Putting Up Armor: The Soft-Spoken Dash Mihok Reflects on a Career of Playing Tough Guys
Mihok stars in the indie-action ‘Armor’ opposite Jason Patrick and Sylvester Stallone, and the film sparks a look back at his early career, and creating a sustainable future.
There likely aren’t many people who forget the first time they watched Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo + Juliet’. While it was his sophomore feature film, it was certainly the kind of bombastic spike to the brain that is both unforgettable as much as it is Luhrmann’s signature stamp of auteurship. If you are of a specific generation, chances are this was your introduction to amazing generational stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Harold Perrineau and John Leguizamo. Regardless of the level of success those actors would have in future years, it was easy to remember that early project where everything was thrown at the screen in an explosion of a 90s-beach-bum meets the Bard aesthetic.
Not to be forgotten is Dash Mihok, who brilliantly played Benvolio, cousin to ‘Leo’s Romeo. Forgetting Mihok is no easy task, as the actor is a 6’ 3” redhead, an imposing and colorful figure by any means. Mihok chuckles as he reveals how often he’s stopped to discuss that film. “I love that English teachers always come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for that’, because it warms my heart. I think I would be a teacher if I wasn't an actor.”
To watch the full interview with Dash Mihok, click below, or continue scrolling for the remainder of the article.
This writer (who has tortured teenagers with Shakespeare as a former high school English teacher) would even deem Mihok’s delivery of one of Shakespeare’s most beautiful lines “for now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring” on par with the same skill and deftness as Olivier or Branagh, and would die on that hill as a Shakespearean connoisseur.
The actor has also made a steady career of playing soldiers, detectives and tough guys, so often has a personality to match. His newest film, ‘Armor’ is no different, as Mihok plays ‘Smoke’, the right-hand man to Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rook’ and lieutenant in a cabal of paramilitary criminals looking to score big when robbing Jason Patrick’s armored vehicle. The film has struggled in theatres, but Mihok along with the rest of the cast and crew are hoping it will find second life, like the sleeper rental hits of old, as Armor is available on Blu-ray, as of January 7th.
As mentioned, Mihok has been in the business for more than 30 years, but is seemingly never one to really look back. When asked about the fact that he and Patrick starred in 1996’s ‘Sleepers’, Mihok mentioned they didn’t really know each other then but had a good chuckle when on the Armor set as now, middle-aged men.
“I don't think we even worked together on ‘Sleepers’” Mihok admits. “I didn't really work with Jason then, but we did get to talk on this [film] a little bit, and giggle that we were in a movie together. But no, I hadn't really crossed paths with him much, but, you know, he's great, and he's great on set and being in the moment.”
‘In the moment’ seems like the perfect mantra for Mihok, as the man, like many creatives, likes to try his hand at different disciplines. Mihok is also a photographer, dancer, and most notably, utilizes the stage name ‘Diz’, when Mihok fronts a band aptly named ‘Diz and the Fam’. When reminiscing about his ‘Romeo’ costar, and long time friend Perrineau, Mihok was trapped when he admitted he has never watched a single episode of his friend’s recent ongoing series, ‘From’.
“I will be honest with you, when I'm not taking care of my kids, I'm usually focused on trying to make things rather than watch them. My wife watches stuff.” he says.
Anyone with even a modicum of an artistic spark inside of them knows that feeling. When inspiration hits, you often can’t ignore it. New interests pile up as quickly as the queue of shows you have to watch on Netflix. That drive has given Mihok a diverse and steady career, most notably on Showtime’s ‘Ray Donovan’ for seven seasons. His character, Brendan ‘Bunchy’ Donovan was a beautifully touching, often pain-filled and layered performance, and when speaking to Mihok in person (or via Zoom), it's easy to see a similar, humble, soft-spoken thread.
So was he more comfortable in the skin of Bunchy? Is it easier to play someone who is never the loudest voice in the room? Or is it more fun to play Smoke and blow armored cars apart, or dance in a massive musical number in a glitter filled Shakespearean adaptation?
“I know this sounds like a cliche, but honestly, I really like all of it. I've done two or three independent rom-coms where I'm the lead, and that’s great. I love playing baddies. I love playing Benvolio. I love playing Smoke. I get to be Sly’s cohort and on par with him. I felt like that on set as well, because we were kind of the more the veteran crowd now that I’m an older cat. But if the role is good, I like to do everything. I'm really open to all of it.”
After hitting a personal milestone this summer, (and unlike a lot of actors, not even hesitating to admit it was his 50th birthday) you can glean a little more context in regards to Mihok calling himself ‘an older cat’. Undoubtedly, the reason he can admit that so comfortably, is that aforementioned drive that keeps him creating. He shows no signs of slowing down. Co-starring with the legend Stallone, and feeling ‘on par’ with him also has to do with the fact that both performers will seemingly never stop. Mihok shares what he learned from his time with Stallone.
“I learned that if I make it to his age, and I'm still doing it, that I would do it much the way he does. He loves to act, but he's very technical, and I’m very technical, so we just [had] fun and bounced stuff off each other quickly, especially on a shoot, we really created rock and roll. So I learned that it doesn't matter how old you are, you're always going to bring your expertise. So I just hope I keep doing it. To be honest, it'll be hard to get me to retire.”