Absolutely! Ahmad is a mysterious drifter who meets the protagonist, Henry Dawles, and gives him, and thus the audience, some insight regarding the sinister beings that inhabit the rural estate Henry is appraising.

Of course! One of my favorite actors, Johnny Depp, once said, “With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it’s just not acting. It’s lying.” Ahmad is an enigma with an equal mix of charisma and madness. Those are all qualities that have been used to describe me at one point or another. 🙂

Ahmad was my most gratifying, most fun film role to date. It was also my most physically exhausting role. All the running and jumping, take after take, made my body sorer than it’s ever been. It definitely emphasized how important it is for an actor to be in good shape if they have to do an action sequence, especially if they have to do their own stunts. The physical intensity added more authenticity to the performance and it was one of the best workouts I’ve ever had.

Ahmad is a bit…paranoid. After all, not only is he trying to escape supernatural creatures, but he is a fugitive, too. So, he has lots of anxiety and fear that makes him unpredictable. That unpredictability can be unsettling, frightening, and even violent. In one particular scene, I drew inspiration from Jamie Foxx’s performance as a schizophrenic homeless musician in the film “The Soloist”.

Yes. Everything I needed to play Ahmad was in Rob Hamilton and Marco Scola’s very clever script. The fact that Ahmad was Muslim made him even more interesting and complex. I did some research on Islamic mythology and theology, to better understand some of the information Ahmad conveys to Henry. I also spoke to a couple Muslim friends of mine and asked them about the proper pronunciation of specific Arabic phrases.

If I was older, I think I would have enjoyed playing Mr. Remiel, who was portrayed wonderfully by Phil Amico. I love how mysterious the character is. Also, I play the piano, so I really enjoyed the fact that Mr. Remiel played the organ and loved music.

“The Suffering” is a very smart film. I’d say it’s more of a psychological thriller than a horror film and it intelligently deals with universal themes like morality, redemption, and mysticism. Director Rob Hamilton does an amazing job of giving the film a mysterious tone and pace similar to 70’s era haunted house genre films. If you like movies like “The Shining,” for example, then you will enjoy “The Suffering.” Also, it’s visually beautiful. Cinematographer David Newbert did an astounding job of capturing the vast rural estate where the story takes place. In fact, much of the rich history of the property told in the film is actually true, giving the story an authenticity that many horror mystery thrillers lack. I highly recommend everyone watch this film! I’m so very happy to be part of it.

Rent/Buy THE SUFFERING, TODAY – Available on the following outlets:

iTunes: http://apple.co/2aOJBhk
Amazon Instant: http://amzn.to/2baurRs
Vudu: http://bit.ly/2blde9r
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2bwEIoL

Also available on Playstation, Xbox, Direct TV, Dish Network, and your local cable provider