Hollywood.com: A lot of the stuff on Skull Island was put in later via green screen, and there was nothing there for you to act against. Was that tricky?
Adrien Brody: It’s a very different approach from what I am normally used to. It’s exciting, finally, to see it and exist in another time, another realm where dinosaurs can exist. In a world in which dinosaurs could be there. That’s the beauty of that work, it is much more technical, but it is the same principal as things. You have to envision yourself in certain situations, and sometimes it is harder because they are very extreme or you wouldn’t have any experiences to necessarily relate to. The stuff with the insects and all that and nothing there to hold on to. You got to run with it, it’s just a different process. You let go of as much of yourself as you can, you try and lose as much of your own inhibitions and block out everything else, and that is what you are doing there except there is less there. But we had Andy for the Kong stuff.
HW: Did it require some adjustment?
AB: I like a period, personally, to rehearse without it necessarily being out there. You need to have a moment to make the mistakes before the actual moment that you are shooting. It’s on the really kind of more introspective roles that I need a lot of space and quiet if possible, because it is very hard for me to think and everything kind of heightens when I am working, all of my senses are heightened. In this case, you got used to it. It was nine months, so by the time it was over cameras were just everywhere and Jack was cracking jokes and I was cracking jokes—part of the process, you know.
HW: As a native New Yorker, can you talk about watching 1933 New York pop up on the screen?
AB: What was most impressive was that it had this kind of luminescent, period feel. I only saw that in the finished product, there are some of those shots with Ann and Kong that just look like they are out of a ‘30s movie; they had this glowing, almost kind of black-and-white aspect, which was beautiful. New York looks amazing. It was exciting for me to get to play a guy who tries to save the city and try to get Kong out of the city. I grew up driving, racing cars in Queens and stuff, so they were going to shoot that as a green screen sequence and I convinced Pete [Peter Jackson] to let me drive it. I showed up one day and he didn’t tell me he was going to let me do it, and there was a car there, taxi cab with like six cameras mounted on it, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment. They built like a one-level New York, like a ground-floor level, gave me the keys and said “We’re going to shoot this and go for it, and this is the route.” And I walked it with the stunt man and they let me drive it. It was so fucking exciting. I would come back and the stuntmen were cheering and Pete would come out and was like, “Okay, now this time you really push it!” I was like, “Alright!” I almost killed a guy. It was on the sidewalk and the door flew… It was like an action sequence out of like some movie that I wouldn’t be in, it felt like, and I was doing it for real… The door flew open on one of these shots, we’re driving, I look at the door, I bust an e-brake slide, like 90-degree turn and the door shuts and I keep driving and it’s all on camera. It’s amazing. It’s not in the movie I don’t think. [Smiling] It was f**king amazing, and that experience was really cool. So to see that come to life with Kong chasing me in New York was a thrill.
HW: Did you and Peter talk about the development of your character compared to the two previous films? It seemed like you have more action and more expressions and less dialogue.
AB: Nobody really had that much dialogue, except for Denham. This is kind of an homage to the original, and I think my character is the one character that changed the most. I had some apprehension about it, because when that’s the case you had better be right. The change better be right because everybody knows about those changes, and I think it’s very brave to create a kind of reluctant hero, a leading man that’s not the typical kind of overtly muscular guy. It’s a guy who is just like Kong: pulled out of his own element and forced to go fight for the things that he loves. I think it was the right choice. I think it really was. The love story ends up being more truthful because of the connection: the screenwriter would definitely be falling for the beautiful lead actress he is writing for and she already admired his work. The original lacked authenticity in that respect. He was a ship’s first made and the next minute he’s like, “Ann, I think I love you,” and then he was in love with her. Where did that happen? That’s what I wanted to avoid, that is what I voiced to Peter. There was only a limited amount of time to make that work because everybody wants to go get Kong and see Skull Island and get that part of the action started. So you have to set that up, but you can’t spend too long setting it up.
HW: When you and Naomi come together in the film, it worked really well. When you are filming something like that, does it just feel like it is working?
AB: Yeah, it felt good: there was chemistry. She’s obviously attractive. It’s a scene that makes a lot of sense, the writing was good. You never know, anyway—even if it feels like you made a connection, you never know.
HW: How has it been adjusting to your new fame since winning the Oscar?
AB: Life is weirder, I guess. The decision-making process is pretty similar, there are other considerations, but I feel very fortunate. It’s been a long haul to get here; I have been acting most of my life. I’m pinching myself often, because I do feel blessed to have the opportunities that I have, to do what I love.
HW: Is it harder to go out?
AB: Absolutely. No question. It’s part of it, nothing’s perfect, but you know what? I went out a lot when I was younger, and when you go out then it’s more fun. When you go to nightclubs when you’re underage it’s more fun. It’s nice to go out, but things are more complicated. It’s better to know what I know and to experience what I have experienced than to have never received that recognition and to never have had access to really interesting roles in major pictures.
HW: What projects have you lined up next?
AB: Truth, Justice & the American Way is all I’ve shot in between. It looks like I’m going to do Manolete, in which I am going to be in Spain and I’m going to go train with some bullfighters. That’s the plan. Where’s Andy Serkis when you need him? That’s the only thing that I know that I should be doing. I don’t really like to talk about anything until they’re done. I was supposed to be the lead in The Thin Red Line, and that was done and I didn’t know that until I saw it [that I was cut out]. So let’s not talk about things until I see it. Glad I saw Kong yesterday before we talked!
