Movies & TV / Columns

King James Chavez On His Role in House of Quarantine, Working With the Cast

August 1, 2021 | Posted by Bryan Kristopowitz

The 411 Interview: King James Chavez

King James Chavez is an actor who, according to imdb, has appeared on both television and in movies. Chavez has appeared on the TV show Islamicize Me and the movie Girl Wired. His latest movie effort is the thriller House of Quarantine, which is now available on all major Video On Demand platforms as well as DVD and Blu-ray. In this interview, Chavez talks with this writer about making House of Quarantine, how he approached his character Torrance, working with the director and cast, and more.

Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved with House of Quarantine?
King James Chavez: One Saturday afternoon I came across an Audition listing for the Film, and much to my surprise it was posted by Tammy Case, someone special that I built a strong relationship with on my previous film. I submitted the required materials for consideration, was invited to audition for the producers and director, and the rest is history.

BK: How did you approach your character Torrance? Should the audience consider him a villain or is he just misunderstood?
KJC: Torrance will definitely gain mixed opinions on whether he is a villain or not. The truth is he is simply a man with low self-esteem, who eats his way through life to compensate for his lack of confidence. No matter what level of confidence a man possesses, there is always a breaking point to be reached. Torrance’s anger and outrage is the direct result of that.

Although I could not relate directly, I’ve known several men in my life who suffered from low self-esteem issues. So I took from their lives and personalities and applied it to myself. A 6’6, 360lbs version of them, that is. I believe I achieved and brought to life what the writers, producers and director envisioned for Torrance.

BK: What was it like working with director Mitesh Patel?
KJC: I had an overall great experience working with Mitesh. He’s a visionary and knows exactly what he wants and expects from his actors. He is extremely intentional in his overall direction, and his passion for the art always filled the atmosphere. It was contagious. There were times where we weren’t quite on the same page, but we are two professionals who understood each other, so any miscommunication was quickly resolved.

BK: What was it like working with the entire cast?
KJC: It’s very rare that a cast comes together as complete strangers and without any previous history together and almost immediately gels with one another, especially with multiple personalities involved. But, collectively, we did just that. We were a group of various personalities, ages and nationalities. We came together with the same goal and mission in mind, and I believe we were successful because of the great chemistry and comradery that we shared.

BK: What was it like working in that house?
KJC: The House of Quarantine was absolutely priceless. Complete opulence from top to bottom. The owner of the home has great taste. It was an overall great experience working there throughout the duration of filming. There was, however, a situation that took place and altered the course of completing the task at hand. The complete story will be shared at a later time, but for now I will just say that art truly imitated life.

BK: What was the hardest part of making House of Quarantine for you as an actor? What was the easiest?
KJC: This particular project was the most challenging of my career because of the time crunch given to be fully prepared and camera ready for the first shoot. I auditioned on a Sunday afternoon, received an offer and contract for the role of Torrance the next day; and received the complete script a few days later, leaving me with a day and change to be fully prepared to bring Torrance Wilkins to life. As someone who always welcomes a challenge and applies “Mamba Mentality” to every aspect of his life, I dove in head first and gave it all I had. I believe I successfully conquered the challenge and achieved what was expected of me, which, in turn, made me stronger as an artist and performer.

Unfortunately, at the three quarter mark of filming, I received a health scare that halted production indefinitely. I was not able to return to set for five weeks. Initially I expected to be written off the plot and have Torrance’s screen time end abruptly. But the good folks at Applied Productions rallied behind me until I was nursed to full strength. They welcomed me back with open arms, and we finished our unfinished business with poise and pride. I will always be forever grateful to them for their love and support for me.

BK: Is House of Quarantine a horror movie or is it more of a thriller?
KJC: Well, technically it’s a Thriller/Suspense. But what the audience will see when the film is released, is that it does contain elements of the horror genre as well. At the end of the day it’s whatever the fans want it to be.

BK: Are “sound guys” generally misunderstood in the movie business?
KJC: I believe so. They are also underappreciated for the work and role in the overall cinematic process and creation. The casual movie watcher who knows little to nothing of the film process, views boom operators as “just a guy (or girl) holding a mic” and do not give them the proper respect they deserve. The same can be said for the live sound mixers as well. Overlooked roles that are crucial and essential to the success of the film’s final product. Who wants to watch a movie with horrible audio? Sound is equally important to the production, as is the motion picture itself. In my opinion.

BK: Any moviemaking heroes?
KJC: Several. Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, the Farrelly Brothers, F. Gary Gray, John Hughes, Ryan Coogler, Justin Lin, Quentin Tarantino… the list goes on. I hope to, one day soon, be able to collaborate with them. It would be an absolute dream of mine.

BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
KJC: There are a handful of projects in the works that I will definitely be a part of. Unfortunately I am not at liberty to speak on them at this time. But updates will be posted on all of my Social Media (you can check out my Twitter page here). I will, however, tease you with a hint on one project. It’s the second sequel to an early 80’s film franchise. 😉

BK: What do you hope audiences get out of House of Quarantine?
KJC: My hope is that they enjoy the fruits of a well written, produced and directed film. That it naturally and authentically produces the “ooo’s and ahhh’s” from the audience. That it scars them at times, that they become so invested in the characters that they laugh, cry, sympathize, and cheer for both the protagonists and antagonists of the story. And that it is appreciated by the world, because it deserves to be.

It is also my hope that the Torrance Wilkins’ of the world will be inspired to not follow his path, and be encouraged to better themselves and gain the confidence needed to maneuver through this crazy world, and not give in to the pressures that life throws at them. To not take matters into their own hands and to rush and execute their demise. That they will be inspired to be strong and be fueled to achieve greatness. It’s in all of us. The challenge is to figure out how to unlock it. Unfortunately Torrance never did. But you (the audience member) can and will.

BK: There’s a scene in the movie where Torrance falls asleep and starts snoring a bit. Is Torrance’s snoring an improvisation by you or was that always in the script?
KJC: The snoring itself was a part of the script. The volume and exaggeration of the snoring was 100% improvisation by yours truly.