ComingSoon Senior Editor Spencer Legacy spoke with On Fire star Lance Henriksen about the environmental drama movie. Henriksen discussed working with the film’s cast and conveying a sense of danger. On Fire is set to debut exclusively in theaters on September 29.
“Inspired by true and harrowing events, On Fire tells the story of an ordinary man (Facinelli) that finds his world suddenly torn apart as devastating wildfires rip through the surrounding countryside,” according to the film’s synopsis. “With precious moments ticking by, he must flee with his son (Asher Angel) and pregnant wife (Fiona Dourif) if they have any hope of surviving the rapid forces of mother nature.”
“SAG-AFTRA approved an interim agreement for On Fire since the film is being released by Cineverse, an independent, non-AMPTP affiliated distributor,” reads a statement from the filmmakers. “Under the terms, members ‘may work on these productions without being in violation of the strike order,’ per the guild. The entire team of On Fire expresses their gratitude to SAG-AFTRA for allowing the cast to promote On Fire during this challenging time for the industry.”
Spencer Legacy: What really drew you to your role in On Fire?
Lance Henriksen: The actors. The one of them that plays my daughter-in-law is such a powerhouse. I don’t want to single her out, but she’s a great young actress, so that was part of it. And the director at the time — I had a meeting with him and everything seemed fine. Then we stumbled somewhere along the line. They had to make some very quick decisions and it’s good they did, because it is like a fire once it hits. There’s no stopping. It’d be like trying to surf a tidal wave. That’s what it’s like. I mean, because you’ve got to be on your mark to make a difference.
Peter Facinelli both acts with you in the movie and is the co-director. What really impressed you about him, both as a scene partner and as a director?
Strong and good. When he picked that baton up to run with it, he wasn’t going to stop for anybody, and that’s what he’s like. He’s focused and he thinks about it and he asks for advice — he’s a pro. He’s a real pro. I like the danger that comes when you’re on a budget and if there’s any gigantic thing that falls in your way, you have to deal with it. You can’t throw your hands up and say, “This is not for me.” It’s about solutions and affection for other actors. I think that’s the biggest deal in the world. Because we know what happens when you don’t, you know? It goes south. Yeah, we were all happy to be with each other. I could and moan and everybody would goes, “Ah, shut up, Grandpa!” [Laughs].
What sort of feelings and emotions did you put into your performance?
I mean, we all have marching orders and it’s called a script. That’s the marching orders. Then in the middle of the night when you haven’t slept and you didn’t sleep during the day and you didn’t eat enough and all of that, you feed it right into the shoot. That makes you a better actor for that movie. Because it’s all about danger everywhere and the danger of losing your relatives.
You mentioned Fiona Dourif, who you acted with and who you have some tense scenes with. What was the process of working on those back-and-forth scenes like with her?
Oh, Fiona was great, man. She’s feisty and sharp. There were a couple of times where I thought she was going to join the fight and kick my ass. [Laughs]. she is so smart. Her dad is a smart guy, too. I’ve known him a long time, but Fiona, I only saw her once when she was a little tiny kid. And then I see her as a full-grown woman, and she’s really beautiful. I like her a lot. I get lucky that way. I just like people.
