I had a rather diverse and volatile childhood. I found that I loved and craved the attention that I received from being a “performer” – the family clown, so to speak. That coupled with the fact that my father was in the military and we moved to a new place almost every year of my life made it necessary for me to learn to adapt to new situations and cultures as quickly as possible in order to not constantly feel like an outsider. The sooner I was able to blend with the people in my new surroundings, the sooner I could start making friends and get a short taste of stability before we had to pack up and do it all again. I think that has a lot to do with what I do now.
Every time I moved to a new school, I would immediately become involved with their music and/or theatre programs (many times they were the same teacher). It was in 7th grade, I think, that I did my first Elementary School play, A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT. I played “Clarence The Jester”. It was really bad, lol. All the kids stood in a semi-circle around a single microphone in the middle of the stage, each taking turns stepping up to the mic to say our lines or sing our songs, and then nervously looking around the audience and sheepishly waving to our parents.
The next show I remember after that, in 9th grade, was ANNIE- I was in the chorus. This was an high school production, and most of the larger roles were played by some really talented seniors, many of whom ended up at schools like Juilliard and The Boston Conservatory of Music. That particular show was nothing like my first experience! It was actually so popular in our small town, that the school extended the run for 2 more weekends just to accommodate the public. I’ll admit though; even though I’ve dreamed of being a professional performer for as long as I can remember, I didn’t honestly believe that I could actually do it for a living until way later in life, and even when I finally believed that I could seriously try to make it in this biz, I felt that I needed a lot more training before I could attempt to get my foot in the door. I was 26 when I decided to give it a try, 35 when I actually got my first chance.
‘Breaking Bad’ Actor Charles Baker Joins Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘The Neon Demon’ (Exclusive) http://t.co/rJtCcn7Tmn pic.twitter.com/eJBBm6roYY
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 1, 2015
Did you study acting
I was studying music in Junior college when I was invited to audition for a play, WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY?. I actually balked at the idea of doing a show that didn’t have singing and dancing- I was a musical theatre dude- but I tried it and discovered that I really liked it. My intention was to become a music teacher, but, after that show, I started taking acting more seriously and started taking acting classes at the same Junior College. I don’t think any of my first acting teachers subscribed to any particular acting method. We learned the basics of the more popular styles, but I don’t remember really being pushed into any one in particular. I did a lot of “independent study” on my own using whatever resource I could find to help me figure out my own personal preference, and found that, for me, most of the old schools of thought on acting were all pretty much saying the same thing; use what you can to make the character you’re playing as believable as possible. I was told later, by a private coach, that I was definitely a Meisner actor, but, I’m not sure if that’s exactly true. I like to think that I’ve managed to take the best parts, for me, from every style I’ve been exposed to in order to create what I think of as “the Bruce Lee Method”, lol. After college, I worked at a local theatre in Fort Worth, TX called The Hip Pocket Theatre. The Founder/director and resident playwright, Johnny Simons, who studied mime under Marceau Marcel, was a huge influence on my personal technique.
What acting technique do you use
If it has a name, it would be Meisner, I guess. I’m a very instinctive actor. I think that because of my diverse background I have an advantage with that particular technique. I try to personally connect with the characters I play, instinctively, without trying to impose any of my own biases or tastes, or sense or morality on to them. I often work from the outside first; the wardrobe makes the character start coming to life, the physical characteristics like posture, gait, presence, and attitude seem to all come from the character’s style, or lack of style as the case may be. Voice, diction, cadence, and tone, for me, all find themselves as I get to know the character. I think there are basically two types of acting styles; external (or presentational) acting, and internal (representational) acting. Some schools of thought emphasize one, some the other. I think that it’s a balance of the two that makes a performance “believable”. I studied mime from Johnny Simons to cultivate physical control. I’m a very sensitive, empathic person; finding emotion was never a problem for me. But, conveying character is more than just finding and expressing emotion. A character has a walk, a posture, a presence that speaks volumes more about an individual than mere words could ever do justice. I’ve learned how to use those physical characteristics, and maintain them, to enhance the other choices I make about that character, emotionally and psychologically, to become a new person, the person that the writer, director and I created together to help tell our story.
What wrong ideas do actors hold about acting
I’ve met quite a few actors who think that the only training they need is “On camera” acting classes. I believe that you need to have a solid foundation from which to build your skills. I studied the history of theatre, different styles of acting, Shakespeare, Comedia D’el Arte, I studied voice and diction, mime and movement, dance, and anything else that I thought that I could use in my “toolbox” for reference when I need it. Some of the best actors I’ve worked with on camera have a similar background and training. I’ve seen way too many people that take this craft for granted and think that it’s easy. It really, really isn’t.
Do you take courses to improve your craft
I periodically take workshops to hone or refresh certain skills like mime or improvisation- skills that aren’t utilized as much on a regular basis in most of my work so far, but, I always like to have handy when they’re needed. I tried a private coach for a little while, but, that particular coach frequently talked me into going against my instincts when working on auditions and, I feel I lost some work because of it. I’m a firm believer in on-the-job training! Every job I get is an opportunity to learn something from the other actors I work with. I watch, listen and learn as much as possible from every actor, old and new.
What acting books do you read
Uta Hagen’s RESPECT FOR ACTING, and THE GREAT ACTING TEACHERS AND TEHIR METHODS – by Richard Brestoff are two that I keep handy.
How do you keep fit as an actor
Physically, I change it up. I used to dance for a Ballet company in Fort Worth, so, rehearsals and performances were my main source of exercise. Now, I lift weights, do yoga (periodically), ride my bike, and play with my kids…they are a workout. Mentally is sometimes more challenging, but the physical fitness helps with that tremendously. I discovered pretty quickly that finding ways to occupy my mind when I’m not working was crucial to keeping my sanity. This business is a roller-coaster of ups and downs, and if you’re not careful, the experience can be overwhelming. I am always working on new character ideas in my head and sometimes, embarrassingly, out loud in front of a mirror when nobody is home to judge, lol, but I need to not always be “working”, so I dabble in whatever hobbies interest me at any given time. I work hard when work is there, but, on those off times, now that I feel secure enough in my career to not get a second job, I do whatever I can, with my very limited budget, to keep my creative juices flowing and my mind off of business. Maintaining a healthy relationship with my wife and kids is also essential, so I try to find things that we can do as a family, or at least in pairs. My youngest daughter, Kiery, who is 7 this year, and I are studying Spanish together right now.
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next
When I get a script, I read it once, then start working on the character’s voice. If I can remember a scene without having to look at it again, I will just repeat it to myself several times, playing with cadence and timber and dialect, then move on to the next scene. Once I have all of my scenes memorized, I start working on the character as much as I can until I meet with the director and discuss it. I usually don’t look at the script again until the night before the scene shoots, and let the director decide how many, if any, times he wants to rehearse.
How do you take your character in Breaking Bad from a script to a honest, and breathing person
The writing played a key role in making Skinny Pete the character he was. I, personally, didn’t understand a word of the gibberish that frequently came out of his mouth, but, I knew that Skinny Pete said this stuff every day, effortlessly, without thought. So, when I had a line of dialogue that had a lot of that street gibberish in it, I would just repeat the line, over and over again, as fast as I could, no breaks, no pauses, no emotional undertones, or whatever, just repeat until I could say it with absolute confidence. I did that with every unique line that Skinny had, and he had quite a few, so that you never doubted that those weird words were an everyday part of his vocabulary. Some of them did become a temporary part of my daily vocabulary, yo! Another aspect that I try to bring to every character I play is vulnerability. Even the lowest druggie or hardest criminal has something that makes them human to someone. I try to find that and let it slip somewhere in a scene, if I get a chance, and see how it works.
How do you stay fresh on Breaking Bad set
All we had to do to stay fresh on that show was just remember that we were on that show! Bryan Cranston wasn’t just the lead actor, he was a father figure to a lot of the cast and crew. He was the captain and he was great at it! He kept morale up, kept the talent on their toes, and never let negativity permeate the atmosphere. It was a lesson in acting that I had never learned, being a lead actor requires you to be a leader. The best shows I’ve worked on have someone like that.
Describe one creative choice you took on Breaking Bad set
Interestingly, I worked with a different director on just about every episode that I was in, and, it was interesting for me to see how the directors interpreted my character so differently from each other. For some directors Skinny Pete was a scary, intimidating guy, and for others he was a goofy stoner dude, so the real challenge was keeping Skinny Pete somewhat similar to himself while adapting to each new director’s vision. In the conversation with Badger about video games and Nazi zombies, the director initially wanted us to be at the peak of a meth binge, acting somewhat zoned out, I guess, and more centered on the conversation. We tried it her way and the scene was just stagnant, so, the next take she told us to just do whatever we wanted, no blocking, no marks, just go for it. So we did, and the scene suddenly had a life! She let us do that for several takes and the result came across as if it was almost a completely improvised scene, even though we performed the script verbatim.
Describe you character Breaking Bad
Skinny Pete is a hapless low-level junkie/street dealer who is one of Jesse Pinkman’s closest friends. He and his friend Badger are often the comic relief on the show, and have been referred to as the “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” of Breaking Bad.
What do you want most from a director
Direction! Seriously, I’ve had directors describe the camera movements and lens type to me and completely leave out anything about what they wanted me to do. I don’t ask much, I come prepared to be at performance level the second I arrive on set. If the director wants to let me just go and do what I want to do, I’ll do it, I wouldn’t recommend it, but I’ll do it. If the role is small enough, that happens, but when it’s a bigger role, learning the dialogue and building the character is a huge job, so having someone keeping track of emotional levels for scenes that are being shot out of order, or having someone point out a poignant moment in the dialogue that perhaps you didn’t catch in your studies, is essential.
What actors do you long to work with
I would love to work with William H. Macy
Why
I saw him doing an interview, and he said something that resonated with me. I’ll paraphrase, but it was something like, “If you are being true to your character and true to the story you are telling, then the emotion you need to express at any given moment will automatically be there.” He made me realize that you can’t force the emotion to fit the script. You have to find the emotion from the material you are presenting, and, if that emotion isn’t there, then it’s not there.
What advice would you give actors
Find another vocation!!! If you can’t imagine what that would be, then, by all means get thee to a theatre school, study, get your mind, body, and spirit prepared for a hell of a ride. Do not get into this business for the money or the fame, get into it because you LOVE the craft, because there is a strong chance that that love will be the only reward you get, and you have to be ok with that
Tell us how you work in the Breaking Bad ensemble
The same way I work on any ensemble. I try to be a team player, a model employee, and a decent human being. Acting is only a fraction of the job; being a person that people want to be around, hang out with, spend long days working with, and can tolerate is essential to life on any set.
Briefly describe your career
My last play was at STAGE WEST in Fort Worth, TX. It was called As Bees in Honey Drown- I played multiple characters. My last musical production was for Fort Worth Theatre- I was Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. Before I got the role of Skinny Pete, I was “Monkey John” in Comanche Moon, the prequel to Lonesome Dove. Prior to that I was “Herman Van Horne” in a CBS Movie of the Week called Walker Tx Ranger: Trial by Fire. I did a short scene in Season 2 of Prison Break as “Camper guy” from whom Tea-bag stole his ice chest to transport his severed hand. I also had a great role as a drag queen in an independent low-budget horror film called Fright Flick and a small role as a gas station attendant in a great little horror film called Splinter. While Breaking Bad was between seasons, I managed to book a few small roles on tv shows like The Good Guys, Chase, and an HBO original film called Temple Grandin. I was thrilled when an acquaintance of mine suddenly got a deal to direct his film, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. David Lowery asked me to screen test for “Bear” when I called him to
congratulate him on the news of his film being produced. Then I managed to get a role that Terrance Malick had originally intended to be two characters, but, I was told, after my 3rd audition, he decided to combine the two and name the new character, “Charlie”. Sadly, the credits in To The Wonder, say “Carpenter” but, I’m just thrilled to still be in the final cut. After Breaking Bad finished shooting its final season, I started getting to put some of those rarely used skills I mentioned earlier to work. My first television job after BrBa was as “Grey” in The Blacklist opposite James Spader. From there I went to TNT on a show called Murder in the First. I had a certain affinity for that particular role, Chris Walton, because of the nature of his story in relation to my goals as an actor, basically, cleaning up. Chris changed his life around on the show in the same way, metaphorically, that I want to change my character type- from scumbag to nice guy. That role felt like a great transition for me. I did play another low-life, in Wild, with Reese Witherspoon, but, I didn’t let that change my course. After Wild, and still in post-production are: Eleven Eleven, an hilarious sci-fi comedy written and directed by Chris Redish. This is my first lead role in a film and I’m very anxious for it’s release. You Can’t Win, a 1920’s biopic about a criminal Hobo named Jack Black, played by Michael Pitt- I play Freemont Older, the editor of the San Fransisco Times. AD Inexplorata is a beautifully written story about a one-manned, one-way mission to Mars, starring Mark Strong-I play Captain Frank Worsley. Then there’s August Falls, a mystery starring the incredibly talented Fairuza Balk- I play her love interest in the film. Abysm, a psychological thriller was the last film I worked on, until the end of this week, and it was my second time being the lead actor in a film. I’m as anxious for that to be released as I am Eleven Eleven, if only for the contrast that I hope will be evident in the characters that I play. This week I am shooting a small scene for a film called Neon Demon, starring Keanu Reeves, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive -2011). I play Mikey, and that’s all I’m willing or able to say about that. Lastly, later this year, I’ll be in the pilot episode of Colony, with Josh Holloway.
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