His Villain in Live Free or Die Hard Versus Alan Rickman’s Villain in the Original Die Hard Film: Without needing to think about his answer Olyphant responded, “His is gonna be much better. That’s a little guess. It really is quite different. I just started this week so we’re kind of feeling it out. But it’s a cyber-terrorist plot based on this article that was in Wired magazine a few years ago saying that as horrific and sad as it was seeing a building come down, the real threat to the country was cyber-terrorism. If somebody were to hack into that infra-structure, they could cripple the country in a matter of days.
This character is a guy who used to work for the government and warned them of this possibility and is now carrying it out. So, in its own right, it’s a different character, a different villain. There’s something that feels a little bit more unstable about a person who would do that kind of a thing. The ouch doesn’t really match the pinch. It was a guy whose career was ruined and is now saying, ‘I told you so.’”
Although he hasn’t been beat up or blown up yet, Olyphant’s not counting either of those possibilities out. Olyphant said it hasn’t happened yet but added that he has a “sneaky suspicion” something of the sort will happen in the future.
Saying Yes to Being a Part of the Fourth Die Hard Movie: “It was easy. That offer came in and it seemed like a no-brainer. One, you know what you’re signing up for and it’s probably gonna be a good time. And, I’ve never played that substantial a role in such a classic, great American popcorn movie. Then, it becomes a personal thing. It shoots here in L.A. I literally work for just a few weeks; seems like fun.”
On the Status of Hitman: Olyphant’s not sure what’s happening with Hitman but confirmed there have been conversations about his involvement in the film. “I don’t think I’ve ever been officially attached to it, contrary to the Internet. It sounds fun. It sounds pretty cool. I’ve seen the pictures. I’ve never played the game, but it looks cool. Lord knows what I’d look like when this hair comes off. It’s a major concern.”
Plus, video games don't have a good track record when it comes to transitioning to the big screen. “That’s a good point. I think you start with the script and ask yourself who is going to tell that story and, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve got Luc Besson right now whose done very good movies in that genre – La Femme Nikita.
I remember walking around for weeks just saying La Femme Nikita. That was just such a good movie. Gosh, that was great and then The Professionals… I just watched The Professionals again two weeks ago. It’s a good movie. I haven’t seen the long version. I hear that’s unbelievable where he goes and kills people with her. I haven’t seen it. It’s such a great sweet story. You know what I mean? It’s a metaphor for parenthood in this warped way. You’re trying to teach your children how to survive without you. It’s really quite something.”
Also in the Works – A Film by Kimberly Peirce: “It’s called Stop Loss with Ryan Phillippe and Channing Tatum. It’s about these soldiers that come back and think they’re finished with their tour of duty, and they’re called back to the crisis in the Middle East. I play a Lieutenant Colonel who is essentially the guy who is saying, ‘Look, you’ve got to go back and there’s nothing we can do about it.’ I’m sort of his last [ditch] effort… Oh, he goes to a senator after me to try to fight it – Ryan [does].”
On the Possibility of One or Two Deadwood Movies: “I know what you know. I read the trades now because I want to know what’s happening. I’ve heard they’re going to do them. That’s all I can tell you. I couldn’t be more proud of that show and my involvement in it. It was one of the greatest experiences creatively and personally.
Just recently, the fact that the Screen Actors Guild gave us that ensemble nomination, the most lovely thing about that was the excuse to call all those folks up. [Ian] McShane called me in the morning. I talked to Dayton Callie. Later that afternoon, I talked to Anna [Gunn]. It was just great to be able to pick up the phone and hear those people’s voices again. And David Milch, I try to think positively that I might have soaked a little bit of that up, that I might somehow take some of that brilliance with me to other jobs. It was unbelievable what it was like. Unbelievable in that, consistently, every day I showed up on that set he did something that I was just wowed by, that I didn’t see coming. The one hesitation I had, the idea of doing a series was, ‘How long will it go and when will it get boring? At what point will it no longer have much to offer?’ And that point never came. It was really quite something.”
Asked if he’d like to be involved if there were feature films based on the series, Olyphant said, “I think it’s quite pointless to entertain that idea because, until there is something in front of me to make a decision about, I think that it’s better, for my mind-set, that I’m moving forward. I think, until that phone call comes, it’s sort of pointless to get too hung up on that.”
There’s No Denying Timothy Olyphant’s Keeping Busy: “I feel very blessed and fortunate. The fact is over a number of years now, I’ve been able to work rather consistently and also, I’ve been lucky to be able to play quite a diverse group of characters. The fact that that continues really means the world to me because it’s what’s fun about the profession; going from one thing to the next and being able to do things that I find surprising. It’s not something that I thought might have been in the repertoire kind of thing. It makes the job so much fun. I think, at the same time, with higher profile jobs and I imagine, my private life gets a little less private when you do something. I hope I’m at a place in my life where that’s not too disruptive.”
