Charles Casillo Talks About His Fetish

All Photos: Alan Mercer

A Native New Yorker, Charles Casillo studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at HB Studios with Sandy Dennis. After authoring several successful plays he put an acting career on hold and turned his full attention to writing.

As an entertainment journalist he contributed to many publications including 'The New York Times' and 'New York Magazine.' He continued his writing career in Los Angeles where he wrote celebrity interviews and personality profiles for 'The Los Angeles Times.'

He also authored the books 'The Marilyn Diaries,' 'Outlaw: The Lives & Careers of John Rechy,' 'Boys, Lost & Found,' and 'The Fame Game.' After moving back to New York City, Charles branched out to movie making combining his talents of writing and acting in the award winning thriller 'Let Me Die Quietly' in 2009. He now co-stars with Joan Collins in the dark comedy 'Fetish.'

I first became aware of Charles in the MySpace days. At this time he was living in New York City so an occasional comment or two was all the communication we had. He recently relocated to Los Angeles so I was able to feature him on this blog. Charles is one of the nicest and most genuine people I have known. With his matinee idol good looks and immense talent he is destined to keep moving forward in the film world.

AM: Hi Charles! Why don't you fill me in on some of your history. You started off as an actor right?

CC: Yes, I started as an actor right out of high school but like many people I just wasn't getting the breaks. I've always been one of those people who believe that if you're an artistic person you're going to find expression some way. If your creativity isn't being released in some form of expression you are walking around on fire all the time. Since I wasn't getting the breaks I started writing. It was one of those things where life calls the direction and writing took off for me right away.

AM: What was one of the first things you were writing?

CC: Within a year I was writing for the New York Times. I became a professional.

AM: Now how does one just start writing for the New York Times?

CC: I originally started writing for a much smaller publication. I was writing about people on Broadway and in Cabaret, or someone passing through town publicizing a film. My features were getting put into press kits that were going to the New York Times and one of the editors there started taking note of my pieces and my name started to click with her. So I got a call from the editor and she wanted to talk with me. I told her I don't read the Times and I don't know if I can get the style. She sent me a bunch of articles that she thought would help me get the rhythm and the style. My first piece was a full page. Suddenly I was a professional.

AM:  Were you content with this success?

CC: Even though I was writing now there was always the bug in the back of my mind to be acting. Meanwhile I was writing books and articles.

AM: How did you go from writing magazine features to a book?

CC: I wanted to do a book about Marilyn Monroe. At the time I thought I knew a lot about her life. I read every book that came out. I started wondering what I could add that would be new to her biography. I didn't have any new facts to add to her life. I wanted to put my own stamp on her.

AM: That sounds very challenging.

CC: I realized Marilyn was a fantasy figure who existed differently for all of us. What if I recreated her as she exists for me. Then I thought that everyone is interested in a diary which is very hidden and forbidden. Who could resist peeking into someone's diary? I decided to write it as a diary. That was my first book and it did well.

AM: So you wrote a fictional book based on a real person?

CC: Yes, although I took factual events and imagined how she would be feeling.

AM: When did this book come out?

CC: It came out in 1999.

AM: How many books have you written?

CC: I have a total of four books published.

AM: What are the other three books?

CC: Two are fiction and one is a biography of John Rechy. He was one of the first gay writers who had been a male prostitute in the 1950's. He wrote a book about his experiences on the street called 'City of Night' which came out in 1963. It was the first American book to speak about homosexuality openly. In those days it was all underground. His book kind of brought it out from the shadows. It became a best seller.

AM: How did you get to him?

CC: I was working for a magazine and they asked me for ideas. I wanted to do a feature on him. I sent him a letter to UCLA where he was teaching and did the article on him. He liked it and the book grew from that. He is in his late seventies and still writing.

AM: Do you still know him?

CC: Yes we became very good friends. During the course of writing the book I would meet with him in the afternoons. I'd bring a bottle of wine and some bread and we would sit around and talk. Everything is so different now. Magazines can't afford to pay writers anymore.

AM: Even the New York Times predicted their own demise in ten years. Blogs have taken over for real journalism.

CC: It's real journalism and you were smart enough and talented enough to go with it. I was too exhausted to do it.

AM: However you then started writing screenplays didn't you?

CC: Yes.

AM: Did you think that short films would be the new thing?

CC: Instinctually I felt that short films were a wave of the future, but also it was a bit of necessity too.

AM: What do you mean by this?

CC: When you make a feature it's an incredible commitment, responsibility and financial burden. A short requires maybe a ten day commitment. There's a lot less budget and money involved to do it. I think with all the new technology where people can now watch movies on their phones a half hour movie is just perfect. I do feel because of those reasons you can get a big star to commit to a week. Also there is a demand for it so all those reasons make short films a very up-and-coming viable form of entertainment.

AM: I agree with you. You're actually pretty well known now for your latest film 'Fetish' which is making all the festivals. I'd love to hear a little about this film.

CC: It's a dark, black comedy. Joan Collins describes it as a cross between 'The Twilight Zone,' 'Sunset Boulevard,' and 'David Letterman.'

AM: What is it about?

CC: It's about an iconic movie star who's career is on the skids. She trying for a comeback and making an appearance on a late night talk show with a very eccentric host played by me. We go back to my place after the show for a little late night tête-à-tête. That's when the story gets kicking.

AM: Did you enjoy the process of making the film?

CC: It was a lot of fun. I think the movie is enjoyable. It's just the right length. One of the reasons I think it is so successful is because it's a true collaborative effort. Everyone who worked on it was totally into the script. They all brought something unique to it, the director Matt Pellowski, the art department, Joan Collins. It's so gratifying as a writer to have a page with your words on it and have all these other people come on board to bring it to life. They make it something more than I imagined it to be.

AM: When you were writing it did you think you would get a Joan Collins?

CC: I originally wrote it the way I wanted the characters to be. After it was written my Executive Producer said why don't we go for a star. We took a chance with our short list of five actresses we thought would be right. Joan Collins was the number one choice!

AM: How did you get Joan?

CC: The traditional route. First I sent her manager a letter so he asked for the script. He gave it to her, she liked it. It was all very quick. Within a week I was out on a plane to LA to meet her for lunch. The following week she came to New York and met with the director and cinematographer. This was right before the Holidays and we were shooting it in February.

AM: Obviously you enjoyed working with Joan Collins very much.

CC: Absolutely!!! First of all it was an honor to be working with her. We all know she has an amazing history. She's acted with the best, dated the best, designed for by the best, photographed by the best, she's befriended the best, so she wears this history like a perfume. She comes into the room and you feel it.

AM: Were you intimidated by her?

CC: It's a little intimidating at first. When I got to know her the first thing that stood out was she was there to work. She's a working actress.

AM: Did she contribute ideas to the film?

CC: She had ideas for her character. She was less concerned about the way she looked and more concerned about playing the part believably. It was a totally tremendous experience. Here is a lady who is Hollywood Royalty and is used to being treated like a Queen. She is coming to a set with twenty-something year olds who have never seen 'Dynasty.' She is working late into the night.

AM: Can you give me an example of a time when it was more challenging?

CC: The balcony scene we shot was done during one of the worst snow storms of the season. It kept getting delayed because they were shoving snow off the balcony. She had a big monologue to do and she waited. She was absolutely lovely the whole time. She is a great person to work with. You don't have a career for that long without riding through those times when you have to work harder. With her the work comes first.

AM: Are you enjoying all this attention?

CC: Of course it's a cliché to say but I think the artists who last the longest desire the fame. Once again the work must come first, but you reach a point where you are tired of being promising. You want a contract, some recognition and you want some money. If nothing else so that your next project can be better. Unless you get recognition you are constantly at the same level. You have to become a brand name so that people know who you are and they will take a look at your new work. This way you get better people and more money to do it in a better way.

AM: Is 'Fetish' doing for you what you wanted it to do?

CC: Everyday more so. It keeps getting more festivals and more attention. Joan won the Best actress Award at the New York City Film Festival.

AM: What are you going to do when 'Fetish' has run it's course?

CC: I want to do another short film that is a satire on Hollywood. It will be a screwball comedy. It's a longer film with a bigger cast. 'Fetish' is a two person cast. The new one will be a full cast of zanies. I would like to release it as a companion piece with 'Fetish.'

AM: Ultimately I guess you are going to be in features.

CC: Well I'd like to do features and shorts. I'd like my career to go in a Woody Allen direction where I could write or write and act, or be offered a role where I just act. I'd also like a production deal where I can develop scripts from my books.

AM: Do you want all your scripts to be based on Hollywood?

CC: I won't say everything has to be but I do have a fascination with it. I live here now and I think I will live here forever now. There will probably almost always be at least a character who has to do with show business. It's such a big part of me growing up.

AM: Did you grow up in show business?

CC: No, but it was my fantasy world of escape so in that way I did grow up in show business. I think when you're an outsider you find your fantasy world and mine included Clark Gable, Rita Hayworth, Jean Harlow and of course Marilyn Monroe.

AM: So you enjoyed old films. Were you able to see these films in Theaters?

CC: Yes there was revival houses that showed them, but there was also the Late Show on television. I read all the biographies and was always fascinated with the old time stars.

AM: Do you think you were around in a past life?

CC: I feel that if there is such a thing as reincarnation I think that I hit my heyday in the fifties to early sixties. I just love the look of the people, the style of dressing and the grooming. I love the music and the movies, the architecture and the furniture. I just feel really at home with this time. I like the idea of a man taking off his hat when a lady enters the elevator. I feel that it's proper. I like the idea of a lady wearing gloves to lunch.

Charles Casillo with Joan Collins in Beverly Hills Oct.2010