GABRIEL MANN ('Harrison')
Can you describe your role in "Abandon?"
I play Harrison Hobart in “Abandon.” I'm unsuccessfully obsessed with Katie's character. I think that's sort of the best tagline for it. I'd certainly like a good shot at having a chance to have a relationship with Katie's character, Katie Burke. But, she's previously obsessed. It's sort of an obsession on top of an obsession. She's obsessed somewhere else so it's sort of a bad experience all the way around.
Did you call upon your own college experience for this role?
My father is a college professor and that's about the extent of my college experience (laughing). I'm sort of a professional student forever. I think just as human beings we always have a student who is alive in us and is waiting to pop up and make us feel like we are 16 years-old again.
What was it like working with Stephen Gaghan as a first-time director?
Stephen was amazing. I'd work with Stephen again in a second. He is really just clear, concise and just smart. It's nice to work with somebody who is really smart and has his thoughts organized. Just bumping heads with Stephen Gaghan was a pleasure.
And you're also working on the prequel to "The Exorcist?"
Yes, I am. I play Father Francis in "The Exorcist Prequel.” It's fantastic. We are shooting in Morrocco and Rome. Paul Schrader is directing; Stellan Skarsgard plays the younger Max Von Sydow character. It's just a fantastic script. It's a very eerie, very scary script. It encomposes a growing dread that I think is really appropriate for the film. I'm really excited about it.
Were you a fan of the original “Exorcist?”
I own the original. I know the original backwards and forwards. I can't actually believe I'm even talking to you about doing anything actually connected to that film. It's very cool.
As a fan of “The Exorcist,” would you have been involved with the film if you weren't totally satisfied with the way the prequel leads into the original story?
With something like this I think it's more important than anything that it encompass elements of what made the first thing good, otherwise there's no point in doing another one. I felt that it did - without really revealing too much about what happens.
You also have “The Life of David Gale” opening soon. What's your role in that film?
I play Zack in “The Life of David Gale.” Kate Winslet and I are sort of butting heads through the entire movie. I'm Kate Winslet's intern from the magazine where we both work. Of course she doesn't want me on the job and of course I'm so excited to be working with her. Anyway, sparks fly.
What's it like to work with Kate Winslet as an actor?
Love (laughing).
We started this interview talking about obsession and now we've moved onto love.
We're moving into a bit more healthy emotion now (laughing). Kate's just a consummate pro. She's an amazing actress and she was just really supportive of me. I felt really nervous at times on that movie. I mean I certainly didn't want to showboat but I wanted to be able to stand toe-to-toe with some of these actors that I've respected so much. She made it very comfortable and really nice.
Does your character interact with Kevin Spacey's character at all?
I'm generally being sequestered away from Kevin's character because Kate doesn't want me dealing with him.
