Ryan Phillippe’s got a lengthy resume as an actor, but be on the lookout for more directing credits from him because while working on his feature directorial debut, he found the creative control addicting.  Phillippe wrote, directed, produced and also stars in Catch Hell as Reagan Pearce, a Hollywood actor who’s developed a bit of a reputation and can’t land the big gigs anymore.  While on an independent film shoot in Shreveport, Louisiana, Reagan hops in a van to head off to set, but winds up being kidnapped by his drivers instead.

With Catch Hell hitting theaters in Los Angeles and New York on October 10th, I got the opportunity to sit down with Phillippe to run through the process of getting his first directorial endeavor going.  You’d think someone with Philippe’s star power would be able to get the project off the ground in an instant, but that wasn’t the case.   Hit the jump to hear about his drive to make it happen, the financing process, incorporating some real life elements into the film, what he thinks about that I Know What You Did Last Summer remake and more.

Ryan Phillippe: 

• 00:00 - On playing himself in the movie and getting to wear the same clothes.
• 00:13 - The challenges of being in front of and behind the camera.
• 01:03 – Making Deliverance/Misery in the swamp and tying in modern social themes.
• 01:34 – The film as an allegory for what it’s like to be an actor.
• 01:48 – Elements of the story that were inspired by true events.
• 04:00 – On the story being scary because it could really happen.
• 05:08 – The challenging process of getting his first feature off the ground despite his lengthy resume.
• 06:21 – On financing falling through.
• 07:00 – Learning so much more about making movies while writing, directing and producing Catch Hell, even after doing so many as an actor.
• 07:23 – Learning where each dollar should go while making a movie.
• 07:53 – On diving into the post-production process for the first time.
• 08:46 – Building the shack that’s featured in the film and his “independent David Fincher shots.”
• 09:48 – On the I Know What You Did Last Summer remake.