Movies & TV / Columns
Sean Whelan On His New Film Crust, Working With Rob Zombie & Wes Craven
Image Credit: Anchor Bay Entertainment
The 411 Interview: Sean Whalen
Sean Whalen is an actor, writer, producer, and director who has been working in the entertainment business, according to his IMDB page, since at least 1990. Whalen has appeared in such TV shows as Nash Bridges (1998), Just Shoot Me! (1999), Star Trek: Enterprise (2003), The Closer (2006), Lost (2009-2010), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2016), Ghosts (2021), and The Righteous Gemstones (2023), and such movies as The People Under the Stairs (1991), Tammy and the T-Rex (1994), Twister (1996), Idle Hands (1999), Drive Thru (2007), Laid to Rest (2009), Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (2009), Hatchet III (2013), and 3 From Hell (2019), among others. Whalen’s first feature film as a director is the horror-comedy Crust, featuring Felissa Rose, Daniel Roebuck, Rebekah Kennedy, and Alan Ruck and set to be available on all major Video On Demand platforms starting November 12th, 2024, and on DVD and Blu-ray starting December 10th, 2024. In this interview, Whalen talks with this writer about making Crust, being a first time feature film director, working with Rose, Roebuck, Kennedy, and Ruck, and more.
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Bryan Kristopowitz: Why did you want Crust to be your first feature film as a director?
Sean Whalen: It actually never was going to be my first feature as a director. I always planned on writing it and starring in it and I knew later on that I would have to jump in and produce as well. But, one day my manager told me that “even if you do all of those things, it doesn’t matter as much as directing.” So, I realized that I should probably direct it for the sake of taking full advantage of bettering my career with this project that I loved and I am so glad I did. I loved being in creative control and working with a cast and crew that I became a huge fan of.
BK: How did you approach your character Vegas?
SW: Vegas was, unfortunately, not that big of a challenge for me because he is depressed and anxious and I have battled with a few episodes of those mental illnesses myself. So, it was very easy to express that side of his character, and just like myself, coming out the other end through therapy and medication, Vegas comes out of it by having the unconditional, loving support of Crust. The wonderful thing about acting, directing, and producing is that you do not have time to overthink your acting choices. So, as John Cleese of Monty Python fame has said “The training just kicks in.”
BK: Describe your working relationship with Jim Wald, who co-wrote the screenplay with you.
SW: Jim and I have known each other for 40 years. We met when I was in college, and he was a perfect foil for this project. He has never written a screenplay before, but he is very cynical about movies, meaning he gets annoyed with the lack of logic. Better yet, he and I make each other laugh so hard that it hurts every time we get together. He is an excellent sounding board and contributor of comedy.
BK: How did the idea for Crust come to fruition?
SW: Years ago, I was meeting with some independent producers who were lamenting how expensive horror movies are to make. I, having a strong improv background, blurted out “Just do one location in a laundromat with a sock monster, which could just be a guy in a sock suit.” Then, years later, after I went through a depression episode after my divorce, I had a strange, unspecific anger and thought to myself “I wish I had a pet that could take care of all my enemies” and that’s when I remembered the sock monster pitch. I changed the man in a sock suit to a practical sock puppet, and the rest is history.
BK: How did you find the right balance between the horror elements and the comedic elements of the plot?
SW: Those were being tweaked and balanced throughout the entire process. We tried to stabilize it in the writing of the script, which Jim and I did 18 drafts of. It also was being evaluated in pre-production with my director of photography, Jaren Lewis. Then, on set, we were always aware of those elements. But, probably the major final balancing took place in the editing room with Jaren, who also edited the movie. We also had notes from our producers, Felissa Rose, Dan Kearney, and Chris Sergi. In addition, we did a screening with writers and editors for notes. All of those steps helped me hone in on the right tone.
BK: Where was Crust made?
SW: In a laundromat, in Newhall, California that Felissa Rose and I came across one day while searching for a location. It was owned by Mike Hubbard and his wife. They were so lovely and accommodating. The best thing of all is that it is called “The Lost Sock Laundromat”.
BK: How did you cast Crust? What was it like working with Daniel Roebuck, Felissa Rose, and Alan Ruck?
SW: Essentially, when Felissa Rose generously offered to help me bring a great cast and crew together, I told her that I would like to take care of the cast and only use actors that I knew and trusted. I asked her to get me the crew. Our philosophy was to have a great vibe on set and she couldn’t have done better with the crew that she provided. Basically, I used all my friends and people I knew, except for a couple of characters. I wrote the part for Felissa back in 2016 when I first tried to make Crust. Even though I knew she could do it, she brought an emotional depth to her character that wasn’t there on the page. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, “Felissa Rose is a fearless actress.” Danny and I have known each other for years, and when I asked him to be in it he said, “Yes, but make sure you give me a big part so we can work together as much as possible.” Danny and I had a blast together, and the only improvisation in the film came from Danny and I riffing off each other. Alan was the funniest. He said he would love to be a part of my directorial debut and said we could announce him in the trades, even though he hadn’t read the script! So, he found out the character he was playing when he read the trades, lol. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted a bad wig, fake teeth, taped-back eyes, and a bogus sun tan to look super cheesy. On the night he shot, he bought the cast and crew a cheeseburger food truck. It was nice to see that 28 years after shooting Twister together, we still had chemistry. Simply put, he was superb.
BK: What was it like working with Rebekah Kennedy, who plays Nila?
SW: Rebekah is extremely generous and giving of her time. We were both nervous about not having chemistry. This was a legitimate concern, as neither of us has ever been cast as romantic leads. If we didn’t click, the movie wouldn’t work. Luckily, being friends already helped. We worked in an acting class, with the acting coach of the film, Gregg Binkley, for three months prior to shooting. She has such amazing instincts and is so open and fluid in her work. She is such a trooper as well. Rebekah had to do the five-minute, one-shot scene on her first night of shooting!
BK: Did you always intend to have Crust be a mostly black-and-white movie?
SW: No, actually, the suggestion came from a friend, Jason Trost, who threw out the suggestion one day haphazardly. But, I could not let it go for some reason and I didn’t know why until after the film was completed in post-production. It hit me that one of my favorite comedies of all time is Young Frankenstein. Also, my favorite Tim Burton movie is Ed Wood. My favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, and I love film noir like Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard. But, the show that had the most influence on me in terms of using black and white is The Twilight Zone. Rod Serling is my favorite science fiction writer. So, ironically, black and white had a hold on me that I didn’t even realize until much later lol.
BK: How did you come up with the design of the Crust sock monster? Is the sock monster mostly a physical effect?
SW: The sock monster was designed by Erik Porn, the SFX director for MTV’S Teen Wolf. We had met on Laid to Rest and remained friends. He thought the sock monster should be cute, like the upper half of Oogie Boogie in a basket. I loved it and he made it in 2016. It sat in my closet for years until 2023!.
BK: How long did it take to make Crust, from finishing the script to completing post-production?
SW: All in all, it took 8 years.
BK: What’s the deal with the labels that appear on seemingly everything throughout the movie?
SW: That came from my set designer, Aaron Mento, who was telling me how tough labels for everything can be. Then we both realized how simple it would be to just do generic labels and honor one of our favorite movies Repo Man. After that was discovered, it was a no brainer!
BK: What was the hardest part of making Crust for you as a director and actor? What was the easiest?
SW: The hardest was learning all the business part; how budgets work, how schedules are always moving, how many legal and government issues there are to tackle. The easiest was watching my actors destroy their parts. They were just amazing. Also, so easy to be happy and positive on the set because my dream was coming true!
BK: You’ve appeared in several horror movies in your career. When did you fall in love with the genre?
SW: I think when I started to go to the conventions. I just fell in love with the community. I was a kid who was terrified of The Twilight Zone so I wasn’t a major connoisseur due to that, but when my daughter got into it and we started going to them together, it made me realize how fun jump scares became so fun again.
BK: What was it like working with Wes Craven, who made The People Under the Stairs?
SW: What a wonderful man. He was sweet, mellow and caused zero drama. He loved actors and treated us with a lot of respect. In my death scene I wanted Roach to be sad when he dies but also noble in sending Fool to save Alice. He let me go prepare in a corner and block people from bothering me so I could get into the high emotional state. Just a lovely man who was true to his vision.
BK: What was it like working with Rob Zombie, who you worked with on 3 from Hell?
SW: So glad you asked me this after Wes as they were very similar. He is also mellow, runs a great set, and LOVES movies. He and I spoke for hours on Halloween II. On 3 From Hell, we rewrote my second scene because Rob liked my characterization from the first scene. So the “grape soda” scene was written by me, Rob, and Sherry on the day!
BK: Any moviemaking heroes?
SW: Mel Brooks, Mike Flanagan, The Coen Brothers, Rob Reiner, Ron Howard, Billy Wilder, Wes Anderson, and Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, is one of my favorites.
BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
SW: I have a comedy series dropping the week before Thanksgiving. I co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed and acted in it. It’s about the hottest restaurant in LA where all the waiters are trained therapists. But they are THE WORST THERAPISTS. It goes like this. “I’ll have a martini and my wife will have the same” then the waiter responds “So you don’t think she can order for herself since you’re a control freak?” It’s a blast.
I’m producing and directing another feature with my production company with my wife and partnered with Rebekah Kennedy and her husband’s producing company. The last cog in the wheel is Chris Sergi, who helped produced Crust. It’s an action-horror film which has an original take on classic horror.
BK: What do you hope audiences get out of Crust?
SW: Mostly, a good time and an engagement with the characters. I want them to gather their friends, grab some adult beverages or gummies, and have a blast. But also I’d love them to see that mental health is something that affects all of us for many different reasons.
BK: Will there be a Crust 2?
SW: That’s up to the viewers and if it gets some traction. If so, I have an outline for a trilogy which I’m very happy about.
BK: Are you recognized more for your film and TV work, or your classic “Got Milk?” TV commercial?
SW: Honestly mostly Twister. For 5 years in the nineties I was “THE MILK GUY” but I wanted to be “that guy in that thing” and I have achieved it! Hopefully soon I will be “that guy who makes great films”. We shall see…..
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A very special thanks to Sean Whalen for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.
Crust will be available on all major Video On Demand platforms starting November 12th, 2024, and on DVD and Blu-ray starting December 10th, 2024.
Check out my review of Crust here!
Check out the official Crust Facebook page here and official Twitter page here!
Check out Sean Whalen’s official Facebook page here, official Instagram page here, and IMDB page here!
Sean Whalen headshot courtesy of Sean Whalen. All other images courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment.
