the incomparable David Dastmalchian took a moment from his packed schedule to reunite with us on a recent LA visit. with his good friend, creator Bryan Fuller, in tow. David ran directly to a big bowl of colorful candy, funky floral couch, a bowl of green apples and the hotel pool…guiding us with his creative, fun, and warm spirit. currently you can catch his kick-ass performance in a cinema near you as one of gaming's powerful power hungry iconic villains, M. Bison, in the action packed STREET FIGHTER (presently #1 at the box office) directed by Kitao Sakurai. scroll on down and get a dose of David's magical mind and his latest favorite sweet and savory treats.

the bare magazine: it was so nice to reunite with you in LA recently! thanks for taking the time! you brought your good friend Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. he was so fun! can you share a little about your friendships history?

David Dastmalchian: Bryan and I met at the premiere of Blade Runner 2049. We have many mutual friends, including Emily Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, who had told me that we would definitely hit it off if we ever met. I was in a bit of a dizzy and an anxious state at the premier because I was confronting the reality that I didn’t want to work with my agents anymore. I was having a bit of an actor’s existential crisis where I was really questioning myself and the business model that is generally accepted for success in Hollywood. Bryan instantly gave me some great advice and we had such a wonderful night together bonding over our mutual love of science fiction and horror. He has gone on to become like a brother to me. We play games and write and create together while trying to celebrate Halloween all year round.

bare: when it came to thinking questions for you my head was swimming with thoughts you have so many projects and passions. can you sum up what you're super stoked about these days?

DD: I’m so grateful to be a part of other people‘s projects and helping to bring their visions to life. Chief among those right now is the opportunity to be the central antagonist in Kitao Sakurai's amazingly innovative Street Fighter film. When it comes to making my own things I am just so proud and excited and constantly stressing out over all of the monsters we are bringing to life with Good Fiend Films. We’re currently working on a number of film projects that are in post production, several comic book and graphic novel publications, one doc series, a literary development office and as I type this, we are in preproduction on my long time dream project. It’s a film that I wrote, and will be starring in with one of the most exciting new directors in Hollywood. I cannot wait to tell you more.

bare: are you anticipating audiences will have a blast seeing Street Fighter and your character M. Bison on the big screen? seems like it was made to see big and loud in the theatre!

DD: I am anticipating that audiences will have a blast watching this film. I think that Kitao is such a fresh and needed voice in the space. Getting to go see something on a giant screen that is brash and audacious and wild and fun and crazy is just such an awesome experience. I certainly hope audiences respond positively to my portrayal of M. Bison. I have some pretty big boots to fill.

bare: it was so bitter sweet to find that the role was played by Raul Julia in 1994 while dying from stomach cancer because he wanted his children to enjoy him in a film as they were such fans of the franchise. do your kids give you feedback on projects? can they be tough critics?

DD: My kids always give me their feedback and even though they are my biggest fans they are also my toughest critics! I love experiencing cinema with them. My son is currently taking a film course and I love getting to be the resource for him, thanks to the career that I’ve been so lucky to build. I actually had him work on set this summer in Madrid, where he bonded with all of the cast and crew, including Alexander Skarsgård and Steve Buscemi.

bare: when you first came up with the idea of Grave Conversations did you find some folks having trouble grasping the concept? and how/why/when did it pop up in your brilliant mind?

DD: Grave Conversations was the brainchild of my incredible friend Elan Gale who had invited me to do some work with Titan Casket, a company that I really believe in because of their mission to drastically bring down the costs of end of life products for consumers. It’s kind of crazy to think that there’s been a tradition with people going into debt just to bury their loved ones.

Titan shook up the market place with their drastically less expensive and easily accessible products. Throughout the course of working with them, I began feeling more comfortable talking about death and dying from a practical place. Having lost both my parents already, I realized there’s so many people yearning for a place to talk about this stuff that was outside of the faith space or private spaces. Elan came up with the idea for the talk show and at first I thought it was a pretty terrible idea. Once we actually tried it and I got in the casket with some dear friends, I realized that we were doing something very special.

bare: we've captured you with candy a few times (we got an apple in this time!) do you love a sweet treat followed by savory? what are your favorite snack attack treats?

DD: I love a charcuterie board. A dreamy night for me would be hanging out in a big comfy bed (either one of my favorite hotels or my own bedroom which I love) with an extensive charcuterie board (from Charcuterie LA in Sherman Oaks if I’m lucky), followed by a round of frozen Reese’s Pumpkins. Repeat. Put on some old Universal or Hammer horror films. I could enjoy this all by myself or with company. Just depends on the kind of night I’m hoping to have. But the Reese’s Pumpkins are a non-negotiable must-have.

bare: we are both from the Midwest gem, Chicago. how about a shoot there someday?

DD: I would love to shoot a horror sequence or an action sequence in Lower Wacker Drive! My newest comic series which I co-created with Leah Kilpatrick is called Kingdom of Earth (Dark Horse Comics) and it’s set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago dominated by every Midwest monster ever written about in lore, legend or literature.

bare: please list 5 of your Bare essentials (people/things you can't imagine life without).

DD: