Actress Siobhan Fallon Hogan (“Forrest Gump”) chatted about her new movie “Shelter in Solitude,” which she wrote and stars in.
‘Shelter in Solitude’
Aside from Siobhan Fallon Hogan, it also stars Dan Castellaneta, Robert Patrick, Peter Macon, and Peter Munson Hogan.
“It has a beautiful message,” she shared. “It’s a story of love and redemption. We laughed so hard, and we cried so hard.”
This independent film will be released on October 6 in Regal Cinemas, AMC Cinemas, as well as other chains. “They picked us up, and we got this big wide release on October 6th all over the country,’ she said.
“Shelter in Solitude” tells the story of a death row prisoner with 10 days left to live, and his unconventional relationship with a washed-up country singer turned prison guard.
Inspiration to write this script
On her inspiration to write this screenplay, she explained, “My father was an attorney, and I am one of five kids. When I was a kid, we should sit around the table in Upstate New York, and he would tell us stories about the clients that he represented who were in prison. My father would also talk about the prison guards that he represented.”
“I was always obsessed to find out what was going on in those jails, and what it was like to live in confinement, and how those prison guards operate, and I wanted to explore those relationships,” she added.
“My dad also wanted me to be a country singer, he loved Tennessee Ernie Ford, Willie Nelson, and Loretta Lynn,” she admitted.
“When COVID hit, I felt it was divine intervention from my father who passed away in 2008, sending me this story. I wrote it in three weeks because it just came so easily, it was crazy, and the filming of it took 16 days,” she explained.
Working with Robert Patrick
She noted that actor Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” fame) plays her brother in this film. “Patrick is the best,” she exclaimed. “I’ve worked with him for over years, and he is just a great guy,” she said.
“In life, Robert Patrick is a great American who supports the veterans, and as an actor, he is just the most natural and consummate professional. He was my first choice to play the warden in the film,” she acknowledged.
“I treat my crew and my cast the way that I wish to be treated on a set. Each person is equally important on a set, we all make the movie work, she added.
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent, she said, “It’s crazy, especially from a marketing standpoint. First of all, it’s great because you can spread the word so quickly on a film thanks to a post.”
“Now with the strike going on, our movie is an example of what people need to get back to… Get back to the project, be fair to the people working on it, and not have it so unbalanced with the people on the top getting the motherload,” she added.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, she responded, “I tell young actors all the time that they can write their own material. That’s what I have been doing since the beginning when things got rough.”
“Acting is my passion so I started writing my own one-person shows because if you write your own material nobody can stop you from working,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she said with a sweet laugh, “It’s a family affair, let’s get the film out.”
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, she revealed, “I would tell all people to start getting along, and to put aside their differences, and get along like we used to as human beings.”
“This film speaks to that because it’s about three broken people — the warden, the prisoner, and my character (the washed-up country singer) — who are lonely, desperate people; moreover, they come together and they put aside their differences for the good of each other. This is why it’s a movie of hope and redemption,” she elaborated.
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, she said, “Success means family, spreading good art and films, as well as a message of hope.”
To learn more about actress Siobhan Fallon Hogan, follow her on Instagram.
