I had the pleasure of speaking to your director
/ costar the other day, [Dolph Lundgren] which was really a bit of a personal
pleasure for me, given on such a huge fan of him as a man from when I was a kid.
So I mean, we all we all know
there's better films than He-Man, let's be honest.
Well, yeah, it's because I was obsessed with He-Man when I was a kid,
so it has a special place in my in my film lexicon, shall we say.
But yeah, he's done some
bad things,
including this one, which I really enjoy.
Castle Falls, which I really enjoyed
I think I spoke to you last year,
and I think this was the one or one of the ones, Dolph
Obviously confirm this,
that you co-wrote, obviously played a kind of part in this one.
Get off the ground and you film it and everything else that must have been
very, very happy time when you managed to be able to do it,
given the the issues that everyone's had over the last couple of years.
Yeah.
Well, it was all kicking off while I was over there in Alabama
and we did half a day's shooting
and then the plug got pulled and back home we went.
And so by the time we came back to shoot it, we'd lost a substantial
amount of the budget, to be honest, with the new COVID restrictions.
And it wasn't an easy shoot.
We got shut down a few times because of, you know, a false negative COVID thing
and then the one time there was a positive
and she was fine, you know?
So thankful for that. But
then we got shut down for other reasons.
It wasn't an easy shoot, but you know,
we did our best and we're happy with the film that came out of it.
But it wasn't easy.
Yeah.
And Dolph was talking about the fact that the nature of the film in terms of
not many locations, there's a certain amount of cast
in this one not to give anything away.
But obviously there's ways and means for you guys to have to have done it.
So yeah, luckily, the
the fact that it was one location with not a lot of cast members
did help ultimately, because if it was a different type of movie,
we would just have to scrap it completely .
Yeah, let's get that. You managed to do it.
So I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one.
It's it's it's a has a bit of a throwback element to a lot of other films that,
you know, people have said.
I've noticed online reading reviews and people saying kind of throwbacks.
There's a bit of precinct 13, that is also a little bits and bobs in there.
So what was that
What was your initial reaction when you read the script
for the first time and what drew you to not just the story,
but Mike as a as a character? And.
I mean, I just really enjoyed the scripts.
It was well-written, and obviously it was a bit of a take on,
you know, maybe the die hard thing, but the whole I did feel
it was more like trespass, that sort of film.
It reminded me of that.
And I just like the idea of working with Dolph, the director.
I mean, obviously, we all know is a very smart guy.
He's very clued up.
He's made a lot of films and his directors some good films in the past.
And I just the way he spoke about how it was going
to approach the characters in a very realistic way.
And they're going to have real motivations.
And it wasn't just a, you know, an action film for the sake of action.
Everything was happening for real emotional, grounded reasons.
And that's what attracted some attracted me to it, really.
And yeah, it was a
great experience working with Dolph as a director, and we've worked
together as actors in the past and we've always gone well.
Personally, I think he's a great guy,
but working with him as a director was a really great experience.
I think we went in-depth on the character
more than I have with any other director of love within the past.
To be honest, we had long conversations, probably COVID
helped we get on the phone and we talk about it for a long time.
But yeah, very in depth on on
who the character was and the backstory and what his motivations were.
So it was a rewarding experience.
And yeah, I like his directing style because he's very much.
About the
realism, you know, and you don't get that sometimes with action films,
and that's why I'm more interested in, in a way is character based action movies.
Yeah.
And I did speak to
about the kind of realism of it
because it's great to say in a world where there's so many kind of fantastical,
CGI based movies that when you see these kind of extreme volatility
with people like yourselves, both from quote unquote old school
who like to see the realism
of the characters and the action, it must be very satisfying to go to work,
to be able to do all the stuff that you know that you can do, rather
than, you know, doing green screens, all that kind of stuff because, well,
I don't do all the green screens anyway. I do. I did.
Yeah, you did it once and that was a holiday - God,
They've got it easy, padded.
That's and all the rest of it.
Now I'm used to smashing myself off hard concrete
with minimal pand, so you can see that it's me
But yeah, and I look we.
He comes up from the golden era of action movies where you need
have real action guys to be able to do it, you couldn't
hide the stunt man as well, and he couldn't do all the CGI in the face
replacement and and the green screen, and he still likes to do it that way.
I like to do it that way as well.
I like to watch action films where I mean, I love the comic book movies.
Don't get me wrong, but I do enjoy to see when it's you're watching the guys,
you know that they're doing as well because it just feels more.
You buy into it more.
I think, yeah, I think with this one, obviously
the first scene, this is you fighting during that kind of fight.
I think it's MMA fight, Dolph was telling me and you did lots of kind of
he could shoot you for 30 seconds or a minute,
and it would be you guys kind of sparring with each other and adds authenticity
not just to the to the action stuff, but to the character as well,
because you feel where he is and what you're trying to do.
And, you know, kind of the bad.
You can feel that the energy that the character is going through in
the movie can tell when somebody is put in their heart into action sequences.
And I'm not just talking about guys like me.
I mean, I mean, there are some actors that really go for it,
and you can tell - like Keanu Reeves and Chris Hemsworth.
Charlize Theron. But it's not easy, but you can tell when they're faking it.
We're not faking it. No, no. Definitely not
quite bruising.
Tell me about working with Dolph as an actor,
also as a director, because it's talked about how much you guys would talk.
Is there?
Is there a difference? Is it? Does he talk to you because he's an actor?
Is it easier to kind of get across your concerns and your ideas?
And it would be if you were talking with somebody who wasn't?
Both of those things?
Or do you not find any distinction between the two?
This we're not working on a schedule where he can throw different ideas,
I mean, I've got 10 to 15 takes to try and get it right.
We have to move quick.
We got to move fast and you get two takes.
If you're lucky, For each set up.
But it
was all ahead of time before we started shooting,
where where the hard work was done and the conversations about who
the character is and what his motivations are and a very clear picture.
Of what that money would mean to him if he got it.
And the stakes that were at play, if you didn't because,
you know, he's a fighter that's dedicated his life to become in
the pursuit of becoming a world champion, been very selfish in that pursuit.
You know, I think you've got to pay to be a fighter.
You know, it's all about me, me, me.
I've got to get up, go to a train and got to do this.
You know, the family stuff can come later.
I have to train for this fight and is continually done that.
And it's got to a point in his life where he realizes I'm not going to make it.
The dream's not going to happen for me.
And now what have I got?
I've got a broken down body.
I've got no money in the bank and I haven't got a job.
And that's where we meet the character at that point
so that when he does have this chance to to take this money,
the reasons are very real.
And then he has a decision to make, is he going to be selfish again
or is he going to try and do something, maybe maybe learn something from the past?
And these were the things we spoke about.
Yeah, because it's like that great.
Same with you.
Like you did that where he's trying to get back on the roster to do the fight
and all that kind of stuff.
And the realization is quite a heartbreaking scene in many regards
because he's his dream is going to fallen away.
And you can kind of understand why he then takes the path that he does.
It must be great to do those kind of things as well.
Even though you're doing the action stuff to do
the same as that do have a real kind of emotion to them.
I said, look, you know,
it's got a lot of action in it, but it's a character study, first and foremost.
And that's what Dolph wanted to do and that's what attracted me to it.
And you know, we put as much heart and effort into the action as we did
the action, you know, we want to alter because
the trick is to do it on a tight schedule.
But yeah, so in terms of it says of you as a as a performance
of the dialog shows that you've done quite a lot in the last few years.
Have you enjoyed the trajectory in terms of being able
to do the action stuff, but also do all these other little bits in in between?
Is it got to the point now where you actually, you know,
you can sit back and go, Wow, I've done this, this
this is more than I ever could have hoped to have done.
Had a little moment the other day on the set of Accident
Man 2 in Malta, when somebody came up to me and said,
this is going to sound really vain.
But she said, Scott, I just want to tell you that you are
a brilliant martial artist.
I said, Oh, thanks, and I sat there for a second
Then I suddently thought
I just remembered being a kid
and having this dream and wanting it so badly.
And in that moment, it all came back to me though, wow, I've actually done it
and I've been doing it for 20 years and it made a life out of it.
And people appreciate that I do this, and it's suddenly all just hit me.
I mean, it has them before, but that was just a recent example.
The thought, Wow, yeah, this is what I do for a living.
Yeah, I a lot of people like that who only recently have discovered
I found this in some interviews and stuff about that.
You actually technically have played a version of Deadpool as well,
which I don't think a lot of people realize because... I was part of the problem.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
So I didn't.
I knew that you so I knew that you doubled.
Ryan was on Deadpool, but I didn't realize I don't know how it goes.
Ryan wasn't even there, but I'm into movies with Ryan.
I've never met him. I was in Criminal as well.
But he wasn't there on Wolverine.
He had no idea what they were up to.
With all this silly rays out the eyes, saws coming out.
No mouth.
He didn't have a clue.
He wasn't there.
He must have been pretty surprised when he turned up for the reshoots and,
well, not the reshoots, but the added stuff of his close-ups,
seeing what was got up to
I think he's I think he's mentioned a couple of times
now now that he's actually got to do that before he goes back in time in Deadpool
to Disney or whatever it is to kill my version of the character.
And I was like, I wish he'd let me play that part, but not that thought.
So I would gladly took the bullet to the head.
I'm sorry, I just did.
As I was told, I was just trying to make a buck.
Yeah, just follow the orders.
As I say in terms of obviously you said you got them into coming out,
but I know that you've done
John Wick, which I think is finished now and you got to work with.
I'm assuming you've got to work with Keanu,
who you mentioned at the top of the interview.
What was that experience like?
Because that's a big it's a big franchise, but I still kind of in
keeping with the stuff that you like to do and flights to do any the action
on another.
It's very realistic in the story that is tell it.
Oh yeah.
I mean, as far as John Wick goes, I think it's the best
sort of big budget action film.
It could be an action franchise, the best.
What's better? There's nothing better.
There's nothing better than John Wick, action wise, in my opinion.
From America, from Hollywood.
So, yes, has been.
And to be invited by Chad [Stahelski] and to work with him on
it was was fantastic and he lives up to all the praise that you hear about.
It is super nice, chilled, generous guy.
I mean, he said, Yeah, he's just amazing.
He's very, very much like that.
So I was in my head.
I mean, in interviews is very much like it's about
he wants to be able to do as much as he possibly can.
But I guess it's because he Keanu Reeves at some time.
You can't do this one, but you can do all the rest.
He works hard, but you know, he comes on set.
ache and limp and.
You know, you can feel the guy's pain,
but he just keeps going and going and going and chant the director.
You know, it's not easy on him.
He knows what he's capable of and he will push him.
And I never heard Keanu complain once.
You just if it needs to be done again, he does it.
Yeah.
I can't imagine him being anything but that.
Also, as you say, is every time I see him, he's such a super nice person.
I've never met him.
I met him once.
But I do interviews and stuff.
He's quite humble, like he loves his craft and that kind of stuff,
which is always nice to sit and ask what works well for John Wick current
because he is such a likable person, anyway, a likable personality
that when you put him in the shoes
of the Baba Yaga you can't help but root for him.
But he's, you know, is a badass assassin who's killed many people.
But he's so likable.
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone out there, any filmmakers
or people doing what you do that you still have an aspiration to?
What we're finding is that because I watched Guy Ritchie's new film
with Jason Statham the other day, Wrath of Man, and it's actually
I was surprised as to what it was and everything else.
Are they people on the lines that you like to develop
some of your own Expendables along the way and stuff like that?
But is there any other filmmakers that you think
if you got the chance to do it, you jump on it?
Oh God, yeah, many filmmakers, of course, Guy Ritchie had left
with clarity, of course.
You know, it's it's how you pick all the greats.
You know, Ridley Scott and
just anyone, really, you know, Spielberg,
you could go on, we could go on Scorsese if we could list them all.
Of course, I would like to work with all of them
and some great actors that I admire.
You know, Denzel Washington, Anthony Hopkins.
Yeah, loads of people.
If there was ever a way to get even though he's a bit older, Anthony
Hopkins younger you too in a sparring match, I think everyone would go and go.
And what's that?
That would be spin kick Tony Hopkins in the face while quoting
Shakespeare at him
Sold! There are crazier things in this world
that happened on Instagram and Tik Tok, why can't we get fancy buckets?
And just finally with Castle Falls coming out soon.
What are you hoping people?
It sounds like such a silly question because, you know,
but in terms of the movies, what are you hoping that people watch it?
In the cinema, if they get chance to or you have pictures for them
to just watch it wherever they they can.
Given the nature of how these films sometimes are distributed on
this, I'm not expecting people to go to cinemas.
What should really I mean, it's difficult enough
to get to cinemas to watch a big film these days, isn't it?
It's quite an undertaking and you're not going to be.
It's not going to be easy competing with Spider-Man.
No way home, is it?
So I just want see if people like the old school action type
flicks and some of this character driven and with realistic action done
by real action guys, then they should check it out .
They say if you want to watch a CGI blockbuster,
you can watch Spider-Man No Way Home and I will be too.
I'm seeing it tonight.
I'm super excited, super excited.
But I really did enjoy Castle Falls and thank you so much for your time.
I really appreciate your time and good chatting to you.
Thanks a lot, Scott. Thanks.