M: Your character in Day Zero, Dixon, has been described as a violent but honorable street tough-cab driver, who's not living up to his potential. How are you able to relate to this character?

JB: You know, it was one of these things where we wound up playing rolls as actors for completely different reasons. When I read the script, I absolutely fell in love with the script, but I knew I had to play this guy. Yeah, you have parts of Dixon I can definitely relate to in my life, but there is something about his voice - there's something about the type of friend he has . . . the friendships I have in my life - I have 3 best friends - I grew up in DC - and the relationships between friends. My best friends are still the guys I grew up with. There's something about the loyalty and expectations that you have and that you're held to among friends, and a code of living and code of loyalty that I think these guys all live by. Dixon especially sort of manifests or represents this in the movie and he kind of spoke to me. I think, if anything, I would describe Dixon as a man who, for better for worse, lives by his code and that's something I think I just had to play, a role I had to do.

M: Personally, I think you were very convincing in the role. I liked how you played the complexities of his character.

JB: Thank you very much.

M: So the World Trade Center and Day Zero are both patriotic films set in New York. Do you feel you have ties to the city and what went on there on 911?

JB: Yeah, I think we all, as Americans, have ties to what went on there regardless of whether we were in a film or not. That was the defining event for our generation. Especially with World Trade Center, I can't even begin to tell you how big of an honor it was to portray Chris Amoroso, who was a hero, who saw that burning inferno and decided to walk in instead of walk away and pull people out of there. That was the honor of my acting career - to be a part of that movie. I think Oliver's [the director of WTC] whole mission on that movie was to make a movie about 911 and keep it completely a-political and I think he completely succeeded at that. That was awesome to really be a part of it. I do feel really connected to that event, but I think all of us Americans, as human beings have to be connected to that event.

M: Back to Day Zero, how do you think you would respond if you were drafted?

JB: You know, I would like to say that I would go - I'd like to say that I would go. It's such a . . . it's one of those things you can't answer until you're in that situation. But that is kind of the point of the draft. It's not really a decision and we, as Americans - we get so much from this country and we can afford to live in such a way that a lot of people can't even imagine. Part of me wishes there would be a draft. I think we wouldn't be at war right now in Iraq if there was a draft. I think, unfortunately, the duty and responsibility of defending our nation is not something that touches upon all - a lot of people try to steer clear of that, and I think we'd have a more uniform political voice if military service was something that touched all of us instead of just a few.

M: Both The Air I Breathe and Day Zero were both at the Tribeca Film Festival. How did it make you feel to have something you were involved in appear there?

JB: It was cool. Look, I loved doing The Air I Breathe. It was a thrill to work on a movie with actors of that caliber. It was a great script and a great first-time director. I'm just thrilled to be in anything (laughing). Both of those movies are things I'm proud of. But Day Zero for me, I fought my ass off to try and get into that movie. I just really wouldn't take "NO" for an answer. That was the crowning achievement of my career so far. Day Zero just means the world to me. The Air I Breathe was awesome and it was great to have it in the festival. I think Day Zero, especially just being a New York movie; I mean New York is one of the main characters of the movie. To have the movie shown there is absolutely right on - absolutely fitting.

M: I read that you are a member of the Fovea Floods Theater Company, and I'm wondering how your experience performing on stage compares to acting in television and film.

JB: It is a completely different thing. That's really originally what I wanted to do. I went to study at the theater in Moscow and for acting on stage in the states. Being a stage actor is really all I ever wanted to do. I kind of came into LA on a fluke. I came out because of a television pilot and sort of got caught up in it. I think my plan was always to get back to New York and get on the stage. I saw the state of NY theater - people who were getting the roles that I really wanted to play and doing the things I really wanted to do were all people who had a little bit of good fortune in film and television, so I decided I wanted to do the same thing. But really, with Day Zero and with some of the first few films that I did, I've really fallen in love with making movies, especially independent movies. There's something completely strategic about it, something about going and showing just little bits of the character and, for me - I was an athlete. I went to college to play sports and being on stage is an athletic endeavor. It's something that you do every night and every night is so different and wonderful about it. It's one of the most intoxicating things you can ever do. I feel that doing film work is much different because you only show little bits at a time - every day you only work on a little snippet of this person. It's so much more about holding out, holding back rather than really going after something. At the end of the day, I think acting is acting and the two mediums are so different and they're so intriguing on their own, separately.

M: I noticed you have a number of projects you're working on, The Pacific and Bar Starz, can you tell me something out those films?

JB: The latest thing I've been doing is The Pacific for HBO. It's the next in the Band of Brothers series. It's by the same guys who did the Band of Brothers. Spielberg and Hanks are producing it. It's about World War II, and instead of being set in Europe, it's set in the Pacific. Again, this is a dream job. It's an honor to be a part of. We lost so many people in WW II, and I think it's a fitting time to have a movie about this. Not too many movies have been made about the war in the Pacific, whereas a lot have about the war in Europe. And this is really where the Marine Corp became the Marine Corp. We were there, we'd been shooting in Australia, we were trained by the Marines and we were in a Marine Corp boot camp. And it was just so important to these guys, the Marines, for us to portray these guys in the right way. To really get the flavor of what it means to be a marine. It's just times like that where you just kick yourself and realize you've got the best job in the world. You get to learn from these guys who have sacrificed so much. That's gonna be one helluva project. Unfortunately, it doesn't come out until 2009. But it's been really fun working on it. Bar Starz is coming out pretty soon. That's kind of a different thing for me. It's kind of an off the wall kind of crazy comedy about the club scene in the San Bernardino Valley. I sort of play this Club Lord. It's great. Again, there's a great first-time director named Mike Pietrzak he really let me come on the set and write my own monologs and put the camera on me and let me improv, which was such a thrill because most of the stuff I've done has been dramatic stuff. This kind of over the top off the wall comedy was just incredibly freeing and artistically rewarding. I think it's gonna be a really funny movie.

M: After your experience with The Class, do you think you'll return to a role in a television series?

JB: I don't know. Honestly, all actors want to get to a point where they can pick and choose what they do. I love doing film, and I do love doing TV. I loved The Class. The people met on that show and the people I got to work with were in credible and the writers were incredible. Jimmy Burrows, the director, is a legend and I learned so much from him. I don't really make plans like that, I just want to see what comes my way. I think I've been lucky enough that when I fit something - we don't get cast in everything - the things that I've been cast in have been really good projects and important projects. So I kind of take it as it comes.

M: Can you tell me one interesting fact about yourself that people wouldn't already know?

JB: Oh Man, I've got a blue pit bull names Boss. He's kind of my right hand man.

M: I knew that already!

JB: Let me think of something better. I used to play pro baseball in Russia, did you know that?

M: I did know that already.

JB: You did?

M: It's on your IMBD page.

JB: Tell me something interesting about yourself instead.

M: (laughing) There's not much to tell. I feel like our readers would like to hear more about you.

JB: Where are you calling me from?

M: We're in Delaware.

JB: Oh, in Delaware - I grew up in DC.

M: Oh yeah - I read about that. Have you ever been to Delaware?

JB: I have. I used to work at the beach - do you know Nicola Pizza in Rehoboth?

M: Oh yeah! We've been there.

JB: I got fired from Nicola Pizza. You can put that in there.

M: What did you do?

JB: I was a delivery boy. It was in my wild and wayward days and I think I got fired for driving - I did so many things wrong then. I lived there with my buddies - we lived over a bar and I think I got fired for driving the delivery scooter too fast.

M: (laughing)

JB: Yeah - that was one in a long line of jobs I've gotten fired from. Pretty much acting is the only job I haven't gotten fired from.

M: Well, acting does seem to be what you're good at.

JB: Well, I appreciate that. Yeah Nicola Pizza and Nic-o-boli that was a very special time in my life. Delaware's a great state.

M: Yeah, it's the first state.

JB: That it is. The Small Wonder.

M: Very true. Well, we're running out of time, but it's been really great talking to you. I think we'll hear a lot more from you in the future, and I'm excited to see what comes next for you.

JB: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Did you like the movie?

M: Oh, I loved the movie. I thought it was great, and I thought you were fantastic!

JB: I really appreciate that - thanks for watching.

M: Thank you. Bye.

 

WARNING! SPOILER BELOW:

M: I was hoping you could tell us if you think whether or not Dixon went to war.