Bloomfield Actor Lands ‘Big Break’ On Show With Kevin Bacon

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield’s Kevin Interdonato is officially one degree away from Kevin Bacon.

Film buffs who like to play the game of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” now have a rising Essex County actor to add to their lists with Interdonato, who recently landed a role as a recurring character in season two of the Showtime series, “City On a Hill.”

“It’s a pretty big break for me,” Interdonato told Patch about the series, a crime drama set in Boston in the early 1990s. “I actually auditioned for a role the first season, and had a few scenes throughout. Then was fortunate to have been written into the storyline for this season.”

“My career has been mostly independent film and some TV for the past 20 years, so I lucked out,” Interdonato said.

The Bloomfield actor is playing Tony Sufferin, a cop on the Boston Police Department who belongs to a select squad of officers called the Youth Violence Strike Force, a real-life unit that cracked down hard on gangs in Boston in the 1990s.

Interdonato called his character a “hard-nosed, fired-up guy” that is set to become a controversial character this season.

To help him prepare for the role, Interdonato spent time with a couple of Boston Police Department officers with experience serving in gang units and the Youth Violence Strike Force.

“Their feedback on how life was back then, as well as their behavior and demeanors, fed me to build Tony and find my way with him,” Interdonato said.

While working alongside Bacon has been a thrill, there’s another co-star that Interdonato wishes he could have more screen time with: his wife, Amanda Clayton.

Although Clayton, who plays Cathy Ryan on the show, is involved in different storylines than his character, it’s a unique experience working alongside his significant other, Interdonato said.

“Though it takes place in Boston, the show mostly shoots throughout New York, Yonkers and Staten Island, so it was easy for us to stay [in Bloomfield],” Interdonato said. “We have a 1-year-old, and never shot the same days, so one of us was on baby-duty while the other worked.”

For now, the couple is splitting time between Essex County and Los Angeles because of work, but they’ve had more time at home than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Video auditioning from home is the norm now, and probably will be for a while until things lighten up,” Interdonato said. “Which is fine by me. I love it here, my family and friends are here ... and you can’t beat the people and the food.”

Watch the official trailer for season 2 of “City on a Hill” below.

BEYOND ‘BAD FRANK’

One of the roles that helped Interdonato catch his break on “City on a Hill” was his turn as “Bad Frank” in the eponymously named 2017 drama/thriller movie.

Interdonato, a combat veteran who served in Iraq (2004-2005), previously told Patch that he used his love for acting to serve as a therapeutic outlet for post-traumatic stress disorder, eventually finding his stability and place in the film industry as an actor, writer and producer.

Part of that experience made its way into “Bad Frank,” which was a source of pride for Interdonato.

• See related article: Bloomfield's Kevin Interdonato Fights PTSD With Acting

Patch asked Interdonato what’s next on his plate after “Bad Frank” and “City on a Hill.” Here were his replies.

Can you tell us more about what you've got lined up for 2021?

A producer from Germany reached out just before COVID-19 that was a fan of another film I was in called “Bad Frank” from 2018 (which was filmed in Mendham). The film did really well worldwide, and he expressed interest in working together. So I sent him a script I wrote, it worked out, and now we’re a go to shoot in Germany early this summer. And another great story that’s shooting in Minnesota following that, pretty heavy film. The waiting is driving me up a wall, but I have work, so no complaints here.

I’m lucky to have good relationships with several distribution companies, based on films I was in that sold well for them. So I’m able to contribute on films I work on to get distribution, like the ones I’ll be working in this year. I like being able to help indie filmmakers I work for, it’s a hell of a tough racket, man. So rather than just do my work to satisfy my own desires as an actor and leave, I have the ability to help in that capacity. What’s best for the film is my bottom line, whether I’m telling a story, or help sell it.

What's the deal with your upcoming film, “Brusco?” What's it about, and where in New Jersey will you be shooting?

“Brusco” is about a local tough that can’t seem to get out of his own way, in and out of trouble his entire adult life. He was a prodigy boxer in his youth, always hung onto his ability and dreams despite the obstacles he seems to face, and this story depicts his last shot to get some validation if he can stay straight. My wife will be directing, and we have a pretty well-known cast coming to Jersey to shoot the film, hopefully this fall.

My goals are beyond just getting a film made. It’s to be involved in something that moves and affects people. And when that happens, aside from my own creative fulfillment ... well I guess I know I did my job.

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