Director John Dahl and actor Steve Zahn formed a mutual admiration society long before they joined forces on the new thriller Joy Ride.

        Mr. Dahl, who made his reputation with such dark-toned work as Rounders (1998), The Last Seduction (1994) and Red Rock West (1992), lost no time in seeking out the actor best known for off-beat comic work in SubUrbia (1996), That Thing You Do! (1996) and Reality Bites (1994).

John Dahl

        The director thought of the actor as soon as he read the Joy Ride script from Clay Tarver and Jeffrey Abrams.

        Mr. Dahl said, “I had met Steve when I was casting Rounders,and I really thought he was a talented guy, and I thought this was a really great part for him.”

        In a separate interview during the Toronto International Film Festival, Mr. Zahn told a similar story. “I met up with John with Rounders. I went in a couple of times (to read) with him. I really liked him. . . . I got this script and I immediately was almost like, well, yeah, I'll do it. I love John, and I'm sure it's gonna be good. Then I read it and I was totally blown away by it. I thought, man, I have to do this.”

        Mr. Zahn's role as the black-sheep big brother to Paul Walker's well-scrubbed college boy is laced with humor, but dominated by terror. The two spend most of the movie on the run from an enraged truck driver bent on their destruction.

        For his part, Mr. Dahl is pleased but not surprised with Mr. Zahn's performance. “I've always thought of him as more of a dramatic actor, as opposed to just a funny guy. That's one of the things I'm most pleased with. I loved working with Steve and it's fun watching the movie with an audience and having them laugh at Steve Zahn.”

        Mr. Zahn praised Mr. Dahl's low-key treatment of actors, particularly during long nights shooting at remote desert locations.

        “It was really grueling, to be honest,” said Mr. Dahl. “It was a lot of fun, but it was the hardest job I've ever had, definitely. It was extremely physical, just a lot of nights, running every night, we're out of breath in every scene. . . . The fun part of it was the crew was real close, we were all in the same boat, we were all staying in these horrible motels.”

        The director said Mr. Zahn's background in theater, including musical theater and comedy, groomed him to be a strong dramatic actor. Skilled comic actors — Tom Hanks, for instance — often move into drama with ease, he noted.

        “I think the main thing those people have that straight dramatic actors don't have and don't get and don't understand is these guys don't take themselves too seriously,” said Mr. Dahl. “They have a sense of humor about themselves. That's just invaluable. Having the ability to laugh at yourself is incredibly important. If you take yourself seriously all the time, it's dreadfully boring.”

        Likewise, theater actors like Mr. Zahn are better equipped to work in film than newcomers who have never faced a live audience, said Mr. Dahl.

        “It's not a passing phase in lives, they're dedicated to theater, they started in theater, that's their first love. They got the basics of acting long before they ended up on a film set,” he said.

        Mr. Zahn credits his rural background in Minnesota as well as his professional training with teaching him to keep his work in perspective.

        “Look, I just like to pretend. I'm an actor, and I love my job, but that's it. It's a very special job and it's really awesome, and I'm extremely lucky. It is a fantasy life to an extent, but then it's hard work. It's like anything.”

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