[IMG:L]Entourage’s working-class actor and unlikely star on his own career surprises, the real-life Dramas he knows and getting the series to show a little nepotism for his own big bro, Matt.
Hollywood.com: Has it been especially fun to break open your character Drama this season?
Kevin Dillon: It really has. I think that it’s been more fun than anything. My favorite moment actually happened in Season Three. It’s the Grand Canyon moment, when he’s so down and he’s been dragged down for so long and it looks like he can’t take it any longer and then finds out that people are watching the show. To me, that was the greatest Johnny Drama moment so far.
HW: Have you had that kind of moment in your own career?
KD: I kind of have. I’ve had a lot of them, actually. So I mean that just shows you what this business is like. Just because you had that moment that doesn’t mean that you’re home free. Things are looking good now, but you know, its like every time you get a big movie you kind of feel that victory moment. Getting Entourage was kind of a victory moment. Platoon was another one – I didn’t know how big it was going to be but I knew it was going to be a cool movie and I got the part. I was so excited when I found out that I got that. It was a pretty big moment. So yeah, you do get those moments. The moment when you find out when you shoot the pilot – getting the pilot is a small victory. You shoot the pilot and when you get picked up, that’s a huge victory right there. Now you know the thing’s rolling and you got a chance. Especially with HBO, they give you a chance.
HW: Early on, did you have any idea what Entourage was going to become?
KD: I did. You can ask any of the guys, I was telling these guys all along. I said, “This show has got a shot.” I did a show before that on CBS called That’s Life. I thought it was a really good show. They never gave it a chance, and that’s one thing about HBO: they only produce a couple [new shows] each year and I think they were doing three that year. And we were one of the three, and I knew with three shows that they were going to give it a decent shot and they do great work. And I just thought the story had a lot of places it could go. It left with a lot of options for Drama, a lot of options for Vince, E and Turtle. And of course with the Ari character as well, too, and seeing all the inside and into the business. So I really did, I was telling these guys and they’re like “I don’t know…” And I was like “I think we got a real shot, I’m telling you right now we’re going to get picked up.” I kept saying that and we got picked up and I said “I’m telling you now, we’re going another season.” And I’ve been saying that all along, because I just felt like there was something magical happening. And it started happening after the third episode. That was the Jimmy Kimmel episode. Everything about that episode clicked and I knew at that moment. This is one of these little things where you put a cast together and everyone kind of feeds off each other ,kind of like when they put Friends together and they’re like “Hey – wow!” There was a moment that they found. Or like Seinfeld, where these actors are all really working and it’s all really fitting together.
HW: Do you think your personal chemistry with the cast spilled over into making the show work?
KD: Yeah, I mean we’re all going to sneak out of [this party] soon and go out and hang out and we love each other’s company. These guys are great and we all get along really well and I think that makes a huge difference. I really do. I guess in some cases, some shows, they don’t have to have that and they can still be big shows. But in our case, we really do. I love these guys and I feel they love me and that’s a great feeling.
[IMG:R]HW: Do you want to see your character stay the same or get more successful?
KD: You know I don’t know where they’re going with it. Its something the writers are still figuring out. I’d like to see him be there a little bit longer…You know, in a way Vince has had it too easy, you know what I mean? Nobody has it that easy. Well, I guess Tom Cruise – everything he does, everything he touches is kind of a success. And certain actors do have that kind of thing. Mark Wahlberg’s career has been kind of like that. Everything he’s kind of dabbled in has just been really successful. But yeah, everyone has shows that flop or they don’t do well or even the big guys.
HW: Do you ever share showbiz stories you have with the producers?
KD: I do and we do talk about that stuff and sometimes they’ll use some of those ideas. My ideas are usually for Drama, more character type things. But no, not really one [made it into the show] I can think of in particular. But we all gather around and we do throw these stories around. Sometimes they’ll jump on a few things here and there, but no big major storylines.
HW: As the relative veteran in the biz, what’s it been like to see Kevin [Connolly], Jerry [Ferrara] and Adrian [Grenier] experience success for the first time?
KD: They’re all kind of humble guys about the whole thing. Everyone’s handling it like it’s meant to be and not like they expected it or something. I guess I know how hard it is to get here and I’m appreciating it as well too. But I think they do as well, too. We all feel lucky, you know – we all feel like we’re really lucky to have this show and this chemistry with the cast. The set has got a really great feeling. It’s a place you go that you’re happy to be there. It’s like coming home. I know all the crewmembers – we’ve been working with a lot of these guys from the beginning. So it’s just a really good atmosphere. There’s almost never any attitude on the set, which is nice.
HW: Do you guys feel like you have the keys to the kingdom in L.A., whenever you walk into a place?
KD: I do, yeah, like when I go to a restaurant or whatever. I don’t go out that often. I’m not going to clubs or anything. But once in a while we’ll go somewhere and you know, it’s always nice. They walk you right in. It’s kind of nice. I never did wait in lines at clubs too much. I’d rather go to a small pub myself than a club.
HW: Do you know anyone like Drama in real-life Hollywood, someone who actually has what it takes and all they ever needed is just the right break?
KD: Oh, I know a lot of really good actors – tons , just tons – who I still don’t know why they don’t work all the time because they’re that good. It’s just a weird business and I know a lot of actors who shouldn’t be working but they work all the time. [Laughs] But if they are that good I think they should hang in there. You have to take on other jobs, but you know tough it out and hopefully something will happen. It’s a tough one, it’s a tough position. And I’ve had so many actors coming up to me and saying “I know what it’s like to be Drama. I’ve been living that life.” Or “I know what its like to be in an audition and guys are looking at their BlackBerries.” And they love that he stood up for himself in that situation. Its kind of like, “Yeah, that’s for us! We all want to do that! Now these casting directors and directors, producers, they can see what its like.” That’s what they deserve.
[IMG:L]HW: Any thought of breaking the forth wall and bringing your brother Matt Dillon on is some way?
KD: Yeah we’ve talked about it. Actually, we talked about bringing him on as a director, because he wanted to because he’s been thinking about directing. But he gets a movie and he can’t. But that’s definitely a thought we’ve had. It’s also tough to bring him on – we look so much alike. So he would have to be a long lost brother or something like that [Laughs]. He’s from my half of the family. Or the other idea would be to have him playing himself and me being like his stand-in or stunt double. Just weird ideas I was talking to Doug [Ellin] about.
