‘Knock at the Cabin’ knocks off ‘Avatar’ at the box office

We were called and Are United by *** common vision which has now become *** command that we cannot ignore. Have you paid attention to *** lot of the online reaction to the movie because it's been extremely well received since the reactions came out last week. No, you know, I just, this will be my second day of press and I've just started getting feedback, feedback since yesterday. So I'm, you know, I mean, I love it, I love all the positive feedback, but I'm like waiting for the negative feedback because there's always gonna be, there's always gonna be that. And so I try and, you know, I've always believed that I don't want to get wrapped up in the negative feedback. But in order to do that, I can't get wrapped up in the positive feedback either. So I just don't want to get ahead of myself. You know, I know once the dust clears, I just want people to love this film really kind of really want this message to kind of seep through and I really want this to be *** conversational film. But, you know, with all films, I think whether they stand the test of time. Well, you know, it remains to be seen but I think that's what makes the classic film, if people are still watching this film 5, 10 years from now and still having conversations about them. Um, that's what makes, you know, *** film great. So I just don't try not to let myself get wrapped up and, and to all the hype, whether it be positive or negative. Yeah, I think that's what makes these kind of thrillers so good because it's that kind of thing. You can't help thinking if you're in that situation, it's such *** grounded thing. Like we were never in that situation but like such *** dark place to go even to have *** conversation out loud. But it's, you know, it's, you know, the messages in general, if you take the minute, take them out of the this context and put them into *** much simpler context and it's still the message of sacrifice and of love and what love looks like and those types of types of messages and how they're relevant to today's times. I think they're great messages, you know, and there's things that can be talked about in conversations that don't have to be apocalyptic. You know, and you've been, you've already said that this was obviously one of the really big challenge for you as an actor. Um Is there was that just the general role because lenders such *** fascinating character because he should be this kind of, you think he's going to be this brute that's kind of overpower it. But there's *** vulnerability and an emotion, emotional side to him. Was that balance the biggest challenge or was there something else when you were approaching this role? It was the challenge. And you know, it's *** challenge that I sought after. And this is why one of the first time I read the script, I was blown away and not only blown away by the script itself, but by the opportunity, um selfishly, you know, as an actor, as *** performer because roles like this, they just don't come my way. You know, never, I've never had *** role to this, you know, of this magnitude come my way. I've had smaller dramatic roles that have opened the door to roles like this. But when I read this and I was just, I was blown away by this, by this character, the pureness of Leonard, you know, and he's, you know, again, like you said, he's this big hulking intimidating person, but really, he's the most gentle kind person you ever want to meet in your life. Um But that's what I loved about it and that's why I wanted this role so bad. This is like such *** massive opportunity for me. Yeah. And you've been, I was talking to night last week when he was over in the UK for this film and he said he compared meeting you to be in like Haley Joel Osmond on Six Cents or James mcavoy on split, it just felt right to him. He found the person that fit *** role that he never expected to. How did you find working with him as *** director? Because you worked with distinctive filmmakers before? Like James Gunn, how did he compare? Uh for one I can't like, it's hard to make the comparison because I've never worked with James Gunn or Denny to this extent, you know, I've never been *** lead role in their films. Whereas with night, you know, not only, not only were we having conversations before the film, but every day on the film, we spent so much time together um and literally just having conversations about the characters and about emotions because and this is what I love about night. He really challenged me in *** way um to perform with these layers of, of emotions. And he never came to me and gave me one simple note. Can you say something this way or can you look that way? Nothing was *** simple note. Everything was *** full on conversation. He'd come and he'd open up his notebook and you have the, you know, the pages there and we'd go over certain beats and we talked about, you know, thought processes and trauma and emotion and also fighting, holding back certain emotions because we're dealing with other responsibilities on top of those emotions. So everything was there was it was like this long philosophical conversation. And again, he like, challenged me every day. When I was very unsure of myself, I was having *** lot of self doubt and I just completely trusted him and I relied on him. And every day I would say, you know, are you happy with it? And he'd say, yeah, I'm happy. We got it, trust me, we got it. And I say, if you're happy, I'm happy. Um But there were *** lot of nights when I went home thinking and I just, I felt like I was off, I could have done better. I questioned myself and I doubted myself, but I know that that film, you know, was going to make me *** stronger actor and also proved and, you know, and prove something, you know, because I stated all along that I wanted to be an actor, *** respected actor. And this was like, now this was kind of put up or shut up. You say, obviously, as you're talking about with Leonard and you weren't sure, but was there *** moment when you were filming where you're like, right? I get this now or are you still *** case that you're still not quite sure that you got Leonard as well as you did? No, I'm still not sure. I really, you know, I still like, you know, nights been hitting, hitting me because he started his press story long before I started mine and he's been hitting me up all along the way. Just telling me, you know, how happy every time he watches it. He just, you know, he tells me how fortunate he was to work with this cast. And so again, he's just been trying to reassure, reassure me because he knows I still have self, self doubt and still feel like I could have done things differently. I could have done things better. I was still, but there was just so much to process. Um But again, I know at the end of the day, no matter what, you know, this made me *** better actor and that's what, you know, that's why I'm in this. This is why I search for these roles because I want to be great at this man and I can't find out how great I can be unless I have roles like Leonard. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And I feel when you're watching *** channel and film, you know, you're watching his film, he's got *** very distinctive visual style and that in this, there's *** lot of really intense close ups and long takes. Are you aware, were you aware that when you're shooting that this is exactly how he's going to film it. And do, does that change your approach to the performance or does he kind of let you go and then you see it as it comes? Yeah. And it definitely didn't change my approach to the performance because, you know, no matter what the camera where it's at, you know, what's going on, how long it takes are, I'm only, I'm always fully immersed in it, even if I'm off camera I'm in it. Um But it was, again, I knew I was familiar with his style and I knew this was gonna happen. Um What I didn't know is I wasn't, I didn't know he was going to shoot it on film and I, you know that, but just like that became another layer of intimidation. But again, this was like, this was the challenge that I, that I wanted that I welcomed, but I knew it was gonna be challenging and it was, it wasn't easy. This is *** very hard role for me. And remember in this style because, you know, um you know, night is really particular about his dialogue, he writes it *** certain way and he wants it, you know, performed that way. Uh So again, this was something that was challenging but uh in the best way, in the best possible way and from every role, I imagine you do take lessons from each role that will take on to your future roles and your future acting career for this one, it might be too hard to say. But was there *** particular thing you took that you learn on this film that you feel will come back in future roles? I did and you know what, what, what I did learn and still, you know, it's *** struggle and I don't know if I could do this again without being directed this way because *** lot of times when you're performing and when you're sucked into *** moment, you're in that moment, you're living that moment and you're feeling *** certain way. But night constantly reminded me that although I was feeling *** certain way I had still had *** responsibility to be in charge, to be guidance. I have other people that are responsible for. So even if I'm being tortured inside and what I'm doing is just impossible and impossible for me to do. And my heart is breaking. I still have to give an appearance that I'm in control. I'm in charge, everybody is okay. You know, and so that was *** real, like that was *** real struggle that was like juggling emotions. And so that was like something I've never been asked to do before. And I, you know, but I, I know that I can, I think that I accomplished that and I only know that because I've been reassured by night that I did accomplish it. And every day I was asking him, are you sure I got it because I wasn't really sure what I was doing. But I know that if I'm asked to do that in the future, that I'm at least familiar with, with what that requires. Yeah. And next up obviously on screen later this year, we'll be seeing you in guardian screen I know you can't say *** single thing about that movie, but has it sunk in yet that this is, this, is it for Drax? Has it sunk in or don't you feel that will happen until after the press tour for that film and, or the hype around that? I think that's when it's gonna happen for me. I don't know what everybody else's experience. I only wrapped, I wrapped in the worst possible way on that film because it was such *** long journey. And when I rapped on that film, it was *** Friday night in Los Angeles and I wrapped on the film and I was immediately rushed off to get on *** plane to go to Philadelphia to start filming, knocking the cabin on Monday. I've never really got *** chance to say goodbye to everyone. There was never that really moment to kind of let it set in and, and that realization and that closure. Um So it's, you know, it hasn't really hit me yet. I've been talking about it but the emotions haven't hit me and I know they will when we, when I see the film and when I see everyone, we're on *** press tour and we're saying goodbye because there were days when we talked about it on set and we took pictures and we made videos and we knew that this, you know, I remember shooting the last scene that we were all gonna shoot together and it wasn't, the last day, wasn't even close to the last day, but it was the last time that the original version of the Guardians of the Galaxy were on set together and we were all in tears. And so I'm sure that there's, there's more of that to come because it is, it's *** very bittersweet thing. It's like, I feel very like, accomplished and proud of what we did, what we left behind. But also I'm leaving behind people that, you know, I've been on this journey with for 10 years and they're family to me now and I love them dearly. And *** lot of times in this business, when you go your separate ways, you go your separate ways. So it's like leaving family members behind it. I don't know if I'm gonna see you again or not. It's ***, it's *** hard thing and it's also, it's just, it's just sad because we did this and we were so proud of what we did. And when we first started this journey, we weren't *** big Blockbuster franchise. We were quirky characters. You know, everybody was kind of expecting to fail. But we there, you know, me, Zoe and Chris and James and Sean, we knew that it was, it was special, it felt special, it felt good and we're all just so proud of what we were doing and we had so much fun, what we were doing and we knew it was great. But you know, later on everybody else found out. But we knew from the very beginning in those early days filming together that was something special. And 10 years later, you know, seeing what we have accomplished is just, it's *** very surreal thing and it's *** very bittersweet thing to say goodbye. I imagine that we will be just as emotional to say goodbye. I'm sure. Has it? Have you thought as well? Obviously, with next steps in your career, could you see yourself doing that kind of role again, in the sense of it's *** role that, you know, you had to, you've got like two free form commitment or do you feel that now is the time that you'll be taking out singular rolls to try something new? You consider that at all? I'm open minded to any role, I'm open minded to any genre. I'm just open minded about my career. I just depends on what the role is. And I, you know, it depends on who I'm working with. I really, you know, I just want to work with very talented people and it's really, it's really only to find out how good I can be. And I always, you know, I gauge my success on the success of the people I'm working with. You know, I don't need an Academy Award. I mean, it doesn't mean anything to me being on the conversation means something to me working with people who have won Academy Awards means something to me because that's the way I can gauge of where I, where I've come, you know, how far I've come since I started acting. Um, but, uh, Yeah, I think that's it. I'm open minded to any role and I would sign up for another trilogy. It just has to make sense. It has to be *** role, worth, worth it for me because, you know, *** trilogy, you know, I'm 54. Now, *** trilogy is gonna be over the span of 10 years I'm guessing. So it just has to be, has to be worth it to me. But if it's the right role, of course I would take it.