The Hero

Webs don’t spring out of Vincent Weller’s wrists, his bank balance rarely exceeds double digits, and he definitely can’t deflect a bullet off his eye. And yet, Vincent Weller is undoubtedly a superhero, steadfastly dedicated to his noble pursuits.

The same can be said for Todd Haberkorn. Bitten by the acting bug as a child, Todd first appeared on stage 15 years ago as a singing cowboy in the musical “Westward Ho!” and since then he has racked up an impressive list of stage and screen credits.

“I may not be on a billboard in Times Square at this point, but I've had a wonderful career so far spanning every medium in the industry that I am grateful for each day,” he said. “And I'm still shooting for the top each and every time.”

He plans on reaching new creative heights with his portrayal of Vincent Weller, the realistic superhero whose story is explored in On the Wire.

“I wrote the part with Todd in mind from the very beginning,” said Brian O’Neill, the director, editor, co-producer and co-writer of the film. “After seeing him act on stage and in other films, including one of my own, Absolution, I know he'll make Vincent engaging and believable, but still kick some major ass on screen.”

The character Brian and Todd have crafted fits the mold of the typical mid-20s guy, but his life soon spirals in a unique direction as he pursues justice at whatever cost.

“I think the fundamental things that make me up compared to Vincent aren't all that different,” Todd said. “He's a driven individual with fantastical goals. That's where I'm at myself. With only one life, why not dream big?

“Although it sounds like it'll be a piece of cake to play someone similar to me, my challenge becomes taking what I build with Vincent and making it different from myself as a challenge to my acting muscles. The last thing I want is just me on the screen. I want the character I've created to live and breathe on film.”

Todd will rely on his theatrical training to make that transformation.

“My process varies for each project but my main goal is the same - stay true to the script and character, give full effort and be as creative as possible,” he said. “I try to build a complete character inside and out. If that means altering my physical self or adjusting social points of view for the character, I do that. I find that music, pictures and other research are very inspiring for character development.”

The physical demands of becoming Vincent have already begun for Todd. Aside from studying martial arts and getting a motorcycle license, Todd knows that a superhero without superpowers must rely mostly on his own strength.

“I'm on a workout regimen that will hopefully pack on about 20 more pounds of mass on me,” he said. “I've gained 10, but it's hard with my schedule being what it is and the fact that I'm doing it alone. Well, not alone - I've got protein shakes.”

All joking aside, Vincent’s nightly vigilante routine will undoubtedly take its toll on his appearance.

“Vincent needs to look like someone who doesn't have it all figured out, but is doing his damndest to figure it out on the spot,” Todd said. “If there's a little wear and tear due to lack of sleep because of training or fighting - that's what needs to happen.”

Todd knows about lack of sleep firsthand. He regularly balances theater, television, film and voice work in addition to his role as co-founder and artistic director of Theater Fusion, a theater company based in Keller, Texas. Despite the stress of having so much on his plate, his busy schedule has given him a broad range of experience and the chance to tackle many different types of roles.

“I've had the great opportunity to play characters that have existed on one extreme to the other,” he said. “For example, I am currently doing a show at the Undermain Theater in Deep Ellum where I play the English romantic poet, Lord Byron. I leave from performing that stage play and go rehearse the production ‘Tape’ at the Dallas Theater Center, where I portray a drug-using loser in boxer shorts. That's one example, but I've played everything from drag queens and straight-laced everymen to evildoers and knights. With the animated shows, I've mostly played protagonists but have snuck in as a bad guy here and there. Just today actually, I played a giraffe.

“There's a wider point of view on what actors are capable of on the stage as opposed to film,” he said. “With most film auditions, you're expected to walk in the door having the qualities of the character already. Theater lets you walk in the door and develop the traits of your character over hours and weeks of rehearsal. It's so strange to me how the general public gets crazy over someone like Tom Cruise playing a bad guy on film because from my point of view, if you're an actor, you have to walk in the door with the tools to play anything that's given to you.”

As a co-producer of On the Wire, Todd plans to use his creative control to blend his experiences with film and stage acting to draw out his best performance.

“Coming from a strong theatre background, the actor’s process is quite a bit different from the film process,” he said. “The rehearsal process is much longer for stage than film. I’m often more proud of my stage work due to the fact that I’m more confident in the rehearsed product than the film project where rehearsal takes place moments before a scene is filmed. But the naturalism of most film is attractive to me as well as the special effects that can be employed.”

Todd plans to put all of the actors in On the Wire though the gauntlet with theatrical rehearsals in lieu of the shorter kinds typically found on a film set. He would also like to bring in a theatrically trained professional to make sure all the actors have their lines down and their characters fully developed.

“I feel that the fault of a lot of films I see is that the person on screen is playing themselves because of a lack of rehearsal and preparation,” he said. “On set, I expect anyone that signs on to this project to put his or her best foot forward each and every time. Bottom line is we've all got lives outside of the project and we'll all be working unholy hours each day, but if it's at all possible, we need to be on set with a singular priority of doing what's best for the end product. If that means rehearsing something 15 or 20 times, we do it. That way when you're on camera, you're not concerned about your lines; you're concerned about truthfully going after what your character wants.

“Fights and stunts need to be well worked for safety and maximum efficiency, but acting scenes also need to be well rehearsed for a different kind of safety - a safety where the actor feels comfortable being their character and doing justice to their arc.”