Actor David Dastmalchian, who recently starred in Oppenheimerembraces her new role: celebrity brand ambassador for a casket line.
In fact, this is the first time in history that Titan Caskets, which is disrupting the casket industry by selling directly to consumers at prices much lower than those offered by funeral homes, ever had a brand ambassador. Dastmalchian, 47, says he’s thrilled to be a part of changing the narrative when it comes to death, funerals and funeral planning.
In continuation, Dune the actor explains how he got involved and how he hopes to open up a conversation about death, funerals and funeral planning.
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Tell us how you first got involved with Titan Caskets.
I didn’t really take it seriously at first. I thought it was tongue in cheek and funny. But then when I found out about their mission – and I’ve lost two parents in the last few years, as well as a number of other very close, important people to me – and it was like, wow, yes. For someone who spends a lot of time telling stories from the dark side, this is a great introduction to the conversation about death, which is usually quite dizzying. But when you start talking about it through my ambassadorship, you can get into the real essence of what is a really important issue for me.
What was it about the company’s model that you found compelling?
So they sell directly to consumers to save them money. They can truly save 50-75 percent of the cost of caskets. Many people do not realize that they have another option, and my heart was deeply touched by what they are trying to do. Predatory business practices are inherent in our culture and society. It’s something we’ve all learned to be weary of, to be cynical about. You see it in lending practices, in home ownership, health care, car sales. But when it comes to life, who will put their foot down? People are in the most chaotic, unregulated situation they will ever be in when planning a funeral. They are grieving. This creates a market where they can go into debt spending money they don’t have to properly memorialize someone they care about.
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David Dasmalchian.
Titan coffins
What do you think about talking about death?
The big question is why they are not are we talking about death? I’ll talk to my friends all day about the job I do, or my exercise regimen, my diet, my kids…all these things we talk about, but there’s one thing that sticks out for all of us, regardless of all. And people will say, well, I have my own spiritual practice that helps me navigate that subject, and I think that’s wonderful. But there are psychological, emotional and, frankly, financial issues that we need to normalize the discussion about.
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Have you become comfortable talking about death in your own life?
I’ve been on the road to sobriety and mental health for 21 years now, so talking about the big stuff is part of who I am as a person. But I still struggle and struggle with it. I think the more we normalize the conversation, the more we will realize that this is the one thing we all have in common. So why not just make the discussion less taboo? What I’m hoping, with this campaign, is that someone will read this and say, “Honey, I’ve never thought about this before, but if I die tomorrow, I want you to not feel limited in your options.” Or maybe, “I want a fantastic purple suitcase with a hot pink interior.” Titan can do it — custom sizes, designs.
Do you think people should plan their own funerals while they are still alive?
Why not? So much goes into them and they are irresistible to life. Catering, flowers, notes to write, family to contact – who you may not have spoken to in years. There is so much to juggle while feeling the deep aching sense of loss. To know that there is a good product that you can order with a few clicks to take care of an important element at a fraction of the cost. It’s something I’m honestly very proud to promote.
Your film characters tend to be dark — are you drawn to the macabre?
I always have been. Scary monster stories really kept me up at night and I was a super scared kid. And then I started watching this local person from Kansas City named Crematia Mortem who was hosting Friday Night Creature Feature. And I saw characters struggling with their emotions, fears, fears of death, fears of the unknown, all of which spoke to the scared little boy in me. He was like a moth to a flame. I was coming back [dark material] since. I think the overarching attraction for me was the fear of finality, the fear of the inevitability of the great Reaper.
Do you have plans for your own funeral?
I’ve been talking to the guys at Titan about a really awesome, personally designed trunk that I think would be cool to have. But I always told my wife Eve that I wanted my skull preserved. I love the idea of an actor playing Hamlet one day holding my real skull. We have a morbid sense of humor in our house. We have my mother’s ashes in an urn on the mantle, and my daughter, who is six, will show people around, point to it and say, “And this is Grandma.”
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Source: HIS Education