Portugese Interview With Wentworth Miller

by By Fabio M. Barreto on September 20, 2010

translated by: Wentishy @ Excomm

Wentworth Miller's voice is serene and peaceful. Unhurried to express himself and endowed with great skill, faced a pile of hallucinated questions about Resident Evil: Afterlife and Prison Break, but he ended surprising by demonstrating above-average intelligence and revealing himself as  a screenwriter who is passionate for the art of writing and also for Stephen King and Bram Stoker’s literature. Maybe it was Michael Scofield character who used to distanced him from his true self, or maybe it's the simple notion that common sense has gone from Hollywood, but, anyway, Miller beat them up, he didn’t refuse to answer any questions, always smiling and with a pair of eyes that, in the flesh, would leave many women simply astonished. The power of cinema is nothing for those who don't know how to use it, but, in the case of Wentworth Miller, we see the best of both worlds: raised in an English family and known worldwide through one successful series.

How do you react when you saw that your character would start the film in jail?

Obviously I found it funny. When I first saw the script I thought "you got to be kidding!", but then I laughed because I thought there was place for humor. I liked the idea of Prison Break fans coming to see this movie and having this point of reference. Practically an inside joke. If you haven't watched the series, you don't know me from Prison Break, so when you watch me on the screen is all normal, nothing special. Also thought it was important that, in a context of horror, suspense and stress, could be moments of humor, of hope. Something that make our experience more satisfactory.

No one trusts in their character and I have seen this in many movies. Do you consider the trust as a rare item nowadays?

Interesting question. This is at the core of which is the movie. It's about zombies, is action, is to give the public the scuffle. But it is also about a group of human beings, with different experiences and convergent schedules, being out there, forced to trust on each other, to face this enormous, endless madness. Thus, this film and other zombie films delve in the need of appreciate the humanity. In a light way, the film covers this aspect. Yes.

Now that you jumped again on the radar of Hollywood films, do you think you’ll get to separate, somehow, from Michael Scofield?

Don't think I can turn the page. For some people, I’ll always be Michael Scofield. And that's okay. I respect what the series provided me, respect the fact that on its behalf I won international fans. It’s a way to stay connected with all these people around the world.

How do the reactions to this connection get to you?

(Smile) The first journalist who sat for interview me this morning asked me two questions. And then he began to do a re-interpretation word by word from a scene of Prison Break. He played me, my brother, and suddenly opened the zipper of his coat and revealed a t-shirt with a complete tattoo. At those moments you realize that Prison Break will be always with you, it can appear at any time. And I think it’s important to honor it and not try to delete it, because it’s not possible. The goal is to build a solid career in various aspects of entertainment. Not only have the Resident Evil out, I am also venturing as a screenwriter.

Can you tell us?

This is a script called "Stoker". This name is related to Bram Stoker and, of course, also means "someone who stokes". Is kinda a Gothic thriller, a family drama, an insane love story. There are several strong names involved, but still can't confirm. Has been a powerful experience, because I think an actor that only acts understands a fraction of the activity. It is important to explore the many sides of the industry, so you can enjoy the work of others from a basic level. I get scripts which I don’t necessarily answer, but now I’ve made my own I have a better understanding and respect for what that person has achieved. Even if it is not my liking, I understand that there is a science, an art, and the person came from behind and gave everything for it, crossed barriers. Something that many people don't do, because we don't want to take risks, scared of what's on the other side.

Is there comparison between the dedication and creativity involved both in acting and in the composition of a script?

I haven’t yet gone through the whole exercise of writing, for me it’s still something new and interesting. I love the fact that is a production frighteningly of my own. I'm going to bed and work in an idea in my terms, my way, my time. Acting on TV and cinema is entirely collaborative. The actors respect the ideas of screenwriters and directors, and there are a lot of them coming. Then you sit and wait for a hundred people do their jobs so you can do yours. Sometimes this can be a frustrating experience, therefore, to embark on a project that was completely under my control, where I was the master of the universe that I was creating, was, by far, very exciting.

Did you consider yourself the "master of the universe" in Prison Break? If not, was this that motivated you to write?

Eventually every actor thinks that he can do whatever he wants while filming a feature film or TV show, try different things. But he´s not the one who’s in the editing room, editing his performances. I wasn't completely responsible for the character of Michael Scofield that was presented to the public every Monday night during those four years. I think the desire to have greater creative control is natural.

Fortunately, I’ve never seen your name in gossip magazines or involved in scandals. This was a conscious decision? How it changed your life in terms of facing the profession?

I think I was allowed to a few things that some other actors aren’t, which is very difficult and rewarding. I think we are living at a time, culturally, where you can go from zero to sixteen in sixty seconds. To experience the creation of a movie and suddenly I'm carrying the next movie on the back. Or your name’s in the title. If it works, great. If not, the fall can be very significant. Back then I was able to break down barriers and make mistakes, but in a context where no one was watching, or no one cared for awhile so when the success came, I was prepared for this degree of responsibility, resulting in attention. I won't lie, it’s not easy to have people worried about his every step. It’s a disturbing experience. It’s strange, is weird, is unusual. Also is abnormal. But at the same time I was aware of the pitfalls of fame. One of them is super exposure, another is getting known more as a personality than as an artist or actor. Just after leaving four years of Prison Break, I anticipate the difficulty of trying to reinvent myself to the public. All we've seen actors who fail and end up destroying themselves because of this stigma. So, I kept my feet on the floor. Also helps the fact that I don't find the Hollywood scenario fascinating, there is nothing about premières, parties, bars and clubs which attract me. Even if I were a counter wouldn't be doing these things or trying to be part of this scenario. I'm actively involved in building a persona who’s on his way to fulfill himself, like Michael Scofield or Chris Redfield [character of Resident Evil: Afterlife]. Especially today with a machinery of popular culture that needs to be replenished full-time, it is important to keep some things for yourself.

And the new wave of online interaction, which many actors use to keep their fan base?

You certainly are encouraged to do so (tweet, blogging, facebook, etc). These have become part of Hollywood marketing tools. Is a powerful phenomenon have on Twitter people following an actor, a director, having a prior "peek" at what is still a project. Is a powerful tool, no doubt. But not because I am interested I'll pass online my daily movements for hundreds, perhaps thousands of strangers. It just seems weird to me. I think it’s more interesting when I'm on the set, playing a character. Is part of the reason why we’re in this business. I had an excellent coach who once told me that the average person spends his life running away from intense human experiences and emotions, because there is the threat of being overwhelmed. And the work of the actor is to run in the direction of these things, is what we get paid to. So, I don't have to go wild at the supermarket and Tweet about it. I'll keep my attacks for the movie sets, when is the most secure environment possible and I'm getting paid to do so.

Do you already became interested in knowing how many people would follow you or would be interest in your daily life?

 I entered the internet once to see these things, because I was told that there are many "me” online. Many pages of Facebook and MySpace and Twitter accounts in my name, and I am not associated with any of them. I suddenly felt the potential risk of a fan of 13 years of some distant country communicating with someone who she thinks it’s me. This to me seemed potentially dangerous. So, I created an official page to avoid this type of problem. Don't know to what extent people believe it’s me, but I did my part.

 Likes games?

No video-games. Never been a gamer.

What has occupied your life at the moment?

To write. I'm working hard. Is part of why Prison Break was an experience so challenging for me, because it was a success and needed to be sustained, and I was very happy to do so. Filming the series ten months per year and promoting in the other two. It was practically my life during four years, and I gave my best for it with satisfaction. The process of writing the screenplay has been a plan long time ago. Told myself by four years that I couldn't write it and then sat down one day and suddenly, there I am, writing. And four weeks after I had finished, because they were ten to twelve hours of work per day, every day. Was kind of obsessive, something very powerful, I loved the experience.

You mentioned Bram Stoker as strong influence to your script. Where does this binding with terror and fantastic come from?

 I grew up reading Stephen King novels. I couldn't play video games or read comics, it was always only homework. But read books I was allowed, as long as they were really books. Always liked this genre. I think these shadowy figures, such as vampires, Frankenstein's creature, zombies, represent, consciously or unconsciously, the more obscure and sinister parts of ourselves, of human experience. Is hallucinatory to dive in this world and experience it from your armchair in cinema.

In terms of gender, what can we expect of Stoker?

It has elements of a family drama, but firstly was intended as a thriller, something to cause shivers.

Did you feel safe delivering a script or you agree with that idea that scripts are never ready ... the deadline arrives and there is more to be done?

I knew that at some point I’d have to deliver the "child", and would be in the position of having another person responsible for the development of my creature. I was aware of all that thanks to Prison Break, because the writers came with something that made sense to them in a room with air conditioning in Los Angeles, and there we were in the wilderness of Texas in a heat of forty degrees, about to shoot, and finding that certain things might not work when we tried to make them reality on stage, wouldn’t stand. So the actors, at that time, had to rearrange a few movements and words. It was a very collaborative process in which the writers relied on our active participation, piecing together the story from week to week. Looking back, this was part of my training, definitely.

How did you face the completion of Prison Break? Mission accomplished?

I'm not sad at the end of Prison Break, feel that we told the story and honored those characters, we have a beginning, middle, and end and is now over. What I miss is the feeling of community and continue seeing the same faces in the course of four years, which is quite different from being in films: You meet, have these quick and intense connections for two months and say farewell. There’s a familiar aspect in doing TV, even more if it’s a long show, which is unique, and of which I feel homesick.

What you value more as an actor? Leveraging, now it's time to focus on film or TV is still an option?

Is the role, the story of the character, that matters. Tomorrow I could be back doing television, theatre or cinema. I'm trying to keep myself open to options, and do not decide that my career must be of the form A, B or C. Because I think this is a guarantee that it will go looking like D, E and F. 

Like the 3D?

Since the story being told is worthwhile, the 3D enriches this experience. If there’s a story at the center, is only a trick.

MOVIEWEB's Interview with Wentworth Miller at Comic Con 2010

Presscon Break with Wentworth Miller - po polsku

Tłumaczenie wywiadu Ricky’ego Lo (The Philippine Star) „Presscon Break with Wentworth Miller”:

Jestem ciekaw, czy grałeś w grę (RE) zanim zatrudniono cię w filmie?

Nie, nie grałem. Ale wiem, że seria filmów RE w dużym stopniu zdominowała środowisko filmów akcji, przygodowych podobnie stało się z grą video. Zarówno Milla jak i Alice mają legiony fanów. Więc, gdy nadarzyła się okazja stać się tego częścią, pomyślałem, że praca z Millą musi być super zabawą.

Więc, jak Ci się pracowało z Millą?

Ona jest świetna. Jest podstawą serii. Ona i Paul są częścią całej struktury, (...) Przebywanie z nią na planie było dla mnie czymś rewelacyjnym. Znałem Millę jako przepiękną, kopiącą tyłki wojowniczkę. Jest taka imponująca na ekranie, sposób w jaki trzyma miecze, noże. Później dowiedziałem się, że jest przesympatyczna. Ma ten głośny, swobodny, szczery śmiech i poczucie humoru, które sprawia, że uważasz ją za kumpla. Znalezienie tych wszystkich cech w zestawieniu z jej urodą i inteligencją oraz grą aktorską jest bardzo rzadkie.

Więc, nigdy nie grałeś w grę RE. A czy oglądałeś filmy akcji jako dziecko?

Tak, oglądałem. Zawsze byłem fanem tego gatunku. Właśnie zakończyłem show (chodzi oczywiście o PB – przypisy tłumaczaJ), które należy zaliczyć do gatunku sensacyjno – przygodowego. Więc kręcenie RE było dla mnie czymś naturalnym. Bardzo znajomą branżą.

Jak zareagował byś jako dziecko na RE, zwłaszcza wszystkie te wspaniałe efekty specjalne w 3D?

(Śmiech) Masz na myśli powrót do 1983r? Myślę, że byłbym pod wrażeniem tak zaawansowanej technologii. To nieprawdopodobna cecha naszych czasów. Ale myślę także, że bardzo ważne jest skupianie uwagi na samej historii. Nie możesz tylko polegać na gadżetach, musisz mieć dobrą fabułę i dobre postacie. Inaczej będzie to tylko puste doznanie, jeśli będzie chodzić tylko o technologię.

Zgadzam się. Musi być w tym serce.

Dokładnie.

Czym twoja postać, Chris Redfield, cię fascynuje?

Jest intrygujący, a także dowcipny, zwłaszcza w kontekście kształtowania charakteru. Myślę, że to wyraźny ukłon w stronę mojej dotychczasowej pracy. Jeśli wśród fanów filmu znajdą się osoby, które znają mnie z PB, będą rozbawione. Ale jeśli nie znasz mnie z PB, to będzie to rola, jak każda inna.

Tak, z jednego więzienia do innego.

Chris Redfield i Michael Scofield są pod pewnymi względami podobni. Chris pracował w jednostce wojskowej, która używała więzienia jako lotniska tranzytowego, gdy wybuchła epidemia. Kiedy więźniowie zostali uwolnieni, by pomóc w walce z nieumarłymi, wzięli go za strażnika więzienia i wsadzili go do dobrze zabezpieczonej celi więziennej. 

Jaka była twoja pierwsza reakcja, gdy dostałeś scenariusz RE?

(znów śmiech)Byłem rozbawiony. Gdy go przeczytałem, pomyślałem sobie, że ktoś robi sobie ze mnie żarty. Widzisz, na początku moja postać jest pokazana w więzieniu i pierwsze jej słowa to: „Wiem, jak się stąd wydostać” Jak już mówiłem, jeśli śledziłeś losy M. Scofielda przez 81 odcinków w PB, dostrzeżesz podobieństwa, które są całkiem zabawne. Rola jest świetna, a seria jest wspaniała, nawet jeśli mi się wydaje, że zbytnio przypomina postać MS. Jednak po pewnym czasie spojrzałem na to z innej perspektywy. Pomyślałem, że to moja szansa na poprowadzenie postaci do innego zakończenia.

Jak wyglądało przejście, z punktu widzenia doświadczeń postaci, z PB do RE?

Niemal nieodróżnialny. Myślę, że wyraźną różnicą dla mnie, z punktu widzenia doświadczeń postaci, jest to, że M. Scofield trzymał broń, ale nigdy nie pociągnął za spust. Miał bardzo wyraźny pogląd na to, kim był oraz co można, a czego nie.  Dla mojej postaci wystrzał z pistoletu był nie do zaakceptowania. Moja postać w RE ciągle używa broni. To mile widziana zmiana tempa.

W PB twoje ciało było pokryte tatuażami. Czy dla potrzeb RE trenowałeś jakieś sztuki walki?

Nie było jakiegoś rygorystycznego treningu, tylko zwykły wytrzymałościowy. Chciałem mieć energię, wytrzymałość, gdyż wiedziałem, że niektóre sekwencje walki będą wymagały mnóstwo czasu, siły i wysiłku, i chciałem być przygotowany na danie z siebie wszystkiego. 

Jesteś bardzo wybiórczy jeśli chodzi o dobór ról. Czy to jest twój plan na karierę?

Myślę, że w pewnym punkcie mojej kariery będzie możliwość ułożenia takiej drogi na szczyt, która pozwoli na odpowiedni dobór ról, ostrożny i prawidłowy, dzięki którym osiągnę pozycję pozwalającą na zdobycie pewnego dnia nagrody. Wiem, że by to osiągnąć w tym biznesie musi nastąpić połączenie  talentu, odpowiedniego czasu, szczęścia i przypadku. Jest tu mnóstwo rzeczy, na które nie masz wpływu, i dlatego nie próbuję ich kontrolować. Chciałbym mieć karierę opierającą się na równowadze między wysoko-budżetowymi produkcjami sensacyjno - przygodowymi i mniejszymi, niezależnymi filmami, głównie z gatunku dramatu. Dzięki PB mam możliwość wyboru.

Co jeszcze przewiduje twój plan kariery?

Aktualnie moja uwaga nie skupia się tak bardzo na aktorstwie. Jestem podekscytowany tym, gdzie moje możliwości mnie prowadzą. Właśnie napisałem scenariusz pt. „Stoker”, który jest z pogranicza gatunku dramatu, thrillera, skomplikowanej historii miłosnej. Z zamierzania ma wykraczać poza granice gatunku. Bardzo lubię proces pisania, gdyż jest on kompletnie niezależny od niczego, powstaje sam z siebie. Mogę leżeć w łóżku i wyklepać kilka stron na swoim komputerze. Pisałem krótkie historie i cieszę się, że mój umysł magistra literatury angielskiej może pracować. 

Jesteś może autorem któregoś odcinka PB?

W przypaku PB, miałem szanse od czasu do czasu dopracować swoje dialogi. Scenarzyści w bardzo znaczącym stopniu polegali na moich uwagach. Patrząc na to z dystansu to był mój pisarski trening.

PB uczyniło cię symbolem seksu. Jak się z tym czujesz?

Byłem zaskoczony. Nie sądziłem, że ta postać może być aż tak pociągająca. Widziałem M. Scofielda jako inżyniera, bardzo inteligentnego, kogoś ze skrajnościami, niekoniecznie lubianego i niekoniecznie sympatycznego. Był postacią, która czasem musiała zrobić coś złego dla osiągnięcia pozytywnego zakończenia.

Jak reagujesz na ludzi, którzy próbują ci się przypodobać w miejscach publicznych, np. w restauracji?

Czasem jest to schlebiające i pozytywne, a czasem denerwujące. Raz dostałem list od fana, który pisał: ”siedziałem za tobą w restauracji i słyszałem jak mówiłeś o karze śmierci. Zgadzam się z tobą w stu procentach” Był to dość nietypowy moment, który rodził mieszane uczucia. Ale myślę, że taka jest natura sławy. Są to rzeczy, z którymi musisz się pogodzić i na które nie można narzekać. Takie jest moje stanowisko. Dobiegam czterdziestki, a to jest czas by się zamknąć lub postawić.

 

Więc jakie jest twoje zdanie o karze śmierci?

Hm, rozmowa na inny raz (i zaczyna się śmiać).

Jakie są twoje preferencje, jako aktora?

Komedie romantyczne lub trzymające w napięciu thrillery lub dramaty familijne, coś, gdzie mógłbym sprawdzić się jako aktor, coś w rodzaju roli Jacka Nicholsona w „Lśnieniu”. To jest idealny przykład, gdzie publiczność może się utożsamić z postacią. To klasyka, gdyż chociaż to horror, to ma takie podstawy psychologiczne, które są aktualne dla każdego pokolenia. Chciałbym być częścią historii, która byłaby aktualna nie tylko współcześnie, ale także za 10, 20, 30 lat.

Wspomniałeś wcześniej, że dobiegasz czterdziestki. Zastanawiam się czy boisz się starości?

Nie, nie sądzę. Aktorzy, których uwielbiam, są z reguły raczej starsi, a doświadczenie życiowe nieuchronnie zostawia ślady na naszych twarzach. Myślę, że aktorzy ci mają większą moc i są bardziej przekonywujący wraz z wiekiem, wraz z bagażem życiowych doświadczeń. Jest to coś, czego wyczekuję. Nie mogę się doczekać, gdy to nastąpi.

Poza Jackiem Nicholsonem, których aktorów podziwiasz?

Helen Mirren. Denzel Washington. Meryl Streep. Są to ludzie, których praca i bezpretensjonalność mnie inspirują. Inspiruje mnie także sposób, w jaki trzymają się poza ekranem, który jest zupełnie różny od sposobu bycia dzisiejszych, młodych gwiazd. Niestety, bardzo łatwo jest paść ofiarą tego, co proponuje Hollywood, a co może się wydawać kuszące i zachwycające z wierzchu, a tak naprawdę jest pułapką. Dlatego biorę przykład z tego starszego pokolenia aktorów, którzy potrafią zachować się na ekranie, jak i poza nim.

Tłumaczenie: Becia (kochana jesteś :* )

STAR Movies VIP Access: Wentworth Miller - Resident Evil Afterlife

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by Amber7

screencaps: Craneys from EXcomm

Wentworth Miller o Resident Evil: Afterlife - nowy wywiad

Wentworth Miller talks Resident Evil: Afterlife

I jeszcze jeden nowy, tym razem z rosyjskim lektorem

Making of Resident Evil: Afterlife - ponad 10 min. wideo

Presscon Break with Wentworth Miller

CONVERSATIONS With Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star)

BEVERLY HILLS, California — I first heard the name Wentworth Miller (which is a bit hard to remember, isn‘t it?) from Kris Aquino who mentioned that name in my “body talk” with her when, asked what she did in her free time, she said that she and her son Joshua watched a lot of TV, among them Prison Break in which Miller played the role of Michael Scofield, a caring brother who created an elaborate scheme to help his brother escape death row after being found guilty of a crime he did not commit.
“Wow, he’s my crush,” Kris exclaimed when I told her that I just did an exclusive Conversation with Miller at, as usual, a suite at Four Seasons during the Resident Evil: Afterlife junket together with Milla Jovovich (who reprises her role as the deadly Alice) and Ali Larter. Written, directed and produced by Milla’s husband Paul W.S. Anderson, Resident Evil: Afterlife (the fourth installment of the franchise, produced by Screen Gems, Davis Films/Impact Picture and Constantin Films, released locally by Pioneer Films, now showing nationwide), inspired by the popular video game, is set in a burned-out Los Angeles overrun by thousands of the undead, and Alice finds herself facing a threat she has never anticipated.
As a refresher, Kris gave me a three-CD package containing Prison Break’s first season and it helped me complete this story.
“I watched every single episode of Prison Break and I bought a complete series DVD boxed set, all episodes,” added Kris
I told Kris that as soon as I sat down to interview Miller, I told the “deep and mysterious actor” (as another WM fan described him) that Kris Aquino, daughter of iconic former Philippine President Cory Aquino, is a big fan of his and Miller smiled, “Nice to hear that, thank you!”
I found Miller, 38 (June 2, 1972), prim and proper, very decent and, the WM fan was right, “deep and mysterious” and serious as well, his bright-blue eyes hardly betraying whatever “mystery” shrouded him.
In fact, while the movie’s production notes devoted long paragraphs to the bios of the other Resident Evil stars, only this much was mentioned about Miller: He was born in the United Kingdom, raised in New York and graduated from Princeton University. Miller is a critically-acclaimed actor whose credit spans both television and feature film. In 2008, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for his work in Prison Break.
Not mentioned were these: Miller’s father, Wentworth Earl Miller II, was a lawyer and his mother, Joy Marie Palm, a special education teacher. He went to Los Angeles in 1995 to pursue an acting career and it was a rocky road to stardom for him. After appearing in a few minor TV roles, he co-starred in the 2003 film The Human Stain as the younger version of the Anthony Hopkins character. And then in 2005 came Prison Break.
During breaks in the TV interviews and the round-table-style presscon, I noticed that Miller seemed to retreat into himself. Somebody told me that Miller is demophobic (one who fears or gets dizzy in a crowd). But they were nonetheless pregnant breaks that eloquently spoke of the kind of person that he is, somebody you don’t kid around with.

I’m curious, did you play the video game before you were hired for the movie?

“No, I never did. But I know that Resident Evil is looming large in the cultural landscape as an action-adventure franchise and it has a large following out there as a video game. And Milla as Alice has legions of fans. So when the opportunity came to be a part of that, I thought it was something that I had to take very seriously. I thought it must be fun to work with Milla.”

So how was it working with Milla?

“She’s great. She’s one of the touchstones of this entire franchise. She and Paul are the deadlock of the entire structure, so I was able to kind of take my cue as to what it would take and did my best to match it. Being on the set with her was a revelation for me. I only knew Milla as this gorgeous, kick-ass warrior. She’s so impressive on screen, the way she holds herself — the swords, the knives. Then I find that she’s a total cut-up. She’s really got this loud, loose, in-your-face laugh and a sense of humor that makes her seem like one of the guys. To find all of that in the same package with her beauty and intelligence and the acting chops is extraordinary.”

So you never played the Resident Evil video game. But did you watch a lot of action movies as a kid?

“I did, I did! I’ve always been a fan of the genre. I’ve certainly spent my time on the show and it would always be for action-adventure. So doing Resident Evil felt like home for me. Very familiar.”

How would you have reacted to Resident Evil as a kid, what with all those mind-boggling special effects magnified on 3D?

(Laughs) “You mean back in 1983? I think I would have been blown away by the advances in technology. It’s so incredible these days. But I think it’s also important to pay attention to the story. You can’t just rely on the gadgets, you must have a good plot and good characters. Otherwise, it can be a hollow experience if it’s all about the technology.”

I agree. There must be heart in it.

“Exactly.”

What did you find fascinating about Chris Redfield, your character?

“I found him intriguing; he’s also humorous, especially in the context where you find the character. I think it’s a very distinct nod to my past work. If there are any fans in the audience who know me from Prison Break they would be amused. But if you don’t know me from Prison Break, then it’s business as usual.”

Yes, from one prison to another.

“Chris Redfield and Michael Scofield are similar in some way. Chris had been working with a military unit that was using the prison as a staging post when the outbreak began. When the inmates were released to help fight the undead, they mistook him for a guard and left him in a high-security cell in the prison.”

What was your initial reaction when you got the script for Resident Evil?

(Laughs again) “Amused. When I read it, I thought they were playing a practical joke on me. You see, in the beginning my character is shown in prison an d the first things that he says is, ‘I know a way out of here.’ As I said, if you follow Michael Scofield for 81 episodes in Prison Break, you will find that line very familiar, if not very funny. The part is great and the franchise is terrific even if I thought it felt too familiar. After a while, I developed a different perspective. I thought that this was my chance to lead that character to a different ending.”

 How was the shift from Prison Break to Resident Evil, character-wise?

“Pretty seamless. I think a major distinction for me, character-wise, is that Michael Scofield carried a gun but was never allowed to fire it. He had a clear idea of who he was and what he could do and could not do. For my character, firing a gun was unacceptable. In Resident Evil, my character is quite used to firearms. It’s a welcome change of pace.”

In Prison Break, your body was full of tattoos. For Resident Evil, did you take up martial arts as part of your training?

“No rigorous physical training, really; it was just cardio. I wanted to have stamina, I wanted to have endurance because I knew that some of the fight sequences would take a lot of time and energy and exertion, and I wanted to be ready to give everything I have.”

You have been selective as far as roles are concerned. Is it part of your career plan?

“I think at a certain point of my career it’s possible to strategize your way to the top, if you will, that it’s possible to kind of choose your jobs carefully and correctly so that you wind up, you know, accepting an award one day. I now know that to make it in this business, you must have a combination of talent, timing, luck and accident. There are a lot of things that you cannot control; I don’t try to control those things. I’d like to have a career that keeps a balance between big-budget action-adventure genre and smaller independent films, preferably drama. Thanks to Prison Break, I have the option of choosing.”

What else is included in your “career plan”?

“These days, my focus is not so much on acting as it is on life. I’m excited about where my potentials will lead me. Right now, I have a script called Stoker which is a family/drama-suspense-thriller/twisted-love story. It’s meant to be a cross genre. I really enjoy the process of writing because it’s completely self-generated. I could lie in bed and hammer out a few pages on my computer. I’ve been writing short stories and I’m glad that my English-major mind is at work.”

Did you help perhaps write episodes for Prison Break?

“Well, in the course of Prison Break, I had the opportunity to tweet my dialogue from time to time. In fact, the writers came to rely on my input to a significant degree. Looking back, that was my training — writing.”

Prison Break has made you some kind of a sex symbol. How do you feel about that?

“I was surprised. I didn’t think of the character as being appealing in that way. I saw Michael Scofield as the engineer, more intellectual and someone with edge, not necessarily likeable and not necessarily sympathetic. He was a character who sometimes had to do bad things towards a positive end.”

How do you react to people who sidle up to you in a public place, for example in a restaurant, in a familiar manner?

“Sometimes it’s positive and flattering, and sometimes it’s a little unnerving. I once got a letter from a fan who said, ‘I was sitting behind you in a restaurant and I heard what you had to say about death penalty, and I agree a hundred percent with you.’ That was a very unusual moment, it left a strange taste in my mouth. But I think that’s the nature of fame and celebrity. These are things that you have to deal with as best as you can and there’s no point in complaining about them. I am over that stage. I’m nearing 40, and it’s time to shut up or put up.”

So what’s your stand on the death penalty?

“Uhm…conversation for another time.” (Then he laughs)

As an actor, what’s your preference?

“Romantic comedies or suspense-thrillers or family dramas, something where I can dig into a role like what Jack Nicholson did in The Shining. That’s the kind of ideal part from my perspective where the character can easily make the audience relate to him. It’s a classic because it’s a horror but it’s got enough psychological meat on the bone so it continues to speak to generation after generation after generation. I wanna be a part of a story that speaks to the now but which people will still be watching 10, 20 or 30 years from now.”

You said earlier that you’re nearing 40. I wonder, aren’t you afraid of growing old?

“No, I don’t think so. The actors that I love most in the world tend to be a bit older and that’s because with life comes experience, and inevitably that shows up in your face. I think actors get more powerful and deeper as they get older, as life runs its course. That’s something I look forward to. I can‘t wait for it to happen.”

Aside from Jack Nicholson, any other actors that you look up to?

“Helen Mirren. Denzel Washington. Meryl Streep. These are people who have intensity in their work and lack showiness that I find inspiring. I’m also inspired equally by how they handle themselves off screen, unlike the kids you see coming up now. Unfortunately, it seems all too easy to fall prey to certain things that Hollywood has to offer that might seem tasty and delicious on the surface but are actually a trap. So my role models are these older actors who know how to comport themselves both on and off screen.”

Source: philstar.com