Corbin Bernsen (ex-Todd, Y&R; ex-Durant, GH) just may be the first real-life auteur to emerge from daytime, as his latest film, Donna On Demand, is now available on DVD. Much like his previous effort, Carpool Guy, Bernsen wrote, directed, produced and stars in this latest project, a risqué look at the underbelly of Hollywood. Here, Bernsen speaks about the soap star-filled flick, which includes Adrienne Frantz (Amber, Y&R) and Jeanne Cooper (Katherine, Y&R) — who plays a 1960s porn star! — and also reunites the actor with his popular L.A. LAW co-star, Susan Ruttan.
Soap Opera Digest: Congratulations on helming your second feature.
Corbin Bernsen: Thank you. I get scared because I like it [laughs]. At the end of the day, I’ve probably seen it 1,000 times. I saw it on the big screen at [The] Temecula [Valley International Film and Music Festival] and I enjoyed it. It’s a little movie.
Digest: It’s a very distinct change of pace from Carpool Guy, which was more of a family comedy. This certainly is not.
Bernsen: You can say that again [laughs]. It’s the the flip side of that. Donna On Demand is a morality tale, and the message is you reap what you sew. It’s a cautionary tale.
Digest: How would you describe the tone of the film?
Bernsen: It’s a video noir. That’s how I describe it.
Digest: Considering the subject matter and the language, it’s not for the faint of heart.
Bernsen: Some people said the swearing put them off. It put my wife [actress Amanda Pays] off, but the redeeming value of [his character, Ben Corbin] is he doesn’t swear. But to do that, you have to have other people swear. It’s almost like I want people to hear how absurd it is.
Digest: Speaking of which, you poked fun at your own real-life image, as well.
Bernsen: I enjoyed making fun of myself. I laugh every time I see a poster that says LAW OF AVERAGES [a.k.a L.A. LAW] or Sliding Home [a.k.a. Major League]. That was a little wink-wink.
Digest: How was it working with Susan Ruttan again?
Bernsen: I loved the idea of re-teaming with Susan and tapping into that L.A. LAW chemistry. It’s absolutely the same chemistry. I love working with my mom and Dan Lauria [ex-Gus, OLTL]. It’s a great cast.
Digest: So, you’ve done a family film, now a video noir. What’s next?
Bernsen: Next up is a horror movie called Dead Air. I’m all over the map [laughs].
Digest: Where can people purchase a copy of Donna On Demand?
Bernsen: You can get it now at the Donna Web site. We’re making deals about selling it at larger retail stores but if your order it through the Donna website, you’ll get signed Arnie Becker photo. Really [laughs]! So, go to www.donnaondemand.com and check it out.
