And military-wise, I did a movie called 13 Hours that Michael Bay directed that we told the story of what happened to a group of soldiers, well, actually retired soldiers who were working for the CIA in Benghazi, Libya, and an attack on their compound on the anniversary of 9-11 back in 2012. And I played a real-life hero named John Tigan, known as Tig. I’m currently on a show called Dexter Resurrection in which I play an NYPD detective and yeah, I’m happy to be here.

Matt: So I, you know, I guess been an actor, we’re working, you know, in the industry for the past 20 years and been on shows, I guess notable ones were Kyle XY in the early days and Baby Daddy, but I came to Sheepdog in the beginning when Stephen presented this project to me as an opportunity to go out on the road and uncover the truth about the plight of our military veterans.

And so over the past, well, now 15 years, it’s been a real mission to, you know, try and do some good or like put this film out into the world and share the stories from so many of the stories that have been shared with us and try and like, yeah, maybe change some lives with this project.

How did you first become involved with Sheepdog?And then how was your character first described or pitched to you?

Matt:  So, when Stephen came to me, you know, he had this experience with a tow truck driver where he’d spent three hours in the car with him and this driver had opened up about his experience, you know, coming home and sort of all the demons that he had been battling. And you know, by the end of that trip, Stephen had realized that there had probably be a lot more men and women out in our country that were living the same experience.

And he wanted to really uncover that truth. And at the time, him and I were shooting a movie together. And he asked me to go on the road with him.

He said, I don’t I don’t know for sure that it’s going to be a screenplay or that it’s going to be a movie. But if it is, I think you should play my best friend in the film. But you the caveat is you have to go on the road with me and, you know, sit and experience and experience it for yourself and sit face to face with the men and women and have them share their stories with us.

So we did. And then, you know, over the 15 years, we had the story changed several times and even shifted focus. And but, yeah, it has become a real sort of sort of mission.

But it’s become, you know, life changing for both me and Stephen. And I think sort of anybody that this movie has touched, I think it certainly will have lasting effects. And as far as the character.

Yeah, I mean, it’s been really special to have the opportunity to be a part of the project from the beginning. So to see, you know, even my character develop an agent, even through like the different versions of the script, the parts that never made it. And there were, you know, combat scenes originally in this screenplay.

And even though those never made it to camera, they certainly informed the character and his journey and sort of his backstory. So it’s been a very definitely special experience as far as filmmaking is concerned. Awesome.

Dominic: I came into the project. I got an offer to play Cocho and I got on a Zoom right away with Stephen and we hit it off right away.

And we had several subsequent meetings, just getting to know each other and going over the script. And I was just thrilled to be a part of the story. As Matt has said, you know, it’s it’s such an important story about our military.

And I love what I really, really love is it. It’s because there are no combat scenes, it really digs into what it’s like to come back from combat, to come back from overseas and what are what the men and women of our military are dealing with. And it’s an important story.

It’s a story for everyone. But I love that we get to honor our military with this movie. Yeah.

How do you relate to your character? Or in ways that you don’t, which characteristics of theirs do you wish that you have personally?

Dominic: I’ll just say, I really relate to the relationship that Cocho and Calvin have. And the sort of big brother, little brother thing going on. You know, the love he has for Stephen’s character is on the page.

And then I developed a love for Stephen. Working with him, you know, we became good friends through this process. And that’s one thing I really, I really admire and love about my character.

I played a lot of sports. I did not really play that much hockey. And I’m playing a hockey coach.

So that’s a little different. I knew more about hockey. But I do know how to skate.

I’m from Wisconsin. So I definitely know how to skate. Anyway, I just love how much care he has for Stephen’s character.

And, you know, that he stays with it. And that’s what the movie is about, you know, checking in and being that person, someone who can serve as a sounding board or, you know, support, part of the support community that our veterans need when they come back. Cocho does a really good job of checking in and following through.

It’s you got to check in and then it’s not just a one-off. You’ve got to keep checking in. And that’s a great message, I think.

Matt: Yeah, I think I’d say like, similar to Dominic saying, I think, you know, something that I really love about Daryl is that he really does lead with love. And that’s like, everything he does is out of his care for everybody else around him. And I think that that it’s like that really shines through, I think, in all of the characters in this film is they all really do lead with love and compassion.

And, you know, what I admired about Daryl was, you know, his bravery and his and also, yeah, very much his his ability to put, you know, like everybody else around him first and to try and just bring joy to people’s lives. Awesome. Thank you, guys.

Dominic and Matt: Well, Matt and I do not get along, so awful. They had to keep us separated. Matt, Matt, Matt is such a great guy.

I am so lucky to have met these these these actors and the crew and everybody. I mean, it was such a really positive experience. We we all bonded in Western Mass together in the in the cold of the of the winter up there a couple of years ago now.

And yeah, no, these guys, everybody on this set was fantastic. And of course, very talented. I mean, Matt is a brilliant actor.

Stephen’s a brilliant actor. I didn’t get to direct work directly with Vandy and some of the others, but I just have tremendous respect for this entire cast. It’s a great, great group of people.

It really is like everybody’s I mean, aside from just like the passion that everybody showed up with every day, because I think that this project meant so much more than just another job for so many of us on this, working on this. So there was so much passion and everybody really showed up every day with their A-game. So it really was everybody sort of like you had no choice but to like to step up.

But everybody really did elevate everybody else’s performance. And there was such support and care and love among the whole entire casting crew. So, it definitely was a lightning in a bottle experience that, you know, we captured all this and in such little time, you know, but everybody came in.

It was fast and furious, but it really was a magic and a synergy that you could feel every morning when you stepped on set. For sure. Awesome.

Matt and Dominic: What are you watching, Dominic, Dexter? I’m not, I’m not, I’m terrible at this because I have a habit of going back and watching old things, not new things. That’s a good thing. I live in a world in which, you know, like literally two nights ago, my son and I watched Taxi Driver.

I mean, I just go back to the classics all the time. As far as new stuff, um, uh, we did like The Diplomat. Um, I haven’t seen Severance yet, but I really want to see Severance.

So good. Is it good? It’s so good. Yeah.

I’ve heard it’s incredible. Um, yeah. Uh, yeah, but I’m not, I’m not, you know, my daughter knows, my daughter’s 22 and she knows everything about everything.

So like, I’ll say, do you know this actor? Do you know this show? And of course she does. And I don’t know. I literally know so little.

Um, but I’m trying, I’m trying. I really am. I would, I, you know, I feel like in some ways I should have been born in the, I don’t know, maybe born in the forties or something.

My highlight, my best, my favorite films are from like the sixties and seventies. What can I say? That’s great though. Yeah.

I’ve got, you know, well, middle schoolers in my house. So there’s been a lot of, a lot of Stranger Things lately, you know, definitely on the Stranger Things, uh, train right now. Um, but I’ve been watching some great films.

I watched Twin Lists the other night, which was a really powerful film. Um, I did love, I did, sorry to interrupt Matt. I, uh, uh, one, one battle after another, am I getting the title right? Yeah, that’s it.

That’s incredible. That’s one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. So I will say that.

Okay. I’m current. I like that one.

That’s yeah. Anyway. Awesome.

All right. That brings us to the end of those questions for TV grapevine. Um, now we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.