INTERVIEW: Jamie Bamber unleashes violent justice in ‘Joe Doe Vigilante’

Jamie Bamber from Battlestar Galactica fame stars in John Doe Vigilante, a new thriller from director Kelly Dolen. The story surrounds a man who decides to exact revenge on criminals who escape the justice system. Some supporters consider him a hero, while others want John Doe arrested for murder.

The movie from Arc Entertainment is set for release on DVD Tuesday, April 14. Recently, Bamber exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox about the new film and his Battlestar Galactica past. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.

Some characters in the film can see John Doe as a villain, while some may see him as a hero (or perhaps both). When you were playing the character, what was your take on the role?

Well, what attracted me to the film was the fact that the audience is actually forced during the course of the film to see John Doe as a hero, than as a victim, and finally I would argue as a monster if not a villain. It examines the confused and nightmarish reality behind what the media creates out of this nameless man.

What attracted you to John Doe Vigilante?

The complexity behind the lead character’s apparently very clear and simple approach to injustice, as I mention above. When I read the script I felt drawn along with the mob response to the perceived injustice, the anger, the vitriol, and then, just at that moment, the story pivots and you get to see the complexities that emerge with any closer look at reality. It is like a mirror is thrust in your face when you are at your angriest and ugliest. An unusual and rare feat in a script.

As an accomplished TV and film actor, what are some of the positives of making movies as opposed to TV shows?

Telling a whole, crafted story from A to Z and having the responsibility to tell the whole story concisely. A real challenge. TV is wonderful because you can sprawl, explore many different things, make mistakes and still come back to the core of the show without jeopardizing the whole. A movie requires more discipline.

This many years after Battlestar Galactica, do you still appreciate the fan love for that series?

I am humbled by it and very proud of it at the same time. If that is even possible. The great and wonderful thing is that people are discovering BSG today, long after it was on TV; they are telling me it is even more relevant and impactful today that it was when we made it. Timeless is the word. That’s what all storytellers aspire to, timelessness, and it has always been difficult to achieve on the most transient medium, the humble TV show.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• John Doe Vigilante premieres on DVD Tuesday, April 15. Click here for more information.