Richard Hochman on his latest role playing ‘Alan’ in Bus Party to Hell

Richard Hochman has come a long way from playing the “douchey bully” on FOX sitcom Grounded for Life. We speak to the star of screens big and small about his latest film, the horror film Bus Party to Hell, which he guarantees audiences will walk out of smiling.

indieactivity: When did your acting career kick off?
Richard: I would say my professional debut was when I was 15 years old and I booked my first commercial for LA times. It was one of those commercials that used to be exclusive to movie theatres and came on before the trailers.

indieactivity: And why movies? What was it about movies that had you fixed on building a career around making them?
Richard: As a child and adolescent I was obsessed with movies and the characters in them. I wanted to be like the characters and the actor alike. Looking back, a lot of the movies helped shape my personality growing up. I wanted to be heroic when I saw Arnold movies, I wanted to be funny when I saw Ace Ventura, and meet girls when I watched Tom Cruise movies.

indieactivity: Most cite “Star Wars” as one of the films that spurred them towards a career in the industry. What film was it for you?
Richard: Man, I can’t say Star Wars too? I’ll pick two, because they were my favorite movies as a kid, and I’ve seen both with exaggeration probably 200 times. Terminator 2, and Jurassic Park. Those two films are examples of the apex of the movie theatre experience. You never forget the first time you saw those movies.

indieactivity: What was the first thing you appeared in?
Richard: My first TV role was on a one liner on the FOX sitcom, “Grounded For Life” where I had a douchey bully line. It was exciting.

indieactivity: And how do you think you’ve improved as an actor since?
Richard: Well, I learned HOW to act. As a child actor, you go off of a lot of instinct, without really knowing the nuances of film performance. As an adult, I trained, learned, studied more film and more actors, and also lived a lot of life which is the greatest tool an actor can have.

indieactivity: Is there a sequence in the latest movie, Bus Party to Hell, that you’re truly proud of, one you can genuinely step back from and say ‘wow, that looks great’?
Richard: There is! But I can’t tell you what it is because it’s a spoiler. You’ll just have to see the film

indieactivity: How did you get cast? Audition?
Richard: My childhood friend, and fellow actor growing up, and also co-star in the movie, Michael Forsch, was the casting director for the film. He gave me the chance to audition, and the producers and director liked my read to book me on the job.

indieactivity: Did you develop a backstory for your character – if even in your mind – before shooting?
Richard: A very extensive written one, yes. It really helped with certain scenes with how Alan would react in that moment. I didn’t have to consider, “how would he react?” I just knew, because I had a full bio on the guy in my head.

indieactivity: Where did you shoot the movie? Do you believe the city is as much a star of the movie as the human players?
Richard: We shot in Las Vegas on a sound stage and in the desert about 50 miles outside of Las Vegas. Location, location, location! It’s crucial, the right bus was incredibly important, and the backdrop of the desert, and really feeling as an audience that these kids are trapped and far away from home was essential to the storytelling.

indieactivity: What do you hope audiences get from the movie?
Richard: I hope they get a few jumps, a few laughs, and walk out with a smile on their face.)

indieactivity: What’s the dream project?
Richard: There’s so much I want to do. I want to do a character driven drama, an action film, a classic romance. As an actor it’s about the journey and discovery of these characters and finding them in yourself and hopefully yourself in them.