Interview With Don Cheadle & Brendan Gleeson
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We were invited to "The Guard" press day event. We were able to to be featured in a roundtable interview with actors Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2, Hotel Rwanda, Traitor) and Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Beowulf, 28 Days Later). We discuss with them their new film "The Guard" opening in selected theaters on July 29th 2011.
OtakusandGeeks.com: Did you guys know each other at all before filming this movie?
Don Cheadle: No, I only knew about his work. Wait... I think it was The Emmy's.
Brendan Gleeson: (laughs) that's it, now you got it.
Don Cheadle: Now I got it, I keep thinking Golden Globes,we met when Brendan was up for Churchill. It was at a suite in the Beverly Hills hotel or someplace.
Brendan Gleeson: It was kind of lucky actually, because it just happen that we were all in the city at the same time. Then we read the script and meet up and we knew it was something special.
OtakusandGeeks.com: What was your reaction to the script?
Don Cheadle: I just love it from the beginning. Often you get scripts and your like okay page 15, then go to page 30 and all these things you usually can tell where the story is going. I couldn't get ahead of this script. I didn't know where it was going. The script made me laugh from beginning to end. The opportunity to shoot in the place where the film was set doesn't always happen, not to mention to work with an actor of this caliber was a no brainier. It didn't matter the cost, the size of it. I just knew I wanted to be a part of it.
The Guard Trailer
OtakusandGeeks.com: Don this is a fish out of water story. Did you feel like a fish out of water filming in Ireland?
Don Cheadle: Yes! I've never been to Ireland at all, to be in that specific area in Ireland with the landscapes and those hand built rock walls was really special. You know every moment I wasn't on set I was on the golf course (laughs). Taking advantage of all that.
Brendan Gleeson: (laughs) yeah getting drenched.
Don Cheadle: Yeah getting drenched. *It rained a lot during the filming.*
OtakusandGeeks.com: Brendan was it fun playing a cop who didn't give a damn about anything?
Brendan Gleeson: Totally yeah, it's usually the criminal that doesn't give a damn about anything (laughs). When you get to the point where you have to say those lines, there is kind of a giddiness that happens. Even when your reading the script it hits you, you start saying to yourself okay I have to say it (laughs). If there was an intent to the words, it wouldn't be funny to say. The fact that this guy is winding people up at every possible moment, it was fun. Problem was when it was over I would still be in character saying these things.
Don Cheadle: (laughs) Brendan you're not on the set.
OtakusandGeeks.com: What was like working together, you both have different acting styles?
Brendan Gleeson: Well kind of had to discussion we first met. The topic of rehearsing came up and I notice he didn't really fancy rehearsal. He said "Yeah because I'm afraid I might know the answers to all the questions." I didn't have a problem at all.
Don Cheadle: I wanted to be as surprise, shocked and a have my head spinning around, from the experience and everyone I was meeting. I wanted everything to come new as it possibility come that way I wouldn't act shock. If it was a play I would love to rehearse.
OtakusandGeeks.com: These characters seem to always try to best each other, with wits. Your thoughts?
Don Cheadle: The great thing if you look at the lines. Jerry never really went at Wendell, like Wendell went at him. Like the scene in the pub, and Jerry says I came third in the Olympics, and my character says bullshit. Jerry is like bullshit, why is it bullshit? So he comes with a witty comeback like "So you grew up in the projects?" I love how he gets Wendell to react to him. However when it comes to the job, the jokes are gone, all the games and jokes are over.
OtakusandGeeks.com: Final question, Don any update on the Miles Davis project?
Don Cheadle: We're trying to get it moving.
The Guard opens up in selected theaters on July 29th 2011. Check your listings.
OtakusandGeeks.com: Did you guys know each other at all before filming this movie?
Don Cheadle: No, I only knew about his work. Wait... I think it was The Emmy's.
Brendan Gleeson: (laughs) that's it, now you got it.
Don Cheadle: Now I got it, I keep thinking Golden Globes,we met when Brendan was up for Churchill. It was at a suite in the Beverly Hills hotel or someplace.
Brendan Gleeson: It was kind of lucky actually, because it just happen that we were all in the city at the same time. Then we read the script and meet up and we knew it was something special.
OtakusandGeeks.com: What was your reaction to the script?
Don Cheadle: I just love it from the beginning. Often you get scripts and your like okay page 15, then go to page 30 and all these things you usually can tell where the story is going. I couldn't get ahead of this script. I didn't know where it was going. The script made me laugh from beginning to end. The opportunity to shoot in the place where the film was set doesn't always happen, not to mention to work with an actor of this caliber was a no brainier. It didn't matter the cost, the size of it. I just knew I wanted to be a part of it.
The Guard Trailer
OtakusandGeeks.com: Don this is a fish out of water story. Did you feel like a fish out of water filming in Ireland?
Don Cheadle: Yes! I've never been to Ireland at all, to be in that specific area in Ireland with the landscapes and those hand built rock walls was really special. You know every moment I wasn't on set I was on the golf course (laughs). Taking advantage of all that.
Brendan Gleeson: (laughs) yeah getting drenched.
Don Cheadle: Yeah getting drenched. *It rained a lot during the filming.*
OtakusandGeeks.com: Brendan was it fun playing a cop who didn't give a damn about anything?
Brendan Gleeson: Totally yeah, it's usually the criminal that doesn't give a damn about anything (laughs). When you get to the point where you have to say those lines, there is kind of a giddiness that happens. Even when your reading the script it hits you, you start saying to yourself okay I have to say it (laughs). If there was an intent to the words, it wouldn't be funny to say. The fact that this guy is winding people up at every possible moment, it was fun. Problem was when it was over I would still be in character saying these things.
Don Cheadle: (laughs) Brendan you're not on the set.
OtakusandGeeks.com: What was like working together, you both have different acting styles?
Brendan Gleeson: Well kind of had to discussion we first met. The topic of rehearsing came up and I notice he didn't really fancy rehearsal. He said "Yeah because I'm afraid I might know the answers to all the questions." I didn't have a problem at all.
Don Cheadle: I wanted to be as surprise, shocked and a have my head spinning around, from the experience and everyone I was meeting. I wanted everything to come new as it possibility come that way I wouldn't act shock. If it was a play I would love to rehearse.
OtakusandGeeks.com: These characters seem to always try to best each other, with wits. Your thoughts?
Don Cheadle: The great thing if you look at the lines. Jerry never really went at Wendell, like Wendell went at him. Like the scene in the pub, and Jerry says I came third in the Olympics, and my character says bullshit. Jerry is like bullshit, why is it bullshit? So he comes with a witty comeback like "So you grew up in the projects?" I love how he gets Wendell to react to him. However when it comes to the job, the jokes are gone, all the games and jokes are over.
OtakusandGeeks.com: Final question, Don any update on the Miles Davis project?
Don Cheadle: We're trying to get it moving.
The Guard opens up in selected theaters on July 29th 2011. Check your listings.
