Bloomfield Actor, Writer On Hollywood Strikes: ‘Greed And Power’

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — When the labor union that represents nearly 160,000 actors across the nation went on strike in July, fresh on the heels of a separate screenwriter work stoppage launched two months earlier, it put Kevin Interdonato in a weird place.

The Bloomfield resident is an actor and a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union representing the striking thespians. But he’s also a writer, producer and director – and his revenue stream can potentially have more branches than the Passaic River.

For Interdonato, a married father of a 3-year-old, the ongoing writer and actor strikes aren’t academic. This is how he earns a living. It’s how he supports his family.

And hopefully, “those execs get their heads out of their asses sooner than later,” he recently told Patch.

• See Related: Movie and TV Stars Walk The Picket Line; Actors' Strike In Photos

Bloomfield residents and film buffs in Essex County have gained another local bragging point with Interdonato, whom fans of “The Sopranos” may recognize as “Dogsy,” a member of the DiMeo crime family.

In 2017, he landed a much-larger role as “Bad Frank” in the eponymously named 2017 drama/thriller movie, which also earned him a writer’s credit.

Interdonato, a combat veteran who served in Iraq (2004-2005), previously told Patch that he used his love for acting to serve as a therapeutic outlet for post-traumatic stress disorder. Part of that experience made its way into “Bad Frank,” he said.

• See Related: Bloomfield's 'Bad Frank': Kevin Interdonato Fights PTSD With Acting

In 2021, Interdonato reached another career milestone when he landed a role as a recurring character in season two of the Showtime series, “City on a Hill.”

“It’s a pretty big break for me,” Interdonato said about the series, a crime drama set in Boston in the early 1990s that saw him working on the same set as his wife and fellow actor, Amanda Clayton.

• See Related: Bloomfield Actor Lands 'Big Break' On Show With Kevin Bacon

Interdonato was primed this summer for another major coup with the of “The Bastard Sons,” a crime thriller about the sons of a crime boss who retaliate against the family when their father is killed.

Filmed in New Jersey – including spots in Bloomfield, Asbury Park, Freehold, Toms River and Wall – the movie features Garden State crew members and actors, including the big screen acting debuts of former UFC star Frankie Edgar and Roger Mathews of “Jersey Shore” fame. The movie was also a landmark for Interdonato, who served as director, actor, writer and producer.

The flick was set for a July 28 release. And that’s when the SAG-AFTRA announced they were going on strike.

Since then, Interdonato has put in for an interim agreement the union is offering, which sets up an Oct. 6 release of “The Bastard Sons” on Amazon. But while he waits, the Bloomfield residents has had plenty of time to think about the ongoing strike – and his own place in the ever-evolving entertainment industry.

Patch recently got a chance to pick Interdonato’s brain about the strike with a few questions. Here are his replies.

PATCH: You have a unique perspective on the strike (you’re a filmmaker AND an actor). Can you tell us more about your revenue streams: what percentage of your income comes from acting/producing/directing, and where are the payments coming from?

INTERDONATO: Yeah, I’m a double-player. I’m fortunate to be a working actor, and I’ve started producing and writing several years ago as well, and now directing. Revenue for me comes from all angles mentioned, mostly acting at this point because I have two movies ready to be released, “The Bastard Sons” and “Malicious,” both in October. So usually, revenue comes in six months after the release date and quarterly after that.

PATCH: How have the actor/screenwriter strikes affected these revenue streams for you?

INTERDONATO: Other than residuals, it’s all paused. But I’m taking this time to put all energy into my films, and into films I’m cast in on standby. The interim agreements are making it possible to work, though.

PATCH: Have the strikes thrown a wrench into your life and ability to support your family? What are some ways that you’ve been forced to cut back or “do without?”

INTERDONATO: Actors who make their living in film live insecurely when it comes to revenue – we never know when the next paycheck is coming. Gotta be smart about all spends. But to not work, when you are able to, is much more of an uncomfortable existence. Strike or not, it’s still essentially the lifestyle of an actor. I’m familiar with that feeling … though I grew to hate it years back, even when I was working fairly often for an actor, because for me it’s never enough. Wasn’t consistent. But I chose this career. So instead of resenting the lifestyle, I explored and learned how to make films so I’d never be out of work and could continue to be creatively fulfilled.

My work continued during COVID, and will through the strike, preparing and gearing up. The strike was bound to happen, but a boycott of particular platforms might have sufficed as well – I don’t know the answer.

A friend of mine asked me to picket in NYC the other day. That wasn’t happening. I personally don’t see the attraction. Losing a day of work to go chant and complain about something I have no control over makes no sense to me. I think of my family first always and stay diligent, preparing on the production side of projects … staying healthy and ready … making calls to distributors I have relationships with … doing leg work for locations … [finding] investors … honing scripts to fit budgets … prepping releases … marketing plans. I’ll never put myself in a position to “not work,” especially now, being a parent.

PATCH: Here’s the big question: In your opinion, why are these strikes happening? Do you “support” one side over the other, and if so, why?

INTERDONATO: Unfair checks and balances, man. Nothing new. Greed and power will always exist, and the workforce has to step up sometimes. Which I’m all about. But it’s funny … actors are an interesting bunch. Many are standing in solidarity when it comes to the current issues, but they won’t when it comes to celebrating each other for booking work. Creating work. It’s a me-me-me, dog eat dog business, and will go right back to it when the strike is over.

I don’t get involved. I pay my dues, silently support what needs to be done and stay the course. When the strike is over, I’ll feel like I did something to also support my family and career by working through it towards something tangible, something that will move people … not wasting time waiving a sign and yelling in the air to no one.

Hopefully those execs get their heads out of their ass sooner than later.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Bloomfield Facebook page.