Charlie Saxton is Hung Up on Acting

Charlie Saxton wasn’t actually born in a trunk, but the 19-year-old actor has been performing since childhood and even made his Broadway debut at age 13 in the 2003 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. While theater is still his great love, Saxton is now making his name on the big and small screen. He stars on the hit HBO series Hung as Damon, the unhappy teenaged son of an economically challenged teacher who takes a side job as a male prostitute, and appears in the new movie Twelve starring Chace Crawford, which opens nationally on August 6. TheaterMania spoke to Saxton recently about his career.

THEATERMANIA: Can you give us a quick snapshot of your life before Hung?
CHARLIE SAXTON: I started acting at age 5. My mother is an actress and my dad was a stage manager in Delaware, so I was sort of born into this whole society. When they asked me if I wanted to act, I said yes, so I could get out of school early. I did some local theater at the Bristol Riverside Theatre, and then a bunch of commercials, and then Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway. After that, I was just a high school kid, and I was all set to go to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where I was going to major in communications and minor in theater. Then I decided to go to New York to do some auditions — and then I got called for Hung. I first auditioned on tape in New York and then I ended up in LA and signed with CAA. I was going to start community college there, but the first day of school was the same day we had to shoot the pilot, and I thought someone is telling me to take advantage of these opportunities, so I put college on hold to focus on acting.

TM: What was your first thought about doing Hung?
CS: Like everyone, when you first hear about the show, it sounds weird. But it’s really about people struggling and getting through in a terrible economy. As far as Damon, I think everyone has phase where they don’t fit in and I found him relatable.

TM: The second season recently got underway. What are we going to learn about Damon this year?
CS: This season is more about what he’s into, his scene, his style. We’ve already seen how he can’t relate to his dad, Ray — who is this athletic football coach — but we see how Damon falls in love with poetry and when things don’t go well, Ray really has to come to bat to help his kid.

TM: What is it like on the Hung set?
CS: There’s never a dull moment. It’s definitely an eclectic group of people with such diverse personalities and backgrounds. Jane Adams, who plays Tanya, is from theater; Anne Heche, who plays my mom, got started on soaps; and Thomas Jane, who plays my dad, is more from film if anywhere. But they’re all such good actors that you can always feed off of them, and reacting to them is one of the best parts of the job.

TM: What are some of your memories of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?
CS: Well, I finally hit puberty during the show. We had to sing “Happy Birthday” every night to Ned Beatty, who played Big Daddy, and by the end of the run, I had gone from this cute little kid with a high voice to being a baritone; that was odd. Ned was really the grandfather of the company; he brought turkeys and hams for all the holiday parties. And I learned that Broadway isn’t as glamorous as I thought. Our green room was in the basement; it was actually the costume shop and there were hundreds of costumes everywhere. So everyone basically stayed in their own dressing rooms instead.

TM: In Twelve, you’re playing “Mark Rothko.” Is he some version of the famous artist?
CS: No, it’s my character’s nickname because when he was younger, he knocked into one of his paintings and ripped it in half. Mark is one of a sea of teens in this movie — and we’re all connected because we have the same drug dealer, played by Chace Crawford. Anyway, everyone is getting laid but Mark and his friend Timmy, because they’re too snobby. Basically, everyone tolerates us but no one likes us; we’re kind of the comic relief in the movie.

TM: Are you still pursuing theater?
CS: Yes. I just got back from doing some readings for The LAByrinth Theatre Company at Bard College. Brett C. Leonard is one of our writers on Hung and a member of the LAB and he called me to do this. It was really refreshing to get an immediate reaction to your work; it makes you remember that some people still care if you give a good performance. And there were basically just actors and playwrights in audiences for all the readings, which was a tough crowd, but also a lot of fun.

TM: What are you up to next?
CS: We’ve finished filming season 2 of Hung and we’re still waiting to hear if there will be a season 3. But even if we do go back, I’m free until March. So right now, I’m going to campaign my ass off to be in Ghostbusters 3. Really, that’s my dream role — and depending on how I wear my hair, I can look like a young Rick Moranis or a young Dan Aykroyd.