Actor Dylan McDermott to produce web series with Ringling College

For an issue like sex-trafficking, one of its biggest dangers is that it often hides in plain sight. It lives in the underbelly of a society that, on the surface, can appear normal, and many people are unaware the problem even exists.

For Golden Globe Award-winning actor Dylan McDermott, the issue is one that speaks to him on a personal level. After connecting with Ringling College last year through its film lab series, the actor has returned to Sarasota, this time partnering with the college and Selah Freedom, a local nonprofit formed to combat sex trafficking, to produce a web series called "Sugar." 

The series will be shot and cast locally (with the possible exception of the lead role) starting this May with the help of Ringling College students, and it will tell the story of a young runaway named Sugar, who falls into the dangerous world so many runaways and victims of abuse face — even in cities as seemingly idyllic as Sarasota.

McDermott made an appearance at Selah Freedom's gala Saturday, Feb. 27, to discuss the endeavor.

"I have two young daughters of my own, who I want to have a better life," he says. "My adoptive mother tried to stop violence against women her whole life, and that influenced me a great deal. That, and my own personal stuff, it's all mixed together."

Semkhor Networks and Ringling College will co-produce the seven-episode series; McDermott will direct the pilot, then work closely with the students to oversee the project as it continues. He says he's excited for the new opportunities afforded him as a director, but he also hopes the students will eventually take ownership over "Sugar."

"As an actor, you have only so much power," he says. "It's other peoples words; it's usually the director's film — you have other visions besides your own. You have input into that vision, but it’s not really yours. As a director and creator, it's really my vision — how I see the world and this character and her plight. That’s always something I haven’t had much of a chance to do, so Im excited, because I really want to tell this story through my eyes."