Douglas Vermeeren: I started pretty young. In fact, probably before I even knew what acting was all about. I think what really made me what to be an actor was later in life when I really understood what was happening on the set. We were involved in creating magic. That’s when I fell in love with acting and movie making. And I’m still excited about it everyday. I feel blessed.

Hollywood Times: What kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?

Douglas Vermeeren: I am an avid practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I totally fell in love with the sport. It’s a great way to stay fit and challenges you to be better all the time. I also love to sight see and travel. I especially love museums and art galleries. 

Hollywood Times: What do you think your greatest strength is as an actor?

Douglas Vermeeren: This is a difficult question because I believe that sometimes it’s hard to see your own strengths when you try to look objectively at yourself. I think one of my strengths is my work ethic. I start early and I’m working long after others are done. To be an actor you really have to be a self starter. The vast majority of my film work is done privately when no one else is around and the cameras aren’t running. You literally have to be working on the character, your lines and the script by yourself. If you are not self-motivated you will never succeed in this business.

Hollywood Times: What do you think your greatest weakness is?

Douglas Vermeeren: I don’t know if this is a weakness but it’s a challenge. Time and focus. There’s never enough time and it’s often difficult to stay focused when there are so many other things going on around me in my career. Lately I had three movies back to back. It’s a big commitment to deliver quality work with so much coming at you. But I’m committed to that. As a result I have very little time for a social life. 

Hollywood Times: What techniques do you use to find the characters that you are playing?

Douglas Vermeeren: There are a lot of great techniques out there for becoming characters. I try to learn as much about the backstory of each of the characters. Sometimes I try to find people I know in real life who are like the characters I am trying to portray. Sometimes that can be a good tool to help you to find the character enough to become them.

Hollywood Times: How was it winning the Best Actor Award for Jackknife?

Douglas Vermeeren: I feel very honoured that Jackknife has been so well received. You never think about winning awards when you are on set. You just hope that you can bring the character to life in a way that people can be emotionally moved. That’s the goal. It’s a big bonus when someone appreciates your work enough to give you an award for it.

Hollywood Times: What has been your most bizarre experience on a movie set?

Douglas Vermeeren: I had a funny experience about a year ago where I was accidentally hit in the face with a football during a scene in a Christmas movie called Homeless for the Holidays. It was supposed to hit the table I was sitting at, but it hit me smack in the face. It was totally unexpected. But I guess that tests your acting ability to keep going and that’s just what we did. 

Hollywood Times: What is next for Douglas Vermeeren?

Douglas Vermeeren:  Currently I am in preproduction for a unique horror film. Instead of being a found footage film which was really popular several years ago this is a project that will introduce a new genre. I can’t say too much about it. But many are already thinking that that this film, ‘The Baphomet Seance’ could become one of the scariest movie ever made. It really is quite terrifying and it my be based on a true story. After that I will be heading to Toronto to join the cast of ‘A Farewell to youth’ with Matty Cardarople from ‘Stranger Things.”

Hollywood Times: Any last words for your fans and those that are watching your movies?

Douglas Vermeeren: I want to thank everyone who has supported my career and watched the films I’ve done. I feel very blessed for the opportunities I’ve been given and a lot of that has happened because of the incredible support that I get from everyone. Thank you.

Follow Douglas Vermeeren on instagram @douglasvermeeren

Recently we caught up with Douglas Vermeeren at the LA Film Festival where the film TENANTS he was in won Best Picture. In horror Anthology, Tenants, Vermeeren portrayed Leonard in a segment called The Photograph alongside actress Miranda Cover. Without giving away too much Vermeeren portrays a deranged building supervisor who is infatuated with one of the tenants of his building. A dangerous episode of infatuation and stalking flips to create a very dangerous situation indeed. The film is currently touring the film festival circuit where it has  been winning several awards.

The last few months have proved to be very busy for Douglas Vermeeren. The upcoming film JACKKNIFE has festival audiences very excited. The long anticipated film tells a gripping story of a black teenage brother and sister duo who get stuck in a dangerous chase through the wilderness after they go missing after a robbery and series of murders in their area. Pursuers include the police, a search party believing them innocent and the actually perpetrators of the crimes. Vermeeren plays Billy Lachance, one of the more deviant pursuers seeking revenge for his brother who became one of the murder victims. Early reviews are applauding this as Vermeeren’s best performance yet and there are rumours of multiple best actor awards for this performance. Jackknife is slated to be released to the public in mid-2024.

It’s not everyday that a small town sheriff is on a mission to keep people out of prison. But that’s exactly what happens in the upcoming horror slasher film FRESH MEAT. Douglas Vermeeren portrays sheriff Rudy Bellamy in the small town where this terrible tragedy takes place. Fresh Meat is full of suspense, thrills, jump scares and as you probably guessed… blood.  Fresh Meat has one of the unique elements that it was actually shot on location in an abandoned prison that many suspect is haunted for real.

With all the action and thrills taking place in the contemporary settings Vermeeren also had time to head back in time with two additional projects.  Naturally much of the information about these two projects must stay carefully under wraps until the projects are released publicly.

For the first one all we can say is that it takes place in the mid-1960’s and it will be airing later this year on the Paramount Plus streaming platform. That’s all the information we can give on that. 

The second project has just finished shooting at the Mescal movie set near Benson Arizona. This western movie set was the home of the upcoming western action show BLACK CREEK. The Mescal movie set has been one of the most important movie sets in the state of Arizona. It was one of the prime locations for Tombstone, The Quick and the Dead, Outlaw Josey Wales, Tom Horn, Monte Walsh and many others. (Just an interesting bit of trivia: Douglas Vermeeren was a very visible  extra in the wedding scene of the 2003 remake of Monte Walsh with Tom Sellck.) In Black Creek Douglas Vermeeren plays Hank Winslow, the bad guy who runs the disreputable fight ring and gambling in the town of Black Creek. The film features several martial arts legends like Cynthia Rithrock, Richard Norton, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Keith Cooke and others. It also features actors like Patrick Kilpatrick and others. Black Creek is being called “ The martial arts actions star vision of what the The Expendables was to the 1980’s ac lion hero.” Black Creek is currently in post production with a projected released date of spring 2024. 

Rounding out Douglas Vermeeren’s busy schedule is the new TV series UNEXPLAINED PARANORMAL FILES which will be streaming on the new service NetIndie. This show explores paranormal events and conspires ranging from Aliens, to the Sasquatch to haunted locations and super human powers. As host, Douglas Vermeeren explores the evidence and mysteries behind these bizarre tales that have been reported as true. The series is currently available to watch.

So what’s next for Douglas Vermeeren? In speaking with him he revealed that he already has a very full 2024 developing. To follow and find about more about these projects we recommend following him on social media.   Insta: @douglasvemreeren