J.R. Adduci

We’re very happy to be speaking today with acclaimed and award-winning actor J.R. Adduci; greetings and salutations, J.R.! Before we meander down the celluloid Q&A pathway, how has the first-half of 2023 been treating you?

Thanks for taking the time to to chat with me. Happy to be here. I’m enjoying my 2023. I have been spending some much needed quality time with my family and getting excited to see some of these projects I have been fortunate enough to be a part of come out. I’ve enjoyed organizing my home office over and over and over again in hopes of actually sitting at the desk and possibly creating something lol. But yes…Overall the year has been a blessing.

Major congratulations and plaudits on your upcoming turn in director Justin Simien’s iteration of Disney’s Haunted Mansion which is set for release this July 28! For those not in the know, could you tell us what the film is about and how your character figures into the proceedings?

So excited for the world to see what fun Justin and the rest of the cast and crew has cooked up! Without giving away too much, what I can tell you is the film is based on the actual haunted mansion ride from the Disney theme parks and has a huge fan base based on the ride alone. I was fortunate to be cast as the role of William Gracey the original owner of the mansion. I can tell you that the entire film is made to feel like an immersive experience almost as if you are taking the ride along with the main characters. With such a powerful ensemble it’s sure to be a fun filled cinematic ride for all as well as some really spooky and amazing surprises along the way mixed with humor and drama it’s truly a film for all ages and without jinxing anything I feel like we have something special with this one.

Did you know as soon as screenwriter Katie Dippold’s script for Haunted Mansion crossed your path that this was a production you wanted to be a part of?

To be honest I had no idea about what the film was about or based on prior to booking it. I put my audition on tape, sent it in, and two or three months later received the booking call. I have never had the chance to visit Disney land or world so I wasn’t aware of the ride or the lore that is The Haunted Mansion. I quickly realized during my first costume fitting with the Amazing Jeffery Kurland that this was a special role. I think I tried on eight or nine different custom pieces and looks… when I saw my headshot on the wall with inspiration pictures and wardrobe ideas pasted up alongside the likes of Lakieth and Rosario I quickly realized I had stumbled across something very special and exciting.

You work with such a brilliant ensemble in Haunted Mansion such as Winona Ryder, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto and Danny DeVito, among others. What was it like exercising your own considerable acting chops alongside this merry band of thespians?

Oh man, this film was such a blessing for me personally as an actor! I am not going to lie… once I saw the call sheet and where I was in relation to these iconic names I started to immediately feel my heart jump out of my chest. But after meeting the core cast in hair and makeup, I settled into the job and felt welcomed and very much a part of creating something, which is what every actor wants to feel. Rosario Dawson and Jamie Lee Curtis really treated me with kindness and generosity and the whole thing felt very collaborative, which was ideal. Working with Lakieth was also a dream! He is such a talent and when we were on set he was so cool to share some business advice with me and more than that, when we were working together on camera heapproached things with such a creativeand collaborative vibe it was easy for me to settle into the scenes and just play. So things felt fresh and new and everyday was full of discovery. It was super dope.

Speaking of collaborations, what was your working experience with Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien like? Is he what some actors might refer to as “an actor’s director”?

I told Justin on the last day of filming that I would work with him anytime anywhere and for free!!! He laughed and said “no no no not for free!” But seriously Justin was an amazing captain and he fostered a safe and creative space for all of us to create together.He was dealing with so many things at such a grand scale and while dealing with all of that he took the time to really communicate and work things out with every actor. So yes he is the definition of an actors director. He instilled trust from day one. I got a sense he really had a specific vision with this film and that’s what every actor hopes for… a director who knows what he wants yet is open enough to discuss and discover things with his actors and creative team. I freaking loved every minute of working with Justin and there is not a doubt in my mind that he will go down as one of the world’s most celebrated directors.

You’ve got some exciting-sounding productions waiting in the pipeline for release such as The Slumber Party, Red Ones and The Space In Between. What can you tell our ever-inquisitive readers about this trio of films which you are featured in?

The Slumber Party is another Disney feature film and coincidentally is being released on Disney plus the same day Haunted Mansion hits theaters! That’s so wild to me. The Slumber Party is a coming of age tale surrounding a group of teenage girls the summer before they go to high school and they have an epic adventure. It’s been described as the family version of The Hangover movies, which I thought was a pretty cool concept. I was lucky enough to be cast as Mr. Guerrero and play the father of one of the lead girls. Mr. Guerrero has a cool storyline and working with the incomparable Veronica Rodriguez was so much fun.

Red One is positioned to be a holiday release with Amazon. While I can’t say much about it I can say you will not want to miss it! It’s a different movie in regards to holiday films. I believe it has the potential to become a holiday staple film to view for many years to come! And it was such a huge production…scale story and creative team! I’m super stoked to see what they cooked up.

And while I’m uber excited for these blockbuster films to release and be shared with the world I am probably most excited and proud of my involvement in “The Space In Between”. It’s an Arthouse indie short film shot on 16 millimeter film and I am the only actor in the film. I try and push myself as an actor whenever possible and take on things that scare me a bit and this was definitely one of those. Film is expensive and with a limited budget we had little room for multiple takes. And being the only actor on camera presents it’s challenges as well. I play a character named Carson Quod who finds himself alone in a space rover after a crash and is trying to find his way home. He experiences what felt like the entire spectrum of the emotion wheel during this film �� it was definitely an experience I will never forget for all the right reasons. The director Taylor P. Hawkins wrote and produced it with his wife Sarah and they gathered an A-list crew of all the top talent in the south east. We filmed in Charlotte, NC and when I saw the set and saw who was on board I became over the moon excited! We as actors hope and dream to work with a crew that feels like family. That’s the experience I took away from this one. The crew protected me and made me feel warm and incubated if that makes any sense? �� whatI mean is they took such care in everything they did and everyone was in it together to build and create something special. We all had the feeling we were a part of something bigger than ourselves. It was magical. And I’m so excited for the world to see it. I believe they are gunning for Sundance and Cannes and after that I’m not sure but seeing some of the raw footage I can tell you it looks freaking incredible.

7) You studied acting under the very respected Gene Frankel. What valuable lessons about the craft of acting did you take away from that experience?

Oh man that’s a loaded question �� ifI had to share what lessonsI learned as an actor that have become a big part of my process today I guess the biggest thing I took away from Gene was “Specificity.”He taught me so many gems over the years of training with him but one thing that always screams loud in my head when something isn’t quite working is his voice yelling out…”Specificity JR! We need to see you being specific about everything!” Interesting and compelling performances are filled with such a specificity. It’s something we need while researching and building a character and while doing our prep as well as when on stage or on set actually doing the job. We are not in this craft to be or play generalized thoughts or feelings or characters. The more specific, the more interesting. The more interesting, the more people care. So yes Specificity. I miss Gene and am so thankful for my time with him. I could write a book on my experience alone in his classes. Love that man.

Your first credited on-screen work came in the form of the 2003 short film Baltimore. Any special memories of that freshman production?

That’s so funny because what IMDb has me credited for on Baltimore is not the actual film I was in �� my first role in front of the camera came right after conservatory training in NYC and it was the lead role in an indie feature called Baltimore where I played the king of Baltimore graffiti. The film never came out. I have the rough cut somewhere on VHS though. What I learned on that one was what a collaborative process film was and how important it is for an actor and director to trust each other and be on the same page. I didn’t have that experience on Baltimore and I’ve been working on fostering and building that trust up with every project since. One way I do that from my side of the coin is to make sure I put in the prep work and really dive into the work before I even walk on set to film. I want to have my character figured out as much as possible so I can let go and trust myself. Then in doing that you can instill trust with your creative team. Also don’t ask permission to try out every idea you have. Just try it and then adjust if needed. I learned that as well.

Acting-wise, who inspires you?

You know that’s an impossible question to fully answer right!? Well first off I’d say Al Pacino and his earlier work definitely inspired me to embark on the acting journey. Then and now there have been so many amazing actors and performances I’ve witnessed and also had the pleasure of working with that there is too many to begin to mention without leaving others out. So I will say that any actor who I see having honest vulnerable moments of truth, whether onstage or camera… I am inspired by those moments and actors. I love seeing actors play the opposite of the standard choice… I enjoy watching nuance as well as bold choices as long as they are encapsulated in organic truth. I don’t want to watch “acting” I want to watch “being” that is what inspires me and what I continue to strive for.

Your acting has graced no less than two pop culture phenomena: Stranger Things and The Walking Dead. Is it at all surreal to have contributed to these two immensely popular shows?

Surreal? Absolutely! I was a big Walking Dead fan and had auditioned a few times for them over the years and when I got the call to play Alvez in the last season I felt like I had arrived! It was a dream come true for real. Working opposite of Norman Reedus was such a cool experience and I’m thankful I didn’t end up becoming a zombie haha. Stranger Things was also very cool for me to get to meet and work with Sherman Augustus. And obviously the Duffer Bros.. it was a quick and small role however it was lots of fun getting to be a small part of that world. I never auditioned for that role it was my first “offer” and I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

Final - SILLY! - Question: Favorite movie about the making of moviesLiving In Oblivion, The Player, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Barton Fink, Ed Wood or Swimming With Sharks?

Wow it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen any of these… never seen Swimming with Sharks so it’s now on my list. Thanks for that. I guess off the top of my head I’d say Ed Wood was a special film… one because I’m a fan of Depp’s work and two because if I remember correctly that film made me feel that the passion behind creating and chasing your dreams is more important than the actual outcome of said art. The doings are where an artist gets the juice. And that’s so true. Once it’s made we move on to the next project because it’s in the actual work we feel while. Not in the accolades or recognition but in the creating. If we can keep creating we can sustain a level of happiness that is not easily compared to others…

Thanks so much for having me! I had fun answering these.

J.R.