Resident Stunt Star

Hindustan Times

September 24, 2010
Resident Evil 4 actor Wentworth Miller talks about roughing it out on the sets of the film.

Resident Evil has become a very successful franchise over the years. When did you learn that you got the role and what was your reaction?

I was asked to play the part in the summer of 2009, which means I only had a few months to start training and get myself physically ready to shoot the movie in Toronto that fall.

What kind of training did you have to undergo for this role?

It was mainly cardio and a little bit of weight training. I just wanted to make sure that I had the right kind of stamina and endurance to pull off as many stunts as were required of me.

What kind of stunts did you have to do in the film? Did you manage most of them?

I did as many as they let me. There was a lot of running, a lot of gunfights. There's an intense sequence at the end of the movie involving my character, Claire Redfield and Wesker. All three are going at it at the same time, which required a lot of choreography, a lot of prep work, and a lot of trust.  You really have to trust the other actors that you’re working with because you’re putting their safety in your hands and vice-versa.

You are used to stunts because of your previous work, right?

I’ve had a lot of experience doing stunt work, thanks to four years on Prison Break.  It was a rough show, so there's very little I haven’t done as far as stunts.  I didn’t get to do any wire-work, which was something only Milla got to do this time around.  I've got my fingers crossed — there might be a little more of that kind of stuff for me in the future, something new to explore.

Resident Evil seems to have a very hardcore fan base. Were you a fan of the franchise?

I’d never seen the movies before, but I knew of them. I'd certainly heard of them.  I knew they were very successful and there was a large fan base out there, but I’d never actually sat down and watched them. It was kind of fun getting up to speed and educating myself.

So you had to do your research before starting shooting.

Yeah, it was important. I don’t play videogames. I’m not a gamer.  But I had the producers put together a compilation of scenes from the videogames that spoke to my character’s history and backstory.  I got a sense of what maybe the fans were expecting, so I could balance that with what I bring to the table as an actor.

How would you describe Paul as a director? What kind of director is he on the set?

He’s the cornerstone of this operation.  He’s written all of the movies, directed two and if I had any questions about my character — where I'd come from, where I was going, where I had been — he knew.