Actor Kevin Dary explores substance abuse and rock ’n’ roll in ‘Pandora’s Box’
Growing up in the beautiful city of Marseilles, France, Kevin Dary always felt he was an outcast. His curiosities were movies, video games, and Japanese culture, interests that were not shared with the other children he spent time with. Words like “weirdo” and “geek” followed him wherever he went, and he found himself relating to similar characters in movies and television shows. This artform became a cathartic release for him, rooting for the main character while gaining the confidence to be himself. He related to the outsiders he saw on the screen, and they motivated him. Watching these iconic characters, he thought to himself, “If I can feel so much watching these amazing characters make it, and if it helps me that much, perhaps one day I could also help others who feel the way I do.” Dary then turned his pain into passion, with the goal of being a professional actor at the forefront of everything he did.
Today, Dary has achieved his goal and soared with it. Starring in award-winning films such as The Swamp and Prego, and popular television series like Criminal Minds, he has used his talents as an actor to impact and inspire audiences around the world. Just last year, the highlight of his career came when Dary’s own film, Pandora’s Box, finished production.
The film tells the story of Alex, played by Dary, a rock star and leader of the band Diamond Wolves, who must reconsider his life choices when his addiction drives him away from his girlfriend and his music. Alex is a lost and crushed soul. His success only drives him further away from who he used to be, and everyone tells him so. The problem is that Alex is the type of guy that, even before being a drug user, wouldn’t hear it from someone else. He made it in the music business because that’s what he wanted to do and what he loved to do. He forgot about this, somewhere along the way. The tag line for the film is “What is it that gets you high?”, and it is exactly the question that he needs to ask himself, but how low does he have to get before he genuinely starts reflecting upon his choices. It is not a PSA about drugs, it is a story about redemption, self-improvement, relationships; it’s about people and their emotions.
“This story can touch anybody. Because it takes place in his private life rather than during Alex’s public appearances, people can relate. His girlfriend is involved, there’s a baby coming, these things happen to everyone. The fact that Alex is a rock star does not take away from the message of the film. This story is so important because it has the potential to help anyone who could be questioning their current status in life. We all can get caught in the motions, and we can forget about our true self. This story leaves the audience thinking: “Yeah, where am I right now?” or “Is this what I want to be? Is that what I want to do?” “Is that what really matters?” I know that I have been in this position, and it wasn’t until I finally asked those questions that I got to realize what I needed to do to be in a better place. This story can have that impact, and if it helps even one person on the face of the planet, then it is a success,” Dary described.
Pandora’s Box premiered to a private screening at Warner Bros Studios in May of 2017. It then began its festival run in November. It has been screened at the Alternative Film Festivalin Toronto and more recently has been in the official selection of the LogCinema Art Films Festival in the Los Angeles area in April 2018. The film received the Diamond Award for Best Drama from the LA Shorts Awards in January 2018, and Dary, who also wrote and produced the film, received an Award of Merit Special Mention for a Lead Actor from the Accolade Global Film Competition in February. On top of this, Dary also received nominations for Best Actor and Best Narrative Short at the Barcelona Planet Film Festivalin March, and a nomination for Best Actor from the Actors Awards, for which the results will be announced in May 2018. Dary is amazed and humbled by the film’s response, but those that worked alongside him knew just what he is capable of.
“Kevin is very serious about filmmaking, so it was very comfortable to work with him. We fought together to enhance the protagonist’s emotions and make the story as best as we could. Kevin listened to my direction very carefully, understood my vision of his piece, and tried everything I offered. Not only that, he would suggest to me his acting ideas a lot, always in such a gentle way. This is what I love about Kevin as an actor the most. Filmmaking is a collaboration of arts, and he gave me countless new perspectives when we worked together, for which I am very thankful,” said Hiroki Ohsawa, Director of Pandora’s Box.
Dary had always found the life of music icons to be fascinating because most of the population only cares about the image they see in the magazines or the internet, not about the actual person behind this, and how they deal with their life in this unique context. He knew this idea could make the perfect film, and was partially inspired by Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, who went to rehab after meeting his daughter Liv when she was already 9 years old. In Pandora’s Box, Selina (played by Genevieve Palacio), leaves Alex because she is pregnant and wants him nowhere near her baby. Dary read Steven Tyler’s memoir and watched many documentaries about rock stars to get the mindset of his character.
He also found himself drawing from his personal experiences. This brought up a lot of personal traumas for the actor. For example, he lost his aunt to alcohol abuse. She was an addict and it eventually consumed her. When trying to decide how to play a substance abuser, he reached out to his uncle and cousin who witnessed this abuse first hand, about why this even started. This was hard for everyone, but they understood that the message of the film was about self-improvement and that Dary needed to give the best performance he could. It was not about the drugs, or the fact that he is a rock star. It was about the emotional struggle that led to become a user.
“My goal in making Pandora’s Boxwas to deliver a humane story that would make audiences question themselves. I wanted people to take a second and wonder “Am I where I want to be? Am I really happy in what I do?” because only we can make a change if we need to. The more you hear it from others, the less you will believe it. But the moment you start questioning yourself, that’s when a change is possible,” Dary concluded.
