How did you prepare for playing an amputee?
Spent a lot of time with an amputee. A lot of questions, talking to him, just about what it was like to experience it. Luckily the director of the movie, Rowan Woods, is amazing. He’s such a stickler for research. He actually found a bunch of people and he interviewed them. I had all these DVDs with amazing interviews with them about what it was like, their accidents and the rehabilitation, and psychologically how it affected them - and physically. That was really an interesting process. I think it was one of the best experiences of making a movie that I’ve ever had, was working with those people.
Researching the role or playing the character?
All of it. The research, the fact that it was so detailed. That added to the experience. You felt you knew your character in the world that the characters lived in more and more, and it was like an immersion into this whole world that you then got to play with. In many ways it re-enthused me for acting. It was certainly a different part than anything I’ve ever played. Just the caliber of people, too. I mean, working with Cate who is obviously just one of the best. Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, and Rowan the director. He did a little movie called “The Boys,” a little Australian film about six or seven years ago. This was his first film since then. He was just so passionate and excited to be back behind the camera. So it was a lot of good energy.
What sort of project are you searching for?
It’s just about finding something that means something to me. The stuff I’ve been looking at lately – I’m just doing some meetings on different things – they’re slightly darker roles. I think I feel like I’d like to play characters that just have a little more edge to them.
Does that reflect your personality more – the edgy, darker characters? Or are you more of the cool, charming, sexy leading man as Gurinder Chadha saw you?
I think it depends. I think there are different sides of myself that I’m curious to explore and different roles bring it out. I think a human being is a pretty complex thing, really, and I’m sort of enjoying the opportunity to explore different parts, you know? I mean, I certainly have an edgier, darker side that would be fun to explore in different roles. I don’t know if I really want to explore it in my life (laughing).
Do you ever take your roles home with you?
You know, there’s a little bit that creeps in. I think it’s just an occupational hazard that I think if you really… I think you have to love your character. You have to. The more a character means to you, the more I think the deeper the love you have for that character. I find it a little hard to leave it behind. I mean, I’m not like totally ‘method man’ like I forget who Martin was. But I think there’s certain elements of your own personality that are needed to be expressed through the character that tend to become a little more prevalent when you’re working on the character. Once the film leaves, that sort of goes away.
What character that you’ve played has really touched you deeply more so than the others?
Well, it definitely wasn’t the one in “Torque” because I just couldn’t wear leather pants like that all the time (laughing). I don’t know. It’s an interesting question. Maybe this last film that I did. I think, I really think in some ways he was a tragic character but I had a real sort of fondness for him in a perverse way. I don’t know. I think it’s just characters to me that are honest, you know?
Maybe I’m still looking for the role I think really defines what I want to do with my career and gives me an opportunity to explore some deeper levels. Most of the films that I’ve done have been not bad films, but I don’t know how much I’ve really given the audience. I think ultimately as an actor you want to find those roles where you really feel you can give a lot of yourself. I think I’m looking to find that.
