Actor Peter Parros on Who Are You People Film, Soap Operas

Fred Richani of TSC in this interview, we chat with legendary actor Peter Parros about his new film who are you people available now on demand and in Select theaters. Well, Peter, thank you so much for joining us, we just checked out the trailer for who are you people. This is a very heart-wrenching yet heartwarming film. How did you get involved with this awesome film. I was invited by Ben Ben Epstein who’s the writer director. I contacted my agent got a chance to check out the script and check out? His other work and it was very impressed. It was his directorial debut. So I knew it would be well, not even I didn’t know how great it was I thought it was going to be good.

I was excited to do film, which I haven’t done. I really like the character. I really like the script and hope that it would be a really good film. And it turned out great. It did turn out great and a lot of times. Of course, you know, you take there are certain things with characters that, you know, maybe are similar to you in real life and other times you kind of got to bring something into the table really kind of do that whole research and build up that character how similar are you to Reggie in real life. Well, it’s is interesting because I when we played him or let me say when I played him.

We did different takes different ways and I think my initial where I thought to play him was less like me and maybe the way he ended up on screen is a little more like me. So, you’ll have to watch the movie to see what that means. Yeah, I saw him a little harder maybe than I am because of just what the situation and circumstances and I think he comes off not as hard as I initially intended to play. Yeah, great chemistry with the rest of the cast and I could see with what you’re one of the main characters without giving too much away, you know, it’s almost like your character takes pity on him, you know, more more than being a hard ass and everything.

So, yeah, that’s definitely a very interesting Dynamic and you did mention, you don’t get to do a whole lot of films. I mean, sir. You’re a legend, of course you’ve done, you know, a million things. Of course, you’re best known for As the World Turns as Dr Ben Harris and you’ve been working on the OWN network as well for Tyler Perry’s show. So, you’ve been around the block when it comes to TV. You’ve been in the game for a long time, but I was shocked to see that you have very few of any feature films on your decorated resume. So, how many feature films. Have you actually done up to this point.

This is my this is my third what I think I did Death Before is that, right? Death before dishonor. I did with Fred, which was actually a very good movie. It was a military film, but it came out the same year as platoon, which is more anti-kind of military and this was a little more Pro American Military. So that didn’t get the recognition I did Real Genius, which was one of Val Kilmer’s early films. That was a long time ago in this I’ve done some TV movies. I just finished a TV movie. It’s Gonna air on VT in May call the final say, but in terms of theatrically released movies, I’ve only done three in 40 years.

So it’s pretty some of it because I was I did about 10 years on daytime between One Life to Live. And As the World Turns and the schedule just doesn’t allow it. So now my that I’m not doing the daytime thing hopefully things will happen to do more feature, but we’ll see, you know, the last few years everything’s gone streaming. So that’s incredible. And you have such a decorated career and you think like you’ve only done like three feature films total in your career is it kind of cool that just the age of your career that you’re still having like firsts, right? When you’ve been around as long you have you’ve seen pretty much everything.

So, is it a new experience or is there a lot more correlation that people think between being a feature film actor and a series of regular like you have for most of your career? No, it is a very different experience. It’s I enjoy it. I like the character work. I like this kind of film is because you’re discovering relationship through certain times when you’re doing a series that especially after it goes several seasons. You’re kind of lock into your character and your relationships and you go and this was a very is a very complex film very nuanced in the way that it’s written in the relationships appear to be something and then if there’s a shift in it.

So I really love this kind of experience and would hope to do more of it. And I feel like it gave me a greater respect for just kind of the independent Feature charactery Feature being involved in something like this is very exciting. Do you have some time for some kind of random and Rapid Fire questions related to your career in the film. Okay, let’s give it a shot? Let’s go besides yourself, who’s your favorite character and who are you people. I love Emma’s performance. So I’ll I gotta go with him on this one good answer. What would you say was the most awkward moment in filming who are you people from I understand it was filmed kind of right before the cut off with the pandemic and everything, you haven’t been involved in a lot of feature films.

This is in Indie things can happen. It was running wild and wacky on set that you’re like, oh, I’m glad we got it. The other side of this nothing too, awkward during filming coming back covet was just starting and I was on the plane with the scarf wrapped around my and people are looking at me like, what’s the matter with you. I’m like y’all don’t know what you haven’t heard. So that was before everybody was masking up and vaccinating and all that kind of stuff. So that was awkward. But on the set there was nothing awkward. Everybody was it was really great great group of people.

So and enjoyed it in fact, I had shared the first by first day it was raining and I got to reset in my patrol car my sheriff’s car with Emma and got to sit and talk with her while. We were waiting for the rain to stop. So, it was all it was all very good Devin was very cool. Low-key been the director, of course, you know, he’s had a decorative background as well. You’re doing a lot of you know, reality series music videos. Maybe the list goes on and on. What was it like working with him compared to some of the other directors you’ve worked with as far as what he brings to the table he was great because he this was a project that was he’s been working on for a long time his directorial debut a lot of a lot in the script and the characters.

So, I don’t often get character notes or get to rain play a range usually we’re going so fast. It might be one or two takes and you’re moving on where he would come in and say okay, give me this here and let’s work with it. So we I have a lot of different it was great to try a lot of different things. And then see what actually made it onto the screen and he was just a very I mean? I mean, this is the best way boy is kind of Peter panis energy just very he was excited about his film that he had the enthusiasmate.

So, it was great to be a part of that. And it wasn’t just it was my first film in a long time I was telling somebody? I was excited about that. He was excited it was his first directorial thing. So it was just great energy. I really enjoyed that love to hear that. Yeah, the energy definitely infectious and hey, it turned out great. So, we’ll get you Adriana. I know Peter even so gracious with your time. Why should people watch who are you people people should watch who are you people because it is rare for there to be this kind of character film these days.

I think it’s got a good message. It’s really kind of could be sort of who am I it’s just there’s a self-discovery in it, but it’ll get you thinking about people in relationships and stereotypes and what you think initially think isn’t necessarily what is and I think it’s good to have films that make you think a little deeper about life and relationships and this film does that.