Paul Walker Understands the Violence of “Running Scared:” “Hey look, people are going to think I’m sick and I’m twisted but when I read it I didn’t think that there was anything that was unjustified. I’m sorry but this guy dug himself a hole, and he dug his family a hole in the process. He’ll be damned if anything is going to happen to him. And besides, who’s he smokin’? Who’s he whacking along the way? They’re bad guys. The world isn’t going to miss them. So the whole way I’m going, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, do it!’ I’m reading this thing, I’m going, ‘Yeah, f**king kill that guy!’
The pedophiles? [Spoiler deleted] Come on! That’s my favorite scene in the movie and the best thing about it is that the people who don’t get it, absolutely hate it. They go, ‘That scene just completely came out of left field.’ I’m like, ‘You’re missing the point because that’s the whole idea.’ That’s my favorite scene. When I read it I said to Wayne, I said to Vera [Farmiga], I said, ‘I’m so jealous of you. That’s the most memorable scene in the movie.’”
Paul Walker Watched Out for His Young Co-Stars: Walker felt responsible for the young actors in "Running Scared." “Oh yeah, especially to the parents. I mean, they signed on to it knowing what they’re getting themselves into but still, you know, that’s got to be tough. I wanted to make it very clear that, ‘I understand what’s going on here and I understand that you’ve accepted the environment that basically your kids are going to be in for the next while, but just know that I’m sensitive to it and I’m great with kids. I come from a huge family. I’ve got nieces, nephews. I’m Peter Pan. S**t, I feel like I’m 12, 13 years-old anyway (laughing) so I’m going to get along just fine with these kids.’
My whole point was, and I thought it was really important, was, ‘Let’s stay focused.’ We have a job at hand here but I’m sensitive to the fact that these kids are out of school, they’re away from friends. I’ve got a football. I’ve got a soccer ball. I got everything. And you know what? It’s good too because I establish, I build a rapport with these kids; I want them to feel comfortable around me. And who’s to say Joey Gazelle wouldn’t go toss the football with Oleg anyways, so it all plays in.”
Paul Walker Shares His Admiration for Writer/Director Wayne Kramer: Walker and Kramer were present to introduce a special screening of “Running Scared” in San Francisco and while doing so, Walker said Kramer’s a director he’d work with again and again and again. Asked why, Walker replied, “He’s such a great guy. First and foremost, that’s the most important thing to me. I’ll work with a great guy that maybe even hasn’t proven himself before I’ll work with the a**hole that’s sold it time and time again. You know, you live once. I want to enjoy things. To find the balance that he’s got, it doesn’t happen. He’s Fincher – he’s any of those guys. I think Wayne’s going to blow up. He’s going to make a lot of great movies in the course of who knows how many years. I just hope to be involved in a lot of them.
You know, I’m a pretty mellow guy. I’m pretty easy-going. I see everyone’s perspective. I see everyone’s side so I’m a pretty good mediator on set when tensions are flying. That guy is tenacious and he fights. I think we complement each other in that respect. I’m pretty good at soothing him and mellowing him out, but at the same time I want to give him just enough so when it’s crunch time, when we’ve got five minutes left to get a shot he’s going, ‘F**k you! I’m getting this damn shot!’ I’m going, ‘Yeah!,’ in the back. I’m rooting but at the same time when I see it getting out of control I can step up and say, ‘Hey look…’ I think we work well together. Nobody messes with this guy’s movie. Nobody messes with his movie.”
From “Running Scared” to “Eight Below:” The family-friendly movie “Eight Below” hit theaters one week before “Running Scared.” It’s an interesting contrast in characters for Walker. “Well I did ‘Running Scared,’ what, close to 2 years ago now. Wayne cut together the trailer for AFM, trying to sell the damn thing. I was so excited, hot off the presses, I run home, I show my mother. She just about started crying. She says to me, ‘You know what would be great? If you could make a movie that you can take your nieces and nephews – not to mention your daughter – to.’ Two weeks later to the day, Disney offered me the ‘Eight Below’ script. F**k, I didn’t want to go make ‘Snow Dogs.’ I’ve already seen that. When I read it I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is ‘Old Yeller’.’ I liked it and I got it, so I was like, ‘Hell with it.’ I’m off the hook. I get to take my daughter, all my nieces and nephews, the whole family to the premiere. It’s one premiere I’m actually looking forward to going to. This is the first time, to be honest with you.”
Paul Walker on Working with the Huskies and Malamutes of “Running Scared:” “It was great. It was cool. I love dogs. If you like dogs, you get it. If you don’t, you don’t get it.”
