Back before he found success with Midland, Mark Wystrach was an actor and model, starring on the NBC soap, Passions.
This Friday, the “Drinkin’ Problem” hitmaker again steps in front of the camera, taking a pivotal role in the new film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
“I play a character named Gary Paxton,” Mark explains, “who is kind of a little-known, very large character in the music world. He had very young success in his career as an artist and as a songwriter.”
“I guess he's best known for producing and writing a song called ‘Monster Mash,'” Mark continues, “and probably even better known for ending up being Tammy Faye Bakkers producer on multiple albums of hers that were recorded at their compound out in North Carolina.”
With Jessica Chastain taking the lead role and Andrew Garfield playing Tammy’s husband, Jim Bakker, Mark admits it would’ve been easy to psyche himself out.
“You find yourself suddenly, in the back of your head saying, ‘Wow, I'm the only person in this room right now on the set without an Academy Award,'” he confesses. “And that could be intimidating or you can just jump in and have fun.”
“And it was really easy with Jessica and Andrew and [director] Michael [Showalter],” Mark reflects. “They're so gracious and so easy to work with that you just kinda jump in and go with the flow, and you just kind of swim in the river. And it was a blast, an amazing experience.”
“And I think the film — which I’ve had a chance to see — turned out brilliantly,” he adds.
You can check out Mark’s performance when The Eyes of Tammy Faye opens on Friday.
Meanwhile, Midland’s new EP, The Last Resort, is out now, featuring their single, “Sunrise Tells the Story.”
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