Interview With Patrick Warburton, Star Of ‘The Duel’

Patrick Warburton’s new film, The Duel, caught my attention because it’s cowritten and codirected by Luke Spencer Roberts (along with Justin Matthews), who starred in one of my favorite films from 2018, Banana Split. The Duel, also starring Dylan Sprouse (Banana Split) and Callan McAuliffe (The Walking Dead) is about two best friends who decide to deal with their wrongdoings of one another by challenging each other to a duel. Well, step aside Alexander Hamilton because once committed to dueling each other, they do not back down. A comedy that’s more drama than horror, The Duel is an entertaining film boosting a lot of talent.

When Woody finds out his best friend has been sleeping with his girlfriend, he challenges him to a duel, taking their friend group across the border to a mysterious and stunning estate.

To celebrate the film’s release, I chatted with star Patrick Warburton about making the film, the ultimate cast party, his character, and more!

PopHorror: I’m super excited to talk to you about The Duel today. I had a lot of fun with it. I thought it was so good, so I’m really excited to hear about it.

Patrick Warburton: I’m glad you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed making that film.

PopHorror: What intrigued you about the script and made you want to be a part of the project?

Patrick Warburton: Well, I love the character, first off, and I love the story. And I love the idea of playing somebody as interesting as Christof. And this environment, these young men, being the fanatics of history and their quest to kill each other. But there’s just something in the realm of all that that I love and respect from this bygone time, and maintaining it, and actually in certain instances enabling in a modern world. It’s the way things were done for centuries – 17th, 18th century – it was mostly done with swords. By the end of the late 18th century they transitioned to guns. And I ran an antique store, but my under-the-table gig was dueling, which obviously you can’t promote because it’s illegal. They found me. I don’t know how but they found me. But that attracted me to it. Meeting Justin and Luke on Zoom and discussing it. But I was fully sold when I read it and for me it’s all about character. It really was a great opportunity to play an interesting character for an actor. You always jump on that. They don’t always present themselves because in an industry that’s supposed to be creative, sometimes they put you in boxes. It’s interesting. I mean, look, Seinfeld was long enough ago, and I didn’t pursue to keep doing exactly those roles. But still oftentimes they feel like maybe you’re a sitcom actor, this or that. They don’t see you doing certain things. So whenever I have opportunities to do something outside, play a NASA scientist, a fish, or play Lemony Snicket, which was an awesome opportunity, these are ones that I would never pass up.

PopHorror: Well, heck yeah, you have to be able to show us everything that you can do. I would take them all, too. You’re more than just Seinfeld, and Lemony Snicket, and some of your voiceover acting, as well. You’re more than that. So, we appreciate being able to see it.

Patrick Warburton: Well, thank you.

PopHorror: And was there anything that you were adamant about bringing to your character?

Patrick Warburton: Hm. I don’t know about that. They wardrobed me. As for character choices, perhaps a tool that you might have, a cane. That was all presented to me early on. That’s why everybody smokes in movies. That many people don’t smoke. It’s just a cool thing to do. “Oh, it’s better if you smoke.” I don’t give a shit.” You’re already more interesting on-camera if you smoke a cigarette. So everybody picks up cigarettes. Makes them more interesting.

All right, you’re on a set, and then you’re addicted to nicotine. I smoked in my 20s, and I smoked in character a number of times. Sometimes it really doesn’t make sense to have a cigarette. When I did this film called The Woman Chaser, he was a whiskey drinking, chain-smoking car salesman in 1959 who wanted to be a movie director. I literally had unfiltered cigarettes I was smoking, so that did nothing to help slow down my smoking. Haven’t smoked in years. I don’t know how I got smoking. That’s my fault. That was my fault.

PopHorror: Well, hey, it’s been years though, right? So that’s great.

Patrick Warburton: It has been years.

PopHorror: And I had a lot of fun watching The Duel. And you said that you had fun making it as well. What is your favorite memory from making the movie?

Patrick Warburton: Oh, we had a party one night in a barn. Since we made it during COVID, we were all isolated from the outside world and we didn’t see each other except on set. There was a lot of bonding on set and it was great, big set, a lot of people. So we were able to have interactions with human beings that other people weren’t able to do. We got tested every morning. We knew that we were all safe and we could all hang together.

So, one night we had this party in a barn, and there was line dancing and drinking. And we were all in each other’s faces talking and yelling, and just no fear of anything getting passed around. Nobody got COVID in the making of this film. Nobody. But we were safe enough not to go into the outside world and bring it back. So that’s when you might get questioned, “Where were you?” Well, you know when you go into that grocery store, if you snuck into a bar or something, then you were potentially bringing back something to the entire cast. So we all had to answer to each other for that. That’s why hanging out and partying together was just the best way to go about it. So whereas bonding goes on in the film process, there was more bonding on this film.

PopHorror: I love that.

Patrick Warburton: We were forced all to be together, but we all wanted to be together. Everybody had such a good time. We all got along great.

PopHorror: I love that a lot. And not only are you an actor, but you’re also very well known for your voice acting. What keeps you motivated to continue creating art for us?

Patrick Warburton: Well, there’s always an opportunity around the corner to do something interesting or different. For years, I would just take any gig that came my way because I had to support a family of six, and I maybe wasn’t always so selective. I can tell because I can go through my IMDb and I’ll look at so many mistakes. And at this point in my life, I feel like that race is over. The family’s been supported, the kids are all up and out, and don’t really have to work, but I love it. So I want to work, I’m just more selective now. When an opportunity like The Duel comes my way, it’s an easy decision because that’s exactly what I want to do. I want to do something interesting, something that works across the board, which I felt this script does. And I want to work with these really interesting new filmmakers who there’s a lot of talk about. And there was talk about them then even before they did this that they had a huge future. And then they do this and Lionsgate picks it up, an indie, and puts it on 500 screens. It’s a really, really big deal, and that doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t. That’s a testament to the talent of Justin Matthews and Luke Roberts.

PopHorror: Well, we definitely appreciate it. And I have just one last question for you today. What is your favorite scary movie?

Patrick Warburton: Wow. There are different kinds of scary. The Exorcist, just anything that involves demonic possession, is terrifying because you imagine laying in your bed at night that that could happen to you. Jaws was terrifying. You could lay in bed at night, and you’re not worried about getting eaten by a great white shark.

PopHorror: I hope not.

Patrick Warburton: You can be lying in bed and worry about getting possessed. So stuff about the supernatural, that’s the freakiest. That. Damien in The Omen. I’m going way back with some of these.

Thank you so much to Patrick for taking the time to speak with us. The Duel is now on Digital and On Demand!