Somerset native relishes role of villain in ‘Hick’
Tom Lavis
Sun Jan 01, 2012, 01:03 AM EST
Dave Vescio has weathered some difficult times, but he has used those hardships to make himself a better actor. Vescio, 41 and a native of Somerset, has appeared in more than 50 films and relishes the role of the villain. His latest film, “Hick,” is scheduled to be released early this year, perhaps next month. He is the son of Lou and Margaret Vescio, who are retired and reside in Coco Beach. Fla. The actor returned to Somerset for Christmas in order to enjoy the holiday with family.
“Hick” is directed by Derick Martini and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in October to mixed reviews by critics. “It is a controversial film,” Vescio said. “The kids loved it, but the adults compared it to the sexually explosive film, ‘Lolita.’ ” The cast stars young Chloe Moretz, who plays a 13-year-old Nebraska girl who comes from a dysfunctional family and gets more than she bargained for when she runs away from home. She sets out for the bright lights of Las Vegas but encounters some unsavory characters along the way, one of whom is Vescio.
The other stars of the film are Blake Lively and Eddie Redmayne, with appearances by Alec Baldwin, Juliette Lewis and Rory Culkin. “In the film, I’m the first bad element the teenage girl encounters,” Vescio said. “My character is a small supporting role simply known as the stranger, but he changes everything in the movie’s story line and not for the good. So I would say it’s a pivotal scene in the film.”
Vescio spent his early years in Somerset, his mother’s hometown. His father hailed from Sewickley, Allegheny County, and served in the military and became a fighter pilot. “We moved a lot, but I consider my roots to be Somerset and western Pennsylvania, even though I moved 12 times before the age of 18.” He spent Christmas with his grandmother, Jean Stoy, along with a host of uncles and cousins. His grandfather was the late Stoy Otto, a well-known accountant. Vescio lives in Hollywood, to be at the center of the movie industry. He has served as a combat light infantry soldier, specializing in jungle warfare, while assigned to the Army’s 25th Infantry Division. He said he has a checkered past, but has worked hard to turn his life around. At age 22, while serving in the Army, Vescio was arrested on drug dealing charges. He fled to Hawaii. He wasn’t apprehended until he returned to the United States several years later. “I was sentence to 10 years at Fort Leavenworth but served five years and released,” he said. “Prison did me a lot of good, and I got clean and sober.” After working for CBS News as a TV photojournalist covering stories on natural or manmade disasters, he decided to step in front of the camera. He studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was founded by David Mamet and William H. Macy.
His acting career is still evolving. Vescio said he is using his life experiences in his acting as motivation. “With every dark character I have played, I have come to realize that I have known that person in real life,” he said. “I come across as a little gritty and my specialty is being the antagonist and twisted villain in sci-fi or dark comedies.” He also has done television commercials for Google, an Internet search engine, and Sprite Zero. In 2011, he appeared in a “How to Speak Australian” advertisement for Foster beer. “My Foster beer commercial had guys waving to each other in the Outback and yelling ‘Oy!’ ” Vescio said. “The spot was titled ‘Social Networking.’ ”
http://tribune-democrat.com/features/x1666056245/Somerset-native-relishes-role-of-villain-in-Hick
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