Interview: Engaging Colin Egglesfield of ‘Something Borrowed’

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CHICAGO – Colin Egglesfield is in an enviable position. In his major film debut, “Something Borrowed,” he is engaged to Kate Hudson, and also shows his affection for Ginnifer Goodwin. He is torn between two lovers, but handles both with natural charm.

Egglesfield has carved out a career through hard work and perseverance. After going through the pre-med program at the University of Iowa, he turned to modeling to earn money for medical school, and ended up doing it full time. He morphed from that career to acting, where he built a resume of TV and movie roles until landing on “All My Children” in 2005, playing the son of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci), Dr. Josh Madden.

Kate Hudson (Darcy) with Colin Egglesfield (Dex) in ‘Something Borrowed’
Kate Hudson (Darcy) with Colin Egglesfield (Dex) in ‘Something Borrowed’
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

While doing that daytime drama, he scored bigger roles in the films “Beautiful Dreamer” (2006) and “The Good Guy” (2009). After leaving All My Children in 2009, he did a brief stint as Augie Kirkpatrick on the re-working of “Melrose Place,” before landing the role of Dex in Something Borrowed.

Colin Egglesfield was in Chicago last Friday, on the day of his big debut. He sat down for an interview with HollywoodChicago.com to talk about his film, co-stars and career path.

HollywoodChicago: You play an fairly indecisive character in the film. What part of that indecision did you relate to in playing Dex?

Colin Egglesfield: The indecision I related to is that when I grew up I never knew what I wanted to do career-wise. I went to college and started out in engineering, switched to pre-med, then I graduated and wasn’t sure if medicine was something I wanted to do. It was that kind of indecisiveness that landed me into modeling and acting. The great thing about about acting is I get to play different people with different careers.

HollywoodChicago: You got to share intimacies with both Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin in this film. What technique did you use to get to know both of them to communicate the intimacy that is necessary for the characters?

Egglesfield: For Ginnifer, I went out to dinner with her the first few days after I met her, to get a sense of who she was. I think it’s really important when you’re playing characters that are supposed to be in love, that you open up as much as possible and talk about relationships and family. That’s where people tend to bond when you talk about things that are personal. We talked about fears, dreams and aspirations, and that was what I could really talk about with Ginnifer.

With Kate, the first day I met her was her birthday, and the first table reading of the script. She invited me to her birthday dinner that night, and after the dinner we went off to the side and talked, which was similar to how Dex and Darcy get to know each other in the movie, as in it wasn’t a deep, profound approach, but more of a flirty banter. That fit with our characters, so I didn’t feel I needed to do more than that.

HollywoodChicago: Both women in the film are post millennial women, independent financially and confident in their own way. In your opinion, how do you think men are most relevant in the post technology age, when the gender contributions and distinctions in business, politics and society are becoming blurred?

Egglesfield: Men and women are so different, I feel that no matter how advanced we become or how we evolve as human beings, there are still distinct differences between men and women. I think men still need to feel useful, need to feel appreciated and we like to fix and do things.

I could be wrong about this, but I think that women like to feel that they are able to nurture, and like when men are there to protect them in a sense, make them feel safe. Women also like someone who will listen to them, not necessarily try to solve their problems, but they appreciate when a guy will sit there, listen and tell them that things will be okay.

HollywoodChicago: There is still a romance when it comes to weddings, as illustrated by the recent royal nuptials. How does the pressure to get married play into the characters of ‘Something Borrrowed’?

Egglesfield: It definitely does, especially with my character Dex. He’s someone who comes from privilege, a family lineage where he’s being groomed to be like his father is, there is much expected of him. It’s almost Kennedy-esque. It is Darcy that is the kind of wife that will help him get through the events that will move him forward, and she looks the part. But deep down she’s not someone he feels he has a connection to.

Director Luke Greenfield (left), Colin Egglesfield and Ginnifer Goodwin on the Set of ‘Something Borrowed’
Director Luke Greenfield (left), Colin Egglesfield and Ginnifer Goodwin on the Set of ‘Something Borrowed’
Photo credit: David Lee for Warner Bros. Pictures

HollywoodChicago: What type of relationship do you think Dex had with his father? Was it distant? Close? Fear-based?

Egglesfield: I think all of it. The way I created Dex and his relationship with his Dad, he was expected to do all the right things, like get great grades, be a stand-out athlete and continue the pedigree. Their relationship was not necessarily one where Dex could open up and be honest about his feelings. When he finally tries to do that, his father actually shuts the door. ‘That’s not who we are.’ We see right away where Dex is coming from, and get a better understanding of why he does what he does.

HollywoodChicago: You grew up primarily in the Midwest in Michigan and Illinois, and went to school in Iowa. How does your Midwestern roots help you to navigate the rigors of show business?

Egglesfield: It keeps me grounded, it keeps me sane. It amazes me how superficial our business can be. I don’t know if it’s a by-product of how the industry is set up, where everyone goes to Los Angeles trying to pursuit their dream and they’re looking for anyone that can help them do it. My attitude is I never know who will end up helping me. I try to be nice to everyone, from the assistant when I first walk into an office, all the way up. You never know that the assistant might someday be next president of a studio.

I like to prove people wrong. I do like it when I’m in a situation where someone didn’t take me seriously, because as I’m rising up in the ranks those same people will come around and start to ask, ‘would you like to work together on a project?’ It’s hard not to take those mental notes of who was there to help you get to where you’re at and who wasn’t. Relationships are very important in this business.

HollywoodChicago: When in your life was that particular moment that you knew, that despite all good advice against it, that you were going to relentlessly pursue to the best of your ability, the profession of acting?

Egglesfield: I feel like there were a few instances of that moment. Once I booked All My Children I thought, okay, maybe I can do this for a living. Maybe I don’t have to built furniture on the side to pay the rent. [laughs] That was cool and exciting. I just know that when I’m working, I always wake up excited to go to work. It’s not even necessarily work. I like to see what is going to happen that day.

Colin Egglesfield in Chicago, May 6, 2011
Colin Egglesfield in Chicago, May 6, 2011
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago: You were on ‘All My Children’ for four years. What is your reaction to the cancellation of the series, what is your favorite memory during that time on the show?

Egglesfield: I’m incredibly sad about the cancellation. It is such a major entertainment institution, soap operas in general, that to see something like this go off the air after so long it’s hard to even fathom. It feels we’ve transitioned into a new way to digest entertainment, everything is so fluffy and high calorie. The reason I think soap operas aren’t doing well these days is that 20 years ago the only place you could get scandal, salacious drama and hijinks was by watching soap operas. Now you turn on an episode of the ‘Jersey Shore’ and it’s even more heightened than a soap opera can ever be because it’s reality.

My favorite memory of my time there was working with Susan Lucci. The incredible honor of playing her son, daytime drama’s iconic queen, what better role could I possibly have? It was a great training ground for an actor as well, I had to process so much information so quickly. After coming off of that series, I felt like I could do anything.

HollywoodChicago: What type of role would you like to do, that you think casting agents might now consider you for and why?

Egglesfield: I would love to do a sitcom. I don’t know if I’m funny enough, but I love to give it a shot. Sitcoms are great because they’re so freeing. I would love to eventually do one.

”Something Borrowed” opened everywhere on May 6th. Featuring Colin Egglesfield, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski, Steve Howey and Jill Eikenberry, Screenplay by Jennie Snyder Urman, directed by Luke Greenfield. Rated “PG-13”

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2011 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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