With my family residing in Jacksonville, Florida, I have heard about Fred Durst for many years now. Ever since he formed the band Limp Bizkit in 1994, Durst has made his hometown incredibly proud. Jacksonville is the polar opposite of Los Angeles or NYC. “Traffic” entails 5 cars on the road. Restaurants are never full and 9-5 jobs are the norm. Weekends consist of sipping on beers at the beach, surfing, and fishing. Although the town is growing and loads of people are now migrating to this laid-back land, those born and raised there are truly what you’d envision to find in Florida – southern bells, red-necks, surfers.

Although this is a rough estimate, I’m guessing that 95% of those born and raised in Jacksonville remain there for their entire lives. It’s a safe place with a slow pace and a familiar, community-type feel to it. In Jacksonville, if you play your cards right, owning a home for a reasonable price is almost guaranteed. Marriage, kids and a secure job with a promised salary every two weeks is the way of life for most of the folks. Finding struggling actors, freelance writers, trust-fund babies, and well…Brad Pitt waltzing down the street is unheard of…Therefore, hitting it big in Hollywood seems so far, far away to Jacksonville residents. However, Durst is obviously a special cat who thinks outside of the box. Born in Jacksonville, he spent his teen years in North Carolina and went on to serve as a U.S. Navy followed by moving back to Jacksonville to become a pro tattoo artist.

Pushing to play music on the side, Durst never envisioned himself taking off like he did. Filmmaking was actually his lifelong dream. Little did he know that music would be the open door that led him here. After remaking George Michael’s late ‘80s hit “Faith” in 1997, Durst’s life instantly changed. He became a hit overnight. Durst was raw, refreshingly real and personable. He was a person from a small town who offered hope to anyone with high ambitions but no connections to Hollywood’s glitzy world.

Along with Durst’s huge successes, he has also made headlines for negative public appearances such as bashing Britney Spears and getting a DUI. Therefore, I had no idea what he would be like in person. However, after meeting this amazingly talented man who is smart, intense, with a whole lot of heart and so much depth, it became clear that bad publicity was as it almost always is…a regular person making everyday mistakes in front of the camera. Durst did not come from a wealthy, famous family. He had no idea what fame would be like. He climbed the ladder on his own and learned how to handle it all through the mistakes that he made.

Our interview/photo shoot for his first directorial, The Education of Charlie Banks, was originally on a Monday at 1pm, which I changed last minute and asked him to come earlier. And he obliged, no problem. Durst arrived promptly at 12:30PM and brought his stunningly beautiful girlfriend, Esther. She was sweet, approachable and supportive of her man.

They walked into Studio 838, owned by my photographer, Ash Gupta. Cameras were being set up, the groomer was getting prepared, food was being put out, and Durst looked at everyone, shyly. For someone so powerful, he seemed a little nervous, which was so appealing! Even super stars who start bands, sing, produce and direct music videos followed by feature films feel unsure of new surroundings. Good to know!

I watched his baby blue eyes scope out the room. Nervous myself, I approached him with a handshake and introduced him to everyone. Having worked with the photographer before, Durst seemed to let down his guard and began to feel more at home. With Esther by his side, he chatted with all of us. Although he isn’t all smiles, his serious yet friendly demeanor made it clear that this was a guy who put 110% into everything he touched. From what it seemed like, he isn’t the kind of person who plays games. He’s a straight-shooter who will tell you what he thinks and isn’t afraid to do so. And quite frankly, those are the kind of people I respect and appreciate most. They are trustworthy, inspiring and passionate about what they do. This is clearly seen in The Education of Charlie Banks, a film that was done so perfectly, I was blown away!

Best known for his music, I will honestly say that I went into Durst’s first feature with hesitations. And when that happens, you are looking for mistakes through a magnifying glass, making it that much more difficult to be impressed. The story began with Charlie (played by Jesse Eisenberg) who saw the world from a fearful place where everyone looked brighter and more promising than he did. As a child, he felt small and intimidated by life while the bully of the school named Mick (played by Jason Ritter) was ballsy and absolutely fearless.

Lacking impulse control, Charlie witnessed Mick intimidate other kids, beat some of them up and feel no remorse. He was the “bad boy” of the bunch and he both intrigued and disgusted Charlie. And successfully reflecting real life…past people, places and things never truly disappear as much as we sometimes wish they would. Instead, they show themselves to us again and again until a resolution is achieved. That being said, Charlie’s teenage years gave him no relief from his own insecurities and his obsessive thoughts about Mick. One night, at a party, Charlie was mistreated by the “cool guys” and as a result, Mick stepped up to the plate and defended this poor, weak boy. However, the brutal beatings witnessed by Charlie made it clear that Mick was full of rage, just looking for an excuse to unleash his anger and frustrations.

When confronted by authorities, Charlie ratted on Mick but later retracted his

Jason Ritter -- Acted By magazine

confession and freed Mick from being held accountable for a vicious crime. Still, Charlie’s emotions regarding such a crazed human being continued to haunt him until Mick once again reappears in his life in an unlikely place.

Attending college was no longer a hiding place from the past when Mick shows up and the cycle continues. Durst’s vision of the story is seen in each scene as he successfully brings audiences into Charlie’s world while we watch life through his eyes. The actors, costumes, setting (NYC) and gritty way in which the film makes you soon forget the musician-turned-director, letting go of that critical eye as you become entranced by the plot, the characters and what will happen next.

And it is Jason Ritter who keeps us guessing from beginning to end. Playing a character who is unpredictable, Ritter nailed it. That is why when he walked through the studio’s door a few minutes after his director (Fred Durst), for a second, I wasn’t sure if this was a college student who mistakenly waltzed into the wrong place.

Smiling from ear to ear, I came up to him without hesitation. He is approachable, friendly and completely opposite from his character, Mick. Being the son of the great comic actor, John Ritter, like his dad, Jason was probably the sweetest person I have ever met. Unlike the stereotype formed by paparazzi, there are so many nice, warm and cool actors here in Hollywood but Jason takes the cake. And to play a character who was so on edge, rough, and full of rage yet be so different in person…it is obvious why Durst chose him as his villain.

Playing the antagonist and playing it well is tough. However, playing an antagonist that is hated because they are slightly understood is even more difficult. No, Mick didn’t have the charm that Tony Soprano had. He wasn’t the kind of guy who could do wrong but still get love from audiences because we are so detached from the mobster world. Mick was a dislikable character that, shamefully, we all could relate to in some strange way. He was that part of us that we keep hidden. The part we deny exists, even to ourselves. Mick did some things we have thought about but never acted on. He represented a piece of us that we don’t like to face. And those are the people we hate the most.

Ritter focused on the reasons behind Mick’s actions to empathize with his mean-spirited character. He brought out the devil but gave glimpses into the inner-workings of such a violent person. Unhappiness was buried very deep and somehow, Ritter managed to make us dislike his character, while simultaneously revealing pieces of our secret selves as well as offering a peek into Mick’s “human side.” Ritter’s performance was what carried this film and turned it into a masterpiece in the Indie world.

After our introduction, Fred Durst, Jason Ritter, and I sat down and discussed The Education of Charlie Banks. On camera, they talked all about the making of this uniquely composed film. Through our interview about such a compelling story that hits home and speaks to each of us individually, the real side to Durst comes out and Ritter’s talent shines through.

It was a great privilege to speak with these two talented artists. Acted By is pleased to introduce The Education of Charlie Banks.

While we are revamping our website and transforming into a high tech video/online magazine, before we launch the new site with the official video of our interview with Durst and Ritter, I wanted to share the raw footage (broken into 4 parts) with all of you. Go and check it out! The Education of Charlie Banks is at a Blockbuster near you.

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Part Four:

UPDATE: Fred Durst, also the lead frontman of Limp Bizkit, has hit the music scene once again! His performance in Vegas on July 18th sent the crowds roaring and soon, I predict we will all be hooked. With a new, sharp sound that is powerful and magnetic, it’s clear that as Durst grew, so did the art that comes from deep inside of him.

Fred, I wish you great happiness!