Actor Dean Cain is best known over the years as Superman on the ABC show in the mid-1990s. He also hosted "Ripley's Believe it Or Not" on Atlanta-based TBS from 2000 to 2003. And he's guested on many TV shows ("Hope and Faith," "Las Vegas") and starred in dozens of films over the years including "The Laci Peterson Story," "Out of Time" with Denzel Washington and "Best Man" with Luke Wilson and Drew Barrymore.
I spoke with him at the Georgian Terrace earlier this week prior to a screening at the Fox Theatre of an indie film he starred in called "The Way Home." The film is based on a real-life story of Randy Simpkins (left, with Cain), a Carrollton utility contractor who discovers his faith after his son goes missing for eight hours and the city helps him find the boy.
It’s definitely low budget (at about $1 million, much of the budget going to Cain.). And Simpkins says they are in talks with distributors for a fall release. The film sounds like something Lifetime or Hallmark might pick up, too.
Cain and I went to the same college and we shot the breeze about that a bit before getting down to gabbing about the film.
He said the script made him teary-eyed, especially since he’s a single father himself. “There are certain depths of experiences you have once you have a child,” he said. “You can sort of substitute your feelings. You can draw upon that.” He noted that the movie, with only very minor details changed, was the true story back in 2000.
And better yet, they shot the film at the Simpkins 80-acre home. “We searched the fields they searched in years ago,” he said. “It gave it some added weight.” Simpkins hovered the entire time. (Indeed, he hovered while I talked to Dean.)
In one sense, he said it wasn’t an easy film to shoot, given the tough subject matter. But it had some “fantastic” moments as well.
Cain has tried scripted TV a few more times since "Lois & Clark" including a lead role in the CBS drama "Clubhouse" five years ago, which was axed quickly. "I would have cancelled it, too," he said. "It just turned out to be a different show than I had anticipated." And when he got a recurring role as the casino owner on NBC's guilty pleasure show "Las Vegas" in 2006, they ended up going with Tom Selleck for a full-time job instead once James Caan left. He tried some pilots, too, that never got picked up.
He said he’d prefer to do a TV role if it’s an ensemble cast, not a lead role. “I coach my son,” he said. “I go on field trips. We spend weekends together. I’m taking him to work on Thursday.”
His thoughts on "Smallville," the CW drama about Superman that has lasted longer than "Lois & Clark" and will be back for season nine this fall. "I heard the concept and didn't think it would make it past one season," he said. "But when I saw what they did and how they reinvented what they did, I was impressed. It's a fantastic success. I even did an episode for it. It was a lot of fun."
Has he ever met the late great Christopher Reeve? "No. I never had the opportunity. But I met his family and done stuff for his foundation."
Would he ever do "Desperate Housewives" with his former "Lois & Clark" mate Teri Hatcher? "Marc [Cherry, the executive producer] and I are friends. He's never done that to me. I politely told Marc that's not my cup of tea. I don't watch that type of show. I would act but I've only seen the pilot… I'd rather be watching an NBA or NFl game or the History or Discovery channels."
Would he do "Dancing With the Stars"? "No. Sorry. My football heroes Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have done it. Bless them. The sequins. The permatans and permagrins. That's also not my cup of tea."
Drama, he notes, is more his strong point. Traditional sitcoms? Not so much. But he does envy the lifestyle: “They work fantastic hours. They have a lot of fun. But it’s not my comfort zone.”
The trailer of the film is at www.thewayhome-movie.com.
Simpkins, in a separate interview, said the changes to real life in the film were minor. For instance, they did not dredge the lake. And they did not find the wrong boy at first. Those were added for dramatic effect. But the movie reflects that Simpkins was “not the greatest dad in the world” at the time.
“It wasn’t a conscious effort to shun my family,” he said. “I got caught up in my career.” He justified the long hours by saying he was “providing for my family.”
He believes his son’s disappearance was God’s way of straightening out the priorities of his life. He cut back hours at his company and even allowed revenues to drop off. He stopped working Saturdays and went to the ballfield and coached his son. He became a county commissioner, too.
His two-year-old son was absent for seven hours, walking a mile and a half. Hundreds of people in town looked for him on their property.
-And I was so wrapped up doing 'Idol" stuff, I didn't finish the "Lost" finale until 20 hours later. And wow. What a doozy of an ending. My quick thoughts:
-Biggest revelation: Locke ain’t Locke! The man pretending to be Locke convinced Ben to kill Jacob. I’m assuming the man in black we saw the opener with Jacob, who is symbolically in white, embodied Locke’s body. Is Jacob a good God? He seems like a truly good man. The Man in Black seems evil. Who’s coming, Jacob? Why couldn’t they kill each other? Why did the man in black need Ben as his ‘loophole’?
-Great to see Rose and Bernard again!
-Everyone (meaning Jack, Kate, Sawyer, et. al) know how to use guns quite well now!
-Only on TV (and especially “Lost”) can folks beat the bejesus out of each other and leave unscathed, save for some blood here and there.
-The Juliet/Sawyer heartbreak. That worked amazingly well.
-The others on that flight are part of Jacob’s “good” crew. Notice that fake Locke wanted them dead once he had Jacob killed.
-Eight months until we get to the final season. I cannot wait!
Top 10 primetime shows the week of May 4, 2009 in Atlanta
1- “American Idol” (results) Fox May 6, 665,000
2- “American Idol” (performance) Fox May 5, 562,000
3- “Grey’s Anatomy” ABC May 7 400,000
4- “Dancing With the Stars,” (performance), ABC, May 4 372,000
5- NBA playoffs (Hawks/Cavaliers), ABC May 9, 319,000
6- “24,” Fox, May 4, 310,000
7- “Dancing With the Stars,” (results), ABC, May 5, 284,000
8- “Lie to Me,” Fox, May 6, 281,000
8-(tie) “Desperate Housewives,” ABC, May 10, 281,000
10- “The Mentalist,” CBS, May 5, 275,000
Top 5 songs on Kicks 101.5, courtesy of yes.com
1- Montgomery Gentry "One in Every Crowd"
2- Dierks Bentley "Sideways"
3- Keith Urban "Kiss a Girl"
4- Kenny Chesney "Out Last Night"
5- Zac Brown Band "Whatever It Is"
Top 5 songs on 94.9/The Bull
1- Sugarland "It Happens"
2- Jason Aldean "She's Country"
3- J ason Michael Carroll "Where I'm From"
4- Kenny Chesney "Out Last Night"
5- Zac Brown Band "Whatever it Is"
Top 5 songs on 96.7/The Legend
1- Terri Gibbs "Somebody's Knockin'"
2- Brooks & Dunn - "Boot Scootin' Boogie"
3- Glen Campbell - "Southern Nights"
4- Crystal Gayle "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"
4- The Judds "Mama He's Crazy"
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