Brand Value

How did you go about preparing for the role of Royce?
I did put on a substantial amount of muscle mass for the role,and the physical training was a big part of building to that character. I think to prepare psychologically,I had the luxury of shooting in Hawaii and we shot in thousands of acres of tropical rainforest. I’d gotten permission from the owners of the state to let me stay on the property,so I isolated myself. I stayed on the property. I didn’t stay in a hotel,and came out to work out and eat.

How was your experience working with Nimrod Antal and Robert Rodriguez?
They’ve both been incredible collaborators. They’ve been very receptive to my thoughts and ideas. Robert as a producer,I think has been a very big creative force. He has allowed all of this to happen in a contained space. We shot a studio movie but it was much like independent terms,which is a remarkable thing which actually is very similar to King Kong. You’re given a lot of creative freedom within that and the studio also trusts you.

You seem to be really redefining yourself as an actor with all the different genres you are playing with.
It’s surprising to me sometimes when people are surprised at my choices. It seems that they’re more surprised as of late. As an actor I’ve made a conscious decision to do my best to not repeat myself. So I keep it interesting,the process for myself and for the people that have seen my work. I’ve looked long and hard for an opportunity like this. It’s not something that I just decided upon lately. It’s a challenge I think when you establish yourself as a certain type of actor or an actor that has not had the opportunity to be seen in a physical role like this or in an action film and to win the endorsement of the studio,which I understand is making practical business decisions as well.

You were talking about being a fan of the movies. Can you be more specific about your first experience seeing it?
I was probably 14,opening weekend,smoking cigarettes in the front row in Queens. I remember the theatre,I remember one of my really good friends who was with me and probably the other two kids,my little crew,we were there. We then did our Schwarzenegger impressions for the rest of the week. It had a profound impact on me as an adolescent.

Would you say that winning an Oscar changed your life?
Oh yes. Your life changes and people around you change. So how can you be the same person when the world changes. It has changed some things for the better. But I still live a pretty simple life.