December 12, 2025 • 20 mins
A group of troubled teenage boys are kidnapped from their homes and taken deep into the unforgiving Utah desert, where they are forced into a brutal and secretive "Wilderness Therapy" program. With no contact with the outside world, their only way home is to earn the approval of the enigmatic program director-whose motives are far from therapeutic. As the line between rehabilitation and manipulation blurs, the boys must decide whether to survive the program or escape it.THE WILDERNESS is written and directed by Spencer King (Nickels, Time Now) and produced by Emmy-winning actor Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") alongside Academy Award-nominee Amy Berg (It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley).Here's the trailer:Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_IEFPnFGAc
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Since twenty sixteen, we've had this great opportunity to share
conversations with those that have been featured on NBC's The Voice.
But where can we get them all in one place?
Very easy? Arro dot net a r r Oe dot Net.
It's under that voice. Enjoy the exploration.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hunter. I'm telling you what, I'm.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Very amazed by what you're doing here because, you know,
when I think that's one of the survival skills is
one of the weakest things that we've got in this
modern day generation. And I don't want to blame it
on my mom and dad for being so tough, and
we all just want to lighten up. But what's going
on here that it's like we need someone like you
in order to get us back in gear.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Dude, someone like me.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
I don't know about that, but I'm really grateful to
be a part of this film.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I think it's really important.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well to be in Utah. You're showcasing a side of
Utah that blows me away because I'm from Montana originally
and Utah is nowhere near being Montana.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
But the beauty is stunning.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
It is stunning. Yeah, that was the thing about this film.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
You know, our director and writer Spencer King talked a
lot about this, trying to you know, we have this
beautiful landscape and then in this film it's almost like
its own character. It's like being in a prison without
walls and you look around and it's you know.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Breath takingly beautiful.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
But when you're trapped out there, it takes on a
whole different sort of you know, personality.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Really, when you.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Use a word like trapped, I just know how I
react when things get a little skimpy for me, and
it's like, what was that feeling like and how did
you keep your emotions under control.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
It was a lot of checking in with Spencer about
you know, his real life experience and doing research about
you know, other kids are sitting out there. I guess
I should say that this film starts off with my
character Ed being ripped out of bed in the middle
of the night, blindfolded and driven out to the desert.
And once he's there, he realizes he's been sent to
(02:01):
a wilderness therapy program and that's just one type of
program that kind of falls under the troubled.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Teen industry, and yeah, he really is just stuck out there.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
But you know, that's one of the one of the
first like beats of the film once he's out there
is him trying to run away and quickly realizing that
it's kind of futile, like there's there is nowhere to
go if you're out in the middle of the desert there.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
But see that that's what I This goes all the
way back to the original thing when I was saying
that we need someone like you, because I mean, I
realized what happens in the movie and that it is
a movie. But the thing is is that it's still
living vicariously through you and your survival in it teaches
people how to become strong in their own journeys, even
if it's just to happen. Oh I'm having a crappy
day at work today. Well, you know what what did
Hunter do in this? What did he do in order
(02:47):
to survive?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You know what I mean? It really gets inside the mindset.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Yeah, and you know it's tricky because some of these
skills that you would learn out there are definitely useful
and this could be, you know, a beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
But you know, when you're dealing.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
With and you know, these real life camps, when you're
dealing with kids for a private organization, that's for profit.
It just lends itself to sometimes people taking advantage of
that power. And I think, you know, it really becomes
a story of the friendship of the other kids there.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's how he kind of survives and gets through.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yeah, because, yeah, that relationship that you've got to have
with other people. It's not we're not in the business
of me anymore. We've got to start teaming up together.
And I think that's what I felt the most here,
is like, Okay, if we don't team up, we're going
to crash. And I don't want to be that guy
that's going to get accused of being, you know, the
crash maker, and so and so. I mean that's the
subliminal message of sorts that runs, you know, very strong through.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
This absolutely and.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
The connections that some of these kids make is really
powerful and beautiful. And you know, one of the details
Spencer was telling me when he was really there that
kind of broke my heart was that they would try
to stay in touch with each other and one of
them was going to leave one of these camps and
like write down each other's phone numbers or names or something.
And the counselors didn't want that, and they would like
(04:17):
rip the pages from their notebook and didn't want these
people to have that sort of community. And you learn
why in this film that specifically at this camp, they
didn't want these survivors talking to each other.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Who That would blow me away because I'm one of
those I'm a community driven person. So I mean, I've
got to have my people stuff and so, like, you know,
I think one of the things that turned my world
upside down is when you guys had that don't talk
athon where you can't speak to each other. I'm a
radio guy. I gotta talk, man, I gotta let it out.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah. No, I'm the same way.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Can you imagine what would you do in order to
create that conversation? Would you pick up a writing instrument
and develop a relationship with that?
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Yeah, And you know a lot of these survivors have
done that and found built this beautiful community online.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
And if we've.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Partnered with this great organization Unsilenced, and they're doing such
good work with advocacy and connecting survivors and letting them
tell their stories and you know, trying to create change
and just bring awareness about this as well.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
How is it that you're able to step into these
roles that you do and we are so drawn into
the character. I mean, I mean, what does it take
maybe maybe twenty two seconds or so for me to say, oh,
I know who this is and then all of a
sudden it's like it doesn't matter because I'm getting into
his character. I now know who he is because this
is who he's playing.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
I've been really lucky just to work with some amazing
creatives and like the writers. I mean, Spencer's story is
so great, and you know, any of these projects I've
gotten to do that I feel like, really draw you in.
Whether it's The Wilderness or Wednesday or your Honor, it
all comes, like, you know, starts at that script level.
(06:07):
And that's something that really draws me in. Something that
has like just an undeniable story from the get go,
which I think this movie has.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
With modern day acting, do you look at it as
being I'm going to envision this role or is this
going to be a mind over matter? In other words,
it's like you you know what the party is and
I'm so used to having directors with voiceover acting that
who is it? What's her name? How long has she
been around? How many kids does she have? I mean
is that. That's what I mean by you know, going
through the matt you know, the motions of Okay, this
(06:37):
is who I have to portray in this or is
it something you envision and become.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Uh No, It's kind of about for me.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Figuring out the backstory and really where they are emotionally.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
And you know, when you kind of learn about.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
My characters that he's struggling with addiction and that kind
of stem from a really messed up relationship he had
with his father, who we find out in the film
has died, and so understanding that you know, this is
like a kid coming with that backstory in mind.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
And then you know, in this film.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
We get to see some of the story played out
in flashbacks that really just informed so much of it
for me.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
You know what's so odd Hunter is the fact that
you know, we keep talking about kids or young adults,
and nowhere in this movie do I feel that I
feel like that that you're I guess maybe it's that
you know that you're doing adult things. It's the adult stress.
It's the adult this that I don't see any age
at all, which is the reason why this movie is
for everybody.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Yeah, exactly, I mean they are really kind of forced
to be in this situation that, like you said, like
you wouldn't expect a kid to have to be out,
and he wouldn't want to see a kid out, and.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So no, no, no, what I think one of the
toughest things would be that you had no cond world.
I mean, you're talking about having an addiction and you
can't have contact with anybody in the outside world. That's
enough to turn your your senses crazy.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, so my coach starts to go through withdrawal as
soon as he's out there, and there's yeah, no contacts
with your parents or anyone. As soon as you're out there,
you are totally reliant on the counselors and then the
other kids in these camps.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Now creating with Aaron Paula, that's one of those things
where I would be walking up there with a yellow
chaplain just endlessly taking notes. Were you something like that
in the way of let's like, okay, just input, input,
let me know what you know so that we can grow.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
I'm such a huge Aaron paul fan, you know, a
huge breaking Bat fan. I got to work with Brian
really closely on that Show Your Honor, And then when
I got this call Aaron was producing it. I was
so excited and he was, you know, obviously so instrumental
and get this movie made.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
And you know, he says, such, he's really good taste.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
And so that was you know, trying to you know,
mind that and pick up on learn as much as
I can.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
You know, do you know how powerful your role was
with your honor?
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I mean seriously, I mean, because your presence on that
show is really it because instantly, I mean, it doesn't
take long at all for us to have some sort
of compassion or empathy for that character, because because we
see it, it's laid out, it's not a mystery.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Now go for it.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And then and then Brian comes into the picture and
all of a sudden, now we've got to put things
together here. So I mean that that was so heavy,
but yet so impacting.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
So heavy, I mean, I just loved being part of
that show, and I loved that question that was at
the center of it, just what would you do to
protect your kid? And I think that's why it really
struck a nerve with people. I think, you know a
lot of just you know, everyday people were just like, oh, yeah,
I guess I would I could envision myself doing some
(10:02):
you know, maybe even horrible things if it meant that's
why I do to save my son's life.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Please do not move. There's more with actor Hunter Duhon
coming up next the name of the movie The Wilderness.
We are back with actor Hunter Douhon. So during this
movie The Wilderness, my question would be that one of
the things that always captivates my attention is the pacing
of the acting. In other words, don't race through it.
(10:29):
And I don't know if it's because everybody seems to
be talking so quickly today that a movie like this,
it's like, thank God, you're really giving me enough space
to hear what you're saying, react to what you're saying,
and then get deeper into the storyline. So how important
was pacing.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Really important?
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Especially because you know, when my character first gets out there,
I the only thing I have control over, I think
in the moment is to just not give in and
not you know, these kind of like bs conversations they're
trying to.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Have with me. So my character goes totally silent for the.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Beginning of the film once he's out there, except for
my character the flashbacks and so you know, there was
a lot of story to be told with no words
at all, and you can see that through like him
taking action, like he tries to run away as soon
as he's out there and realizes that there's no hope
in that because he's truly you know, in the middle
of nowhere. And yeah, so it's really about having a
(11:30):
complete understanding of you know, every single thought racing through
my character Ed's mind.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Well, one of the things that you've mastered, and you
definitely do it inside the Wilderness, is that your facial
expressions and your body language, you allow those to be
a part of acting. It's not just you know, a
pitch volume in tone with your vocal cords. I mean,
you bring your entire self into it. Is that tough
to do?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Thank you?
Speaker 4 (11:55):
First of all? Yeah, I mean it definitely is harder
to tell a story when you don't have just you know,
the line telling you exactly what's going on. But that's
why I love movies like this, you know, just like
in a real, true, like indie film that respects the
audience and knows that the audience is smart and can
(12:16):
keep up and can fill in the gaps and just
you know, let it, you know, let it visually wash
over them and you can see everything that's going on.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
So why doesn't it feel like an indie film? I mean,
did you guys take your time? Because usually it's like
get it in, get it out, let's move on, and
and and it's like it's like okay, So but I
don't I don't get that vibe at all that it's
an indie film.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I was kind of shocked.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Oh, thanks, I think it was.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
You know, I was surrounded by amazing actors around me,
like Lamar Johnson plays the other main guy in the film,
and you know, we were together on your Honor and
he was in the Last of Us, and then you know,
so many other actors, Aaron Holliday, Sam Dieger, all so good.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
In this film.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
And then I think being out in Utah and having
this amazing landscape and it's like we didn't have to
rely on you know, CGI or any like big budget
things like that. We were using the like natural beauty
and isolation of the real world out there.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
So now, with everything that you've learned and brought to
entertainment and in films and things, I mean, when you
step into Utah, does your creative eye start looking at
the lay of the land to make sure that the
continuity director got it right. Because I mean, when you
I mean you're in Utah, how do you I mean,
because there are so many different areas where you could
have made a shot.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Well, our director and cinematographer did such a good job
of mapping the story out, and there's so many different
types of landscapes like you're talking about, and they kind
of mapped out all of these locations that you know,
we went from the red dirt to the white rock
to the forest to the grasslands by the end of
(13:57):
the film, and I think it and gave it a
nice visual arc and it helps, you know, not be
mundane and but also kind of shows you, just, like
quite how much terrain that these kids are being forced
to cover every day too.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yeah, because I mean we were naturally thinking, you know,
when it comes to wilderness, you know, the mountains or
or someplace that's going to be on the edge, you know,
you know, going into canyons and stuff. But you never
think of what's going on in Utah. So, like you said,
the terrain is different. I mean, I can't imagine you know,
what the challenges were and did you get out there
and hike in order to get you know, to make
sure that you got the breathing down of all things.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, and we were carrying those backpacks that kind of
doesn't naturally. But then we did one night out camping
trip with all the boys that are in the camp
in the movie and our director and this kind of
wilderness expert, and he like, we slept out under this
cave and hiked down into this huge ravine and he
(14:57):
showed us how to make a fire, like because in
this film, one of the things you see is that
these kids are like not even allowed to eat a
hot meal unless they can make the fire themselves. And
so we had to learn how to do that with
a spindle and everything, which is just insane.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
But you but I got to tell you something, though, Hunter.
I mean, I'm out here in the wilderness right now
in Carolina on a rainy day that's going to be
twenty six tonight. I still don't know how to start
a fire. So I mean it's like I've got a
dura logue that's waiting for me. Okay, I mean that's
how I start a fire.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
No, trust me, I got a match in a gas fireplace.
How I sort of.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So, now, what did you personally learn from this? Because
when you throw yourself into a role like this, you
are a student and there's no way that you didn't
walk out of here saying it's just a job.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
No, it's not a job.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
No, Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
I learned so much because I also got to produce
this film and so getting on to be a part
of something from you know, script through the final edit.
I mean, I learned just so much about storytelling and acting,
and you know I learned also none of it's personal.
I was there in the editing room when they had
to cut some of my stuff out and they're like, oh, okay,
(16:16):
actually this is just to serve the story, whereas I've
definitely been an actor waiting to see a scene and
it just doesn't play on the TV show and you're like, oh,
I wonder what I did wrong there?
Speaker 1 (16:25):
So now how do you deal with that situation? Because
as a producer erro, the guy that's doing the conversation
is not the same guy who's gonna do all the editing.
So I have to do what's called fermanting. I have
to have a total disconnection before I go in there
and edit what do you do.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
But yeah, by the time when we got in the edit,
it felt, you know, I felt some distance from it,
and it did just become a thing of trying to
be as objective as possible and watching two versions and going, oh,
that makes more sense, or we don't need that line,
or you know, this scene we already we already see
that emotion playing out in the scene before.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
We don't need to repeat that that kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
Yeah, and you got to get over any sort of
vanity of watching yourself back.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Well, listeners need to understand how close to the community
that you really are, because when it comes to Als,
your foot is in that circle one hundred percent. And
I can't thank you enough for being that person that
is still you know, you know, put it out there
for us in this age where there's so much content.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Yeah, I do feel passionate about that.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I lost my dad to ALS a few years ago,
and so I definitely am passionate about that. And you know,
not that that necessarily is tied into the film, but
you know, that was something Spencer and I connected on
early on, as we both lost our dads at an
early age, and my character in the Wilderness has lost
(17:52):
his dad, and so that was you know, my kind
of like away in emotionally, and I never dealt with a.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Character that it was, so, you know, dealing with.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
That so specifically, I found that really like healing, to
be honest, just to talk about it. I think, you know,
you lose people and it suddenly becomes uncomfortable to talk about,
but getting to talk about people that you love and
live lost is nice.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Well see, and we don't do enough of that talking
because I lost my father at sixteen and so when
people say, so, so what are you doing now and
as an adult, what did your father have something? No,
and you feel so guilty. It's like, I don't have
any answers for you. You know, he was young, So
I mean, how do you deal with situations like that
where it's like, I mean, you're you're now in an
adult shoes and you're growing forward.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, I don't know, it's I think it's I mean,
like you said, it's just I'm.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Trying to, even in my personal life, shake off that.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Oh I don't want to make someone uncomfortable by bringing
this up, but.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
It's nice to just talk about it and remember him.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yeah, exactly, exactly due this movie I'm telling you people
are going to see it because they want that escape.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
But more importantly, it is real.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Utah and CBS Sunday Morning just did a big thing
on AI technology, and man, I'm telling you you are
not going to be featured on that episode because you
are so authentic with this movie.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah, no, no AI in this film.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
This is we're truly out in the desert for four weeks.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I mean, it's just unpredictable out there. I'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Our first day of shooting is we got this monsoon
that came out of nowhere. All of our trucks got
stuck in the red mud. We had to shut down
the next day, and you know, we're out there.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
We only got four weeks. Indie film, you lose a
day of shooting.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
All of us were stressed, and then you know, we
just got back up and really learned to be resilient.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
And I got to shout out our crew.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
They were absolutely amazing on this movie and really got
us through it.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Well, dude, you got to come back to this show
any time in the future, because man, you're you're just
getting started when it comes to all this acting. I mean,
it's just amazing to watch you how you're popping out
of that seed to become a flower.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Oh, thank you so much er. That means a lot.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
I feel really really lucky to be able to get
to do this.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Excellent. Will you be brilliant today?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Okay, sir, you too, Thank you. Thank you looking the rain, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Right, and keep it down by you? No, thank you, Bi,
thank you
Since twenty sixteen, we've had this great opportunity to share
conversations with those that have been featured on NBC's The Voice.
But where can we get them all in one place?
Very easy? Arro dot net a r r Oe dot Net.
It's under that voice. Enjoy the exploration.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hunter. I'm telling you what, I'm.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Very amazed by what you're doing here because, you know,
when I think that's one of the survival skills is
one of the weakest things that we've got in this
modern day generation. And I don't want to blame it
on my mom and dad for being so tough, and
we all just want to lighten up. But what's going
on here that it's like we need someone like you
in order to get us back in gear.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Dude, someone like me.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
I don't know about that, but I'm really grateful to
be a part of this film.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I think it's really important.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well to be in Utah. You're showcasing a side of
Utah that blows me away because I'm from Montana originally
and Utah is nowhere near being Montana.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
But the beauty is stunning.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
It is stunning. Yeah, that was the thing about this film.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
You know, our director and writer Spencer King talked a
lot about this, trying to you know, we have this
beautiful landscape and then in this film it's almost like
its own character. It's like being in a prison without
walls and you look around and it's you know.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Breath takingly beautiful.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
But when you're trapped out there, it takes on a
whole different sort of you know, personality.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Really, when you.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Use a word like trapped, I just know how I
react when things get a little skimpy for me, and
it's like, what was that feeling like and how did
you keep your emotions under control.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
It was a lot of checking in with Spencer about
you know, his real life experience and doing research about
you know, other kids are sitting out there. I guess
I should say that this film starts off with my
character Ed being ripped out of bed in the middle
of the night, blindfolded and driven out to the desert.
And once he's there, he realizes he's been sent to
(02:01):
a wilderness therapy program and that's just one type of
program that kind of falls under the troubled.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Teen industry, and yeah, he really is just stuck out there.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
But you know, that's one of the one of the
first like beats of the film once he's out there
is him trying to run away and quickly realizing that
it's kind of futile, like there's there is nowhere to
go if you're out in the middle of the desert there.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
But see that that's what I This goes all the
way back to the original thing when I was saying
that we need someone like you, because I mean, I
realized what happens in the movie and that it is
a movie. But the thing is is that it's still
living vicariously through you and your survival in it teaches
people how to become strong in their own journeys, even
if it's just to happen. Oh I'm having a crappy
day at work today. Well, you know what what did
Hunter do in this? What did he do in order
(02:47):
to survive?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You know what I mean? It really gets inside the mindset.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Yeah, and you know it's tricky because some of these
skills that you would learn out there are definitely useful
and this could be, you know, a beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
But you know, when you're dealing.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
With and you know, these real life camps, when you're
dealing with kids for a private organization, that's for profit.
It just lends itself to sometimes people taking advantage of
that power. And I think, you know, it really becomes
a story of the friendship of the other kids there.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's how he kind of survives and gets through.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yeah, because, yeah, that relationship that you've got to have
with other people. It's not we're not in the business
of me anymore. We've got to start teaming up together.
And I think that's what I felt the most here,
is like, Okay, if we don't team up, we're going
to crash. And I don't want to be that guy
that's going to get accused of being, you know, the
crash maker, and so and so. I mean that's the
subliminal message of sorts that runs, you know, very strong through.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
This absolutely and.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
The connections that some of these kids make is really
powerful and beautiful. And you know, one of the details
Spencer was telling me when he was really there that
kind of broke my heart was that they would try
to stay in touch with each other and one of
them was going to leave one of these camps and
like write down each other's phone numbers or names or something.
And the counselors didn't want that, and they would like
(04:17):
rip the pages from their notebook and didn't want these
people to have that sort of community. And you learn
why in this film that specifically at this camp, they
didn't want these survivors talking to each other.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Who That would blow me away because I'm one of
those I'm a community driven person. So I mean, I've
got to have my people stuff and so, like, you know,
I think one of the things that turned my world
upside down is when you guys had that don't talk
athon where you can't speak to each other. I'm a
radio guy. I gotta talk, man, I gotta let it out.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah. No, I'm the same way.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Can you imagine what would you do in order to
create that conversation? Would you pick up a writing instrument
and develop a relationship with that?
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Yeah, And you know a lot of these survivors have
done that and found built this beautiful community online.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
And if we've.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Partnered with this great organization Unsilenced, and they're doing such
good work with advocacy and connecting survivors and letting them
tell their stories and you know, trying to create change
and just bring awareness about this as well.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
How is it that you're able to step into these
roles that you do and we are so drawn into
the character. I mean, I mean, what does it take
maybe maybe twenty two seconds or so for me to say, oh,
I know who this is and then all of a
sudden it's like it doesn't matter because I'm getting into
his character. I now know who he is because this
is who he's playing.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
I've been really lucky just to work with some amazing
creatives and like the writers. I mean, Spencer's story is
so great, and you know, any of these projects I've
gotten to do that I feel like, really draw you in.
Whether it's The Wilderness or Wednesday or your Honor, it
all comes, like, you know, starts at that script level.
(06:07):
And that's something that really draws me in. Something that
has like just an undeniable story from the get go,
which I think this movie has.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
With modern day acting, do you look at it as
being I'm going to envision this role or is this
going to be a mind over matter? In other words,
it's like you you know what the party is and
I'm so used to having directors with voiceover acting that
who is it? What's her name? How long has she
been around? How many kids does she have? I mean
is that. That's what I mean by you know, going
through the matt you know, the motions of Okay, this
(06:37):
is who I have to portray in this or is
it something you envision and become.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Uh No, It's kind of about for me.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Figuring out the backstory and really where they are emotionally.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
And you know, when you kind of learn about.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
My characters that he's struggling with addiction and that kind
of stem from a really messed up relationship he had
with his father, who we find out in the film
has died, and so understanding that you know, this is
like a kid coming with that backstory in mind.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
And then you know, in this film.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
We get to see some of the story played out
in flashbacks that really just informed so much of it
for me.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
You know what's so odd Hunter is the fact that
you know, we keep talking about kids or young adults,
and nowhere in this movie do I feel that I
feel like that that you're I guess maybe it's that
you know that you're doing adult things. It's the adult stress.
It's the adult this that I don't see any age
at all, which is the reason why this movie is
for everybody.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Yeah, exactly, I mean they are really kind of forced
to be in this situation that, like you said, like
you wouldn't expect a kid to have to be out,
and he wouldn't want to see a kid out, and.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So no, no, no, what I think one of the
toughest things would be that you had no cond world.
I mean, you're talking about having an addiction and you
can't have contact with anybody in the outside world. That's
enough to turn your your senses crazy.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, so my coach starts to go through withdrawal as
soon as he's out there, and there's yeah, no contacts
with your parents or anyone. As soon as you're out there,
you are totally reliant on the counselors and then the
other kids in these camps.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Now creating with Aaron Paula, that's one of those things
where I would be walking up there with a yellow
chaplain just endlessly taking notes. Were you something like that
in the way of let's like, okay, just input, input,
let me know what you know so that we can grow.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
I'm such a huge Aaron paul fan, you know, a
huge breaking Bat fan. I got to work with Brian
really closely on that Show Your Honor, And then when
I got this call Aaron was producing it. I was
so excited and he was, you know, obviously so instrumental
and get this movie made.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
And you know, he says, such, he's really good taste.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
And so that was you know, trying to you know,
mind that and pick up on learn as much as
I can.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
You know, do you know how powerful your role was
with your honor?
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I mean seriously, I mean, because your presence on that
show is really it because instantly, I mean, it doesn't
take long at all for us to have some sort
of compassion or empathy for that character, because because we
see it, it's laid out, it's not a mystery.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Now go for it.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And then and then Brian comes into the picture and
all of a sudden, now we've got to put things
together here. So I mean that that was so heavy,
but yet so impacting.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
So heavy, I mean, I just loved being part of
that show, and I loved that question that was at
the center of it, just what would you do to
protect your kid? And I think that's why it really
struck a nerve with people. I think, you know a
lot of just you know, everyday people were just like, oh, yeah,
I guess I would I could envision myself doing some
(10:02):
you know, maybe even horrible things if it meant that's
why I do to save my son's life.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Please do not move. There's more with actor Hunter Duhon
coming up next the name of the movie The Wilderness.
We are back with actor Hunter Douhon. So during this
movie The Wilderness, my question would be that one of
the things that always captivates my attention is the pacing
of the acting. In other words, don't race through it.
(10:29):
And I don't know if it's because everybody seems to
be talking so quickly today that a movie like this,
it's like, thank God, you're really giving me enough space
to hear what you're saying, react to what you're saying,
and then get deeper into the storyline. So how important
was pacing.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Really important?
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Especially because you know, when my character first gets out there,
I the only thing I have control over, I think
in the moment is to just not give in and
not you know, these kind of like bs conversations they're
trying to.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Have with me. So my character goes totally silent for the.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Beginning of the film once he's out there, except for
my character the flashbacks and so you know, there was
a lot of story to be told with no words
at all, and you can see that through like him
taking action, like he tries to run away as soon
as he's out there and realizes that there's no hope
in that because he's truly you know, in the middle
of nowhere. And yeah, so it's really about having a
(11:30):
complete understanding of you know, every single thought racing through
my character Ed's mind.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Well, one of the things that you've mastered, and you
definitely do it inside the Wilderness, is that your facial
expressions and your body language, you allow those to be
a part of acting. It's not just you know, a
pitch volume in tone with your vocal cords. I mean,
you bring your entire self into it. Is that tough
to do?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Thank you?
Speaker 4 (11:55):
First of all? Yeah, I mean it definitely is harder
to tell a story when you don't have just you know,
the line telling you exactly what's going on. But that's
why I love movies like this, you know, just like
in a real, true, like indie film that respects the
audience and knows that the audience is smart and can
(12:16):
keep up and can fill in the gaps and just
you know, let it, you know, let it visually wash
over them and you can see everything that's going on.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
So why doesn't it feel like an indie film? I mean,
did you guys take your time? Because usually it's like
get it in, get it out, let's move on, and
and and it's like it's like okay, So but I
don't I don't get that vibe at all that it's
an indie film.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I was kind of shocked.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Oh, thanks, I think it was.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
You know, I was surrounded by amazing actors around me,
like Lamar Johnson plays the other main guy in the film,
and you know, we were together on your Honor and
he was in the Last of Us, and then you know,
so many other actors, Aaron Holliday, Sam Dieger, all so good.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
In this film.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
And then I think being out in Utah and having
this amazing landscape and it's like we didn't have to
rely on you know, CGI or any like big budget
things like that. We were using the like natural beauty
and isolation of the real world out there.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
So now, with everything that you've learned and brought to
entertainment and in films and things, I mean, when you
step into Utah, does your creative eye start looking at
the lay of the land to make sure that the
continuity director got it right. Because I mean, when you
I mean you're in Utah, how do you I mean,
because there are so many different areas where you could
have made a shot.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Well, our director and cinematographer did such a good job
of mapping the story out, and there's so many different
types of landscapes like you're talking about, and they kind
of mapped out all of these locations that you know,
we went from the red dirt to the white rock
to the forest to the grasslands by the end of
(13:57):
the film, and I think it and gave it a
nice visual arc and it helps, you know, not be
mundane and but also kind of shows you, just, like
quite how much terrain that these kids are being forced
to cover every day too.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yeah, because I mean we were naturally thinking, you know,
when it comes to wilderness, you know, the mountains or
or someplace that's going to be on the edge, you know,
you know, going into canyons and stuff. But you never
think of what's going on in Utah. So, like you said,
the terrain is different. I mean, I can't imagine you know,
what the challenges were and did you get out there
and hike in order to get you know, to make
sure that you got the breathing down of all things.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, and we were carrying those backpacks that kind of
doesn't naturally. But then we did one night out camping
trip with all the boys that are in the camp
in the movie and our director and this kind of
wilderness expert, and he like, we slept out under this
cave and hiked down into this huge ravine and he
(14:57):
showed us how to make a fire, like because in
this film, one of the things you see is that
these kids are like not even allowed to eat a
hot meal unless they can make the fire themselves. And
so we had to learn how to do that with
a spindle and everything, which is just insane.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
But you but I got to tell you something, though, Hunter.
I mean, I'm out here in the wilderness right now
in Carolina on a rainy day that's going to be
twenty six tonight. I still don't know how to start
a fire. So I mean it's like I've got a
dura logue that's waiting for me. Okay, I mean that's
how I start a fire.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
No, trust me, I got a match in a gas fireplace.
How I sort of.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So, now, what did you personally learn from this? Because
when you throw yourself into a role like this, you
are a student and there's no way that you didn't
walk out of here saying it's just a job.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
No, it's not a job.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
No, Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
I learned so much because I also got to produce
this film and so getting on to be a part
of something from you know, script through the final edit.
I mean, I learned just so much about storytelling and acting,
and you know I learned also none of it's personal.
I was there in the editing room when they had
to cut some of my stuff out and they're like, oh, okay,
(16:16):
actually this is just to serve the story, whereas I've
definitely been an actor waiting to see a scene and
it just doesn't play on the TV show and you're like, oh,
I wonder what I did wrong there?
Speaker 1 (16:25):
So now how do you deal with that situation? Because
as a producer erro, the guy that's doing the conversation
is not the same guy who's gonna do all the editing.
So I have to do what's called fermanting. I have
to have a total disconnection before I go in there
and edit what do you do.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
But yeah, by the time when we got in the edit,
it felt, you know, I felt some distance from it,
and it did just become a thing of trying to
be as objective as possible and watching two versions and going, oh,
that makes more sense, or we don't need that line,
or you know, this scene we already we already see
that emotion playing out in the scene before.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
We don't need to repeat that that kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
Yeah, and you got to get over any sort of
vanity of watching yourself back.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Well, listeners need to understand how close to the community
that you really are, because when it comes to Als,
your foot is in that circle one hundred percent. And
I can't thank you enough for being that person that
is still you know, you know, put it out there
for us in this age where there's so much content.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Yeah, I do feel passionate about that.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I lost my dad to ALS a few years ago,
and so I definitely am passionate about that. And you know,
not that that necessarily is tied into the film, but
you know, that was something Spencer and I connected on
early on, as we both lost our dads at an
early age, and my character in the Wilderness has lost
(17:52):
his dad, and so that was you know, my kind
of like away in emotionally, and I never dealt with a.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Character that it was, so, you know, dealing with.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
That so specifically, I found that really like healing, to
be honest, just to talk about it. I think, you know,
you lose people and it suddenly becomes uncomfortable to talk about,
but getting to talk about people that you love and
live lost is nice.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Well see, and we don't do enough of that talking
because I lost my father at sixteen and so when
people say, so, so what are you doing now and
as an adult, what did your father have something? No,
and you feel so guilty. It's like, I don't have
any answers for you. You know, he was young, So
I mean, how do you deal with situations like that
where it's like, I mean, you're you're now in an
adult shoes and you're growing forward.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, I don't know, it's I think it's I mean,
like you said, it's just I'm.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Trying to, even in my personal life, shake off that.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Oh I don't want to make someone uncomfortable by bringing
this up, but.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
It's nice to just talk about it and remember him.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yeah, exactly, exactly due this movie I'm telling you people
are going to see it because they want that escape.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
But more importantly, it is real.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Utah and CBS Sunday Morning just did a big thing
on AI technology, and man, I'm telling you you are
not going to be featured on that episode because you
are so authentic with this movie.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah, no, no AI in this film.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
This is we're truly out in the desert for four weeks.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I mean, it's just unpredictable out there. I'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Our first day of shooting is we got this monsoon
that came out of nowhere. All of our trucks got
stuck in the red mud. We had to shut down
the next day, and you know, we're out there.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
We only got four weeks. Indie film, you lose a
day of shooting.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
All of us were stressed, and then you know, we
just got back up and really learned to be resilient.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
And I got to shout out our crew.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
They were absolutely amazing on this movie and really got
us through it.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Well, dude, you got to come back to this show
any time in the future, because man, you're you're just
getting started when it comes to all this acting. I mean,
it's just amazing to watch you how you're popping out
of that seed to become a flower.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Oh, thank you so much er. That means a lot.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
I feel really really lucky to be able to get
to do this.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Excellent. Will you be brilliant today?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Okay, sir, you too, Thank you. Thank you looking the rain, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Right, and keep it down by you? No, thank you, Bi,
thank you
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