Page 28 - AVN June 2022

the project more by another auteur who emerged during the ’90s indie boom: “I will say my inspiration for it was Larry Clark,” he submits. “It’s kind of an homage to those movies, that style ... that I grew up watching that I like.”
One thing he was intent on from the start was casting actors who had bona fide skateboarding skills.
“Back when I did Talk Derby to Me [his ambitious 2018 roller derby picture for Sweetheart Video], I said, ‘Oh, I can teach them how to do rollerblade,’ and it was a huge mistake,” he laughs. “So I learned from that mistake and I decided to take people who legitimately know how to skate.”
Those casting choices included Robby Echo, Nathan Bronson and relative newcomer Fate, for whom Grinders certainly promises to be a breakout vehicle.
Asked his general feelings about landing the role, Fate quips, “For the cheesiest line to start with, I feel extremely lucky.”
He continues, “I’ve been handed a role that I’m basically playing myself, like a graffiti artist/ skateboarder/weed kid. So it’s been really nice, and I’ve been blessed to be with such an awesome crew, have a bunch of friends on set every day, invited a bunch of skaters to get in on some of the skateboarding, so it’s been surreal to be here, honestly. ... It doesn’t feel like work to come in and skateboard in front of a camera.”