By Christopher Piehler It’s a good thing Shawn Hatosy doesn’t do horror movies, because he comes across as the sort of Nice Guy first to be dismembered by the maniac. This year, Hatosy has key roles in two movies based on reality: the Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl and the 2006 Sundance sensation Alpha Dog, the story of a botched kidnapping that turned Jesse James Hollywood into one of the youngest people ever on the FBI’s "10 Most Wanted." Moving Pictures Magazine: Was Alpha Dog your first experience at Sundance?
Shawn Hatosy: When Alpha Dog was at Sundance, I was shooting Factory Girl, so I wasn’t able to go. But I’ve been there for The Cooler and for a movie called Soldier’s Girl; I also had a movie there called Swimmers. MPM: So you’re a veteran. What do you think are the upside and downside of Sundance?
Hatosy: You always have these plans, like you’re going to go up there and maybe get in some skiing, but it ends up being such a crazy week or couple days packed with interviews — even the parties become work. But I look forward to seeing quality films. I dig Sundance and I love the idea of getting young filmmakers together and having their work seen, but it has become this corporation, in a sense, and I’m not sure it’s what the founder had intended. It’s got this mythical quality now — everybody submits their films and wants them to get in, and you get spun around in this machine. MPM: Tell me about your role in Factory Girl.
Hatosy: I play Syd Pepperman, and he’s actually Edie’s friend before she moves to New York. I’m a guy who comes up in the film throughout her life, sort of the voice of reason. MPM: You’re Jiminy Cricket?
Hatosy: Yeah. MPM: Was Syd Pepperman a real person?
Hatosy: He’s based on a couple of people. MPM: Did you do much research into the period? How did you approach being in that very unique Factory setting?
Hatosy: My character didn’t actually spend a lot of time there. We have a character based on Bob Dylan that Hayden Christensen plays, and I come from his camp. I was a fan of Bob Dylan’s prior to doing this, but after working on the film I got really into him. He has so many great songs and he’s a wonderful songwriter. I actually got to see him at the Forum a couple of weeks ago. He’s had so many different kinds of careers — he started out as a folk guy and just took it over, just dominated it, and then moved onto this rock ’n’ roll thing. Now he’s in his later days and he’s just jammin’. And he keeps getting young fans. It’s not like he’s kept his same fans. He keeps getting younger people to appreciate him. MPM: Speaking of younger people, there’s some controversy about the factual basis of Alpha Dog. Is the case still ongoing?
Hatosy: Yes. When we started making the movie, this kid was still on the run and nobody knew where he was. We finished it three years ago, and they caught him last year in Brazil, I think. Now they have to try and put a trial together, and the California courts are not happy with the film because I guess the district attorney at the time spoke with [writer/director] Nick [Cassavetes] and gave him confidential information. The DA thought that having a movie made about this subject would help Jesse James Hollywood get caught. And he was right; it did help. MPM: How did it help?
Hatosy: There were certain discussions between people and Jesse James’s father, all this stuff that kind of helped. MPM: So it’s not just a movie; it’s a force of goodness.
Hatosy: I guess it depends on who you ask. It could be, yeah. MPM: Did you have any interaction with any of the people the movie was based on?
Hatosy: The opportunity was given to me to go talk to Ryan Hoyt, who I play. He’s the only one out of all of them that’s on death row, in San Quentin, but I wasn’t really into it. I wasn’t trying to get his mannerisms. I just didn’t feel like it was important to me. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with Jesse. I’m sure that they’ll try to get him the death penalty. They claim that he’s the mastermind behind the whole thing. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. It was the most bizarre situation. It’s like this panic and paranoia and bad advice. You know what I take away from this movie? Take care of your kids. Look out for your kids. Stay close to your kids. MPM: And you — do you have a career plan or do you take things as they come?
Hatosy: I don’t have a plan. I’m happy to do what I’m doing. I enjoy the ability to do whatever I want. I do a lot of independent films, I get to play a lot of different characters, and it’s just a real pleasure. The goal is to keep doing it. MPM: So you’re not looking to get a science fiction franchise?
Hatosy: No, but if the material were good…that’s what starts the ball rolling. I’m open to everything. I actually have a kid now, I have a five-month-old son, so I would be happy to do something that would keep me in Los Angeles on a regular basis. MPM: As an actor on the set of a film, what change in technology has most changed the way you work?
Hatosy: Certainly I’ve worked on films shot on digital video, and that changes everything. It definitely affects you as an actor because the takes can be endless. They just keep rolling and rolling. There’s no cutting, which can be good if you’re in something and you don’t have to cut for fear of wasting film. You can just let it go. And I think it’s really cool that young filmmakers are able to edit their own movies now with Final Cut Pro. I think that’s a huge step, because it gives these guys an opportunity to do stuff that they never thought they’d be able to do, and it’s immediate, and it’s fantastic that the technology is advanced and so easily accessible. MPM: Have you gotten into directing yet?
Hatosy: I’ve done some stuff, nothing that anybody could see, but that’s what I want to do. I wouldn’t say it’s a goal, but it feels like it’s the natural progression for me. | 
