In real life, Church has lived in Louisiana and in various parts of Texas, including El Paso, Austin, Dallas and Denton, where he attended the University of North Texas. Much of his childhood was spent in South Texas, where he met the rugged, hard-working men who inspired how he portrayed Merle.
“There were friends of my dad, men that we hunted with or fished with,” says Church. “I started working on a large ranch when I was 13, and you couldn't be out on ranches in South Texas in the '70s without being around the oil industry.”
Though Church was born in California, he and his family moved to El Paso when he was 2 years old. He would later live in Laredo, attend school in Denton, and move to Los Angeles for 12 years. But for Church, all roads led back to Texas.
Church puts on a great performance as Merle, although it didn’t require too much acting on his part. He saw the role as an opportunity to revisit his childhood, recalling his experience meeting ranchers, oil hands and drillers.
Though Erwin finds himself at a great loss having fumbled his first acting gig, Merle gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. As Merle is on the verge of losing everything, he asks Erwin to pose as a landman in order to outwit a corrupt oil company.
“The relationship between Erwin and Merle — it’s a really invaluable one,” says Church. “They learn a lot from each other, and I think a big part of it is forgiveness. And that's what I really enjoy.”
“I think that there is a gravitas that is uniquely Texan about these characters and their relationships." – Thomas Haden Church
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Wide release of Accidental Texan comes over a year after its premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival, where it won an audience award. The story tells a timeless tale of friendship and Southern camaraderie, which Church hopes resonates with audiences everywhere.
“I think that there is a gravitas that is uniquely Texan about these characters and their relationships,” says Church. “And I hope that the audience goes away thinking ‘These are very relatable real people, set in a place and a time that, you know, I may never get to visit, but I feel I enjoyed getting to visit that place, and those people in that time.’”
Accidental Texan is now playing in theaters.
