Image Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Collider, Facefof.com

Euphoria star Eric Dane recently was seen playing the antagonist in Redeeming Love, a film by D.J. Caruso is based on the California Gold Rush of 1850. The actor shared his experience of acting both in the film and the series and how the two differ from each other.

Eric Dane started by saying that sometimes it is more fun to play a character like the ones he portrayed in Redeeming Love and Euphoria than it would be to actually know them in person. "You get to play these guys, where some of their behaviors you don’t want to indulge, but for the most, a lot of this stuff is really fun to play and explore because you don’t have to deal with the real-world consequences," said Dane.

Despite the fun part, there is no simpler way to describe Dane's character in Redeeming Love than the way the actor himself shares during the Collider interview. "I was told that he’s the antagonist, which is the lightweight, mild way of putting it. He’s despicable," he admitted about his character. 

The actor revealed that he was initially tempted to deny the role. "I actually turned this movie down because Duke was written, originally, as an American. The one note was, “We want you to do this. We want you to make him charming.” And I thought, “Well, it’s just not on the page. I don’t see where this guy is charming. The circumstances are not very charming. The words coming out of his mouth are not very charming," said Dane. 

Yet the actor managed to make his new role work and added his own element to the character. "I couldn’t figure out what I could do. Before I ended up speaking to D.J. Caruso about it, I started playing around with the dialogue, and then I started saying this guy’s lines as an Irishman. The way the Irish speak it’s very lyrical and musical. They’re great storytellers."

Putting his own essence for the character and drawing out what did not fit, he said, "I wanted to stay away from yellow stars, green clovers, purple horseshoes, and the leprechaun, but I wanted to make sure, contextual and historically, that it fits. I also had to get permission from the writer. The character was originated in a book, so you can’t really take that much creative license unless you get permission from the writer."

In the end, Dane managed to get the green signal so that he could play the character as he wanted. "I said, “D.J., I think I found a way in for this character, but you have to let me play him as an Irishman.” After we talked about the specifics and I made my case, he took it back to the writer, and she said, “Yeah, it’s fine. Play him as an Irishman,” revealed the Euphoria actor.

In the end, the character became a truly despicable antagonist as Dane put it. However, being the actor who played the part, Dane never judged Duke or the very bad things that the character did. 

"I never judged the character, but at the same time, I wasn’t aware of that either. I wasn’t mindful of, “I can’t judge this guy.” It just wasn’t something that ever occurred to me. You take the role, and you go in with both feet, and you commit fully to it and engage wholeheartedly, or you don’t do it at all,' Explained the actor. 

"There were a couple of moments that were tough. Being a sex trafficker and a pedophile is difficult to wrap your head around, no matter what the circumstances. I’d be lying if I pretended like some things weren’t there," he said. "But for the most part, if I don’t commit, the only person that ends up looking foolish is me."

On the other hand, Eric Dane also portrayed the role of Cal in Euphoria. Not strictly evil, Cal has his own bad side when it comes to his character. The actor said that there was a difference in portraying the two roles. "Cal’s not a criminal. Duke is a criminal. Cal is just confused and conflicted and mixed up and has been living a lie for the better part of his adult life. He has to grapple with that, eventually, find his truth, and hopefully have the courage to live it, which is what we’ll see this season," he elaborated.

"But, it’s important to make the distinction that one person is doing something dramatically illegal, and one person is just existing in a different way than the majority of people exist."

Acting Cal's part was a bit boring in the previous season of Euphoria, said Dane. "Last season, Cal was a little bit more contained and a little more controlled. He was still very much living that facade of an existence that he created," the actor shared. "This season, I got to create, essentially, a whole new character. We get to see Cal living his truth and owning his integrity, just letting all the walls down, and coming undone, essentially."

Explaining how he is totally okay with the way Cal's character turned out in the new season and is confident that things in the coming times would be great too, the actor shared that he trusted the show creator, Sam Levinson, and his vision for Cal. "It didn’t really matter where the character went because I knew Sam was gonna always protect that character as fiercely as I’ll protect that character. As far as I know, Sam doesn’t do anything that’s not extraordinarily well-thought-out," said Dane.

"So for whatever reason, the character was ultimately gonna serve the story and the greater good. That’s really what I’m there to do."

Eric Dane plays the despicable antagonist in Redeeming Love; Credits: Collider

It will be fun to see where Cal ends by the end of this season.