(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – The Chicago-trained character actor who graduates to a leading role in the newly released “Late Night with the Devil” sneaks in an indirect name-check to local TV legend Svengoolie in the horror hit.
David Dastmalchian plays a 1970s-era talk show host in the IFC Films feature, which took in nearly $3 million over the weekend and landed among the top-ten grossing flicks. The film received mostly positive reviews, too, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 97%.
Dastmalchian tells the Hollywood Reporter it was his idea to include a reference to his character being from Berwyn, Illinois. The western suburb is famous – infamous? – for being the butt of jokes by Svengoolie, the ghoulish alter ego of actor Rich Koz.
“I was absolutely responsible for the shout-out to Berwyn, Illinois, which those in the know will recognize as a nod to the home of Svengoolie, late night host of Chicago fame,” Dastmalchian said.
The widely distributed “Svengoolie” program is popular across the United States and counts many celebrities among its fans.
Dastmalchian has been a familiar face in features for more than a decade and made his film debut as a thug in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” which was filmed in Chicago and released in 2008.
The Kansas-raised actor studied theater at DePaul University and was a member of local theater groups. With “Late Night with the Devil,” Dastmalchian takes center stage as a Johnny Carson wannabe who is on a collision course with demonic forces.
“I was like, ‘There’s no way I can pull this off, but I am going to sure as hell try,’” the actor said.
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