DB: How do you view yourself on screen?
TM: Oh, it sucks. I don’t like it too much. It is sort of embarrassing. I don’t mind a little flash, but when you see yourself so long, I start analyzing everything I did wrong.

DB: How did you feel about seeing yourself in the crying scene?
TM: Actually that was one of my favorite scenes, I cried watching it. My wife liked it too.

DB:  What was your favorite scene?
TM: I liked it when Maria and I were out there on the horses all by ourselves.

DB: Why did you cry?
TM: It is a pretty intense scene. And being the father of three daughters, it just put me there. To be in character, I did not have to imagine too much to know what that guy was going through.

DB: How old are your daughters?
TM: 9, 8 and 4.

DB: Did they come out to visit you on set?
TM: Yes, they came out quite a bit. We were living out here in California while we were doing it. They loved the horses.

DB: Did you adjust to the horses?
TM: Yeah, I grew up with them. I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t ride a horse. When I was a kid, my step dad started this business and would go out and get lost cows and stuff. He was part-time truck driver, farmer and cowboy. He taught me how to ride from an early age.

DB: Can you rope?
TM: Oh yeah. I was team captain in high school and did the rodeo. But I don’t know that I am really good at anything.

DB: Well, you do guitar. You are self taught right?
TM: Yes, I am self taught. I am not real great but I can pick out a tune.

DB: And you’ve been doing it a long time…
TM: Yes, I have been doin’ it 18 years now on the road. So I have spent a lot of time playin’ clubs 7 nights a week, two or three weeks at a time.

DB: Do you have musicians in the family?
TM: Yeah, my grandpop was Italian: he played violin. And I heard my mom sing, my sisters sang. They were always singing around the house. But I was a jock pretty much. Most of the stuff I did was play ball.

DB: Why did you pick this movie, Flicka?
TM: Honestly, when I got the script I didn’t read it. Right off the bat I said no. I just did not want to do a cowboy wearing a cowboy hat. I just wanted to get away from that. But, then I read the script and it was written so well. The characters and scenes were so rich. Also, it was a family movie that my kids could go see, they couldn’t see Friday Night Lights. It was so well written and so emotional, that I just could not talk my self out of it.

DB: Were you scared at all?
TM: Yea, taking on a major role in a major movie. And then seein’ yourself up there.

DB: What do you see coming out of this movie?
TM: To get better. I mean as long as I have been doing music I know I am only 30% of what I could be and want to be.  This is my third movie and my second major movie. I have got a lot to learn. I just want to learn. I just love learning. I always want to learn but I am sure on my dying day I will feel like I left something in the bucket.

DB: Did being a father help you in this film?
TM: Yes. You know not having my real dad around and having a step dad made me want to be a great dad. So now I have been one for 9 years. And now 3 daughters. So, that is what I am--a dad, first and foremost, before anything else. It’s just something that comes natural now.

DB: What makes for a good dad?
TM: Just being there mostly. I think that is more important than anything.

DB: The dad in the film is different than you.
TM: Yes, he is a bit stern. But when you think of doing ranch work on minimum money, and not making the money they need to make. And all the pressure that goes along with that. This is the family business going for generations and to know that is going away. That would be heavy. I really tried to wrap myself in that situation for the character.

DB: I liked the dance scene where we see the dad in a tender moment with his wife. He wasn’t just stern.
TM: Yes, right. But he also had this daughter that was just like him, and you know you often butt heads with people who are most like you. My oldest daughter is like that.

DB: What about those kiss scene between you and Maria Bello? How did your wife react?
TM: Well it wasn’t her favorite part of the movie.

DB: Is she looking for scripts to get back at you?
TM: Not if I can get to ‘em first.

DB: How was it working with Maria and Allison?
TM: Great. You know I learn so much from them and everyone else, even the crew. I am continually learning as a watch them. I think, oh that how you do that.

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