(Image Courtesy of Douglas Vermeeren)
Written by Colleen Bement, Editor
Douglas Vermeeren is a bit of an adrenaline junkie.
The talented actor often does his own stunts. A little while back he did an entire body burn fire stunt and said that it was one of the most exciting things that he had ever done. That’s saying a lot because Vermeeren has done a LOT! Known as one of the busiest actors filming roles in feature films in Europe and the USA, his fans have a lot to keep up with. His 2024 productions include roles in the Western “Unnatural 2,” where Douglas plays Lucifer, directed by Whit Whitman and shot in Kentucky in May 2024 for Little Monsters Productions. He then flew to attend the Cannes Film Festival before booking a role as gangster Archie Baker in “Clean Right Hook,” shot in London, UK, in Late May / early June 2024, directed by Sam Purewal for Black Coppice Productions, and then back to the US for “Deadly Endings” shot in New Haven CT in June 2024. Wow.
Streaming now on Paramount+ is one of his latest projects called “Mafia Spies.” This six-episode documentary series is based on the book “Mafia Spies: The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro” and he has some great stories to share from the set. NaN had the chance to get to know Douglas better, and we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did.
Paramount+ has an incredible library of content. If you’re not already signed up, try Paramount for FREE and see what the network has to offer!
Colleen Bement: Congrats on “Mafia Spies!”. Tell me all about your role in the project. Were there any challenges? Was it rewarding? Also, what was the experience like?
Douglas Vermeeren: In “Mafia Spies” I play the lead FBI investigator in some significant events that took place during the 1960s involving the mafia, Cuba, and the United States. I don’t want to give away too many details because what you will find with “Mafia Spies” will surprise you. It was a fantastic shoot, and we had an excellent Director in Tom Donahue. He is a fantastic guy, and I have loved working with him.
There is one really fun experience I had while working on the Paramount Lot. You may know that they have a tour of that studio, and as part of that tour, participants sometimes get to see a movie being shot. When I was a kid, I was part of that tour, and I had a chance to see a movie set there. There, I decided that I definitely wanted to come back and work on that movie set. That particular tour that I was on would not let us get off and talk to any movie stars or anything, but I could see them, and I was excited to be part of that world. This time while I was on the movie set the same tour came around, but this time I was on the movie end of things rather than on the tour. On the lunch break, we got a chance to say hi to some of these tourists, and I met a young man who was about the same age as I was when I did the tour. He told me he wanted to be in movies, and I told him I felt exactly like he did when I went on a tour at his age. It was really a full circle moment for me and a special moment that I’ll never forget while working on “Mafia Spies.”
CB: What other projects do you have in the works?
DV: I recently finished three movies back-to-back. We shot “Unnatural” part two in Kentucky. Then I went and worked on Clean Right Hook in London, England. And then finished with Deadly Endings in Connecticut. I was blessed to take a little bit of a break, and with my girlfriend, Jennifer, we went to the Calgary stampede. Next month, I will start with two other movies back-to-back. We will be shooting Alien Horde in Los Angeles and Farewell To Youth in Toronto, I feel very blessed to be so busy as an actor and work with so many talented people. I’m very proud of all of these projects.
CB: I read that you are on the Forbes Top Ten List with their comment The Forbes top celebrity list is only complete with Douglas Vermeeren. Vermeeren is an actor and stuntman making waves in nearly every film genre. You certainly seem to be one of the busiest actors out there right now. How do you manage a work-life balance?
DV: I think balance is a mistaken idea. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t want to be balanced when I find something that I love so much I want to be doing it as much as I can. I want to get lost in it. I have the incredible support of friends and family. When I’m not on movie sets, I definitely love to relax by riding motorcycles and training Jiu Jitsu. When I have days off in places I’ve never been to, I love to go sightseeing and explore the city and nature. We just got back from Hawaii where we had a chance to go, hiking, snorkeling, surfing, and having fun with the nightlife. I really feel blessed for the experiences that I get to have.
CB: Out of curiosity, what do you find satisfying about performing stunts? I, myself, am a big wimp!
DV: I think I’ve always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and I love the thrill of doing my stunts when possible. It’s funny I hear lots of people say that they avoid stunts because they are afraid or they can’t stand pain. That’s all the more reason that you want to do the stunts, right? If you do stunts correctly, you shouldn’t have to worry about pain or have fears about failure. Not too long ago, I did an entire body burn fire stunt, and it was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. It’s funny a few years ago. Hollywood Weekly started calling me Cinemas’s new bad boy and I guess that name is stuck. But the reality is, I don’t know that I’m that bad. I feel like I’m pretty smart with all the stunts that I do and I have good people keeping me safe.
CB: In your career, has there been a particular person on set that you had a lot of fun working with?
DV: There are many many people that I have had a really good time with on movie sets. In fact, I don’t think I really had any bad experiences. But yes, I certainly do have a few favorites. I enjoyed working on the open range with Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Benning, and Michael Jeter. I also enjoyed working with Tom Sizemore on a film that is not yet been released. I had a blast with Douglas Tait on a scary movie we did. And, of course, on “Mafia Spies,” the entire cast was great. I enjoyed getting to know Nick Annunziata (Russell’s), Richard Ryan (JFK) and my FBI partner John Zacchino. We’ve all been talking quite a bit since the project was released. There are definitely some great friendships there.
CB: Who or what inspired you to get into show business? And, if you had gone a different direction, what do you think you’d be doing now?
DV: I got started in showbiz at a pretty young age. I didn’t know that it would be my career path. In high school, I started thinking more about a career in Movies and entertainment.
And what would I be doing if I wasn’t doing this. That’s a great question. I actually didn’t graduate high school. I had to challenge the exam to get into college. I was actually pretty smart and was even thinking about getting into medicine. But my math and chemistry put a quick end to that. I have never been very good at that kind of thing, so who knows what I will be doing? I do a lot of art and music in my spare time. So perhaps I would be doing something in that field. I’ve never really tried to sell my art, but I do have a painting in the home of Sir Michael Caine. I’ve always been a big fan of his so I gifted him a piece a few years ago. He was very kind to me and told me he treasures it in his home. So who knows maybe I would do more with that one day.
Let’s get to know you even better with a Speed Round:
- Favorite Gas Station Snack: I love my junk food so this is gonna be crazy to answer. If I was going to fill a bag for a road trip, it would be Reese’s pieces, white powdered donuts, and a Dr Pepper
- Latest TV Show you’ve binge-watched: it’s funny as I do this interview. I just finished watching Mafia Spies with my parents so if I’m being honest, that’s the very last I watched one, but I am a big fan of Cobra Kai. My friend Sean Kansan plays Mike Barnes, so I definitely had to check that out as it went live. I think they’ve done such a great job with that show, and as a martial artist myself, it has been an excellent series.
- Marvel or DC: Marvel. Although I am a big Superman fan. One of my favorite movies of all time is Richard Donner’s “Superman.”
- Pie or Cake: cake for sure, and you better make it chocolate
- Favorite country you’ve visited: Wow that is a very incredible question. There are so many places in the world that I love and several places that I’ve also lived. I love France, Belgium, England, South Africa, Singapore, the Philippines, Bali and Thailand. I guess I’m cheating because I have listed more than one. But there are so many awesome places in the world, and I shouldn’t take for granted either Canada or the United States as well. I feel so blessed. I’ve got friends and all of these wonderful places, and they have so many incredible memories.
- Dawn or Dusk? That’s easy. I’m a night owl.
- What’s your dream car? I’ve always enjoyed Ferrari. Not too long ago. I sold my 360 Medina spider. It was a fun car. But the better question you should ask me is what my favorite motorbike is. I’ve got two right now. I have a Ducati Monster and a Suzuki savage. And I love them both for different reasons. Yes, they actually have names. My Ducati’s name is Daniella, and my Suzuki’s name is Miko
- Camping: Tent or camper? Depends on who I’m with and if they are snoring lol. If I’m with them in the tent and they’re snoring, I’m going to the camper, and vice versa.
Be sure to follow Douglas on his Instagram to see what adventures he’s up to.
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
Props, Cosplay, Scale Models, Home Projects, and just about anything else that involves me Making.
Eldwenne’s Fantasy™ and Wire Wrapture Artistically Twisted ™
Jodi invites you to explore your well-being with designs from Wire Wrapture Artistically Twisted™ and to declare your favorite fandom proudly with designs from Eldwenne’s Fantasy™.
A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a warm tortilla, served to you fresh using patented space-age technology. all games played on this channel are using original hardware and software whenever possible.
A positive podcast about video games. Chris and Ashley go over the video games we love.
*Bigs thanks to*
Chris and Lynn
Dustin Hatchett
If you like what you see, please consider joining our Patreon Family.
For as little as $1 a month, you can really help us out.