I had the pleasure of interviewing actor Patrick Kilpatrick. Patrick has appeared in over 170 hit films and TV shows largely as a villain — from Steven Spielberg’s MINORITY REPORT to James Cameron’s DARK ANGEL to 24 to PBS. He has a fascinating career appearing against Tom Cruise in ERASER, Chow Yun-Fat in REPLACEMENT KILLERS, Jean Claude Van Damme in DEATH WARRANT, Bruce Willis in LAST MAN STANDING, Steve Seagal in UNDER SIEGE II DARK TERRITORY, Naomi Watts, Pam Grier, Sean Connery — the list goes on and on. He also has written for nearly every magazine in New York. Now he has Vol. One of his memoir “Dying For Living: Sins & Confessions of a Hollywood Villain & Libertine Patriot”.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you share a story about what brought you to this particular career path?
Always been a writer — screenplays, journalism, advertising — in between high level acting jobs. I was always telling stories and I found my stories topped those telling theirs so I shut up and wrote a book. I also knew I had had a unique life with Hollywood behind the scenes at a high level for 170 action films and TV shows and an upbringing that was both privileged and marred by the mental illness of my mother and my own recklessness. I also wanted to entertain my fiancee so I wrote the draft and it got picked up by a monster literary agent.
Can you share the most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?
There are hundreds within the book but I think being hired by Steven Spielberg for MINORITY REPORT and not having to audition or even meet him was a True Hollywood Golden moment.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
During REPLACEMENT KILLERS I was being shot at by Chow Yun-Fat and I lost my balance and crashed backward and literally destroyed the whole set. It was a huge mistake but sure enough that’s the take director Antoine Fuqua used because it looked spectacular with lights crashing everywhere! I learned to keep rolling and figure it’s all not just good but awesome.
I also learned quickly that when you are hired to be a rapist in a film it’s unlikely the actress will want to go out with you even if she’s attracted to you at the start of the show. Same thing with being an alien in STAR TREK — the makeup!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
CATALYST — I play a pedophilic priest.
Vol. Two — Dying for Living: Sins and Confessions of a Hollywood Villain & Libertine Patriot — Showbiz/Wasted Talent in the Valley of Debacle.
Can you share the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
My bi-polar mother’s technicolor infidelity with my married baseball coach. Nothing like seeing your nude beautiful mother cavorting with the god-like man who exhorted you to higher aspirations of crab soccer during gym class.
What is the main empowering lesson you want your readers to take away after finishing your book?
Pray lol. Seriously, that all ‘negative events’ are actually God’s pivot of you to your higher purpose.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
So many. Hunter S. Thompson, Ken Kesey — literary prowess. General Patton, Winston Churchill — raw courage and boldness. Young Marlon Brando, Sir John Gielgud, Olivier, Meryl Streep, De Niro, Cate Blanchett — pure classical talent.
Which literature do you draw inspiration from? Why?
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — brilliant hyper fictional journalism.
Dispatches by Michael Herr and War by Sebastian Yunger — brilliant war reporting.
One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest — brilliant fiction.
Fall of Berlin by Anthony Beevor — brilliant history and documentary of unimaginable cataclysmic violent times.
How do you think your writing makes an impact in the world?
Ribald unbalanced behavior makes people laugh and relax while informing of a hidden world. A deeper understanding that craziness and craft lives around us all.
What advice would you give to someone considering becoming an author like you?
Work for a newspaper or magazine.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would ask that all people utilize renewable energy — we have the tech. It merely has to be deployed by individuals, society collectively and governments globally.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1) Get an extraordinary education. My parents provided that. I did and it served me well. It has allowed me to be a verbal actor who can elevate any script and performance and writer rather than wait tables Great insight into story telling as well..
2) Start toward your dreams when very young. I believe you can achieve anything if you start early enough. Bill Clinton is an example — wanted to be president very young.
3) Know that you deserve the best and act on it in any phase of your life. I’ve bought organic food my whole life and my health shows it.
4) Don’t drive with people drunk. I didn’t and I broke my back as a result in an accident. But then the accident was a ‘blessing’ — see the book to learn why that helped me do my own stunts in all those films and TV shows.
5) Don’t allow anyone to abuse you. I endured it at the hands of my mother till I was fourteen, far too long.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them 🙂
I’ll take Steven Spielberg though I’ve already worked with him on MINORITY REPORT. Or the head of NETFLIX development decisions. I have projects that are globally attractive and brilliantly developed.
Thank you, best respect and love, Patrick Kilpatrick
Actor Patrick Kilpatrick on what happens when you play the part of a Star Trek Alien was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.