it really, um you know, gave me this feeling as I was driving over the hillside.
::Matt Drago
ah I felt like this was going to become a family. I really felt like the cast and crew for this film was going to become a really tight-knit group, and I was right. um We would go you know on on hikes together. we would We would share our meals together. We honestly couldn't get enough of each other, and the cast and the crew were interchangeable. We were all a part of the same family, and it was so special. And I think it was so special because we knew pretty early on that we were telling a story that was bigger than us.
::Matt Drago
And so when I, you know, say, go see somewhere in Montana, I can't stress it enough because we're an indie film and indie films are the resistance right now. So the more people can invest in really giving these human stories a chance right now more than ever, it really means a lot for the future of what our film industry looks like.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You reminded me because, first off, a hundred percent. I'm a very big supporter of the underground artists world, particularly underground music.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
and And the cool thing about Indie World is you get things like the Toronto Film Festival. OK, I had the pleasure.
::Matt Drago
Hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I went there I think: ::Matt Drago
Hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And it's amazing. You get to see all of these films and like Some of these are actually better than Hollywood productions. Like acting wise and some of it like I remember um God, I can't remember that if it had Demi Moore or Demi Moore. You know what I'm talking about? ah It was it was an indie film where she like gets this injection or something where like she becomes two people. What's it called? um
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
ah I'm gonna find it but Isn't
::Matt Drago
Yes, I just saw it too.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
it amazing Right
::Matt Drago
It's so incredible. She's actually she's won awards for it recently too. ah It is. We're gonna find it. We're gonna find it.
::Matt Drago
I literally just saw it. It's bugging me that I it is the substance. It's the substance.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's the substance. Yes, I watched it on Amazon. I got it early. But the point I was trying to get at is kind of like the same idea with going beyond yourself, right?
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You know, the same way you're kind of explaining with like somewhere in Montana, where Demi Moore, obviously, Demi, I don't, I call her Demi Moore, all right?
::Matt Drago
Yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Until somebody corrects me, I'm gonna just call her Demi Moore.
::Matt Drago
yeah Yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
She struggled. a lot and was open about it.
::Matt Drago
Yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And this is the reason why she made this, you know, and obviously, like, it it kind of like shows that she is like everybody else.
::Matt Drago
Yeah. Powerful.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
She struggles just like everybody else. And like, when the time came for her to go above and beyond, she was able to do it and be able to do it really well.
::Matt Drago
It was such a brave performance. And I like you know, I i just blanked on the the name of the movie because the movie itself made such a big impact on me, but it really is in the vein of severance, right? It's it's, ah you know, what can disconnect you or entice you to utilize technology to become somebody else or in this in this case with the substance to go back to an earlier version of yourself, right? And it's like, what are you giving up because life is a journey and we should enjoy the beginning, middle and end of it. And I really do mean that it's like, you know, that this is, you know, something that I think was so courageous of her to to do, I think is a film that spoke to her many ways in the way that somewhere in Montana spoke to me.
::Matt Drago
artists and actors, honestly, we just want to leave behind a couple good stories. That has been my, um you know, um my experience of actors is they're some of the most selfless people that I've ever met in my life.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Mmhmm.
::Matt Drago
And I would tell you hand to God, I mean, like they really are because they're so giving of their energy. And when they find a script like the substance or somewhere were in Montana or severance, like we've been talking about today,
::Matt Drago
it really speaks to essentially the times that we're in. And I ah honestly like as an actor, I've always dreamed of telling stories that I felt like could make an impact in the current times that we're in. And Demi Moore, like she, um she saw this script, and she knew that she had to do it. And, you know, she was a big proponent in making sure that it got done. um So brilliantly, um so brilliantly and so raw. I mean, it's It's horrific, right?
::Matt Drago
It's very horrific.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It is psychological,
::Matt Drago
It's it's it's gory. it's it's it's it's It's dark. It's it's ah grotesque. It's psychological.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
very psychological, very psychological. And by the way, to the point where one thing that AI can't replicate is correct. I don't know what the terminology is. It's the the dialogue with no words.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, it's where you can there. It's just that stare. It's the look in the mirror. Ooh, you know, but you feel something and it's it technically is a part of the script.
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
But there's no words.
::Matt Drago
I think so much of actor acting um and telling stories is behavior, right? And everybody, every actor that I know has a different process in doing that. I think I've shared on your show today that I am a little bit method and that's okay.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Mm hmm.
::Matt Drago
I'm not that method that gets broadcast to the world. I consider it more of like a bastardized method where you have to like be weird to people.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It works for you. It's customized and tailored to you.
::Matt Drago
Well, but Yeah, and and and method acting in and of itself is not a bad thing. A lot of people that are actors use method to essentially feel like they're in the character, right? and
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
you know where you know You know what the problem is, is that when Heath Ledger passed away, it's kinda like almost that became like the disdain in media.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's like, well, if you wanna do method acting, you'll turn out like Heath Ledger. But he's an individual, right?
::Matt Drago
And
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I understand that like, yeah, he he got, but that's him. You know, you have people like Danny DeVito, okay? How the hell does he do that?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
How does he go from one production to the other production? And it's like he was there the whole time. He's small, he's noticeable, you know exactly who he is, but he manages every single time to be something completely else.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, yeah.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Method acting, yeah.
::Matt Drago
And I think method acting, and and and it really comes in all shapes and forms. I just feel like at a certain point, if you're doing it to be, you know, quote unquote, like abusive to other people, whether it be the cast or the crew, then you're crossing the line.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Right.
::Matt Drago
But and and unfortunately, that's what essentially gets media attention a lot of times.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Mhm.
::Matt Drago
But the the good the good parts of method are like me taking the journey to Montana, right? And feeling the character arc of the journey. I lost 25 pounds in this film, um with the help of ah Jennifer and naty Nathan Nathan to Tracy, and and and my friend, um you know, um you know, So they they they took me on as nutritionalists.
::Matt Drago
they They gave me a lot. I'm sorry, my light just turned off. I don't know why.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
No, it's it's actually kinda cold, you know?
::Matt Drago
ah it's It's mood lighting.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's kinda like, it's like, yeah.
::Matt Drago
it's it's ah Yeah, I don't know don't really know, but I'm just going to go with it because it works.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
but But that honestly, honestly like, that is insane nutrition. Like how fast did you go down to 25, like lose 25 pounds? We're talking about like a week, two weeks, like a month?
::Matt Drago
It was a month and a half. And, you know, Jen Jen to Tracy did a great job to make it a very healthy process.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Jesus.
::Matt Drago
And when you have a nutritionalist like that, you basically this is like a fascinating part of, you know, the first time that I've ever had a nutritionalist really helped me out in this vein, was such a fascinating process for me, because I essentially told her what I wanted out of
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Okay.
::Matt Drago
my body um in this character, how I felt like the character was because again, Matt likes to lift weights, he likes to have his protein shakes, right? But I felt like Fabian was someone that missed meals. He was somebody that, you know, like was so wound up, that he, ah you know, just was strung out a lot of times.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
And not it not not not a not a not a drug addict, not like that, but just like, very hyper focused, like, you know, essentially, like, just like, yeah, I'm gonna have like my coffee, and then I'm gonna forget to eat lunch sort of guy, you know, because because I got to get this done, and I got to get this done.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
And I actually can't take my lunch break because my actors need me right now, or my crew needs me or you know, because he's somebody that would go down with his ship. And a lot of those people don't take care of themselves. Honestly, they take care of others, but they don't take care of it themselves. And I really wanted to showcase that because, again, there's a misconception sometimes about people that are big, that they're divas, that they are, you know, like, like that they're, they're they're selfish people.
::Matt Drago
I wanted to bring to the forefront that that Fabian is somebody that cares. He is the he will be the last to go down with the ship while everybody else gets off the ship. That is who he is to his core. He cares about his people. They are his family. And so for me, it was, you know, kitchen and cardio is what, you know, Jen to Tracy said, she said, you know, we need to put you on five small meals a day, and you need to eat them here, here, here, here, here.
::Matt Drago
And, you know, you're basically doing cardio and I didn't lift a weight for two, three months, you know, basically, so I could essentially burn through a lot of my muscle mass and, you know, my fat and just kind of lean out. And it really did a lot for me, Dave, because when I found myself on set, I felt like I was in the body of Fabian for do go. And I think for that reason, it really was worth the, um you know, that the the the work that I put into it and the investment that I put into it, because it gave me the um just ability to come to set and really be ready to work and feel like I was really in the body of Fabian Ferdugo.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You know what this um you know this reminds me of? You might hate me.
::Matt Drago
Mm hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
The dude from the Big Lebowski.
::Matt Drago
Sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
for I mean, the man looks like the dude. i like it like He embodies the character so well that
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
That is your interpretation. And mean I totally get where you're coming from. It's like, it's not just what you're saying, and your behavior, you sometimes you have to like, look the part in order for it to work.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And right, exactly.
::Matt Drago
And and feel the part to your point you have to you because again, a lot of it is like being within your own instrument and and and as an actor, the only instrument that you have is your body um and your voice and your eyes and your ears. And so a lot of times we have to figure out a way to craft that or to you know manipulate that to what we believe the character is because a lot of developing a character is a true belief in how you feel like that character behaves and some of that behavior
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You.
::Matt Drago
ah affects your body, right? It's no different than, you know, you as Dave or me as Matt, it's like my, you know, my my my character, ah you know, my personality dictates the way that I look, it dictates the way that I feel. And so I feel like actors give themselves sometimes like,
::Matt Drago
the buffer of being able to say listen this is what i can control i can i can lose this weight it will help me to feel a little bit more connected to this character so why wouldn't i and that is some of the work that really um you know doesn't sometimes get enough credit, it's it's hard.
::Matt Drago
It's not easy to lose 25 pounds into in a month and a half, but um and to keep it off during the production. So I say like, you know, two and a half months basically through the production.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
And and for me, it really became just ah important because it made me feel more connected to what I was doing with that character.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You know, I'll tell you I love. I've always been a creative person as long as and i I can remember. And it's like so weird because the thing that I enjoy the most is sharing with other people. It's like even to your own sake, it's where like you're doing all of these things so you can share something about yourself, something that you creatively can do and do, as they say, masterfully well.
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I'm gonna um'm i'm gonna i'm goingnna trademark that.
::Matt Drago
It's always I think you should.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
you know Beyonce, I'm for you.
::Matt Drago
I think you should. um the the The mastery is is something that evolves too. I mean, your process always changes. I mean, mine has always changed.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
her
::Matt Drago
We go back to the beginning of our conversation where I brought up Terry Schreiber. And I think what I love so much about him is, you know, he he he stopped he he taught us Stanislavski. He taught us Meisner.
::Matt Drago
He he studied with Strasburg. You know, I've done kabuki training, which is a Japanese art to really, you know, get into every element of your movement as the character.
::Matt Drago
So there are so many methodologies that you can take um and and method acting as well, that I've been able to adopt within my own process now and that can be ever changing ever evolving.
::Matt Drago
But I think that's one thing that I would tell a lot of actors is it really is it's about finding your own process and that is your uniquely yours because it has to be something that motivates you it has to be something that gravitates to your need of telling the story and if you can find that for yourself there becomes a lot of joy that comes out of that because again
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
it it is so joyful to get to tell a great story and and and to develop a great character so the foundation and what you do and how you do that is ah is a big part of that.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It is and you know, to your point, it's interesting because when you look um in other countries, particularly like I've you know I've watched shows that are from like France, like you know like Lupin is ah one that I've been watching, and ah you know you look at things, for example, like even in Korea.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's completely different. you know like even like Even with Korea, the way that like they they talk to each other, obviously it's in Korean, it's not in English.
::Matt Drago
Sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
but Just the communication, the the way that you know they're moving around, their behavior, the way that they act, the way that they eat, the way that they... let It's like you you almost have to like relearn because obviously we're Americans.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I've been watching some of the stuff since I was younger, but like this is not our normal culture, you know what I mean? It's not like something that we're accustomed to.
::Matt Drago
Mm hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
And by the way, I hate watching shows that are non-English with like the English dub. I always watch it with English subtitles. I just, I need to hear the native language.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I can't just, yeah, i I can't.
::Matt Drago
Me too.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It doesn't line up. You know what I'm talking about? It's like, it it like, it doesn't line up and then your your brain kind of gets, my brain gets a little fuzzy and I'm like, I just go straight to my phone and I completely ignore what I'm just watching in front of me.
::Matt Drago
Yeah.
::Matt Drago
Sure. Sure. No, I totally get that. I mean, and again, it's slice of life and slice of life is wherever you are in the world. So, you know, I'm telling American stories as an actor, because I'm an American, but um stories all over the country are just um and all over the world are so vital right now to be told by humans and acted by humans and directed by humans and produced by humans and um and and and and shot. I mean, I can't say enough about our cinematographer on somewhere in Montana, AJ Young. I mean, he went out of the box. He found these really unique lenses that were anamorphic that made the film look rainy. He shot the film and the film within the film and the way that John Schimpke, our editor,
::Matt Drago
edited those two together I mean I can't really say enough about the crew um in in in creating films because it's such a massive undertaking and when you see the finished product you're just so grateful to be a part of it and and that's where you know I look at films all over the world to your point And I say, you know not only for us in this country, but for all over the world, we have to fight against the machine.
::Matt Drago
We have to keep telling human stories um with and and and and and with our so with with only ourselves. right and um And I just hope that that will continue because you know we we can't give up our human voice to a machine.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Right.
::Matt Drago
If we do that, I think that we really will I mean, I hate to say lose everything, but it feels like that because so much of art is through, um you know, the annals of time, like it it speaks to where people are at as a society. And I just don't believe that computers can get that.
::Matt Drago
So um you know I keep saying this, really support your independent films. I know that we're asking a lot sometimes. We don't have the big marketing budgets, ah but we're on shows like yours today, Dave, because they they get the word out to people to hopefully um you know get two people to watch and and tell two of their friends and tell two of their friends.
::Matt Drago
And Somewhere in Montana is just um it's it's a passion project. It's a beautiful film, um you know, and it is a story of the times that really can resonate in our society and in our world.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It is, and it's very much it's very much so an example of where, to what I said earlier, even with technology, I feel that it has given immense amount of strength for indie artists, particularly in the film industries and television shows where now, yes, there are still like limitations, which I'll be very honest, like the shit that Netflix does sometimes,
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
bro, come on. Like, you know, just massive cut cuts like they're taking like 30 40% like insane.
::Matt Drago
Mm-hmm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
But you have now more than ever we're independent artists, independent filmmakers, independent musicians, filmmakers, I mean, the cro across the charts,
::Matt Drago
Mm.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
have the ability now to use technology where they no longer have to go through that man and be like, hey, hey, can you can you promote me? It's like, no, we can we can be creative and we can do what we want and be successful at it.
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Because we have this technology to back us to be able to make that happen.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, we have to be able to unite with technology. It's not going anywhere.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
No.
::Matt Drago
um you know I'll go back to AJ Young, our cinematographer, who took you know lenses from these Soviet Union projectors, and then they're housed in these new casing.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
That is amazing.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, it was so cool. And and and and and putting them into the camera, and it really um just created such a visual um masterpiece of ah in this film.
::Matt Drago
And and we do we need to partner with technology. We can't fully resist it, but we can't let it we can't let it completely dictate what art does and says within our different societies, not just in our country, but around the world.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
no
::Matt Drago
but Because if we do that, we will lose too much. And I do fear for our future if we do that.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
i think um I think a good analogy would be like ah a composer in an orchestra. orchestra you know Always the pieces in the orchestra can change, you know but you you still need that composer. You still need that person to be able to bring those pieces together.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
you know I always, i'm i I'm like one of those, like I don't even wanna get like, you know, like religious or anything, but like I very much like believe as an agnostic that this idea of like one entity, one being, one source, why is it one? Why can't it be multiple that's within one? Because, you know, yes, we're on two sides of a coin when it comes to the artist world, but same thing applies.
::Matt Drago
yeah
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
You need all those, you need that filmmaker, you need that producer, you need that person that's gonna be able to help you build into that character. Like, yeah, it's one film, but it has all these pieces that made that one film a reality.
::Matt Drago
Yeah, it's it's it's open minded thinking in religion and it's it's it's it's a team sport in film. ah You need people and and and you need to be open minded.
::Matt Drago
I mean, people need to get back to being open minded. And I think a lot of times that means putting the phone down. It means stop, you know, watching what other people are trying to tell you and adopting that as truth and not only
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Mm hmm.
::Matt Drago
truth, but your truth. I mean, think about that. It's like you're watching people say something and you're just adopting it as something that now you believe. Like, look at the facts. Like, let's get back to, you know, real, um compassionate,
::Matt Drago
um thinking that is that is intelligent and and connected with our own humanity. And this is a great conversation piece. yeah ah You know, for for the film, because it really does speak to the fact that, you know, the two lead characters don't necessarily see eye to eye at the beginning, or or the middle or the end of the film. And and and that's okay.
::Matt Drago
because what happens in the film is that we get to know each other. We get to let each other in. And when you get to when you get to the point where you let each other in and you start to see the humanity in one another, I feel like that is at the point where you start to find the path forward for our society and our world.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Yeah, it is. It really is. It really, for me, it sums up is not everything is perfect. And neither are relationships. You know, sometimes we connect with people for different reasons. You know, don't just push that person aside because you have those differences. Like, look, we all have our reasons. But there's sometimes like a good reason why you need that person in your life. And Maybe what you need is just that reminder, right?
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Is just that reminder that it is a real thing and it is an important thing of our lives that we come across. I think most people come across that situation at least once in their life.
::Matt Drago
Amen.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Right? Yeah.
::Matt Drago
100%.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Matt, um I know that you and you have your film. on You have social links, obviously. Do you have any like a website or a handle?
::Matt Drago
Absolutely. So the best way to find me, because I can only do so many social media platforms, um is i'm i'm very I'm very active on Instagram.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Right, obviously.
::Matt Drago
um you can You can find me on Instagram at Matt Drago, M-A-T-T-D-R-A-G-O at Matt Drago.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Okay.
::Matt Drago
From there, I've got a link tree up. It's got all my websites, my actor website, matt drago.com. It's got Dragon Hunter Productions, my production company with my wife. It also has my IMDB if you want to check out my past and future projects. And, you know, just follow me for, you know, again,
::Matt Drago
career happenings, but also life, right? Because like I consider the two as one um in my own life. So it's a great way to just keep in touch with me and find out what's happening in my journey as an artist.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Awesome. And by the way, I wanted to just say shout out. I have a link tree too and it's, listen, you just click on it and everything and anything you need pertaining to like what Matt's doing or what this podcast, it's there.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
All right.
::Matt Drago
Yep.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's all there.
::Matt Drago
I love link tree.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Oh my God.
::Matt Drago
Yep.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's amazing. Question for you. Um, do you have any like film festivals, your, your schedule to go out or you don't, you don't do that at all?
::Matt Drago
We're going to Palm Springs, actually next week, and doing a screening there at the Mary Pickford theater, seven o'clock on January 29.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Oh, wonderful.
::Matt Drago
If anybody is around, ah you can check us out. um Quite a few of the actors will be there, the director of the film, Brandon Smith, ah the producer, Eden Bryant will be there, I believe, Joe Borden, the producer as well will be there.
::Matt Drago
um So that's on the 29th, and then I'm doing my own screening on the 31st in Newhall, California, um actually on the Western Walk of Fame, ah which is really cool, um in a little black box theater, which, you know, is going to be really special to have some friends and and and um some really close people there that night as well. So we've been doing little screenings and, you know, just really enjoying just kind of where it goes from there.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
I like that and you know something like I'll tell you like even from my own experience like film festivals is like it's that add a little taste besides the film like you you kind of get like um what is oh introduction you know in the book you know with most movies you don't get the introduction like it's a way of like and a plus you pick Palm Springs I think like the perfect time of the year you know
::Matt Drago
Right.
::Matt Drago
Sure.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Cuz it's a hella hot like majority Smart smart listen Matt.
::Matt Drago
Yep.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's been an absolute pleasure to have you on um anybody out there check out somewhere in Montana.
::Matt Drago
Same, Dave.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
It's available now Or it's gonna be available now or soon. When's it gonna be available?
::Matt Drago
it it's It's in theaters now. ah you know These next couple of weeks are going to dictate if it gets to more theaters. And then eventually, yes, it will go to VOD and streaming and streaming as well.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Awesome, I can't wait
::Matt Drago
and And again, I will put all the updates um to when that happens on my social media at Matt Drago on Instagram.
::Lost in the Groove Podcast
Awesome. And um anybody out there, if you want the links for Matt's info and website, we'll all be in the description box below. If you want to check out more of the podcast, you can find us at Lost in the Groove Pod everywhere and anywhere you listen to podcast. With that, we'll catch you on the next one. Peace out. Okay.
::Matt Drago
You want to check out all the podcasts?
