Kurt Vonnegut once said, I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you cant see from the center. A seductive statement, especially for an actor
The last time audiences saw actor Emile Hirsch, hed abandoned all his material possessions and went by the name Alexander Supertramp. He was stubborn, deathly emaciated, living alone on an broken down bus, in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, seeking lifes truths. His portrayal of real-life adventurer Christopher McCandless in Sean Penns Into the Wild scored the young actor a hell of a lot of attention, and more so, Oscar buzz.
For his current role, Hirsch decided to forgo a life of reckless abandon and instead, transformed himself into a character that, while still an adrenaline junkie, remains loyal to his loved ones. He plays the title role in Speed Racer, the first writing and directing collaboration from the Wachowski brothers since The Matrix trilogy, based off the hugely successful, 1960s Japanese anime series.
Despite the obvious differences between Into the Wild and Speed Racer, their one commonality is Hirschs attraction to outsider roles, particularly the outsider with a heart of gold. Theres just something about the good-hearted guy fighting the system that I just love, Hirsch told SuicideGirls during our recent roundtable interview. Read on for more about the film, geeking-out hardcore with the Wachowskis, and Hirsch's thoughts on having an action figure that resembles Dennis Quaid...
Question: Was [the movie] even better than you imagined even better than you hoped for?
Emile Hirsch: I love the movie. I think that what the brothers did with it is just so wild and imaginative, you know? You read the script and its so descriptive but you have no idea what that actually is going to be until you really see it. The way they made the colors pop and all the things they did with the focus and integrating the photographs into it, it was really kind of quite beautiful, I thought.
Q: Were you loving the green screen experience? John [Goodman] compared it to working in really low budget, New York theater where theres no sets or props.
EH: Thats pretty funny. No, hes right. Yeah, its like no sets or props or anything. Its like youre doing Waiting for Godot
Q: Was it disorienting?
EH: Kind of, yeah. Youre like, What are your memories of it? Just kind of this green wall, youre talking to it, and thinking about it. What was really weird was doing the car scenes because we did it on this hydraulic [simulator] called a gimbal. And, um, all of my anger in the film when Im driving is so authentic because they were slamming me around in this simulator for hours. Its hot and theres lights on you and you cant move because youre strapped in. You get, literally, frustrated to the point where you want to rip the thing apart, just like, Ehhhhh! Literally, like, I had a drawing of me, beet red, breaking it. Im serious. So all the scenes where Im like, Arrghh, thats just me.
Q: Some method acting for you [laughs]
EH: Yeah. Seriously, imagine if it was comfortable and I was happy, like, Hey guys! Now get out of my way
Q: From a technical standpoint, the difference between doing something like Into the Wild where youre going to the locations as much as possible where the things happened, or like Milk, where its a period thing and youre wearing the outfits and sort of surrounded by that world What are the acting differences for you?
EH: Those movies take place in real life so theyre super naturalistic. Thats just a whole different style as an acting thing. This was way more comic-booky, stylish I mean, theres a little bit of naturalism but its way stylized. All the lines are really crisp and specific you dont have any of the background [information], plus youre making a film that takes place in a universe or a time or you dont even know what it is. I mean, its Speed Racer world, you know?
Q: Does that make it harder?
EH: Youve got to just trust the directors. That was the biggest thing. Id be like, Are you guys sure? And theyd be like, Just trust us. They didnt actually say that but
Q: [Laughs]
EH: But that was what they were implying, uh, by their silence.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: And I think it worked. Whats cool about the characters and the acting styles in the movie, theres a lot of different tones to certain characters. Racer X and Speed are pretty serious a lot of the time, but then Spritle and Chim Chim are outrageous Chim Chims dangling on the steering wheel, flying around, and hitting guys on the head with monkey wrenches.
Q: A lot of the characters you play are outsider types and Speed himself is like an outsider with a heart of gold. What do you think keeps that type of role attractive or keeps the story of the underdog timeless for you?
EH: I mean, theres just something about the good-hearted guy fighting the system that I just love. And thats kind of how Speed is. Hes a really focused guy with a heart of gold and the corporations are trying to crush him and use him for his skills to make them more money. And if he doesnt want to play ball, they just want to destroy him.
Q: Did you watch the cartoon at all?
EH: Yeah, I watched it as a kid. I was a big fan of the show. I watched it on cartoon network. Then I also watched all 52 episodes in preparation for the part.
Q: Wow.
EH: Biggest waste of time [laughs] no, no, no. All 52 episodes, I cant take that time back.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: Its just the perfect Saturday morning cartoon show when youre a kid. The movie takes it to this level though that is a lot more accessible for adults than the show was. For me, I was a lot more engaged by the movie than the show.
Q: You talk about Speed as somebody that the corporations want to use to make money and to sell their products, as an actor in Hollywood that might be something a little bit familiar. When youre approaching a big movie like this, does it make a difference for you that these are the Wachowskis that are going to bring a very unique spin to a blockbuster?
EH: Yes. That was the main thing that made me go crazy about this movie. I viewed these guys as more hardcore artists than most of the people making smaller art films. These guys are very, very talented. They take their work very seriously. The genre and the type of films that they make, just by their very nature, require insane budgets. I remember when I saw The Matrix when I was 13 in the theaters and I was so blown away by it. It was one of the most memorable experiences I ever had in the theater. That kind of stuff you never forget; it stays with you. Then you hear you get a chance to work with them and youre like, Ooh, ooh, ooh
Q: Somebody has described them as experimental filmmakers masquerading as big budget blockbuster directors. Do you think thats fair?
EH: Totally accurate. A lot of the stuff in speed racer has never been done before. From it having a multi-tone to making a retro, cool family movie to having this photo realism with a lot of the CG backgrounds and infinite focus, the way they worked with these digital cameras, even the color experimentation its definitely one of the most colorful movies ever made. Hands down.
Q: You talk about being a fan of The Matrix. Did you ever geek out with them over the films?
EH: Oh yeah, yeah. Im a hardcore fan. I would always come up and ask questions like, So Smith
Q: [Laughs]
EH: Im a hardcore geek. Ive seen those movies an unhealthy amount of times.
Q: Did you go out to a real track and do any real [driving]?
EH: I didnt actually drive any racecars but me and my buddy Frankie went to a NASCAR simulator at the Universal Citywalk, which was fun. We beat a bunch of tourists.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: [Laughs and whistles] Hollywood-2, Idaho-0.
Q: Whats it like having your own action figure?
EH: I look like Dennis Quaid in my action figure.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: Circa 1995, which, is kinda an upgrade for me.
Q: Did you get bruises or anything [in the gimbal]? Knocked around in the cockpit a little?
EH: Oh, yeah. Matthew Fox got it worse though. I dont know why, I dont think he paid off the gimbal guy like I did.
Q: What would you be most looking forward to about Berlin, going back [for a sequel]?
EH: Hefeweizen.
Q: About [your next film] Milk, what is it like to go from Sean Penn as your director, to Sean as your costar?
EH: It was crazy really weird for me and him. Because we had such different roles on Into the Wild honestly I started to think of him as not even an actor. He started out as an actor when I first met him but then It was like, Oh hes Sean, hes a director guy. But we got along really well and we just had a fun time. It was all good. Except for this one time, [laughs] no.
Q: [Laughs] Did you like doing martial arts? Or was it all just bruises and crap?
EH: The training was fun. Chad and Dave, the stunt coordinators, are such badasses and me and Kick, who plays Sparky, wed be like, How many Hollywood actors asses do you think you could kick at once? Like 20? 30? And Chad would be like, No, probably more than 30. Hed be like dead serious, No, more than 30. And then Dave would be like, Yeah, like 40.
Q: Do you have any chimp tales?
EH: Chimpanzees dont have tails.
Q: [Laughs] Was the chimp cooperative?
EH: Except for this one day, yeah.
Q: What happened the one day?
EH: It bit someone. He asked for it though.
Q: Whod he bite?
EH: [Smiles] Thats classified.
Speed Racer opens in theaters today May 9. For more information go to the official site here.
The last time audiences saw actor Emile Hirsch, hed abandoned all his material possessions and went by the name Alexander Supertramp. He was stubborn, deathly emaciated, living alone on an broken down bus, in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, seeking lifes truths. His portrayal of real-life adventurer Christopher McCandless in Sean Penns Into the Wild scored the young actor a hell of a lot of attention, and more so, Oscar buzz.
For his current role, Hirsch decided to forgo a life of reckless abandon and instead, transformed himself into a character that, while still an adrenaline junkie, remains loyal to his loved ones. He plays the title role in Speed Racer, the first writing and directing collaboration from the Wachowski brothers since The Matrix trilogy, based off the hugely successful, 1960s Japanese anime series.
Despite the obvious differences between Into the Wild and Speed Racer, their one commonality is Hirschs attraction to outsider roles, particularly the outsider with a heart of gold. Theres just something about the good-hearted guy fighting the system that I just love, Hirsch told SuicideGirls during our recent roundtable interview. Read on for more about the film, geeking-out hardcore with the Wachowskis, and Hirsch's thoughts on having an action figure that resembles Dennis Quaid...
Question: Was [the movie] even better than you imagined even better than you hoped for?
Emile Hirsch: I love the movie. I think that what the brothers did with it is just so wild and imaginative, you know? You read the script and its so descriptive but you have no idea what that actually is going to be until you really see it. The way they made the colors pop and all the things they did with the focus and integrating the photographs into it, it was really kind of quite beautiful, I thought.
Q: Were you loving the green screen experience? John [Goodman] compared it to working in really low budget, New York theater where theres no sets or props.
EH: Thats pretty funny. No, hes right. Yeah, its like no sets or props or anything. Its like youre doing Waiting for Godot
Q: Was it disorienting?
EH: Kind of, yeah. Youre like, What are your memories of it? Just kind of this green wall, youre talking to it, and thinking about it. What was really weird was doing the car scenes because we did it on this hydraulic [simulator] called a gimbal. And, um, all of my anger in the film when Im driving is so authentic because they were slamming me around in this simulator for hours. Its hot and theres lights on you and you cant move because youre strapped in. You get, literally, frustrated to the point where you want to rip the thing apart, just like, Ehhhhh! Literally, like, I had a drawing of me, beet red, breaking it. Im serious. So all the scenes where Im like, Arrghh, thats just me.
Q: Some method acting for you [laughs]
EH: Yeah. Seriously, imagine if it was comfortable and I was happy, like, Hey guys! Now get out of my way
Q: From a technical standpoint, the difference between doing something like Into the Wild where youre going to the locations as much as possible where the things happened, or like Milk, where its a period thing and youre wearing the outfits and sort of surrounded by that world What are the acting differences for you?
EH: Those movies take place in real life so theyre super naturalistic. Thats just a whole different style as an acting thing. This was way more comic-booky, stylish I mean, theres a little bit of naturalism but its way stylized. All the lines are really crisp and specific you dont have any of the background [information], plus youre making a film that takes place in a universe or a time or you dont even know what it is. I mean, its Speed Racer world, you know?
Q: Does that make it harder?
EH: Youve got to just trust the directors. That was the biggest thing. Id be like, Are you guys sure? And theyd be like, Just trust us. They didnt actually say that but
Q: [Laughs]
EH: But that was what they were implying, uh, by their silence.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: And I think it worked. Whats cool about the characters and the acting styles in the movie, theres a lot of different tones to certain characters. Racer X and Speed are pretty serious a lot of the time, but then Spritle and Chim Chim are outrageous Chim Chims dangling on the steering wheel, flying around, and hitting guys on the head with monkey wrenches.
Q: A lot of the characters you play are outsider types and Speed himself is like an outsider with a heart of gold. What do you think keeps that type of role attractive or keeps the story of the underdog timeless for you?
EH: I mean, theres just something about the good-hearted guy fighting the system that I just love. And thats kind of how Speed is. Hes a really focused guy with a heart of gold and the corporations are trying to crush him and use him for his skills to make them more money. And if he doesnt want to play ball, they just want to destroy him.
Q: Did you watch the cartoon at all?
EH: Yeah, I watched it as a kid. I was a big fan of the show. I watched it on cartoon network. Then I also watched all 52 episodes in preparation for the part.
Q: Wow.
EH: Biggest waste of time [laughs] no, no, no. All 52 episodes, I cant take that time back.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: Its just the perfect Saturday morning cartoon show when youre a kid. The movie takes it to this level though that is a lot more accessible for adults than the show was. For me, I was a lot more engaged by the movie than the show.
Q: You talk about Speed as somebody that the corporations want to use to make money and to sell their products, as an actor in Hollywood that might be something a little bit familiar. When youre approaching a big movie like this, does it make a difference for you that these are the Wachowskis that are going to bring a very unique spin to a blockbuster?
EH: Yes. That was the main thing that made me go crazy about this movie. I viewed these guys as more hardcore artists than most of the people making smaller art films. These guys are very, very talented. They take their work very seriously. The genre and the type of films that they make, just by their very nature, require insane budgets. I remember when I saw The Matrix when I was 13 in the theaters and I was so blown away by it. It was one of the most memorable experiences I ever had in the theater. That kind of stuff you never forget; it stays with you. Then you hear you get a chance to work with them and youre like, Ooh, ooh, ooh
Q: Somebody has described them as experimental filmmakers masquerading as big budget blockbuster directors. Do you think thats fair?
EH: Totally accurate. A lot of the stuff in speed racer has never been done before. From it having a multi-tone to making a retro, cool family movie to having this photo realism with a lot of the CG backgrounds and infinite focus, the way they worked with these digital cameras, even the color experimentation its definitely one of the most colorful movies ever made. Hands down.
Q: You talk about being a fan of The Matrix. Did you ever geek out with them over the films?
EH: Oh yeah, yeah. Im a hardcore fan. I would always come up and ask questions like, So Smith
Q: [Laughs]
EH: Im a hardcore geek. Ive seen those movies an unhealthy amount of times.
Q: Did you go out to a real track and do any real [driving]?
EH: I didnt actually drive any racecars but me and my buddy Frankie went to a NASCAR simulator at the Universal Citywalk, which was fun. We beat a bunch of tourists.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: [Laughs and whistles] Hollywood-2, Idaho-0.
Q: Whats it like having your own action figure?
EH: I look like Dennis Quaid in my action figure.
Q: [Laughs]
EH: Circa 1995, which, is kinda an upgrade for me.
Q: Did you get bruises or anything [in the gimbal]? Knocked around in the cockpit a little?
EH: Oh, yeah. Matthew Fox got it worse though. I dont know why, I dont think he paid off the gimbal guy like I did.
Q: What would you be most looking forward to about Berlin, going back [for a sequel]?
EH: Hefeweizen.
Q: About [your next film] Milk, what is it like to go from Sean Penn as your director, to Sean as your costar?
EH: It was crazy really weird for me and him. Because we had such different roles on Into the Wild honestly I started to think of him as not even an actor. He started out as an actor when I first met him but then It was like, Oh hes Sean, hes a director guy. But we got along really well and we just had a fun time. It was all good. Except for this one time, [laughs] no.
Q: [Laughs] Did you like doing martial arts? Or was it all just bruises and crap?
EH: The training was fun. Chad and Dave, the stunt coordinators, are such badasses and me and Kick, who plays Sparky, wed be like, How many Hollywood actors asses do you think you could kick at once? Like 20? 30? And Chad would be like, No, probably more than 30. Hed be like dead serious, No, more than 30. And then Dave would be like, Yeah, like 40.
Q: Do you have any chimp tales?
EH: Chimpanzees dont have tails.
Q: [Laughs] Was the chimp cooperative?
EH: Except for this one day, yeah.
Q: What happened the one day?
EH: It bit someone. He asked for it though.
Q: Whod he bite?
EH: [Smiles] Thats classified.
Speed Racer opens in theaters today May 9. For more information go to the official site here.
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
mssasha:
He's too cute and good interview.
squee_:
Great interview. Not enough to make me actually see Speed racer but still nicely done.