Friday, 5/9/97 Coming out of Nowhere Actor James Duval, star of
the controversial new film ‘Nowhere,’ explains why he plans to
continue taking on roles in independent, groundbreaking cinema.
By Trinh Bui Daily Bruin Contributor Sometimes breaking into the
business is as easy as getting to the right place at the right
time. That’s exactly how it happened for James Duval, star of
independent filmmaker Gregg Araki’s teen-angst trilogy. In the
final installment of the trilogy, "Nowhere," Duval floats through
familiar grounds as a sexually ambiguous teenager searching for
true love. It started back in the early ’90s, when an emotionally
confused 18-year-old Duval caught the eye of Araki in a cafe. Araki
approached Duval and offered him a role in "Totally Fucked Up."
Duval accepted and unknowingly began a working friendship with
Araki that has so far resulted in three films. His relationship
with Araki transcends that of actor and director. The two share the
common bond of coming from Asian backgrounds – Duval is part
Vietnamese and Araki is Japanese. Being the only Asian kids in
their neighborhoods led both to rebel from society. Duval left home
at 15 and dabbled in drugs while Araki focused his attention on
music and comics. "There is a connection that Jimmy does share with
Gregg. There is the experience of just growing up in America.
People’s perception of them is as an Asian American actor or Gregg
as an Asian American gay filmmaker instead of just Jimmy or Gregg,"
says co-star Rachel True ("The Craft."). The closeness between the
two has led some people to describe Duval as being the brighter,
happier version of Araki. The roles written for Duval do seem to
reflect the experiences of Araki, but Duval is quick to point out
that all the characters in Araki’s movies are autobiographical and
that Duval represents just one aspect of Araki’s life. As the
friendship strengthened, it became natural for Araki to cast the
Keanu Reeves-like Duval in all his films. After completing the
first two pieces of Araki’s trilogy, Duval knew "Nowhere" loomed
somewhere around the corner and anxiously waited for the chance to
get his hands on the project. "I have always loved his (Araki’s)
work from the first time I read ‘Totally Fucked Up’ to ‘The Doom
Generation.’ I actually heard of ‘Nowhere’ before we even shot
‘Doom,’" says Duval. "’Nowhere’ was written before ‘The Doom
Generation,’ so I knew it was bubbling somewhere and I knew it was
about this kid, his friends, this one crazy day, and I just waited
for him to hand me that script." In his latest movie, Duval
portrays hero/victim Dark, who struggles to understand and love his
promiscuous girlfriend, played by True. Like in past jaunts into
the chaotic world of Araki movies, the character Duval portrays has
his sexuality questioned throughout the movie, without it ever
being answered. Playing such sexually androgynous roles has turned
the handsome Duval into the cult poster boy for gay cinema, causing
many fans to wonder which sex really turns him on. "I think people
have been really sweet about it. I am a really ambiguous person. I
have a girlfriend right now that I am really in love with but I
have no problem looking at women and men and acknowledging that
they are beautiful. I am a monogamous person but I do fantasize
about other people of the same or opposite sex," Duval says.
Duval’s interest in tackling the acting challenges of a teenager
wrestling with homosexuality stems from the very first movie he
starred in, "Totally Fucked Up." The film focused on issues that
face in-the-closet gays and the anxieties that come with the
lifestyle. When the movie screened for the first time to a gay
audience, Duval realized the impact films can have on people’s
lives. "I was so amazed. They were telling me, ‘I wanted to kill
myself too. I couldn’t tell anybody. I didn’t know what to do. And
it helped me get through all this,’" says Duval. "And that for me
is why I want to remain an actor. To do films like ‘Totally Fucked
Up,’ like ‘The Doom Generation,’ like ‘Nowhere’ and to continue and
try to make films with directors that push the boundary and like to
be more open than what Hollywood is willing to do." Duval enjoys
acting on the edge and promises to continue his career in
independent films, but he also knows that working solely on
projects that are personally fulfilling doesn’t pay the bills. In
fact, after wrapping up the "The Doom Generation," Duval returned
to his job at a cafe, waiting on tables just to support himself.
Indeed, the thrills of working on avant garde films rewarded him
spiritually but didn’t help line his wallet. Ironically, Duval’s
work in low-budget flicks got him his first big break in a major
studio movie. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, who wrote the
screenplay for "Independence Day," saw Duval in "Totally Fucked Up"
and loved his performance. They met up with him and asked if he
wanted a part in the film. Duval jumped at the opportunity but,
like everything in his tumultuous life, obstacles arose in his
casting. "For the casting of ‘Independence Day,’ the casting
director didn’t want me, at least that is what I was told," Duval
says. "She really didn’t want me in the movie but the director
wanted me so he said to her, ‘Fuck you, I want him in my movie.
Don’t argue with me.’ And I think she is still bitter at me about
that. But if she reads this, don’t take offense because Roland and
Dean told me this." As much as Duval welcomed the chance of working
in a big-budget film, his heart resides in the independents,
especially those written by Araki. Duval takes great pride in
involving himself with films that have messages dealing with life.
Though some critics blast movies like "The Doom Generation" as
gross amplifications of the perversities of sex and violence, Duval
counters that these films only capture what is really going on in
the world. "I think the conservative people want to candy-coat the
problems plaguing the world. They don’t want to see the reality of
what is really out there. With a film like ‘Nowhere,’ we can show
these issues like they really are without worrying about appealing
to a big audience," says Duval. "It’s like, ‘OK, did we offend a
lot of people? Good.’ When I am doing ‘Nowhere,’ I wasn’t thinking
about how people would react to the movie. I just though it would
be great and fun to make a movie that says it as it’s seen. That
alone made it for me." "Nowhere" opens today. Fine Line Features
James Duval in Gregg Araki’s "Nowhere." Fine Line Features Jeremy
Jordan plays Bart in "Nowhere." Related Links: Nowhere Doom
Generation