TORONTO — Thomas Dekker is telling the truth when he says he doesn’t know how to describe his new film The Good Lie.
“I don’t know if I would refer to it as a horror film. It definitely has some really horrific elements to it,” he said Tuesday in Toronto. “It’s a family drama. It’s got fantasy elements to it, too. It’s a really unique movie.”
The Good Lie is also a Canadian movie, made in Montreal by Winnipeg writer-director Shawn Linden.
Dekker plays Cullen Francis, a privileged young man whose life is turned upside down when he learns he’s the product of a vicious rape.
“It’s really about a father and son,” Dekker explained. “Their relationship is challenged by this secret that comes from the past, so everything they’ve had is put to the test.”
During an appearance on Global’s The Morning Show, Dekker said he wasn’t put off by the subject matter.
“I love doing that kind of work. I’ve sort of always been drawn to darker, heavier projects just because it’s more for you to do as an actor,” he said.
Dekker’s off-camera life has had its moments of darkness, too. He has spoken openly about being molested as a child and has admitted to a number of brushes with the law while growing up in Las Vegas.
He has taken on mainstream roles in TV series like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Heroes and The Secret Circle as well as risky roles in small films like Kaboom and Angel’s Crest — both in which he appears nude.
The 25-year-old star admitted he would rather make 10 independent films than one bad blockbuster and he would love to do more work in Canada.
“I love the Canadian crews,” said Dekker. “I’ve worked in Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal… I’ve kind of been all over the place.”
He attended the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival to support Kaboom and made an appearance at Toronto’s Fan Expo in 2009 to promote Laid to Rest.
A musician at heart, Dekker told The Morning Show his ultimate goal is to become a writer-director.
The Good Lie opens May 3 in Toronto and Winnipeg in advance of a wider release.
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