Durham County is the first Canadian attempt to follow the HBO model with a controversial series like The Sopranos or Six Feet Under. Ironically, Dillon had moved to Los Angeles and was trying his hand at landing roles in American shows when an NBC casting director pointed him towards Durham County.
"They sent me the script and I talked to the producer and director," says Dillon. "It was a fluke.
"I kept reading the stuff and this [Durham County] was the thing I thought, 'Well, there's no way. They'll get a name or somebody.' But I did my homework. I talked to cops, I knew the stuff, I read every last little detail of the script. And the audition was like an hour long, which is unheard of. It was gruelling. This was the one where I thought, 'I won't get it,' but they called me and I freaked out."
In addition to its extraordinary writing and direction, Durham County shows a Hugh Dillon who's a bona fide actor and not just a moonlighter from rock 'n' roll. Instead of playing a musician, a thug or an addict, Dillon portrays a conflicted family man who wants to do the right thing, but often succumbs to his demons.
Dillon credits his development as an actor to learning from his co-stars in previous films, including Callum Keith Rennie (Hard Core Logo) and Vera Farmiga (Down To The Bone). He also credits Durham County producer/director Adrienne Mitchell, producer Janis Lundman, supervising producer/writer Laurie Finstad Knizhnik and director Holly Dale with pushing him to meet the challenge of the demanding, multi-faceted role.
"From being a rock 'n' roller and playing some of the characters that I always played in Canada, there are masks that you can put on, and I was comfortable with them. I wouldn't say complacent, but I could handle it. And these women [the producers and directors of Durham County], that's not how they deal with it. They don't want to see that. Any actor can come in and just be angry.
"And the other thing is, these women took the time to get to know me and find out about the tragedy in my life and the problems I've had with friends dying and drugs and everything else. What I didn't realize is that they'd armed themselves so that when it came time to direct me, they could pinpoint pieces of my life and talk to me about that stuff, so suddenly you're even more vulnerable. These directors and producers were great because they get to know you as a person and then they can talk to you using the language of your own life to get you to go to where you need to go for them."
The dark, disturbing nature of the show took its toll on Dillon. On his days off from the set, he visited the shooting range to fire guns at paper targets. He'd then take the shot-up paper targets home and paint them. Art therapy — Hugh Dillon style.
"Because I don't drink and I don't do drugs anymore, and I have to find a way to fuckin' let that steam off," Dillon explains. "I found it in art because I used to paint a lot. That kind of killed two birds with one stone."
Dillon is excited about the premiere of Durham County and believes it will revolutionize Canadian television.
"Because all of us, as Canadians, have bitched about the state of Canadian television since its inception. I have a million friends who are embarrassed by Canadian television. Aren't you? This is like the Exile On Main Street, or this is like The Beatles album, or this is like Nirvana. This is the show that changes everything. I mean, there's been some great Canadian comedies, no doubt, but this is the first show that will genuinely make Canadians proud of the work that can be done."
HBO can eat its heart out.
—Shannon Whibbs
