Chillin’ With David Meunier

By Chilled Magazine

Recently featured as one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Big Things,” David can be seen starring on the anticipated A&E series “Damien,” which premiered early this month.

The series, a follow up to the 1976 film “The Omen,” chronicles the adult life of Damien Thorn who has grown up and is seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him.  Haunted by his past, Damien must now come to terms with his true destiny, that he is the antichrist, the most feared man of all time.

David shines as Detective James Shay, a decorated veteran and cynical cop who investigates the strange occurrences surrounding Damien.

If you are a fan of “Justified” [FX], you may recognize David, as he starred as the crippled and ever nefarious Johnny Crowder on the series.  He also recently was seen appearing opposite David Duchovny on NBC’s “Aquarius” as Charlie Manson’s gatekeeper Roy Kovic.

Chilled chats with David about what’s up.

CHILLED: Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on or have coming up.

David Meunier: I have a new series, DAMIEN, premiering Monday, March 7th on A&E. Based on the 1976 film THE OMEN, it follows the now 30-year-old Damien Thorn in his journey of discovering that he is in fact the antichrist. I get to play a detective who happens to think Damien is responsible for a series of unexplained and bizarre deaths. Of course I have trouble convincing others that this guy is nefarious and so I take it upon myself to prove it. It’s a great role, and one that I haven’t had the chance to do very often – that is, being the good guy! Proving that point, at the present moment I’m knee-deep in shooting the second season of David Duchovny’s AQUARIUS for NBC. It’s a fun role to play – the leader of a Los Angles biker gang in the late 1960’s who happens to be pals with Charlie Manson.

Chillin' With David Meunier, chillin' with
Photo Courtesy of The Riker Brothers

CHILLED: With your busy schedule, what do you like to do with your down time?

DM: Uh… sleep? And when I’m not doing that I love to work on my house (built in 1939), or tinker with my 1966 Volvo. I guess the shorter answer would have been that I like to play with old [expletive].

CHILLED: When you go out to eat, where do you like to dine?

DM: We have a couple restaurants within walking distance that my wife and I like to frequent – it’s a good thing when you have a place you like that you can walk to, have a drink, or two, and walk back home! The only bad thing is that BOTH restaurants necessitate an extra trip to the gym.

CHILLED: What types of dishes do you usually order?

DM: The fattening, tasty kind! I’m a pretty diverse eater except, and I know there’s a million people out there who will think I’m an idiot, but I just can’t do sushi, or oysters. Raw, rubbery things that reek of the sea… not my thing.

Chillin' With David Meunier, chillin' with
Photo Courtesy of The Riker Brothers

CHILLED: Do you cook?

DM: I do, sometimes. And I enjoy it, but unfortunately one of my current house “projects” is updating the kitchen. It works just fine if the meal your putting together requires no prep space, a minimum number of pots/pans you need to place on the tiny range, or stuff that requires refrigeration (the fridge is newer, but SMALL and horribly designed).

CHILLED: What types of drinks do you order when out?

DM: I’d say I’m a wine (and beer) guy – my college days destroyed a lot of appreciation for anything else. That said, there is always room for a late-in-the-summer-day Margarita.

CHILLED: Do you prepare drinks at home?

DM: Wine, beer, wine… oh, and a nice glass of wine.

Chillin' With David Meunier, chillin' with
Photo Courtesy of The Riker Brothers

CHILLED: Do you own a home bar?

DM: I do actually have the necessary glass and gadgets to make a “real” drink should someone come over and want one – provided they swung by the liquor store on their way to grab whatever booze they wanted.

CHILLED: If you own a home bar, what is it stocked with?

DM: I DO actually, and pitifully, have an unopened bottle of gin that I won at a holiday party for a TV series (can’t even remember which) that I worked on over a decade ago. That’s right, I have an UN-opened, 10 plus year-old bottle of middle-of-the-road gin collecting dust in my kitchen cupboard. Horrible. I suppose I should drink it or donate it.

CHILLED: If you do not own a home bar, if you did, what would it be like?

DM: In lieu of the bar I think I would go with the wine cellar/tasting room idea. My house is unique in that it was built 76 years ago for an organist – and while I don’t know a thing about the mechanics of a pipe organ, I do know that there was a large compressor in the basement. Today, the organ, the pipes, and the compressor are long gone which leaves a pretty comfy basement space for that cellar… I think I just added another item on my house “to do” list. My wife will love that.

Chillin' With David Meunier, chillin' with
Photo Courtesy of The Riker Brothers

CHILLED: What is your favorite drink/cocktail?

DM: A nice smoky Burgundy.

CHILLED: Have you ever been a bartender?

DM: I’ve been a busboy, a food runner, a waiter, a maître-d, a short-order cook, and a restaurant manager all of which can require some drink handling in some way or another… but I have never been an actual bartender. I did however, play a bar-owner on TV.

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