Q+A: Party animal Dean Murdoch gets his origin story in Deaner '89

Will Sasso plays Dean’s adoptive father Glen: 'I feel like I've known several versions of Glen growing up — they were my coaches, they were my PE teachers.'

Published Sep 03, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Paul Spence as Dean Murdoch in Deaner '89.   Photo by Alan Fraser /Mongrel Media

Deaner ’89

When: Opens Sept. 6.

Where: Select theatres including International Village, Langley, Riverport and Coquitlam

Canadian film fans will recognize Paul Spence as Dean Murdoch from the movies Fubar and Fubar: Balls to the Wall, as well as the TV series Fubar Age of Computer. In Deaner ’89 we get the backstory for the Prairie-raised party animal, a.k.a. the Deaner, thanks to a chest of belongings left to him by his biological father that opens up a whole new world of metal for the adolescent. Along with 49-year-old Spence, playing 17, the cast includes Mary Walsh, Kevin McDonald, and Will Sasso, who plays Dean’s adoptive father Glen. We talked to Sasso — who was born and raised in Ladner and has an IMDB page as long as a Dokken guitar solo — about the movie.

Q: What was the aspect you related to most in the script?

A: The Canadian-ness of it. It was very interesting to see the story of Dean, who could have been a kid that I grew up with and learning that there’s much more to him than what is on the outside. Who the Deaner is, who Dean Murdoch is, is something that is very Canadian. It goes back generations, and as he learns more about himself and what has been hidden about who he is and what’s been taken from him, I learned more about what the Indigenous kids who I grew up with may have been thinking and feeling.

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Q: Was there room for improvisation?

A: It was an extremely tight script. You don’t need to improvise when the script is that tight, which is the best luxury to have when you have something that funny, and you can just show up to set and play Glen, who was a character I could not wait to play. I feel like I’ve known several versions of Glen growing up — they were my coaches, they were my PE teachers. They were my friends’ dads and guys around the neighbourhood.

Paul Spence, left, as Dean Murdoch and Will Sasso as Glen Murdoch in Deaner ’89. Alan Fraser photo/Mongrel Media

Q: It’s such a warm-hearted film. Was that also the feeling on the set?

A: This story comes from Paul’s core. He knows these characters in a very real way. It was a really great world to be able to jump into, from the production design and the sets, which made you feel like you were stepping into 1989, to the hair, makeup and wardrobe. Everything surrounding you was intentional and created a very real world. And the vibe on set was just a gas. It was a group of people that really enjoyed working together. And, you know, I’ve shot a couple things recently in Winnipeg, and it’s a place that I would shoot anytime. The crews are fantastic and the local actors were just beyond. We were very fortunate to be in a situation where, from top to bottom, the cast is just absolutely killer.

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Q: You and Paul are a similar age but you’re playing his dad. Was that something that you were able to get over quickly?

A: We were laughing about it all the time. But at the same time, it was very natural. Paul has said, “Well, Will’s a lot bigger than me, so there’s that.” And Paul lost 50 pounds just to appear a little more youthful, to be able to jump around and have the frenetic energy that an adolescent has. And his makeup helped, and his goofy haircut and shitty moustache. But he was definitely a bizarro 17-year-old boy. And I’ve been playing 40 years old since I was 17, anyway. We fell right into the characters. But it was hilarious to us throughout the shoot that we are the exact same age. I think I’m three months older than Paul.

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