Q&A: Writer/Director/Star Josh Stewart on Telling an Honest Story About Addiction in BACK FORK

As Arkin in The Collector and The Collection, Josh Stewart navigated the kinds of traps that you would find in a Freddy Krueger dream, but in his new film Back Fork, Stewart faces a nightmare that's all too real: the opioid epidemic in the United States, particularly in West Virginia. Written and directed by Stewart (who also stars in the film), Back Fork takes an unflinching look at the damaging effects of opioid addiction, and with the movie now in theaters and VOD platforms from Uncork'd Entertainment, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of catching up with Stewart for our latest Q&A feature to discuss filming Back Fork in West Virginia, telling an honest story about addiction, and John Pilgrim's emotional (and explosive) arc in the second season of The Punisher.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us, and congratulations on Back Fork. What does it feel like to get the film—one about a subject that you’re very passionate about—across the finish line and now have people watching it?

Josh Stewart: Thanks so much. Man, it's a miracle a movie ever gets made. Both films that I’ve directed, there's been a sense of completion that comes after. It finally happened, you know? So it's all the feelings from thankful to happy, gracious, and that I never want to see the movie again, hahahaha. It's been over two years in the making.

I know it was very important for you to film in West Virginia, which has been particularly affected by the opioid epidemic. Where in the state did you film, and how many days was your shooting schedule?

Josh Stewart: We shot in Masontown, Morgantown, Kingwood, Fairmont, Webster Springs, and Elk Springs. Eighteen days we turned this thing out. It’s a testament to the crew and cast we had.

Looking back at your time on set, is there a favorite or memorable moment that stands out?

Josh Stewart: They’re all special. For the ease that a day may have to the fires a day on a set can bring. They’re all pieces that make the puzzle whole. And when you stand back and look at the picture, you can smile at all the days that led us there.

What was the most rewarding or challenging scene to shoot in Back Fork?

Josh Stewart: Any time you're working with a wild animal, you never know how it's going to go. We shot the bookends of the story on the final day just because we wanted to end in the river and we had no idea how the trout was going to cooperate. We set quite a few fish free that day into the Elk River.

You’ve worked with so many talented directors throughout your acting career. Are there any filmmakers in particular who have helped you learn the craft behind the camera?

Josh Stewart: You take from them all, you know? The good ones and the not as good. I think some of the best lessons I've learned through the years are those moments when you're saying, "Well, I'm never gonna do that." But, being on set with Nolan, Fincher, Michod, F. Gary Gray, and producers like Jim Whitaker, you're getting paid to be at film school. You gotta sit back and take that in.

Ultimately, what do you hope viewers take away from Back Fork?

Josh Stewart: I hope that people see an honest story from characters who are telling the truth. That's all I can hope in anything I do. I just want to be as truthful as I can. If not, I’m not honoring the story and in this case, I'm not honoring the people who have suffered or those who suffer now from loss or addiction.

On the second season of The Punisher, your character John Pilgrim went through a heart-wrenchingly emotional arc. What was it like for you to get the opportunity to portray John’s full arc with his family, haunted past, and confrontations with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) before the series came to an end?

Josh Stewart: Man, I loved Pilgrim and all his complexities. Maybe Pilgrim was a man that just cared too much. His heart only knew one way. All or nothing. When he believed in something, he believed it to a fault. He was someone's dog in his past and was manipulated to be someone's dog in the present because he cared too hard. That love made Pilgrim a powder keg rolling down the street. And we all knew that it was only a matter of time till he rolled down one side of the street and Castle rolled down the other. It was going to be a big bang. As an actor, I love those characters.

With Back Fork now in theaters and on VOD platforms, do you have any other projects coming up that you’re excited about? Do you have any collaborations with Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton on the horizon that horror fans can look forward to?

Josh Stewart: I’m sitting behind my computer trying to come up with another story worth telling... I may have a few.

Dunstan and Melton? F those guys, man. I’ll kick them both in the shins when I see them. Nah, I love them.

...there's always something brewing with those two.