I’ve always had a natural fear of the police, or abuse of their power. Not of their individual position. So I was always very careful with how I dealt with them as a result of this information being passed on to me. So that was the closest thing I had to that experience.”
The Buzz Surrounding “Crash:” “…When you hear buzz around the beehive, you know they’re making honey in there. So that’s been good. It’s all been based upon [the lines of truth]. So this film, there’s honey in this. There’s something that’s soothing and something nutritious in this beehive that’s been created.
I’m not worried at all about how it will be responded to, how people will respond to it. But ultimately, I think it will end up in the hands of the educators and will become a tool used in this human rights evolution as time continues on.”
The Dynamics of a Very Difficult Scene with Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon and Ryan Phillippe: “When you’ve got a group of magicians, of craftsmen…and each and every person created those four walls, I couldn’t escape from the circumstance. I couldn’t look in Thandie’s eyes and find an avenue where the tension wasn’t so high. I couldn’t look to Matt and have him let me off the hook. And I couldn’t look to Ryan because they were all so engrossed in their parts. I mean, we were able to create a bit of magic right there for that moment. It all felt real.
I was trying my hardest not to cry standing there. Instead of me literally trying to cry - another actor might be trying to cry - I was trying not to cry. I was trying not to be afraid. And I caught myself at a moment trembling that wow, does this person really live inside of me? Would I allow anything like that to happen? Because I felt like it was happening. I couldn’t wait until they said cut. I couldn’t wait until the director let us off the hook and let us go home that night.”
What Happened After the Director Said “Cut:” “I remember Matt afterwards at the end of the night apologizing to me. And it was sincere. Literally apologizing to me for what he had to do right there. And he was so concerned with Thandie because he was trying to be real with it and we all wanted him to go further and further and he felt a bit reserved. I saw him struggling with being able to go there and I was struggling and Ryan was struggling and Thandie was struggling to allow this to happen. And he just kept apologizing to us. He kept apologizing.”
Intense Scenes and Humor: “Sometimes the only way to make palatable that which is appalling and apprehensive is to season it with some humor. But I don't think the actors provided the seasoning of humor. I think the nature of the audience [is], ‘In order for me to digest this, I’m going to have to giggle with this for a moment.’ But I remember [the scene] when [Ryan Phillippe] came up to save me from my own self-destruction and him pleading with me. That felt real because it seemed like he was pleading to me about my own personal life. ‘Stop getting in your own way. You’re about to kill yourself with all of this up here.’ And I’m trying to tell him that I didn’t ask for your help. Those were unscripted lines that became part of the scenery as a result of the emotional pool that was being exerted upon the two of us at that time. But he was literally trying to save me in more ways than just the film.”
Up Next: “My Life in Idlewild:” “I play a corrupt bootlegger. I guess they’re all corrupt. But [I’m] just the antagonist of that piece.”
Playing the Heavy Opposite Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast: “I crack both of their heads in the movie. …[Andre] is the Jimi Hendrix of our modern day. His ability to dive into things. I had a great time with him.”
On Working with 50 Cent in "Get Rich or Die Tryin':" “50, his work ethic is unmatched, unparalleled. We’ll be shooting for 13-14 hours every day, he’s inside his studio, his mobile studio right there. And his willingness to mold himself to Jim Sheridan’s vision is remarkable. It’s truly remarkable. You’ll see some stuff in the movie that you would’ve never expected to see.
