Born On This Day- July 24th... Gus Van Sant

"Fate sucks. I swear. "

Matt Dillon as Bob in Drugstore Cowboy

If I had been somewhat clairvoyant while on the set of Drugstore Cowboy, I would have realized that one day I would someday be living in Portland Oregon, in fact, just 1 mile from where we were filming. I most likely would have dismissed the entire notion as too much candy from crafts services. I loved living in Seattle & I had the best agent in town. I had been fortunate enough to have worked in TV (Murder She Wrote, Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, A Day in the Life) & a whole lot of commercials & voice-overs, but the Gus Van Sant project was my first feature film. I was thrilled to be working with the talented director of Mala Noche, a film I really admired about & that had received an enthusiastic reception at The Seattle Film Festival in 1985.

I was working in a feature film! My scenes were with Matt Dillon! I have now done 12 films, but this one will always be so special. The very soft spoken Gus Van Sant creates an extremely creative atmosphere for working. Many of the actors that have done films with Van Sant have remarked on how great he is to work with & how conducive to creativity the conditions are on the set of his films. He was not big on rehearsing, but he would ask for something completely different with each take. Matt Dillon (who I have worked with twice) was such a nice gentleman. He would stay & read his lines back to me for our reverse shots. Dillon was such a “regular” guy. He would eat lunch, sitting at a big long table, with the rest of the cast, crew & grips & he spent very little time in his trailer. The rest of the cast were fun & friendly: Kelly Lynch, James LeGross & Heather Graham. I did not get to meet William S. Burroughs…my only regret from this experience.

I was invited to the premier of Drugstore Cowboy, but did not attend because I was performing in a play at the time. The film went on to rave reviews & it won Independent Spirit Awards for Best Screenplay for Mr. Van Sant & Daniel Yost, Best Cinematography, Best Actor for Matt Dillon, & Best Supporting Actor for Max Perlich. It won Best Screenplay awards from the LA Film Critics Association, the National Society of Film Critics & the NY Film Critics Circle, & Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival. At the film’s Seattle premier, the Husband turned to me half way through the viewing & stated- “Oh. My. God. You are in a really GOOD movie!”

Gus Van Sant’s films have ranged from Oscar winning studio fare: Good Will Hunting & Finding Forrester, to very experimental: Gerry & Last Days, Indies: Elephant & Paranoid Park, noble, brave & baffling experiments: the shot by shot re-make of Psycho & Even Cowgirls Get The Blues. He has done 4 films that I love & to which I award an A on The Steve Report Card: Drugstore Cowboy (of course), My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, & Milk.

In 2002, shortly after relocating to Portland after 20 years in Seattle, I was standing with some new Portland friends & some dear former neighbors from Seattle on a street in the Peal District. My friend Susan: “Oh my God… look! That is Gus Van Sant!”. The Husband: “Yeah, he lives in this neighborhood… Stephen knows him”.

Our little group mumbled some: “yeah, sures & uh-huhs”. When Mr. Van Sant walked past us, he looked up, & said in his singular soft manner: “Hello… there… Stephen. I haven’t seen you in a while... strange… your head looks bigger…” & then he went on his way. My friends looked baffled & everyone wanted to know what he meant. I had no idea (what could he have meant?), but I told them that it was an industry term, that good actors had heads that were proportionately too large for their bodies. It was my Gus Van Sant moment.

How Can You Explain It?

In 1988, I was flown to from Seattle to Portland to appear in a little film- Drugstore Cowboy, directed by Gus Van Sant. My 2 scenes were filmed at a motel near Hayden Meadows Racetrack in the Delta Park area of Portland.

I didn't know my way around Portland in 1998 & didn't really pay attention to the trip in the van that drove Matt Dillon & me to the location from the hotel.

Because life can be just so zany... in 2001, I settled down in Post Apocalyptic Bohemia, my little blue-collar Portland bungalow, in walking distance of the film shoot location- the Union Ave Motel, now torn down. If Matt Dillon had been portentous in Portland in autumn of 1998, he might have turned to me & stated: "Dude... in the next century you are gonna live your last days around here!"

One Degree Of Separation From Matt Dillon

I worked with him twice. He was every inch the gentleman, never mentioning our special moments together to the press. He could have chosen to have a special lunch in his trailer, but chose to sit with the other actors & the grips at a big table. He stayed to feed me his lines for the reverse shots, a generous gesture. He is funny, good looking, & gives off a true sexual heat.

 I might have wished to give the readers of my little spot on the Internet, some spicy anecdotes from my experiences of filming Drugstore Cowboy or Singles, but this is my most treasured Matt Dillon story: In the early 1990s, The Husband was working at an awesome antique store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, repairing furniture & making displays. I had stopped in to visit & the Husband was gathered at the large front desk with the shop’s owner & a collection of assorted acquaintances. As the group made small talk, in strolled a solo Matt Dillon. Heads snapped & there was a low chatter of: “Oh my God, that is Matt Dillon! Really? I love him! Should we say something to him? What is Matt Dillon doing here?”

The Husband remarked: “Yeah, that’s him. Steve knows him, you know.” The hangers-on retort: “Yeah, right… sure he does." Dillon continued down one aisle & as he turned down the next & moved toward our group, when his head came up & we make eye contact.

Dillon smiled a crooked, come-hither, toothy grin, pointed at me & announced: “Yo, Steve!”. Heads whipped from Dillon to me & back to the actor. I attempted to be nonchalant as I crossed the store to spend a few moments chatting with the star. I then left him to shop on his own, then stopped by the front of the store to say good bye. The circle of Seattleites stood open mouthed as I made my exit with Matt Dillon tossing off: “Remember what I told you, Steve!  See ya soon, dude”.

I cannot reveal what he said to me & I have never encountered him again.

The never married Matt Dillon but he still looks yummy as he turns 48 years old today.

In the really terrific- About a Boy (2002), Hugh Grant’s character wears a black leather jacket that he liked to think made him look like Matt Dillon in Drugstore Cowboy when he goes on to meet his love interest. My favorite Matt Dillon film is Wild Things. If you have not seen this gem, I simply insist that you put it on your Netflix queue. It is a wicked little film with lots of twists & turns & full frontal Kevin Bacon in the shower. Be sure & stay with it through the ending credits.

Born On This Day- July 24th... My Good Close Personal Friend Filmmaker Gus Van Sant

"Fate sucks. I swear. "

Matt Dillon as Bob in Drugstore Cowboy

If I had been somewhat clairvoyant while on the set of Drugstore Cowboy, I would have realized that one day I would someday be living in Portland Oregon, in fact, just 1 mile from where we were filming. I most likely would have dismissed the entire notion as too much candy from crafts service. I loved living in Seattle & I had the best agent in town. I had been fortunate enough to have worked in television (Murder She Wrote, Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, A Day in the Life) & a whole lot of commercials & voice-overs, but the Gus Van Sant project was my first feature film. I was thrilled to be working with the talented director of Mala Noche, a film I was crazy about & that had received an enthusiastic reception at The Seattle Film Festival in 1985.

I was working in a feature! My scenes were with Matt Dillon! I have done 12 films, but this one will always be so special because the very soft spoken Gus Van Sant creates an extremely creative atmosphere for working. Many of the actors that have done films with Van Sant have remarked on how great he is to work with & how wonderful the conditions are on the set of his films. He was not big on rehearsing, but he would ask for something completely different with each take. Matt Dillon (who I have worked with twice) was such a nice gentleman. He would stay & read his lines back to me for our reverse shots & he was such a “regular” guy. He would eat lunch, sitting at a big long table, with the rest of the cast, crew & grips & rarely spent time in his trailer. The rest of the cast were fun & friendly: Kelly Lynch, James LeGross & Heather Graham. I did not get to meet William S Burroughs…my only regret from this experience.

I was invited to the premier of Drugstore Cowboy, but did not attend because I was performing in a play at the time. The film went on to rave reviews & won Independent Spirit Awards for Best Screenplay for Mr. Van Sant & Daniel Yost, Best Cinematography, Best Actor for Matt Dillon, & Best Supporting Actor for Max Perlich. It won Best Screenplay awards from the LA Film Critics Association, the National Society of Film Critics & the NY Film Critics Circle, & Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival. At the film’s Seattle premier, the Husband turned to me half way through the viewing & stated- “Oh. My. God. You are in a really GOOD movie!”

 Gus Van Zant’s films have ranged from Oscar winning studio fare: Good Will Hunting & Finding Forrester, to very experimental: Gerry & Last Days, Indies: Elephant & Paranoid Park, noble, brave & baffling experiments: the shot by shot re-make of Psycho & Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. He has done 4 films that I love & to which I award 5 Steve Stars: Drugstore Cowboy (of course), My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, & in my top 10 films of all time- Milk.

In 2002, shortly after relocating to Portland after 20 years in Seattle, I was standing with some new Portland friends & some dear former neighbors from Seattle on a street in the Peal District. My friend Susan: “oh my God… look! That is Gus Van Sant!”. The Husband: “Yeah, he lives in this neighborhood & Stephen knows him”. Our little group mumbled some- “yeah, sures & uh-huhs”. When Mr. Van Sant walked past us, he looked up, & said in his usual soft manner- “hello… there… Stephen. I haven’t seen you in a while... strange… your head looks bigger…” & then he went on his way. My friends looked baffled & everyone wanted to know what he meant. I had no idea (what could he have meant?), but I told them that it was an industry term, that good actors had heads that were proportionately too large for their bodies. It was my Gus Van Sant moment.

Born On This Day- July 23rd... Portland Director & Writer Gus Van Sant

"Fate sucks. I swear. "
Matt Dillon as Bob in Drugstore Cowboy


If I had been somewhat clairvoyant, & while on the set of Drugstore Cowboy I had realized that one day I would be living in Portland Oregon, in fact, just 2 miles from where we were filming, I most likely would have dismissed the entire notion as too much candy from crafts service. I loved living in Seattle & I had the best agent in town. I had been fortunate enough to have worked in television (Murder She Wrote, Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, A Day in the Life) & a whole lot of commercials & voice-overs, but the Gus Van Sant project was my first feature film. I was thrilled to be working with the talented director of Mala Noche, a film I was crazy about & that had received an enthusiastic reception at The Seattle Film Festival in 1985.

I was working in a feature! My scenes were with hottie Matt Dillon! I have done 12 films, but this one will always be so special because the very soft spoken Gus Van Sant creates an extremely creative atmosphere for working. Many actors that have done films with him have remarked on how great he is to work with & how wonderful the conditions are on the set of his films. He was not big on rehearsing, but he would ask for something completely different with each take. Matt Dillon (who I have worked with twice) was such a nice gentleman. He would stay & read his lines back to me for our reverse shots & he was such a “regular” guy. He would eat lunch, sitting at a big long table, with the rest of the cast, crew & grips & rarely spent time in his trailer. The rest of the cast were fun & friendly: Kelly Lynch, James LeGross & Heather Graham. I did not get to meet William S Burroughs…my only regret from this experience.

I was invited to the premier of Drugstore Cowboy, but did not attend because I was performing in a play at the time. The film went on to rave reviews & won Independent Spirit Awards for Best Screenplay for Mr. Van Sant & Daniel Yost, Best Cinematography, Best Actor for Matt Dillon, & Best Supporting Actor for Max Perlich. It won Best Screenplay awards from the LA Film Critics Association, the National Society of Film Critics & the NY Film Critics Circle, & Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival. At the film’s Seattle premier, the Husband turned to me half way through the viewing & stated- “Oh. My. God. You are in a GOOD movie!”

Gus Van Zant’s films have ranged from Oscar winning studio fare: Good Will Hunting & Finding Forrester, to very experimental: Gerry & Last Days, Idies: Elephant & Paranoid Park, noble, brave & baffling experiments: the shot by shot re-make of Psycho & Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. He has done 4 films that I love & to which I award 5 Steve Stars to: Drugstore Cowboy (of course), My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, & in my top 10 films of all time- Milk.

In 2002, shortly after relocating to Portland after 20 years in Seattle, I was standing with some new Portland friends & some dear former neighbors from Seattle on a street in the Peal District. My friend S:  “oh my God… look! That is Gus Van Sant!”. The Husband: “Yeah, he lives in this neighborhood & Stephen knows him”. Our little group mumbled some- “yeah, sures & uh-huhs”. When Mr. Van Sant walked past us, he looked up, & said in his usual soft manner- “hello… there… Stephen. I haven’t seen you in a while... strange… your head looks bigger…” & then he went on his way. My friends looked baffled & everyone wanted to know what he meant. I had no idea (what could he have meant?), but I told them that it was an industry term, that good actors had heads that were proportionately too large for their bodies. It was my Gus Van Sant moment.