Actor Jesse Metcalfe On Loving The Thrill of the Chase and Sage Lessons During COVID-19
Whether he is playing a romantic lead or a mercenary in an action-adventure kidnapping plot, Jesse Metcalfe loves the thrill of the chase.
Metcalfe is also someone who plunges in headfirst– either on Hallmark’s lighter family fare as Trace Riley in four seasons of Chesapeake Shores, Hallmark’s Movies & Mystery series, or in Hard Kill, his latest movie with Bruce Willis, about a team of mercenaries that finds themselves racing the clock to stop a world-changing computer program from being triggered.
In Hard Kill, billionaire tech CEO Donovan Chalmers (Bruce Willis) hires a kick-ass team to protect a lethal piece of technology. In the movie that keeps us on the edge of our seats, security expert, and team leader Derek Miller (Jesse Metcalfe), finds himself in a dramatic deadline showdown with an old enemy.
The mission becomes even more complicated when Chalmers’ daughter (Natalie Eva Marie) is kidnapped by a terrorist group who will stop at nothing to obtain the technology. Miller and his team must do everything possible in order to save her and protect the fate of the human race before it’s too late.
Recently, Metcalfe took time from his busy production schedule to talk about Hard Kill, his acting and music careers, how he spent his time during COVID-19 lockdown looking inward, keeping up with martial arts, and reaching out to help feed those in need.
So, Jesse, the movie is definitely a heart racer. I’m on the edge of my seat a lot of the time, which is a good thing when watching a thriller. Why did you want to do it?
Well, I think it’s always good to show yourself in a different light. I’m probably most known for my romantic roles, but as an actor, it is always going to be appealing to me to show a grittier more physical side. What drew me to it most of all, other than working with the legendary actor Bruce Willis, was that I had a good personal relationship with the producers of this movie, Randall Emmett, George Furla, and Alex Eckert, and I knew their other films. They offered me this role of [security expert and team leader] Derek Miller, and I was happy to take it.
How did you get into Derek Miller’s head?
This movie Hard Kill is an homage to 80s B-action movies. There’s not a ton of back story and character development, it’s all action. Because of that, I tried to come up with my own character back story to sort of fill in the gaps so that there are layers to the character but you don’t necessarily get to know that much about the character’s history. Now with that said, there wasn’t a lot of time for prep on this movie, and it was also shot in only 10 working days, which is an insane pace to shoot a movie.
Wow! Only 10 days, that is unbelievable. Tell me about your work-out routine and intense training.
Luckily, I train in boxing, and Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts at a private training gym in West Hollywood called Unbreakable, where we actually get trained by professional UFC fighters. So, I’m pretty well versed in a couple of different fighting techniques and I’m kind of primed and ready for this type of role at all times.
What kind of research did you do for this movie?
I did have to do a bit of research on mercenaries because I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t even really know what a mercenary was. And now that I know, it’s incredibly interesting what a lot of ex-military, ex-Navy SEALs, ex-Marines, how they transition once they get out of active duty and once, they’re done serving.
What else attracted you to this character?
What was cool about Derek is he probably had the most back story and the most character development of any character in the film. So, taking this role, and working with these producers, and working with this cast, and sharing the screen with the iconic Bruce Willis is really what drew me to the part.
Did you know Bruce Willis before this movie?
No, I had never met him. I had met his daughter, Rumer, on several occasions but I had never met Bruce before this movie.
So, I think what we do as actors, and filmmakers, writers, and directors is really important. Especially during the current state of the world. And now we’re getting to a point where we’re running out of content, so hopefully, productions can get going again stateside.
Self-Isolating During COVID-19
What kinds of things helped you through being alone during the pandemic? Do you feel that movies distracted us and helped us through these tough times?
Well, I mean that’s really what it’s all about. I think that people can diminish the value of entertainment, but I think that the art of television and filmmaking can bring so much joy and so much hope. So, watching a movie or television show would be a very cathartic experience.
So, I think what we do as actors, filmmakers, and writers, and directors is really important. Especially during the current state of the world. And now we’re getting to a point where we’re running out of content, so hopefully, productions can get going again stateside.
Yes, that would be wonderful. I have been writing about healthcare and business since a lot of the movies, TV and other entertainment events were canceled or postponed. I had to pivot. If you don’t pivot in any business then you probably will be forced to go out of business basically.
That’s really what it was all about; it was all about pivoting. But I’m very fortunate to have been financially sound through the pandemic. For me, it was the perfect time to slow down and reflect. I did a lot of meditation and a lot of introspection, but I know that a lot of people struggled and continue to struggle.
My heart really goes out to everyone that struggled financially and otherwise because of the pandemic. It’s really horrible, and I really hope that we can get back to more of a sense of normalcy as soon as possible. Because having businesses shut down for this long, the impact is worse than the virus, in my opinion.
I know that you’ve done a lot of charity work in the past, were you doing any specific charity stuff during COVID? Were you involved at all?
Yes. I donated to several food banks many times throughout the pandemic. People didn’t have enough food. A lot of these food banks were also providing for the elderly that really weren’t able to leave their house, and so I pitched in where I could.
So, how have you been spending your free time when you weren’t working during the Coronavirus pandemic?
Well, I’m lucky enough to be working again. I’m up in Victoria, British Columbia right now shooting the third installment of this mystery I do on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries called Martha’s Vineyard Mystery. I’m a producer on these movies as well as the lead actor, and I’m very grateful to be back to work and also having such a great time.
When did you go back to work?
I traveled here almost a month ago now. In Canada, you have to quarantine for 14 days before working, so that’s what I had to do, and we’re about a week and a half into production.
Was that hard, having to quarantine?
You know what, it was relaxing actually. I got a lot of nice rest, prepped the script, and worked on my scenes. I worked out, watched a lot of movies, so it wasn’t too bad.
Chesapeake Shores and the Love of Hallmark
Do you have any word on Chesapeake Shores? I know Season 5 has been picked up, and I’ve spoken to a lot of people on the show. Are you ready for that?
Yes, not only am I ready, I’m very excited about it. It’s a shame that we had to push the starting date back, but it is what it is, and we should be back in production sometime in the spring of next year.
I interviewed Barbara Niven last week.
Oh, that’s great. I love Barbara. She’s the sweetest lady. There is definitely a family feel on the set, and I think each of us would tell you this.
Your Hallmark fans are something else. I’ve never seen such devotion in my life. They really feel these characters and the shows and want you to go back as soon as you can.
That’s one of the many blessings of Hallmark. Honestly, to tap into the Hallmark audience is a gift. They are incredibly loyal. They come with you. They follow you and they support all your other projects. That is definitely what it is like being part of the Hallmark family.
What about music? Are you making music now, or do you have any plans for the future for your music?
Yeah, so I’m still playing, and I’m still making music. But no, not really any plans yet to put out an album. I’ve been working on a lot of music, but I still haven’t really had the time to get into the studio and put it all together. But that’s gonna happen, that’s definitely on my to-do list.
Did you write some of the songs that Trace plays in Chesapeake Shores? I really like them.
I did, yes. I wrote a lot of them.
All of your Hallmark fans, including me, are going to want their money back if Trace and Abby (Meghan Ory) don’t eventually live happily ever after in Seasons 6, 7, or 8. I love their romance, especially when they are snuggling and enjoying their lover's dance.
I will definitely put that in the suggestion box. [He laughed]
I like to kid that all of you owe me five boxes of Kleenex between Chesapeake Shores and all of your Hallmark movies.
Oh my God, I love hearing that!
A Bright Future For This Leading Man
I was excited to see that you made The Latin From Manhattan, with Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos), and Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black.) What a stellar group of performers.
It is a great cast. We’re actually still in production. They were still shooting when the pandemic hit, so I’m hopeful that Thomas Mignone is going to be able to finish this film because I want this movie to hit the festival circuit. I cannot wait for people to see this movie and to be able to promote it. I’ve seen clips, some rough assemblies of some scenes, and the movie is really good.
Oh, I bet it is.
It’s some edgy stuff. It’s about the rise of the first Latin American porn star, Vanessa Del Rio, during the '70s and 80s.
Lastly, Jesse, what do you hope my readers will enjoy and take away from Hard Kill? It’s definitely gritty. It’s definitely a different genre then like you said. Definitely not romantic. But what do you want them to get from it?
I think I just want them to enjoy the action-packed thrill ride. If you’re an action fan a la John Wick, you’re going to get everything you bargained for with this movie. I mean, it’s got a great forward momentum to it. Everyone who’s seen it tells me that it’s really kept them on the edge of their seat. There’s a lot of new faces in this movie, and I think it’s cool to see new faces.
Vertical Entertainment will release Hard Kill on Digital and On Demand on Tuesday, August 25.
