You wouldn't know it from looking at his long list of TV and film credits, but auditions have traditionally gone poorly for Johnathon Schaech. One reason is the Maryland native has dealt with dyslexia all his life. How he has been able to overcome is through the acting reputation he's earned over the past 25 years.
His working relationship with director Brian A. Miller has been so positive that the pair have worked together on three projects: "Vice," "The Prince" and the upcoming release "Reprisal." Schaech plays a violent and unstable bank robber who turns to kidnapping when his plan falls apart. He co-stars with Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo and Olivia Culpo.
"Brian kept calling me about the role for almost a year," Schaech says. "I had worked with him a couple of times before, but he was really determined this time to create a very powerful character for me.
"I like challenging myself to go into the dark spaces."
Schaech has played bad guys in the past, so part of the role came pretty naturally, especially after he and Miller had long discussions about the role. One decision they made was to have his character dealing with a situation familiar to Schaech: The character grew up with a learning disability.
All Schaech had to do was recall how when he was young, he was placed in remedial classes and told he wasn't smart. Those were the building blocks he used to fashion the character in "Reprisal." This is the fourth time Schaech has worked in a Bruce Willis movie, and in each of the films, his character has had a dark past.
It would have been easy for Schaech to give up on acting after all the bad auditions, but instead he found a way to get past the hurdle.
"It's like driving a bus. If you make me go your route, I will crash. But, if I go my route, I will get to the same place. In the last couple of years, I understand what dyslexia is and I understand the gifts that I have," Schaech says. "There's actually an advantage to being dyslexic and one reason why I excel as an actor. Having dyslexia has given me this vast understanding of emotions. My empathy is LARGE because of my struggle.
"That's the gift."
The area of preparation for "Reprisal" that took up the most time for Schaech was making sure he looked good firing the weapons used in the film. He had some basic knowledge because Schaech's father is in law enforcement in Maryland. He rounded out his skills through training with the Los Angeles Police Department and with a friend who is a Navy SEAL.
"Reprisal" is Schaech's latest addition to his long list of credits, which include multiple appearances on the CW Network's "Legends of Tomorrow," roles on the TV projects "Texas Rising," "Ray Donovan" and "Star-Crossed," and a starring spot in the box office hit "That Thing You Do!"
The reputation that has earned Schaech acting roles goes beyond movies and TV shows. He has been a longtime advocate and supporter for those coming forward because of the #MeToo movement and speaking up for people experiencing increased cyberbullying in the wake of sharing their stories. (Editor's note: Schaech himself came forward in January to accuse director Franco Zeffirelli of sexual harassment and abuse.) He also champions NoticeAbility, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students with dyslexia.
"I think it is my responsibility as a human being to do this. I am just a guy who found his way in life and so I think it is most important to give back," Schaech says. "I wish I were a bigger celebrity so that I could impact people's lives more. Every time I think I want to get out of this business, I think about how much I love what I do. One of the greatest parts of my job is that people pay certain attention to me for certain reasons. I can talk to people about my experiences, especially with the school systems and the arts."
His passion to draw attention to special causes will keep Schaech working as an actor. But, there might not be many more dark characters like the one in "Reprisal" in Schaech's future. He has a 5-year-old son, and that has made him start looking to find more positive characters to play and leave the bad guys in the past.
"Reprisal" opens Friday.
