BRIAN [DANTE] O’HALLORAN TALKS KEVIN SMITH AND THE CLERKS 'TOON

[MichaelDoran]

by John Delia

Actor Brian O’Halloran, best known to moviegoers for his character Dante Hicks in Kevin Smith's Clerks, Clerks II, and the animated TV series with the same name appeared this past weekend at Super Con, a combination comic book and animation convention in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

O’Halloran first began working in film when he was cast in Kevin Smith's debut film Clerks in 1994. The two became friends and O’Halloran subsequently appeared more of Smith's films, includingMall Rats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, the Clerks animated series (2000-'01), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and of course most recently in a reprise of his Dante Hicks role in 2006's Clerks II.

O’Halloran spent a few minutes chatting with Newsarama about being part of the Kevin Smith "ensemble", the future of Dante Hicks, and his work outside the Kevin Smith school…

Newsarama: Brian, what is it like working with an icon in the genre community like Kevin Smith?

Brian O’Halloran: You now, working with Kevin Smith, he’s such a great writer and he is in tune with the Clerks type of comedy. He can think right off the top of his head. It is really awesome working with someone that has a likening for his comedic style.

NRAMA: Was Smith open to letting you develop your own character of Dante by the time you got to Clerk’s II?

BO’H: I think we all did by then. The first one was everybody’s first, so the first one was our first opportunity and chance to make a film. We were all newbies, as we would say, a bunch of newts making a film. And Clerks II was Kevin’s eight or ninth film at the time and it was a culmination of all he had learned in all those other films. In his growth and maturity as a person, as a father, and also just questioning where he was in his life now that he was in his 30’s.

I think it is one of his best and I can’t wait to see more of it. So, yes we personally able to do more with our characters.

NRAMA: On that note, do you think there is going to be a return by Smith to the franchise beyond Clerks II?

BO’H: I don’t doubt that there might be a return to the Clerks franchise, and in one of the ways there might be an animated version beyond the 'toon one that we did for TV. We did the Clerks cartoon years ago and it’s an effective format that we totally enjoy using. So if we don’t do the live version of it, most likely it will be the animated version.

NRAMA: Recall for fans the events that led up to the TV animated series?

BO’H: The Clerks' toon, the animated series was so great and was so much fun. Kevin was living out in LA and he had Dave Mandel who was one of the producers of Seinfeld come on board. It was to be episodic work. And these four characters Jay, Bob, Dante, and Randal were so great to write about because they could say and do anything. Animation was a way to bring these characters into an outlandish world, situations, and scenarios that only an animated format would allow.
So first they shopped the idea around to people, and UPN was interested immediately and wanted a full season. But the higher ups at Disney (they had distributed the original Clerks under their Miramax label) had found out about the idea and they counter offered, and said ‘look we will do 6 episodes, but on a bigger network.’ With all the coaxing and they gave us a Superbowl ad and everything, they went with that (Miramax Television).

NRAMA: So what’s it like doing a voice characterization for animation and how much different is it from live action?

BO’H: It was a great experience because #1 you go into a studio with a bunch of friends and you start running dialogue left and right. I got to work with some really great people like Michael McKean (as the Creepy Old Guy) and Alec Baldwin playing Leonardo, Leonardo. I mean some really great actors came in to do the voicing stuff, which was really a lot of fun. Each day was such a great day, you would get up, clear your throat … you don’t have to do your hair, don’t have to shower [smirks] … you just get to the studio and record the dialogue and boom you got a paycheck.

NRAMA: Do you see a future of you acting in more animation?

BO’H: I would love to do more animation; it’s a genre that is expanding more and more as we see with the success of Adult Swim for the Cartoon Network. And just the Cartoon Network in general and Comedy Central and you got channels like G4 that are starting to shop around for Anime and things like that. As for the future of animation, I think it will be more of the crossover of traditional anime with more Asian anime. It’s going to be a stronger influence on American entertainment.

NRAMA: Finally Brian, you're in a new film (this one not connected with Kevin Smith) called Cluster a comedy/drama directed by Vincent Scordia. What is your role in the film?

BO’H: Cluster is a film featuring myself, Bronson Pinchot and Corey Feldman. I kind of compare it with an American Pie type of teenage sex romp. I actually play Dr. Jordan, the principal of the high school were a lot of the action takes place. We have the film over at Cannes film festival as we speak trying to get distribution.

[mikemanual]

I could not suspend my disbelief that rosario dawson would ever all for him, which became a huge obstacle for me in trying to enjoy clerks 2.

[Jason Bryant]

Originally Posted by mikemanual

I could not suspend my disbelief that rosario dawson would ever all for him, which became a huge obstacle for me in trying to enjoy clerks 2.

True, but casting anyone else would have resulted in less Rosario Dawson. Less Rosario Dawson is always a bad thing.

[JLAJRC]

I loved both Clerks movies and hope they do a third, but I just could not get into the cartoon.

[Deadshot77]

Originally Posted by mikemanual

I could not suspend my disbelief that rosario dawson would ever all for him, which became a huge obstacle for me in trying to enjoy clerks 2.

Well, they didn't necessarily doll up Rosario to make her even more sexy as they did in Sin City or other movies.

What was more unbelievable was Katherine Heigl & Seth Rogen in KNOCKED UP.
She was mint/fine & they even had her character linked to hollywood via her E! job.
That required a HUGE suspension of disbelief. Not that the movie wasn't good or very funny, but that was a huge stretch.

[JasonJalen]

I vaguely remember their being talk about a full length, animated Clerks film after Smith's latest movie (Zack and Miri) and his horror movie (Red State) come out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but I have to say, the Clerks animated series was...well, not that great.

-Jason Jalen

[mikemanual]

Originally Posted by Jason Bryant

True, but casting anyone else would have resulted in less Rosario Dawson. Less Rosario Dawson is always a bad thing.

Touche

However... what if they had rosario dawson playing all the roles in the movie ala the nutty professor. rosario dawson in a fat suit and fake goatee? mmmm.... sexy

[PukeStain]

Originally Posted by Deadshot77

Well, they didn't necessarily doll up Rosario to make her even more sexy as they did in Sin City or other movies.

What was more unbelievable was Katherine Heigl & Seth Rogen in KNOCKED UP.
She was mint/fine & they even had her character linked to hollywood via her E! job.
That required a HUGE suspension of disbelief. Not that the movie wasn't good or very funny, but that was a huge stretch.

that was kind of the point of Knocked Up, i think.

[Dr.velocity]

Originally Posted by JLAJRC

I loved both Clerks movies and hope they do a third, but I just could not get into the cartoon.

Because it was not clerkshumor realy. Because they had to tone it down ALOT, I mean they brought it down from Mature to pg13 (or tv14 I guess) that changed it alot. If they make a new cartoon like he was saying, then they should do like south park or familyguy. maybe they could make a deal with comedy centeral or Cartoon net work or something.

[cernunnos]

I'm not even supposed to be here today.

[Brainlock]

Brian's a handsome enough guy. We were all just jealous that he got to make out with Rosario for days on end instead of us!

If anything, I was distracted by Schwalbach and Randall's faces looking like a bad chemical peel. We've all seen them both looking better before and after the movie, but something happened on the C2 set (make-up reaction?) that made me want to gag just looking at those two.

What's Brian up to on the stage, these days? Has he really done anything onscreen outside of Kevin's "Jersey Saga"?


and I still think Zak should have come out from Bob's coat for his "I miss my donkey." line!

[CaptainTemerity]

I personally loved the Clerks Animated, and would pretty much kill anyone, anytime, anywhere, to see it come back.

And having been the less-than-handsome guy who winds up with a total babe myself (more than once, strangely), I had no problem with the Brian and Rosario pairing. Plus, they were both just perfect in their roles.

[Jerkstore]

Originally Posted by CaptainTemerity

And having been the less-than-handsome guy who winds up with a total babe myself (more than once, strangely), I had no problem with the Brian and Rosario pairing. Plus, they were both just perfect in their roles.

Plus, they do mention in the film how hot girls realize attractive guys are lame douches and do start to go for all of us hideous f*cking c.h.u.d.s.

P.S. Clerks II is one of my favorite movies, and I think it's better than the first.

[Bubble Trump]

I love the whole Viewaskewniverse. However, I feel the fact that the cartoon had to be censored killed it.

[Crump's Brother]

Always fun to read about O’HALLORAN. His role in Clerks was iconic for me when I was a a teen.

[Spaz_Monkey]

Originally Posted by Brainlock

What's Brian up to on the stage, these days? Has he really done anything onscreen outside of Kevin's "Jersey Saga"?

If you haven't seen it, hunt down a film called "Vulgar".

[panicbxmb]

Originally Posted by Spaz_Monkey

If you haven't seen it, hunt down a film called "Vulgar".

i was just about to mention that. messed up movie, that pretty much ruined my life..... maybe because i was like 13 when i saw it, ha.

[JSS]

Originally Posted by mikemanual

I could not suspend my disbelief that rosario dawson would ever all for him, which became a huge obstacle for me in trying to enjoy clerks 2.

are you from jersey? Mix matches like that happen here all the time,its mind boggling.

[MadBandit]

Originally Posted by Jason Bryant

True, but casting anyone else would have resulted in less Rosario Dawson. Less Rosario Dawson is always a bad thing.

Also, I doubt any well-known actor could have played Dante Hicks any better than Brian. Love both films.

[cookiejar]

Originally Posted by JLAJRC

I loved both Clerks movies and hope they do a third, but I just could not get into the cartoon.

I agree...I think what did it for me was Jay turning from dealing weed to trying to sell bottle rockets.... I thought.. DAMN, they just neutered the character.

[MrVinegar]

Originally Posted by JLAJRC

I loved both Clerks movies and hope they do a third, but I just could not get into the cartoon.

I found the animated series to be superior to the movies. Perhaps because they couldn't use drug and sex references ad nauseam.

When your second episode is a flashback episode, that's brilliant.

[Cassius6303]

Agreed.

I think it forced them to be a little more clever with their dialogue. And there's bits they could never do in the movies (i.e., climbing a building ala the TV Batman).

And they called Lucas out on national TV....you cannot forget that.

"Who is driving?"

Regards,

Jamie

[PukeStain]

Originally Posted by cookiejar

I agree...I think what did it for me was Jay turning from dealing weed to trying to sell bottle rockets.... I thought.. DAMN, they just neutered the character.

well, if that is neutering him, Jay must REALLY be a one-dimensional character. Come on, now. Yeah, him selling fireworks was lame, but the gist of the character was still there, and he was far from neutered.

[Bullet_Train]

Originally Posted by Deadshot77

Well, they didn't necessarily doll up Rosario to make her even more sexy as they did in Sin City or other movies.

What was more unbelievable was Katherine Heigl & Seth Rogen in KNOCKED UP.
She was mint/fine & they even had her character linked to hollywood via her E! job.
That required a HUGE suspension of disbelief. Not that the movie wasn't good or very funny, but that was a huge stretch.

Drunk people makes weird decisions. Im sure she thought he was funny in the club and didnt really expect anything to come of it, but getting drunk changes that. Ive made questionable decisions under the influence. Everyone does, some people just end up in terrible positions afterwards, accidents, hook ups, and saying things which shouldnt be said. So yes, Knocked Up was believable. And I think that them both essentially being nice people led to her at least ATTEMPTING to form SOME sort of relationship which eventually blossomed into love. It's not ALWAYS about looks. Making some one laugh counts. Especially these days. And in both Clerks II and Knocked the main leads had a charming quality while not being 'classically' good looking (Rosario even states her reasons for not really being attracted to the Adonis type). Hell, look at Smiths wife in relation to him. Ironically enough in both Clerks II and Knocked Up the women were pregnant...though I suspect that Becky was attracted to Dante before she learned of her condition whereas in KU, the pregnancy was the catalyst for a relationship that probably wouldnt have gone beyond a drunken hook up otherwise.

[Brainlock]

Originally Posted by Spaz_Monkey

If you haven't seen it, hunt down a film called "Vulgar".

HEARD about it, but never seen more than a few cuts/trailer on YouTube.
a friend had a copy, but somewhere along the many lends to friends, the dvd went missing?

Kevin really needs to re-release that.

(btw, I do have DRAWING FLIES!)