David Dwyer gets recognized quite a bit while traveling around town. One might suspect it’s due to an extensive acting resume, but more often than not, the connection isn’t quite that clear.
“People come up to me all the time, and their most common comment is something to the effect of ‘Where do I know you from? You look so familiar, but I can’t quite place you…” he says.
Granted, one could attribute that to a certain celebrity status. After all, even the biggest names in show biz are frequently confused for someone entirely different. Yet in Dwyer’s case, a certain ambiguity seems to pervade nearly every encounter. He’s been mistaken for a long-lost classmate, a fleeting acquaintance and someone whose frame of reference is entirely amiss.
“It’s actually amusing at times,” Dwyer concedes. “I enjoy watching them trying to figure out where they know me from. When they come to the conclusion that they’ve seen me on TV or in a movie, it suddenly starts to make sense. Recently, in a crowded restaurant, my wife Marilyn and I were eating at the bar and exchanged pleasantries with a couple seated next to us. When they asked what I did, I mentioned I was an actor. At that moment, the young bartender literally jumped in front of us and shouted, ‘I knew it!’ and proceeded to name the series I was in which was ‘Stranger Things,’ my character and even recited my lines! He was obviously a big fan!”
If Dwyer had an ego that was as over-the-top as some of the characters he’s portrayed — which he doesn’t! — he might be annoyed at the fact that his resume isn’t always cause for instant recognition. However, that doesn’t seem to bother him a bit.
“I like meeting new people,” he attests. “I enjoy striking up conversations with strangers. Besides, I love this place that I live in and those experiences bring me a closer connection.”
That’s not to say he doesn’t have a long list of credits… 40 years worth in fact that quite a number of people have seen and appreciated. His resume, which can be found on the actors site IMBD.com, bears that out. He’s had roles in such box-office blockbusters as “October Sky,”“Remember the Titans,” “Selma,” “The Blind Side,” as well as such popular comedies as “Anchorman” and “Eddie,” not to mention several successful television series, among them, “Stranger Things,” “Ozark,” and the archival classics “Walker Texas Ranger,” “Matlock” and “In the Heat of the Night.”
His latest film, “Devil’s Hollow,” was shot locally. “The local non-union films and shorts that are filmed here are surprisingly good,” Dwyer added. “They spotlight a lot of dedicated and talented people doing what they love.”
Indeed, Dwyer feels grateful that even though he’s not acting as much as he used to, he can look back on a fun and fulfilling career. “It all started when I got the part of Kelly McGillis’ brother, Milton, in ‘Winter People,’” Dwyer recalls. “Then I got to work with John Lithgow in ‘Traveling Man,’ with Sandra Bullock in ‘The Blind Side’ — a film which almost everyone in the world has seen. Working with Julia Garner on ‘Ozark’ was a blast as well, and the same could be said for many of the other roles I’ve done.”
The lessons Dwyer learned as an actor still apply today. “It helps to be observant, focused, disciplined, reliable and empathetic,” he said. “Plus, a good memory doesn’t hurt at all.”
Asked how he primes his imagination, Dwyer said it often comes from reading. “The mind is set free while reading a good book,” he mused. “Acting is like that on steroids. Plus, it’s too much fun and pays well. Actors are smart and, for the most part, people who are slightly psychotic,” he maintains. “They’re always fun and interesting to be around.”
Not surprisingly, once the recognition kicks in, the inevitable result is a request for an autograph. Dwyer says he has a standard line he shares before or after he signs his name:
“Read, pay attention and dream big.”
That’s the kind of advice that extends well beyond the screen.
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