Interview with Ten Dates: Charlie Maher on FMV Games and Color Dates

ComingSoon editor Tyler Treese spoke to Ten Dates star Charlie Maher about the high-octane games and colorful dates he's been on. Ten Dates is set to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC, iOS, and Android on February 14.

"Misha, a millennial from London in search of that elusive in-person connection, tricks her best friend Ryan into going to a speed dating event with her," reads the game's synopsis. "Each with their five potential matches, Misha and Ryan must find the courage and activate the charm to date very different personalities."

Tyler Treese: You have some funny scenes with Rosie Day. What stood out to you as a stage partner?

Charlie Maher: It can be hard to play best friends with someone you've never met before, but any worries I had about that disappeared instantly the moment I met Rosie. She has a wonderful energy that puts you at ease, and she's such a pro that you feel relaxed around her. Most of our scenes together featured a lot of improvisation and I can tell you that you have to be in good shape with her because she can tear you apart easily. And on top of all that, she has a great sense of humor. I have to stop here because I don't want to be too nice to her.

Did you draw on your own dating experience for the role?

I'm going to argue the fifth on this one. No, I've definitely had a few colorful dates in my past, from a date with a Russian woman in Spain when I didn't speak Russian or Spanish and she didn't speak English, to a flight for love to California, and then with a woman who now works in a particular industry for adults. I'd love to say they gave me experience, but to be honest, I'm probably as desperate now as I was then.

The modern dating scene is always interesting to explore. What about Ten Dates really attracted you to the project?

I've always been into acting, so having the opportunity to be part of a project that was a marriage between regular acting and acting was very new to me and exciting. I then researched Five Dates and really loved the streaming element because it's something you never really come across with a standard project. I hopped on a few streams and told them about Ten Dates and found the community to be incredibly welcoming and they're some of the funniest people I've ever met. I think maybe I should do mine at some point where I do a part as Ryan, might call it "An Actor Plays With Himself".

Due to the interactive nature, your character can range from being quite charming to a jerk. What was most interesting about playing a character that doesn't have a personality or a locked path?

It's a bit mind-blowing to go from one to the other, but that's what makes a project like this so fun to do. You go from letting them know how much you hated the date to kissing them in the span of about two minutes. Paul our manager was brilliant at this because he really helped me understand that you kind of have a basic Ryan that doesn't lean too much one way or the other and it's really up to the player to decide and shape Ryan. personality through their decisions.

The director, Paul Raschid, has experience with interactive films. Can you talk about working with him and how his experience helped guide you through this non-traditional project?

I can say that without Paul, this project does not exist. It has many similarities to a regular shoot, but there are such deviations from the norm that you really need someone like Paul who has a comprehensive understanding of how it all comes together. Even simple things like the script are wildly different from what you would normally encounter as an actor.

A normal movie script can be between 80 and 120 pages, depending on the length of the movie. When I got the script for that, I was thinking "this guy is kidding". It was over 600 pages. And that's just Ryan's side of dating. But as soon as I spoke with him, he helped me understand how it worked and everything fell into place. It has magic dust. Oh, and if any potential employers or investors are reading this, trust me, hire them. Otherwise, you'll be five weeks behind schedule and three times over budget wondering "how the hell does he do that?"

Do you already have experience with interactive movies or full-screen video games? They've had a real resurgence over the past decade.

I wouldn't have had much experience with FMVs prior to filming. I played until dawn which actually has the brilliant Meaghan Martin in it...