Actor Barry Tangert played the gunman in the film. He brought a straight-faced humor to the rile that I really liked. And he knew how to handle a gun. What’s not to like?
Sue: Barry, how did we meet?
Barry: We met after I responded with my resume to a Craigslist ad, and was invited to audition at the GoggleWorks location in Reading. It was a very cordial and pleasant meeting where we talked a little about each of our experiences in film work, the project itself. I gave my auditions for two different roles. I remember leaving and feeling good about both auditions, though I felt I’d done a better job as the gunman, which turned out to be what you were looking for in the role.
Sue: It’s amazing what you’ll find on Craigslist. You were a great gunman and I’m thinking of reprising the role for another project. Gunmen are always easy to stick in a plot. So versatile.
Barry: I’d be glad to do the role again, Thanks for the offer.
Sue: I’ll definitely let you know. You told me later you actually have a knowledge of guns beyond their use as props. Tell me about that.
Barry: My interests in guns was an offshoot of my interest in history, particularly various conflicts of the past and how advances in firearms technology could be a deciding factor in their outcome. I joined the Air Force after high school and eventually became a firearms instructor/gunsmith. That actually broke me out of my shell, learning to overcome anxiety while instructing groups how to safely handle, fire, and maintain their weapons. Needless to say I learned a lot about guns just through that and since I own a few, and have the instructor background, I’ve even been tasked as the “Gun Wrangler” on a few films I’ve been in.
Sue: Tell me about some of the films you’ve worked on as a “gun wrangler.”
Barry: The first was a short film titled “Vincent”, by Transdimentional Films, about a hit man, I provided three handguns for that, two of which I wore as the main character. The second was a feature length titled “Broken Down,” by Bad Ferret Films, about a gal who witnesses a heist and gets kidnapped. I provided a shotgun and four handguns for that one. I was one of the kidnappers in that film. The third was another feature by Bad Ferret titled “Masse.” I provided three or four handguns there and had a supporting role as a District Attorney. I also wore a green screen suit in that to assist with some special effects for a fight scene. Both of those films are available to rent on Amazon. The last time was for a web series I helped produce, and portrayed a mobster in, called “Mob on the Run.” I supplied numerous handguns there. We completed ten episodes on that and they all can still be viewed for free on the web. On that series I pretty much wore all hats at one point or another. We were involved with that for just over a year to make ten episodes, that were from 15-25 minutes each.
Sue: That’s a lot of conflict. Do you ever get the urge to play a really sensitive character? Somebody vulnerable?
Barry: I was once cast to play the widowed father of a college kid, who was going thru drug addiction and was suicidal. The script was actually written by the guy playing the college kid and was pretty good. For my character it showed how as a father he struggled with feeling like a failure trying to get his kid straight and seemingly failing at it. We did some filming but the production team had some inner conflicts and the whole project fell apart. I remember getting compliments on my performance in the scenes I did. I would have liked to seen it finished. I’d like a role that really challenges me that way.
Sue: If you could play any character in any movie that’s out there, who would it be?
Barry: Any Movie? So many, that’s a tough one. Without thinking all night about it, the first one to come to mind is a favorite of mine anyway. In “The Green Mile,” Tom Hanks’s character “Paul Edgecomb” had a lot of sides to him, from somewhat tough, but fair and respectful, to very compassionate and regretful in what he called “killing one of God’s miracles.” Great film, great character.
Sue: Agreed. So what are you looking forward to doing over the summer?
Barry: I’m doing a lead role in a horror movie about a talisman with supernatural powers that is inadvertently placed in a fuse holder of the circuitry of a broadcast system at an old radio station. Since it’s in the circuitry its powers end up over the airwaves and affect a whole region of people. The question is … How are the effects reversed??? lol. We started filming week after last and will probably wrap by mid September. This film was written by a fellow who I did another film for and he did a character in our “Mob on the Run” series. You have anything else in the works?
Sue: I do. I’m working on a web series with Andrew Pochan. More will be revealed as we get further along. We’ll be contacting you at some point no doubt.
At any rate, Barry, thanks for being a part of A Perfect You. I wish you great luck in your current and future projects. And stay in touch!
A Perfect You film by Sue Lange 