Interview: Casper Van Dien on his uncomfortable new role in Daughter

In his new film Daughter (read our review here), Casper Van Dien is far from the personable actor Peter Gray found him to be when discussing his role as the unnerving “Father”.  A tense thriller surrounding a bizarre family and their induction of an abducted woman into their home, Van Dien spoke of being warned against reading the script, being the minority on set, and making sure he was always the best version of the character he could be.  But first, we can’t go past a Starship Troopers shout-out…

I’ll start this off by saying their may be selfish reasons for me wanting to talk to you.  I saw Starship Troopers when I was 12-years-old.  Was probably a bit too young to see it then, but such an incredible film, and I’m glad that people are realising it’s satire all these years later…

(Laughs) Oh, it took a long time for that to happen.  People have said to me that they though the cast didn’t know (its tone), and I know some cast didn’t realise, but knowing who the filmmaker is (Paul Verhoeven), who I was a big fan of, and reading the script I just knew they were in on it.  I was reading it thinking “This is just like Robocop, oh my god!”  And then I’m number one on set, so I’m Murphy! (Laughs).  I’d buy that for a dollar.

That was such a thrill though, and it afforded me opportunities.  And when a small, awesome film like (Daughter) comes about and they’re saying to me “We’d like to have you, Casper”….and I loved being in this movie.

Daughter is very much a film that, for me, gave me that “Holy shit” moment towards the end.  When you’re reading a script like this, what are you thinking as your turning each page?

My manager sent it to me and he was saying that he didn’t get it, but my agent really liked it so I should read it.  He didn’t think I should do it, but I read it and loved it and I was in.  He did say to me later that I was right, because (my manager) loves the movie now, but reading it I think he was quite disturbed by it because he knows I’m a father.  He didn’t think I’d want to do it for that, but I loved it.  For me, I got how interesting this character was, and the way (Corey Deshon, writer and director) filmed it and talked about it was so interesting to me.  It was so fascinating to me to see all the different books and authors and scriptures that Corey has incorporated into the script.  He’s such an interesting director.  He shot it all on film.

I understand this was filmed prior to the pandemic.  When COVID hit and shut everything down, how ready was the film at that stage?

It was finished, but it wasn’t in a state to be released yet.  It was being put in different festivals and finding its legs.  Corey’s a young filmmaker and so incredibly talented.  Really, everyone was that I got to work with on this.  You could tell this crew just loved film.  Reading this, this was not like the normal scripts that I get.  Audiences now just want something they can put on that they don’t need to concentrate on.  “Oh look, a car blew up…”, that kinda stuff.  Some of the shots here just sit for a long time and there’s only the slightest movement.  They almost sit for too long (laughs), but I love that there’s a filmmaker like Corey who will make people sit down and watch a movie.

It goes without saying that your character makes an impression.  Did you base him on anyone?  Were those flourishes yours or scripted? The way your character has such upright posture, and I understand the haircut was your idea too? How much of this was researched and how much was Casper just going all the way in?

I did go all the way in.  It was fun.  Reading the script I just needed to know what I was doing.  I needed to know what I was talking about and that I believed it.  That’s what I did my research on.  I knew I had to pick Corey’s brain too, so I was asking him so many questions.  He would always come back with an answer (too).  He’s a very thoughtful man.

I had a beard because I hadn’t worked in a bit.  If I don’t have to work then I don’t need to shave (laughs).  But too many people want the jawline, so I have to shave (laughs).  Sometimes they only want the jawline and not the rest of me, but, fortunately, for this one they told me I could keep the beard.  Then I parted my hair down the middle, and as I would leave for set, my wife and kids were just so creeped out.  “What’s with the hair?”, and I would say it’s part of my character.  I would drive sitting like (my character) Father, I’d work all day, and then drive back like Father…and I’d come home and they’d be like, “Oh, you still have the hair!”  All I did was part it down the middle (laughs), so maybe something about my face looks mean.

Speaking of intimidation, this cast is predominantly Vietnamese and Corey being a person of colour means that you’re essentially a minority on the set…

I was definitely a minority.  It was 60% people of colour and about 60% of women on set too, which was awesome.  They’re all so creative.  There was a different feel and energy on set.  I have 4 daughters and 3 sisters, (and) an amazing wife, so I know how it is to be around powerful women.  The women in this were all powerful.  If they weren’t so intensely into their characters, everything I would say to them…this film just wouldn’t work.  They were so good.  They were all friends beforehand, so I was an entity that they found and I found a space that the director wanted for me.  To the best of my ability I gave him the character he wanted.  I’m really so proud of what we made.

Did you feel there was a benefit to staying in character between takes? Or as soon as “Cut” is called you’re right back to being yourself? 

They were always trying to make me feel comfortable.  But with the amount of dialogue I had to learn, there was a benefit to me being off on my own.  I would do dad jokes in between takes though, and I did whatever I could to make people feel lighter because I never want people to feel uncomfortable.  I want their characters to feel uncomfortable as fuck (laughs), but I don’t want them as people to feel that way.  You have to be aware of your other actors and give them the space they need too.  In movies such as this, where you have an intimidating white male, you have to be aware of other issues that could come up.  You have to be present for people.  I don’t think it would be healthy (otherwise).

The note that the film is based on more fact than fiction during the opening titles was quite unnerving.  Did Corey speak to you about any particular story that inspired the film?

Unfortunately there are too many cases of people being abducted or taken.  Yes, it was something we got to talk about, but he didn’t want it to speak to a specific (story).  The film was based on certain character studies (too).  That, for me, was something that really hooked me.  They do that (based on true story) thing a lot in movies, but I couldn’t help but think “Why are all the hairs on the back of my neck and arms standing up from just reading the script?”

If I didn’t come prepared and didn’t know my stuff, I would have been doing a disservice to this.  If an actor is good enough at his job you’ll have a good movie, but I needed to know as much as I could, because I don’t ever want to think I’m not pulling it off as an actor.  I wanted to be the best I could be, so I had to do all that research.

Daughter is now available On Digital in Australia and New Zealand.

Peter Gray

Film critic with a penchant for Dwayne Johnson, Jason Momoa, Michelle Pfeiffer and horror movies, harbouring the desire to be a face of entertainment news.