Taylor Kitsch

Part 1

0:07Taylor, thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Yeah, so we were just talking here. Yeah. As I'm sitting there, watching John Carter, I'm thinking, it's got this Avatar Star Wars feel, and then doing research for this, I find out it's all based on John Carter and these books. So were you a fan of the books? Did you know the books going into this? I didn't know the books or anything. I grew up as bros. I actually, my first meeting with Stan was about this, obviously, an exposing and his energy. He was brought up with these books since 11 years old, and he'd always wanted to see this on the big screen. And so for him to direct this was living his dream in a way. But to go back to the answer of just, I wasn't exposed until the first meeting, and then his energy's incredibly infectious. And you're walking out of this meeting being like, OK, I've got to go. I have to. Even if I don't do this role, which I'm

0:52going to do anything to get, I've got to go read these books. And I went literally from that meeting to the nearest book so I got them. All of them are just the first. Three. So are there plans for sequels? Oh, yeah. We signed on for three. Oh, very nice. So when you go to the end, hopefully we can. I think it'd be a crime not to, especially the way it's left. But yeah, I love the ending, by the way. We're not going to talk about that. We can't ruin the film. No, but I can say I love the ending. Yeah, of course you can. Yeah. But yeah, we signed on for three. Nice. So when do you shoot the next one? Well, you guys got to dictate that. If they like it enough, or if they go enough, well, we'll get to do another one. I think it's going to do pretty well. I hope so. So how do you go from sleeping on Subway's New York City to starting an $50 million film?

1:39I think I really do a trivia just working people to get here. Just literally, it could be that simple. If I had to say one thing or give an actor, advice, or something, just net. Because there's so many variables that come under play that aren't in your control in life and in onset with lighting, timing, other people's moods. You name it. But I think the one thing you can control and never have an excuse for is your work ethic. And that's what I attribute so much to me. I've never known being favored to get a role. It's always been the underdog. So it's kind of pushing me, I guess, in a way. And what was it like on set for this working against a green screen? Or I guess against the games I could be willing to focus on stilts for part of it?

2:24Yeah, it was. Anytime you see Tars Tarkets, that's Willem. So it was a matter of working off him, albeit he's in jammies and a head cam and stilts, three foot stilts. And you're in basically nothing? Yeah, nude and a skirt and boots. So yeah, there are definitely moments where it's like, well, you're in jammies. Well, you're basically nude. You read it? Yeah, you know. But as long as it's not while the camera's rolling, we can laugh at it. But yeah, it's just an experience. You learn patience incredibly fast, because the setups take way different, obviously, than something like an F-fri-Nay lights or something. And where was the shot? All in the desert. It was like it looks more. Yeah, it was. We were on Lake Powell in Utah in the Utah Desert,

3:12all over London in the stages. Endorse it. I think that's south of London. So all over the world, really. LA a bit. Wow. We do something called five questions. Five questions. Oh, yeah. Bring it. These are the ones I think you've ever been for. Spielberger. Spielberger Scorsese. Oh, shit. I don't know if you can say that, but whatever. Depends on the character. Scorsese. Scorsese. That's what you're leaning. So go with that one. Leonard McCurdy. Leonard. Most important thing, she looked great at you. Oh, my God. That's a good one. Oh, that's really good.

3:59She just kicked my ass. She just really grounded me. Because I went in quite cocky and was just incredibly grounded very quick. So she won't take anything. You give her, she'll just rip you in half. So that was a big thing. Her grounding me was big. Cool. Rule your most proud. They're all right. They're so different. Yeah. John Carter. Here we go. And then one word, John Carter. In one word? Yeah. I can't. One word. Escape. Nice. Thank you very much. Thank you. Really appreciate it. Yeah, likewise.

Part 2

0:06So what intrigued you but Dr. Lewis? The script, but more so the character. I just think it was a fun arc to play. And it really is a fine line, you know, because he is a smart cat to lie to him that often and for him to kind of fall into it. But to work with Brendan was great. And I don't know, I think it was just a lot of fun to go to set, man. See what happens, improv and just have fun and laugh and try and make Brendan or Gordon break. Whatever it was, you know, it was fun. A lot of improv? You were allowed to go off script and just kind of like, free form it. I think it was just a big thing for me before I signed on just to, you know, that's a big thing of where I come from. So, you know, if you feel it, just go with it, you know, and Brendan would just be, he's so on it and he's insane.

0:53So you can't really get him to break at all. He's just so dry and focused and he was a lot of fun. Don was saying that he was watching you do all these action films, but knew that you'd be like this great comedic straight man. Oh, cool. Did you, was it easy for you to place it? Because I mean, that's different. It is different. I don't know. I think everyone thinks they're funny. That's fair. No, it was a lot of fun. I think it's that Canadian kind of humor and I'm incredibly dry or sarcastic or both. So you try to infuse that when you can, when it works. Did you infuse your hockey skills into the cricket? Do the two even more late at all? I didn't play cricket. I should have though, shouldn't I have? You should try a little bit offset. No? No. I mean, that was one day and that was my first day.

1:40Oh, there it is right there. Yeah, that was my first day on set. Was this. So I didn't play though. It's a hell of a view for the first day on set. Yeah, right. No joke. Did you go to the, the, what's funny? Okay. Let me give you a good story. That's what I'm here for. Thank you. We're doing, I was on that, on the bow watching from the, on the ocean. And that was like whatever day two or something. Day one was on there where he comes and checks it. Um, and it was dead flat. Like I'm talking like lake. Like five a.m. late glass. And my character's throwing up so bad. But if you look at the ocean, it's dead flat. You know that it's, there should be some waves. Like not one white cap out there. And he can't handle that.

2:26So I knew I thought that was funny. That's where the acting skills come into play. Yeah, right. Um, did you watch the, the Quebec movie? No. You wanted to stay as far away from as possible. Yeah. Well, I mean you're making it sound like a disease. No, no. No, but I mean, even, even you have the option to go to Source Me. Remember when we talk for John Carter, you went to the books, right? Yes. Right. No, I just, I think you just want to be. Same with F and L. It's like I didn't watch the film or anything like that. Or I just wanted to make it your own. Like anything else. I can watch it now. Do you like, have you seen it? What? This? No. Are you excited? I can't wait. Do you like watching yourself? I mean. I feel like you'd be overly critical. Like it'd be hard. Absolutely. Yeah. But I have a shit ton of mirrors in my house. Does that say anything? No. Okay. Not at all.

3:11Okay. Yeah. Five quick questions, one more answers. We did this last time. Oh yeah, bring it. Why can't more, why can't I get more interviews like this? What, the weird five quick things? Yeah, it's just fun. We can do them all day. No. Improv or script? Improv. Stager screen. Damn. That's a hard good script with improv. Cool. Like this one. Yeah. Stager screen. I'm going to do stage soon. I have to say screen because I haven't done stage yet. Cool. Leonard McCartney. Oh. Leonard. My is nurse Dennis Lowski. Stanney. Oh sure. Is that where you came up? Yeah. I can't say that. That's fine. The grand seduction in one word. Nice. Thanks dude. Yeah, absolutely.

3:57Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Let's get talking. Do what actors say, Meissner, I want to know.