Up-and-Comer of the Month: Charlie Tahan on Channeling His Dark Side for “Super Dark Times”

The Orchard/Getty Images

Charlie Tahan is probably the best-known up-and-comer we’ve featured this year, if only because he’s been up-and-coming for 10 years.

Tahan got his start as a child actor in 2007’s I Am Legend before being cast as Zac Efron’s kid brother in Charlie St. Cloud and later, the voice of Victor Frankenstein in Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie. These days, you’d probably recognize him from his TV work on Wayward Pines, Ozark and Gotham, in which he plays Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow.

Tahan has a good thing going on the small screen right now, but it’s his work on the big screen in the indie thriller Super Dark Times that made me sit up in my seat and start emailing publicists. He plays Josh, a troubled teen involved in a gruesome accident that he covers up with his friends.

Tall and a bit lanky, with a mop of hair falling into his eyes, Tahan offers a certain combination of intensity and intelligence that makes him stand out onscreen while not calling attention to himself. I remember looking him up on IMDb this summer when I was about halfway through Ozark because his performance left me wondering, who the hell is that kid? He looks… familiar.

Well, he should, because I’ve seen nearly everything he’s done. He has worked with acclaimed indie filmmakers such as Woody Allen (Blue Jasmine), Ira Sachs (Love Is Strange) and Todd Solondz (Wiener-Dog), and has appeared in interesting indies such as Blood Ties, The Harvest and Life of Crime. I think it’s a safe bet you’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the coming years.

What sparked your passion for acting?
My dad is a big movie buff, so I watched a lot of movies growing up, and I always liked dressing up as a kid. We had friends whose kids were in the business, so I decided to try it for fun one summer, and it kind of grew from there.

So what was your big break back in the day, I Am Legend?
Yeah, that was the first big movie I did that took a big chunk of time to film.

Were you thinking of acting as a potential career back then, or was it just something to do for fun?
I started acting when I was five years old and back then, I think I was just having fun. I’m still having fun. I’ve thought for awhile, and still do, that this is what I want to do with my life. I didn’t really like school when I first started going to school. I was in the fourth or fifth grade during I Am Legend, so I was around eight years old when I started getting a little more serious about it.

What were your first impressions upon reading Ben and Luke’s script?
I know that it’s not at all what it turned out to be. When I read a script, I usually take away something totally different than what was meant. It just wasn’t boring. I didn’t know how to label it at first, and I liked the character. When they were casting, they sort of let me choose between reading Zach and Josh, and I thought Josh was an interesting character, and different. And I thought it was funny, which was important to me.

So when you first read the script, you had the choice between playing Zach or Josh?
No, they were open calls. When I got the script, they didn’t say “you’re reading for this specific character.” Both leads were open, but I think Max Talisman, who plays Daryl, was already cast.

Why do you think your character snaps at the end and does what he does?
I think I have my own reason that I connect to my life, but I’m kind of hesitant to say it. I don’t know what would’ve happened or how far my character would’ve gone if someone else hadn’t shown up at the end to stop him. The most fun part about playing this character was that it’s a really slow build that comes together in the end. It’s the type of movie where you can watch it and there’s a lot of little details and stuff, and I think everyone should come up with their own explanation for what happens. The two main characters are played by me (Josh) and Owen Campbell (Zach), and I think it’s told from his point of view, but my character has a bigger arc. He’s the antagonist, but you don’t really see what happens to him, because he’s missing from school for a couple days. You see how Zach deals with it, but you feel what’s going on with Josh without actually seeing it, which I think Kevin [Phillips, the director] handled really well.

The Orchard

You’ve worked with some of the biggest directors in Hollywood, such as Tim Burton, Woody Allen and M. Night Shyamalan, but this is Kevin’s directorial debut. What did you like about his approach?
He just creates a really cool, fun environment. It felt like everyone on the crew was very close. A lot of them went to school together at Savannah College of Art and Design, so I felt like I was walking into a circle of friends that already existed. I think Kevin is my favorite director that I’ve worked with, by far. He just listens to everyone. He’s younger than a lot of directors I’ve worked with, so maybe it’s because we’re a little closer in age and have some of the same references and like the same video games. It’s just important for me to be comfortable and to be able to be friends with the director in order to do good work.

The trailer for this film references Mean Creek and Donnie Darko. Were there any other films that Super Dark Times brought to mind for you, or that Kevin asked you to watch beforehand, or had you watch with the rest of the cast and crew?
No, it wasn’t really like that. Kevin sent me some songs and photographs. Usually when you get a script for an independent film like this, there’s a look-book, which is basically like a slideshow to mostly pitch to investors, but it kind of helped me a lot with my character. I don’t think Kevin knows this or meant for it to be that way, but there’s a page for my character and a picture of this kid, and for whatever reason that picture taught me a lot.

Super Dark Times is a festival hit, so is there anything you really like about the festival experience?
I haven’t been to a lot of festivals. I mean, I went to Tribeca for this, but I live in New Jersey, so I haven’t done a lot of traveling for this yet. I’m going to Fantastic Fest for the first time in a few days, and looking forward to it. I’m excited to see all my friends. We still talk a lot, there’s a group chat with everyone. I talk to Max and Kevin a lot, but I talk to everyone a lot really. I spoke to Ben Frost the other day. My older brother was a big fan of his music for years. His score is beautiful, and a bunch of his albums are amazing.

Are there any actors you admire, or whose career you’d like to emulate?
Not really. Like everyone, I watch stuff and get lost in a YouTube hole, and have a person I sort of stalk once in a while, but it’s kind of always changing. The type of acting I’m interested in right now would be actors who start either as comedians, or who fall into getting typecast in comedic roles, and then you see them in something a little more serious. [I’m impressed] when you can still recognize them as that person and believe it when they’re doing something darker. For example, the Psycho remake with Vince Vaughn. I thought he was sick in that, and I also love John C. Reilly. I think Joaquin Phoenix is great, too.

What’s been the biggest pinch-me moment of your career so far?
It was really surreal getting to work with Tim Burton, just because I’d been a fan of his for so long, so that kind of felt unreal.

What gets you out of the house and into a movie theater these days?
Almost nothing. I love going to the movies, but the last one I saw was probably The Lost City of Z.

What do you like watching on TV these days? I loved your Netflix show Ozark this summer…
I’m not a huge binge-watcher, so I’m pretty behind. I’ve never watched Game of Thrones. I watched Breaking Bad when that was going on. I like to watch a lot of silly stuff like The Eric Andre Show and this great show on Comedy Central called Nathan for You.

You’re represented by Paradigm, but I noticed you don’t have a manager — not that every actor does. But why don’t you?
I have no idea, but I feel fine.

What’s next for you? And are you coming back for Season 2 of Ozark?
I went back and did a few episodes of Gotham, where I play the Scarecrow. I’m terrible, I have no idea when Season 4 starts, but it’s soon… and no, I definitely can’t say anything about it. [Editor’s Note: Gotham is already back on Fox.] And yes, Ozark got renewed, so I should be going back to shoot that in late November.

You also have a Nicole Holofcener film on the horizon, The Land of Steady Habits. What can you tell us about that one?
The movie’s about a recently divorced guy in his 50s played by Ben Mendelsohn, and it’s kind of about him going through a hard time. His son in the movie struggles with addiction, and there’s something appealing about me to his character. The movie is filled with people trying to act like adults and get their shit together, and I’m the one who’s so young and stupid and idealistic and free. I’m the one who’s like, ‘I don’t give a shit!’ He wants to believe the same thing, but then reality sinks in.

Had you ever worked with a female director before on a feature?
I don’t know. There was a woman who worked on Frankenweenie, a producer, who was super involved with me. Her name’s Allison Abbate, and she was almost like a co-director on that film.

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Do you harbor any aspirations to write or direct?
I don’t have any serious aspirations to do much else in the business. I really have no idea. There’s no goal in mind, so who knows?

Last question: Are there any practical uses for a samurai sword, or is having one around the house just a bad idea in general?
Practical uses? Murder.

 Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief