Talking With: Joseph Salazar Star of UrbanflixTV Horror Series “The Passenger”

Who doesn’t love a good scare – especially during the holidays? The new streaming platform UrbanflixTV is counting on it with the recent release of the horror series “The Passenger.”

This edition of Talking With focuses on actor Joseph Salazar, who stars as the amnesia-stricken Psychiatrist Sean Fritz in the series.

Director Diana Valentine, the series opens on Sean Fritz waking up to discovers he’s been involved in a horrible car crash, but has no recollection of how he got there. Searching for clues in an attempt to get home, he discovers he may have a shady past he can’t escape and a delusional ex-patient who might be out for blood.

Previously, Joseph appeared on TV in Season 3 of HBO drama series, "Westworld," along with CBS’s "Criminal Minds," Nickelodeon’s "Henry Danger" and NBC’s "Trauma." He has long been recognized for his work with the Bay Area Theater scene, performing with Tony Award winning companies Berkeley Rep, Marin Theater Company and Cal Shakes.

To find our more, we are Talking With Joseph Salazar.

Give us a quick idea of what we can expect with “The Passenger.”

JOSEPH: "The Passenger" is a fun twisty horror/thriller with some classic monster movie elements that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a great weeknight popcorn binge.

Why did you want to play Sean Fritz?

JOSEPH: I liked the idea of playing someone who is working right alongside the audience to try and figure out what the hell is going on. The series starts off with Sean having no memory of who he is or where he comes from and I found that exciting. There's also a boiling duality in Sean that I felt would be a good challenge. I wanted to defend him.

As an actor, what helped you the most in bringing this character to life?

JOSEPH: This was my first big job since moving to L.A. and to be truthful I had a lot of fear about what I didn't know going into shooting it. Sean is experiencing something similar throughout the series and I find that if I can relate and empathize with a character it helps me find the truth in bringing them to life.

Do you have a favorite scene from the series? And, was it also your favorite to shoot?

JOSEPH: I do. In the third episode Sean gets an answer to his question "who am I?" All I can say is be careful what you wish for. This was also my favorite scene to shoot because that duality in Sean finally gets to boil over and we see what happens when the answer you seek isn't what you expected. Without giving away too much, who Sean is in the beginning is not who he is in the end and that was really fun to play.

How would you have reacted in this situation if it had happened to you in real life?

JOSEPH: I think Sean does what he has to do but I'm not sure I'd make the same choices. If I woke up in the wake of a car accident, in the middle of nowhere with no idea who I am, and heard growling, I'd probably do a lot more running than Sean.

What do you hope audiences take away from watching the series?

JOSEPH: I hope people are entertained and have a bit of campy fun.

Where do you start when preparing for a role; and does that change depending on the genre?

JOSEPH: I always start with reading the script a bunch to really understand the story. Then I try and figure out what is driving this character, why are we seeing them in this situation, in this moment? I don't necessarily have a different approach with different genres but there is a definite shift in energy for me as to how I approach comedy as opposed to drama.

You’ve appeared on stage a lot as well. How different is that to acting for film and television?

JOSEPH: Well I think fundamentally acting is acting, but coming from working primarily in theater for so many years I definitively had to adjust. In theater you can spend weeks rehearsing, you have a whole stage to explore your instincts and impulses, you can try things out and see how it works. There's space to move. Some of my favorite experiences have been the Shakespeare festivals I've done in massive outdoor amphitheaters. In a space like that you have to communicate to the last seat in the last row. Film and TV is so intimate, the camera is right there, you can't hide from it, it see's everything and that can be intimidating. That's why I'm grateful I got to work on The Passenger because it was such and immersive experience and I hope I can take what I learned there and put it into my work moving forward.

Finally, is there anything else you’re working on that we can watch for?

JOSEPH: Right now, like so many I'm just hunkering down and hoping for a great 2021 for all.

Keep up with Joseph Salazar on Twitter: @MrJosephSalazar and Instagram: @josephwsalazar