CONDUCTED BY: Dan AKA Master of Horror
EDITED BY: FrighT MasteR
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: 11/04/06

Tell us a bit about how you got into acting.

I’ve been doing stand-up for 17 years. About 7 years in, I got a commercial agent & started auditioning for commercials. So commercials were my first professional acting break.

Who were some of your biggest influences growing up?

This comic John Mulrooney was my favorite comic when I was in high school. Along with Kinison & Steven Wright. I was a big Star Wars fan. Reading that book Skywalking made me want to make movies. I read Fangoria, Cinemagic & Starlog as a kid too. I started doing animation in 8th or 9th grade and I was into making my own special effects & short movies on super 8. When I was in high school, the movie Diner got me into movies with funny dialogue.

Your resume is quite impressive -- you've been in everything from Meet the Parents to Zoolander. How do you feel about your accomplishments thus far?

I’m trying. Let’s not forget Spring Break Lawyer & American Splendor. I’m still trying to make my own movies (not necessarily direct but write & star in them). I still don’t think any movies I’ve done have really showcased me & what I can do best.

Tell us about Feast and your role in the film.

Loved doing Feast; my first decent-sized budget horror movie, even though it’s more of a splatter movie or horror comedy. I [also] did a cameo in a friend of mine’s no budget splatter comedy The Janitor -- that was fun too. Being a horror movie & make-up FX fan it was a huge thrill. I’ll take old fashioned low budget FX over CGI FX. I liked working with the director John Gulager a lot. I think he’s a really talented and unique director.

Have any fun anecdotes during filming?

There’s a scene in the movie, right after I get puked on, I’m supposed to walk down the stairs, but instead I slip and fall down the stairs and then bounce when I hit the floor -- that was not planned. I had so much slime on me, I really just slipped and fell down all the stairs I don’t know how I didn’t get hurt. I think the slime caused the fall but also saved me from being hurt. I just kept sliding. Also, I had a lot of real maggots all over me. It was my idea to put them in my mouth & up my nose. I figured the grosser the better. I grossed out a lot of the crew when I was covered in blood, monster puke & real maggots and I’d be grabbing food and eating at the kraft services table. Some people actually got legitimately angry at me. He’s got maggots on him! Get him away from the food. Maybe they had a point.

Tell us about the last movie you’re in and what’s it about. 

Full Grown Men is now on the festival circuit, it’s kind of a surreal comedy/drama. I’m the second lead in the film & I play more of the straight role - a serious character in the movie. It’s a road movie shot in Florida. It was cool doing this movie because it was a much different kind of part for me to play. I also have The Darwin Awards coming out soon. [I’m also in] The Vignette [with] Lukas Has, and we play two headbangers who try and sneak into a Metallica concert and one of us gets killed trying to do it; can’t say who though. I really liked that movie, and the last movie I filmed was Chapter 27, it’s a scary-sad creepy movie about the guy who killed John Lennon.

Being a comedian, do you prefer comedy over other genres?

Yes, I prefer comedy, but I like horror a lot & I think comedy can be a key ingredient in a horror movie. I think comedy can be used to lure the audience into relaxing and letting their guard down - & then you can get them even harder with the scares. Also, I think comedy and horror have some similarities. Both illicit reflex reactions from audiences at the same specific moments like no other genres. With a joke everyone laughs at the same time & with a scare they jump at the same time and it’s instantaneous for both. I also think they’re two genres that don’t get that much respect from the mainstream critics and Hollywood in general.

Looking back on your career, is there anything you regret?

Not really. I’ve done some high quality stuff and absolute shit, but I try and learn from all the experiences.

Would you be in another horror film again?

I’d love to. Hopefully somebody will hire me. If they don’t, I’ll have to make my own. I do have a couple of ideas for horror/comedy low budget movies.

Which actor or director would you love work with?

Paul Verhoeven & David Cronenberg are probably two directors I’d like to work with the most. John Waters is another director. I want to work with any directors that are total originals & are very passionate about what they’re doing. I’d love to act with Giamatti again. I’d like to act with Bruce Campbell too. And I’d say Bo Svenson, Chow Yun Fat, Tony Jaa, & Steven Seagal. I’d love to act in a martial arts movie.

What kind of advice would you give to aspiring actors looking to break into films? 

Make your own stuff. Audition for anything. Act in student movies. You don’t have to move to NY or LA but there does seem to be more work in those cities in general. Don’t try and copy other people’s styles. Do your own thing and do it if you love it, not just to become famous. You gotta love doing it. That’s really what it’s about -- doing it.

What two things do people NOT know about Judah that they will once you tell us?

Stand-up comedy is my main thing. I’m a great athlete. Ping pong, soccer & air hockey especially.

Special thanks goes out to Judah Friedlander for the interview and my buddy Brian "Horror Pimp" Harris.