Daydream Believer

I guess I’ve had the usual ups and downs of an actor,” admits Entourage star Kevin Dillon. “You know, a lot of rejection and bad reviews here and there. It’s not always the steadiest job, but if you persevere and stick with it, and you believe in yourself, it can hopefully turn good. It turned around for me, and it has been a dream job ever since.”

The 47-year-old American actor might mean what he says, but he didn’t say “dream job” by accident. Dillon is visiting Dublin to promote Budweiser Dream Job, an inspiring new project which is offering talented and passionate people in Ireland the opportunity to kick-start their dream career. The prize includes a cash-injection of €40,000, which will allow the winner the freedom to take real steps towards securing their dream job over a 12-month period, a €5,000 equipment bursary, and practical mentoring sessions with experts in the winner’s field of interest including Irish music mogul Dave Harris and fashion designer Heidi Higgins.
“Budweiser Dream Job is an amazing opportunity for someone in Ireland,” Dillon explains. “The reality is most people don’t get the chance due to lack of funds, support or encouragement. I say if you have a talent and you’re passionate, go for it!”
While probably best-known for playing actor Johnny Drama in the hit HBO comedy series Entourage, and for his memorable turns in shows such as NYPD Blue and 24, Dillon has also appeared in a number of hit film, including A Midnight Clear, Platoon and The Doors.
“That was a great movie,” he enthuses of The Doors. “I played John Densmore. I was always a huge Doors fan. I played the drums too. I wasn’t a great drummer, but I told Oliver Stone I was when I was trying to get the part. But yeah, I loved that film and think it holds up really well today. A real good piece of art right there.
“I thought Val Kilmer gave one of the best performances of all-time playing Jim Morrison. That’s not an easy part to play. I thought he killed it. That was a dream job as well – playing a rock ‘n’ roll star in a movie, that’s a dream job.”
Growing up in New York, Dillon had plenty of support and encouragement from his family – as did his older brother, Matt, award-winning star of The Outsiders, Drugstore Cowboy and There’s Something About Mary.
“Matt’s career kind of took off when he was pretty young,” Kevin recalls. “He was only 13 when he started acting so he needed a little support from mum and dad. My mum had to go with him because he needed parental guidance when he was going out making movies. So yeah I did, too, and my parents supported me. They saw me in my first school play and were like, ‘yeah you’re good at it so go for it!’
“So my parents were really great, and Matt was great. He was able to teach me a couple of things and give me some warnings about certain things. I’ve got a big family, too, so we all support each other. There’s six kids, and five boys. That’s one thing I do have, a lot of support, which is always great.”
As an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated star, what advice would he give aspiring actors?
“That you just gotta go for it 100%,” he proffers. “If you can get with some good acting classes, maybe put something up on stage. The hardest part is actually probably finding an agent and becoming part of the Screen Actors Guild. Here, I’m sure there are different guilds. That’s one of the hardest things to do for up-and-coming actors. There’s also going to be tonnes of rejection along the way. They’re going to be like, ‘I didn’t like him’ or ‘he doesn’t have the look’ or whatever. You gotta take the rejection and let it just roll off your back and carry on. That’s the real key, the perseverance.”
Dillon will be starring alongside Heather Graham in a new movie called Compulsion later this summer. Although Entourage came to a close in 2011, there’s been much talk of a big screen version. So is that going to happen?
“Yes, I believe it is,” he nods. “The script is great, everyone wants to do it. I really want to do it because there’s some really great Johnny Drama stuff in there and the character is so much fun to play. It would be awesome going back and doing that. Eight years of Entourage was amazing and if we can get a movie out of it, I think it’ll be a lot of fun. As Drama I’ve been playing a guy with the dream job, which is cool. That’s what’s great about this Budweiser gig. You know, some guy who maybe wasn’t able to follow the career he wanted because maybe he couldn’t afford it, but now that guy or girl is going to have a chance. He or she is going to have the opportunity to go for it!”

Members of the public over 18 years can apply for their Dream Job on the Budweiser Ireland Facebook page (facebook.com/Budweiser) by uploading a creative CV before August 9