Happy Sad Confused - Guy Pearce

Episode Date: June 15, 2014

Guy Pearce, the criminally underrated actor known for “Memento” and “L.A. Confidential” chats with Josh about his latest film, “The Rover”. Pearce talks about Hollywood’s expectations and how he almost lost his way years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Hey guys, welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz. I hope you guys are doing well, and I hope you are psyched for this week's episode with one of our finest actors, someone who I don't have a lot of experience with, but I was thrilled when I got the chance to sit down with him, Mr. Guy Pearce. This guy is awesome.

He has been so consistently, I was going to say consistently awesome through his career, but also consistently kind of unpredictable in his career choices. He's gone from things like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which is kind of what his first kind of big claim to fame, to, of course, Memento and L.A. Confidential. And he's now in a new film that's a really good one. It's called The Rover. And amidst this kind of summer blockbuster season,

this is one that's well worth your time. It's from a really talented filmmaker by the name of David Mischo, who did a film called Animal Kingdom a few years back. Also with Guy Pearce, an Australian film that, Jackie Weaver an Oscar nomination and if you haven't seen that one that's I mean that's a stellar piece of work the Rover is super good as well and Guy really owns the screen as the lead in this film alongside Robert Pattinson our old buddy who really quits himself quite well especially opposite a formidable actor like Guy this is a really

fun conversation I was really thrilled with it Guy Pearce is has a really interesting cool perspective on his own career. He's very open in terms of the kinds of choices he's made, the kind of arc that his career has gone through. He kind of had that big brush with Hollywood success about 15 plus years ago with LA Confidential. And he's always kind of marched to the beat of his own drummer, but talks forthrightly about sort of what Hollywood wanted to do with him and what he wanted to do with his own career. And he's emerged out of it with a really great body of work all the way up to and including the rover. So I'm thrilled to bring you this one, guys.

As always, hit me up on Twitter at Joshua Horowitz. Tell me what you think. Tell me who you want to hear. Tell me what we can do better. And as always, please, please subscribe to the podcast if you're liking what you're hearing. Spread the word. Give us a rating. Those really matter in terms of getting us up on the iTunes charts.

And write a little review. It just takes a second. Just tell us what you think. I truly want to hear from you guys. And as always, check out all of our cool stuff on MTV.com. We're turning out great content every day, including a ton of material with Robert Pattinson. As I mentioned before, his co-star in The Rover just did a significant sit-down interview with him that you can see on MTV.com. But in the meanwhile, enjoy this conversation with one of our best, Mr. Guy Pearce.

I'm just going to say, you must be used to those crazy. So it's not jet lag? This way, why? Because it's... Well, it's only 14 a half. 24 hours like you say only 14 out like i've ever flown 24 hours no so then talk to you later 14 hours looks like a quick fly yeah feel free to adjust the mic that a little closer if you know how close you want maybe a little closer would be great thanks yeah um yeah i was going to say i

i'm flying for the first time ever to um Hong Kong in a few days and i'm that's like i think like 17 hours even that's frightening me a little bit so do you have any advice for dealing with i don't have any advice no it's different for every person just got to just got to just trying to manage your time. Yeah. So, congratulations on the film. Thank you. I really love this one.

I was a huge fan of Michaud's first film, Animal Kingdom. And this is, I mean, it's a much different film, obviously, in many ways. Is it true that he wrote the part essentially for you? He said that.

He says this, yes. Do you believe him? Well, I don't know. I'm often, I mean, I believe David because he's a very honest guy. But I do, you know, I often wonder why, I don't know what I think about people writing things for certain people, you know. I think if he'd really written it for me, he would have told me about it while he was doing it instead of finishing it and then going, here you go.

Interesting. Yeah, I mean, have you had that experience in the past where you've had people write things for you and that when you've actually read the material, it's... I've passed. Yeah, yeah. Well, as I say, people say they write things for you. And I mean, I've done films before where, you know, they caught you three weeks before. shooting going this is this was for you and can you please hurry up and sign and you think really like wait a second you've been in development in the three years yeah that's right who just pulled out

so so i'm dubious about it but having said that i believe david of course because you know he he i think if the truth be known he he he does say that he wrote it with my voice in his head you know so he was hearing my voice do it but you know i i also think as a versatile actor myself and other actors being versatile. Lots of actors can play lots of different roles. So I don't necessarily believe that, you know, I always say the only person who could play this role. Not that David's saying that.

No, yeah, yeah. Well, it's interesting you say, like, you know, written in your voice because, ironically, this character, I mean, relatively taciturn man. I mean, I'm curious, like, what the... How much voice there was. Yeah, well, I mean, in a literal fashion, I guess. But, I mean, like, what does the script for this look like?

It's probably pretty lean, I would think. It is pretty lean. I mean, it's really also about... what's there in the big print and what's going on internally for characters and, um, you know, obviously the action.

Um, but, but I, I, David's got kind of a poetic style in his writing. So you read it the way that you read a, a great novel. Right.

He's got, he's, but, but you, there are, there are elements to it that are, um, obscure and,

um, you know, with, where things are pretty subtle. So it, it, it required quite a bit of, communicating with David after I'd read it

just to make sure I understood what it was because I felt like I had a version of the film in my head but I wasn't sure so I really needed to sit down with him and talk sort of talk through also who the character was prior to meeting him in the film because obviously by the time we meet him

he's fairly stripped of any level of humanity and morality etc so I needed to understand who he used to be right um you know and i think david probably needed to understand who he used to be as well so you know the great thing about david in a way and and when i keep talking about his honesty is that he he's very up for discussion he's very up for sort of um understanding it while you understand it you know so and we do a lot of takes on said and you know i think for him he needs to explore a lot right so it's a really interesting way to work i mean having been through having worked

with many directors obviously in your career i mean now at this point grab more towards or do you enjoy the process more of working with somebody that kind of that has a short vision yet is open to collaboration that knows when they don't know something because I would think a lot of directors probably or some directors at least show up on set feeling like they have to have all the answers yeah a lot of directors do yeah and a lot of actors do too they have a lot of feel you know it feels embarrassing to go oh I don't really know how we're going to do this you know right I'm the first to go great okay well let's together work this out you know it is frustrating if you work with a director who who acts like they've got all the answer and you can just tell they don't because you think, well, we're off on a bad foot here. I need to trust you and I need you to trust me. So it is tricky if you don't have that level of connection, you know, that sort of trust. So how do you manage in a situation like that?

Because that has to, that does, as you say, has to be the worst experience. You know, you've had some meetings prior, presumably, you like the material, hopefully, but then within that first day or two, you know you feel in your bones this guy or woman doesn't... Well, it's difficult. I mean, the worst-case scenario,

And the worst place that you end up going to and, you know, well, not the worst necessarily. The worst is that you end up fighting and arguing with each other, and that's awful. But the safe place to at least know you can get to is by going, okay, well, I just have to stand on my own two feet here. Take care of myself. I'll just take care of myself. And if we're arguing about what it is I'm doing and I really do not believe what you need me to do, then I'm not going to do. I'm just not going to do it, you know. But you don't want to be in that place.

That's an awful place to because then you're sort of in battle together, you know. their point in the camera you're doing your thing and you're just moving on to the next scenes and you think oh that's excruciating what about the case where like do you ever get i mean i wonder do you have to play those kind of mind games where a director says like okay give me one this way at least for me and you say you're doing it but you don't do it you know what i mean well yeah that's an interesting question because you uh because you know they have the power in the edit room i mean whatever that's right and you know if somebody really wants something that that's what they're going to use anyway or at least that's what

they're going to aim to use so you really you know you need to be at least convincing on all of it. But I just try to make everything work if I can. I think the difficulty, too, is allowing your own kind of resistance to come in. If you feel that somebody is being insincere or dishonest, it's hard not to have your hackles go up and put your defences up and sort of argue with them.

Yeah. If someone was really decent about it and really honest and they said, look, I don't really know, but I'm exploring a whole lot of things, can we now just try one like this as well and can we try one like that? you would be more honorable in going into it if I know for example

that somebody only wants to do version B of a scene and they're not even you know they're not even kind of open to other stuff then I'll do everything I can to not do version B of the scene so it's a very it's a very subtle but an incredibly overwhelming thing sometimes and most of the time it's great

and the other thing is I'm older now I can actually handle it better and I also don't you know I just these days go okay, fine. If you want me to do it like that, fine. I'll do one like that. And, you know, if in the end it works, great. I was happy to be proven wrong. And if they look at it and it doesn't kind of work as well, then hopefully they'll go, you know what? You're right. Right. So it's not worth attention on set. And you just want to get through the day and get through the

really isn't. It really isn't worth attention because you jeopardize all the other work that you've got to do. If you've got to sacrifice a couple of scenes along the way because someone wants you to do it differently, then so be it. For the greater good, right? Yeah. So do you get the same enjoyment in the same way out of what you do when you're on set as you did when you first started out? Do you remember what you, what gave you life and excitement the first time you acted versus now? I really do get the same enjoyment. It really was, and I think, you know, really acting for me has been a survival technique, you know, it's been, I was very anxious as a child, I was socially anxious and I really

struggled to sort of be around people and feel like I had something to say and not feel intimidated and not feel embarrassed or humiliated and feel like I was smart enough or funny enough, all that sort of stuff. I just felt like I was really self-conscious and really uncomfortable. And the great thing about acting meant that you had great things to say, you looked really good, you, you, the world that was created that you were in was utterly convincing and you were convincing and you were convinced by it and there were no kind of... There were very few questions too. Like you kind of, you had a path that you knew what to do. Yeah. And I think the enjoyment that you get out of going, oh, I feel safe in this little moment here because I've got great things to say, et cetera.

I still get that same enjoyment. I still, you know, experience the childlike kind of joy of feeling really in control or at least, I mean, it's much more complex now, though, in that I'm actually happy to lose control a bit more now. And, I mean, not to contradict what we were just talking about before, but if you're in great safe hands with somebody and you really feel like you can sort of fly left and right and try all sorts of things, you know, I feel far more confident about my own skills

and what I'm capable of doing and what I'm capable of trying, et cetera. So I still get the same enjoyment on a particular sort of level deep down. But as I say, I'm much more mature about it all now. Sure. I'm New York-based, but I'm out here doing some work here, obviously. You don't have a home here. Do you in Los Angeles? I do in Los Angeles.

Oh, you do? Okay. I'm in an apartment. Got it. Well, I'm curious. When was the first time you came to L.A., and what did you make of it? Well, the first time I came in 94 to do publicity for, Priscilla. But I had been here about a year before just visiting a friend of mine who also

works in the film industry. And I really didn't, I didn't go to any meetings. It was literally just stopping here on the way home from England when catching up with him, you know. But when I came in 94 for Priscilla, I was, look, you know, I was pretty anti the idea of trying to carve out any kind of career here. I had no confidence in the career that I had at home. And so I really didn't feel like, I just felt like it was going to be a waste of time here. I didn't see myself as competitive like that. I didn't want to use of any energy doing that. I just didn't have the money to sort of do it.

I kind of just went, no, everybody, go, you know, back off. Yeah. So it took me a few years to get past that point and actually start to enjoy LA and actually feel like you don't have to be here and feel like you're competing for a role or that sort of stuff, you know. So it took me a good 10 years after that 94 Priscilla time. Right. You know, and I started getting some good, great work, as we know.

I mean, I did Memento and Rules of Engagement. and Time Machine and Monte Cristo. So I got to do all these really good, interesting things, but my internal life was struggling a bit with it all. And I just wasn't ready to feel confident in myself yet, which is, you know, so it was my own worst enemy, and I sort of probably sabotaged my own career. So that's it, let's dwell on the dark period.

No, but I'm curious because, like, yeah, I mean, you know, looking at your filmography, I mean, you've been very, you've consistently worked throughout. I mean, you've had a great career in that, and you've dabbled. and just about everything. But yeah, you can kind of like, I feel like you see that period of a few years

where you're clearly, this puts the wrong spin on it, but playing the Hollywood game. And I don't mean that in a pejorative. Yes, no, no, I know what you mean. You know what I mean? So for you was that something that, like you had to kind of do your time

and you had to kind of just do it for a while and sort of like just give it your go. I'll be the leading man they want me to be. I'll get the best possible. No, I didn't. I could, you know, I couldn't even sort of say it like that. I really just, you know, for me, it was all.

all about character. It was all about trying to find interesting work and trying to find interesting characters that I believed in. And any talk of, you know, you're going to be a leading man, any of that stuff, I just, I just, I wanted to punch people when I heard that stuff. I found it really excruciating. I just didn't believe that I, I think deep down it was because I didn't have the confidence in myself, you know, so I really sort of skirted around the outside and I made it be that everybody else was just insincere. Interesting. So I was pretty negative you know it was pretty negative about the whole thing and and and as I say I took I sort of took a big break in 2001 and look back at it you know just sort of took a good look at it all and and then slowly

I guess through the through the 2000s I just felt like I started rebuilding yeah on some kind of level and really you know and I had a great conversation with my agent in 2004 after after the proposition and he said he saw the proposition he said I now fully understand what it is you're doing he said I now instantly see this long and obscure but complex and versatile career. I now see that. I now see that's what you're interested in. Not to suggest he didn't see that before,

but he definitely was like studio executives or other people going, you know, you're a young good-looking guy. Surely you want to be Tom Cruise, don't you? And I... When in fact, you're more of like a character actor in like a leading man body. You can do the leading man thing.

You can do that. You can carry a film, as we've seen, but you are also a chameleon. You also love to... I mean, I don't want to put words. your mouth, but you're clearly willing to let go of your vanity for a project. Absolutely, yes, absolutely. And I think, you know, the whole sort of good-looking guy thing, I'm flattered by it,

and I always was, and that's great. But I don't know. I guess it was, I guess it's just going, but there's more to me than that. I know, I feel like I've got more interesting stuff to offer than that. And not to suggest that all the leading men out there don't have things to offer. Totally. So it was a, it was a, it was a combination of things. because I'd also been on a television show

when I was 18 in Australia that was excessively popular this show and I was one of 20 characters on the show but I really struggled with fame and that sort of you know popularity based on being in a show and I think I was really resisting that again I didn't believe any of it

I really struggled with it I just I just found it was really awkward I hated losing my private life going out down the street I have a sister with an intellectual disability so I feel life is incredibly unbalanced, you know, I couldn't feel myself rising to any public notoriety without thinking about her, not getting to do the things she wants to do. So there was all sorts

of things that were filtering into going, no, I just want to act, do my job and then go. You know, I don't, this whole thing of just making you get, become a bigger and bigger and bigger star wasn't the trajectory that I saw. Yeah. I get it and I'm flattered by it and all that sort of stuff, but I just really struggled to believe that that was the direction I was to go in. What was the ride, and it was a ride? I mean, I was in college then, but I was a big film nerd

of LA Confidential. Was that a fun ride to go? Because it was the award season, it was everything, it was you and Russell, and it was... And it was the first it was my first job in America, you know, so, and one of the greatest films I've ever been in, and probably one of the greatest films of all time.

I literally, so you know, I literally watched it the plane ride over yesterday and it's one you can return to every age it really is a classic film and look to be part of that i mean to me i'm still on that ride in my own head i just cannot believe that i had the fortune of being part of that crew and and you know so the the instant ride that occurred can and you know the awards for the film and all that sort of stuff um i i saw all that and i felt all of that but i kind of felt again i think like i don't deserve to be here kind of a thing or a little bit and and and I felt like that was also loud and noisy that you don't sort of hear it properly it's not really until the years afterwards that I can proudly quietly on my

own sit there and go LA Confidentials a classic yeah wow I can't believe I got chosen to be in it you know so as I say the right the real ride for me yeah is the I have this real thing about long lasting effects I really love it's like music I like music that takes me kind of a long time to get into it and yeah I think the idea of sort of instant stuff because to me as instant as something is, as, you know, it'll quickly disappear. Yeah. So I just feel I can't grasp onto anything that feels that kind of tenuous. Well, and you can apply that to the kind of films that you've done that have resonated.

I mean, you know, there's, despite, like, you know, bringing back to the rover for a second, and it takes place 10 years after, quote, and put the collapse, but there's a very, there is a timeless quality. It's not set in any specific, we don't know the details of what happened. Ellie Confidential obviously takes place in a certain, very specific time period, but what we're going to continue to return to that that trope always in film and it feels classic because of that and and i just think that you know there is a really um untenable sort of underlying aspect to any artistic form that is really hard to put your finger on you know whether it's

painting or music or whatever it happens to be and you feel it in your bones it's about feeling something in your bones and to me a lot about the work that i choose to do the work that i want to see how I feel about my career, how I feel about other people's careers, all the answers to all that stuff come from a very, very deep place within me that are all about just feeling right or not, you know, and it's a really difficult kind of thing to explain. And, you know, and I now look back at my work and I'm so pleased with everything I've gotten to do. There are some things that I think I was crap in and some things that I just think of crap and some things that haven't worked so well. Sure. But, hey, that's how it goes. You know, you can't.

you can't always choose everything well and you're not in control of everything and I also think it's great too in a way because you learn from all that sort of stuff and you know you go well that's just life isn't it life you know life's up and down and it's you know there are things that you you do and work really well and resonate with people and others that don't

and so be it but I definitely feel like I'm now I'm far more confident with myself now and what I'm capable of and you know and much you know I can say no to somebody about a job now without feeling like I'm getting to battle about it or, you know, I just go, no, it just doesn't, you know, it's just, it just don't speak to me, I'm sorry. So if you'll indulge me just because I do have LA confidential on the brain because I saw

yesterday and because we should always talk about it because it's a classic. When I was watching it, I mean, it struck me. I mean, there was a lot made of, you know, it was a big role for both you and Russell, like emerging in American audiences. His character is so, so, like, animalistic, so just, like, primal. And there's so much tension between your two characters through the film. And I'm like, what do you remember about interacting with him then? Did that, did you guys try to kind of bring that, I mean, did you go a little method in terms of, like, the way you carried yourselves off screen in terms of...

Well, I never know the answer to that, because I think you, I feel like it's, well, I never went to drama school, so I can't technically say I understand what method even means, but I always feel like you're committing 100% anyway, you know? I mean, we certainly, you know, I think Russell and I understand each other pretty well, and I certainly, I was very aware of his career before doing that. I'd been a massive fan for a number of years, you know, through Romp Stompter and all the things that he'd done. And I got to work with him in the, I think, in the 80s as well, very briefly. And I think there's just a deep understanding of what, you know, of what it was we were naturally going to bring. I mean, when I read the script, he was the only person cast at that point.

And I was just, and I wanted to do the film because he was in it, before I'd even read the script. Because he is, as he say, he's very powerful. He has an incredible sort of energy about him. And just a real kind of integrity, and he brings something to characters that no one else can bring. Absolutely. And in a way, when I looked at that sort of dynamic between him and Exley, I just thought, wow, this is going to be great. Like, this is really going to work because, you know, I think Exile is a very animalistic kind of character as well.

But it's all really siphoned through a very particular sort of intelligent or a level of intelligence. Or his way of operating is through his intelligence. but all of the fears that he has physically and as the animal that he is were all palpable and obviously in getting to read Elroy's book as well you get to, you know, it covers an eight-year period rather than just that Christmas.

So there was a lot of great material to sort of pull from in the book. So, you know, it's funny, Russell and I talked a bit about what we were doing but it was just really implicit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. As much as you knew and it sounds like you were immediately gravitated

to that material, was momentum a no-brainer or was it sort of, Was it a risk at the time? Because no one had not done, he had done virtually nothing. Absolutely no-brainer. Absolutely. Really?

Just off the page. This is going to be unique. This guy knows what he's doing. Well, I watched following, you know. So I can't remember the series of events. I think I got sent the script, and my agent wrote in the letter in brackets, by the way, this all goes backwards in case, you know.

Which was a great tip in a way. Because it really is a confusing film to watch, as you know, and it was a confusing film to read. But knowing that, you know, half of the whole story is going backwards. I was instantly moved by the plight of the character, of that character throughout the film emotionally. Even though I was kind of going, right, I'm not sure what's just happened,

I don't know what's happening next, I'm going to have to go back and read this three or four more times to get my head around it. Right. The emotional turmoil and the emotional journey for that character was very clear and I could have got up tomorrow and started making the movie straight away. I really could have.

And within that couple of days of getting the script, I also got Chris's film following. So once I saw that, I actually got really panicky because I thought, I really want to do this movie and everyone else is going to want to do this movie. Don't let the secret out there. No one passed around the following. How do we make this work?

You know, so I met with Chris, Chris Nolan, sat down. And in fact, I might have met, I can't remember. I might have met him first and then got the copy of following. I can't remember the series of events. But I remember calling him after I'd met him, like a day or so after I'd met him, and calling him saying, look, I'm really, really sorry to do this,

but I hear in this town, enthusiasm goes a long way for getting people roles. And Chris is as cynical as I am. So I was most effusive. I said, look, as I say, I'm really sorry to be doing this, but in case it means anything at all, I just want you to know,

I really want to do that. I love that you apologize. It's like, this is so not me. I know this is what other actors do and I hate them for it, but I have to do this in this case. But I just have to let you know, yeah, Yeah, because, you know, you see film directors at film festivals

talking about the movie that it took them 10 years to make and they say, you know, so-and-so he camped out on my porch, like every night for five years, and I just knew that he had something in him, like, really? Is that what a take? You know, it's not about your talent, it's about how committed you. I'm like, surely if you're going to say yes to a job, you're going to be committed, right?

I don't understand anything less than that. Right. But I did feel I needed to call him to say that. And Chris, of course, you know, was like, oh, thanks for letting me know. So that was it, you know? And I was like, oh, I'm so embarrassed I made that call, but I don't think the call is what worked. I think, you know, I think I was cheap.

Are you honest? I mean, they offered into Brad Pitt, you know, and all these other people, and they were like, oh, I don't know who this Chris Nolan guy is, you know, I think we'll pass. I'm like, you idiots. Not that I think Brad's an idiot by any means. No, yeah, yeah. And he had some other decent work on the go. It's worked out for all of you guys.

Are you surprised by the trajectory of, like, how Chris's career has gone? Absolutely not. I mean, I'm so, I just think he's extraordinary. and it just makes total sense. But it's an amazing trajectory, you know. I mean, Memento was such an accomplished film by him. And then, you know, then he went on and did that film with Pacino and Robin Williams.

Insomnia, sure. And I looked at that and just went, wow, he's just amazing, isn't he? And then, of course, the whole Batman thing started. So, you know, I'm... What I feel great about is that I got to be there kind of early on, you know, where Chris really, you know, didn't have a budget around him

and really just had to make work, what he had and he really he's just an extraordinary filmmaker and one thing that was amazing about Chris was you know on one hand he's dealing with you and your emotions and really the subtleties of what a character should or could be doing it anyway

and a technician of the highest degree right that's right a technician like he wouldn't believe so he's having split dual conversations with you and the camera team with just an excessive sort of aplomb you know just just beautiful to watch him work Does your understanding and willingness to do kind of, like, operate in the quote-unquote blockbuster realm? Is it, are you more accepting and have, it seems like you have a better perspective on everything, frankly, now?

But, like, I mean, when you work on something like Iron Man or Prometheus, which, again, I wouldn't put in the cookie-cutter blockbusters, because Prometheus is a Ridley Scott film, you know, Iron Man, the Marvel guys know what they're doing. Do you feel like, though, you come at it in a different way than you would have five or ten years? ago are you just sort of more willing less willing to sweat the small stuff and you just kind of go with it or no I mean I still want to sweat the small stuff you know and that's you know and the great thing about Shane Black and with Robert Downey on Iron Man was that those

guys were very much into that stuff as well and the Marvel guys too I mean had great conversations with them I definitely feel like I'm more open to certain roles that certain kinds of films than I used to be but it's also you know I still might read a blockbuster and if it's a terrible

script, I'm not going to do it, you know, but I'll still read a small film, and if it's a terrible script, I'm not going to do it either. So, and, you know, I think the fact that I did Prometheus and Iron Man close to each other made it appear like I was on this whole new sort of path. It was just a bit of a fluke, I think, really. What's your perspective on Prometheus? I'm curious, because I'm a fan, and I wouldn't say it, an apologist. It did very well. It got some good reviews, but there were a lot of fan boys kind of like really, I think because it was, frankly, at the time, like, the most anticipated, like, sci-fi thing ever. It was Ridley coming back to sci-fi and people that's such a heavy burden on it.

I think so too. I mean, I think the film's extraordinary and I don't know if I can't be objective, but I know that some people struggled with, one, to sort of understand the movie and two to kind of really feel like whether it was the appropriate prequel to the alien films. So it's hard for me to be objective to be about it, to be honest. I just feel thrilled that I got to be part of it, and I just think the film is extraordinary. I mean, I think the visuals. That's beautiful. I mean, it's incredible. I actually wonder whether it's one of those things that in some year's time, people will see it as its own film rather than the kind of the failed prequel to...

I mean, failed is too strong a word. Yeah, but... No one has already said that. Yeah, to the alien franchise. Did, is it true that it was intended that you were going to do some scenes without the prosthetics as well? And was that, were you resentful when you, like, went through, when you were like, you signed on and suddenly you're like, wait, you only need me as the old dude, what the hell was?

No, I certainly wasn't resentful. I mean, there was one day when I got called into work and I didn't get, and I got made up, and then I didn't get used. And I wasn't resentful, but I was just exhausted. I was just saying it was a five-hour makeup job. I did wonder how it would, I mean, I actually had questions about the scene

in the middle of the film where you would see me young anyway, because it was so far removed from the introduction in the film and also the sort of the outro in the film. And I think those guys probably, felt that a little bit as well. So I think we all kind of knew that that young scene was probably going to happen

but possibly not going to happen. So I was sort of ready for it in a way. But I did a couple of times say, why didn't you discuss some old quote? Do you have a favorite look that you've ever adopted for a film because you think of things in recent years like Lawless where you infamously

shaved your eyebrows? I mean, in this one you don't look like so great in The Rover with all due respect. Well, I don't know. I mean, there's definitely some looks that I really think. I mean, I do think the Lawless look is pretty spectacular.

And Prometheus, obviously, for that prosthetic makeup. But to me, it's also just about how appropriate it is for the movie, if the movie really works, et cetera, you know. So, I mean, Priscilla, too, still, you know, some of the... Yeah, yeah, some of the looks in that. But I do enjoy, I really enjoy the, you know, the dressing up aspect of filmmaking. And why not?

I mean, that's a really, you know, it's such a, it's such an amazing part. of it that can really add to what it is, you know, that a viewer is sort of experiencing. I think you're being pulled away in a couple minutes, so I'll make the last couple semi-quick. But I'm curious, like, you know, you work with a great talent an Australian filmmaker in Michelle here. Do you feel, I mean, and you've really done a lot of work in Australia and with Australian filmmakers.

How much of that is wanting to be home? How much of it is feeling a responsibility to support that industry and those filmmakers? Well, it's an interesting question because I, a big, part of it is wanting to be at home, but I actually think at the heart of it, it really is about just expressing what I know as an Australian and expressing that culture, I suppose, because again, if I read something and it doesn't really work for me, I'm not going to go home, I'm not going to just be at home for that just for the sake of being home. So I think being at home and also, you know, if I am assisting, like all the other Australian actors out there, work.

working at home who have become names, then great. That's sort of a bonus as well. But I do think, as I say, the underlying thing is still about the work and character. I mean, funnily enough, doing the rover, yes, I was at home as in Australia, but I was days away from where I lived. I was going to say, I hope you don't have a place over there because it doesn't look at that appetizing. It was like a nine-hour driver and then a one-hour flight to get home. So it wasn't that easy.

Are you good with downtime? Do you enjoy downtime? Or are you the kind of person that like that kind of needs? Do you mean in-between movies or on a set? No, not on the set. I mean, like, do you kind of try and stack movies pretty much back-to-back what you need? No, one of the things that I learned when I had my big step away from it all in about 2001

was, and I think one of the issues that I'd had was starting to work back to back to back-to-back-to-back. And you take for granted all that time that you have in between jobs when you're not working that much. You don't realize that there's value in that. And when you reach a stage or when you're lucky enough to actually get to do lots of work and you do back things up, you know, you wonder why you're feeling vacuous and grumpy after three movies in a row. So you go, hmm, yes, I do. do you think I need to recharge in between jobs? And so I am very good at doing that.

And I make music as well. So it's very easy for me to go home and spend six or 12 months just mucking around making some music. Well, that's important. You need something to gop to. Otherwise, you're going to drive you so crazy. Well, and then you feel completely, when you then start ready to read again and you feel inspired by characters, you really are drawn in.

And, you know, the energy that it takes to play a character is sort of revitalized. Well, you again nail this one. I'm a huge fan of your work. And it's, you know, part of the pleasure of doing this podcast is getting a chance to talk to people. I've known for many years, but also to meet folks that I admire. And really congratulations on this. It's been a lot of fun going. Well, thank you very much.

It's good to talk to you. I'm Amy Nicholson, the film critic for the L.A. Times. And I'm Paul Shear, an actor, writer, and director. You might know me from the League, Veep, or my non-eligible for Academy Award role in Twisters. We love movies, and we come at them from different perspectives. Yeah, like, Amy thinks that, you know, Joe Pesci was miscast in Goodfellas, and I don't. He's too old. Let's not forget that Paul thinks that Dude, too, is overrated.

It is. Anyway, despite this, we come together to host Unspooled, a podcast where we talk about good movies, critical hits. Fan favorites, must-season, and case you missoms. We're talking Parasite the Home Alone. From Greece to the Dark Night. We've done deep dives on popcorn flicks. We've talked about why Independence Day deserves a second look. And we've talked about horror movies, some that you've never even heard of like Ganges and Hess.

So if you love movies like we do, come along on our cinematic adventure. Listen to Unspooled wherever you get your podcast. And don't forget to hit the follow button.