On-Set Interview with actor Aaron Poole (Duncan). Aaron Poole can’t stop laughing. He can’t sit still either. And he’s sharing a very in-joke with his male cast-mates in The House. “I shaved last night”, he says with a grin. “Everything from the neck down. Yikes!” He’s not alone. Three of his co-stars performed similar rituals last night, preparing for a key scene they’re shooting today. It involves tiny towels and a lot of lather, part of a storyline that has their down-and-out characters self-depilating to purge themselves of a nasty skin parasite. One that’s been passed on via one intimate relationship too many. Now the fellas are comparing notes on their hair-loss methodologies. “I did most of it myself,” Aaron confesses. “Except for my ass. My wife had to help me back there.” When one of the other guys suggests Neet as a more painless solution, Poole shrugs and smiles again. “Not for me. Just shaving cream and a Venus razor.” Poole plays the role of Duncan, a pyrotechnically compulsive pothead who floats through life in a dope-induced haze. After a failed experiment nearly burned down his family Duncan’s corrupt construction magnate father kicked him out and told him to go make himself a man. That’s when Duncan discovered the abandoned mansion and moved in, attracting a band of other misfits who can’t afford to be on their own and who come to terms with each other through a series of misadventures. “I usually play outsiders”, Poole says of his numerous film and television roles. “Sexual deviants, druggies. Once I got to play the cool, handsome guy. I drove a cool car with a stick shift. But that’s not really me.” on The House and his role as Duncan: “I read the script for The House and I totally fell in love with Duncan. So I went all out for the audition. The camera guy at casting had this terrified and embarrassed look on his face. He really thought I was stoned. After I left I had to call back to show them that I was straight all the time. But you have to understand that about Duncan. He’s just always stoned. He can’t deal with the real world. And he’s passionate about pursuing his pyrotechnic pastimes. If you use psychology, fire equals rage. Duncan’s raging against his family. Against being expected to conform. Maybe even against his inner self. But deep down he’s strong. And he stands by his friends. That’s why he’s taken in so many strays at the house.” on the indie experience: “David [Krae] is one-stop shopping We don’t need a meeting to discuss the nuance of a character, or to change a line in the script. We work it out together, as team, as we go along. Having input into Duncan, and his relationships with the other characters, is wonderful. It’s what I like best about the independent scene in Canada. When I’m working on an indie, I feel confident and creative, and most fulfilled as an actor.” on his house mates: “Being with them is like being at rock and roll summer camp. I’ve started smoking. I have no body hair...”