Are there any moments of levity on “The Red Road?”
[Laughs] I have some levity moments, yeah. There’ll be some for me. I don’t know about Harold. Harold’s got a lot of s*** on his plate. He shouldn’t be laughing.
Is it a dark, sort of macabre humor?
Mine is. Kind of creepy when we’re out there in the water. There’s all those moments of just silent uncomfortable [moments]. I like that one. I just watched it for the first time last night so just those uncomfortable silences, like what’s going to go on in the water.
What is the extent of your talks with the Batman Vs. Superman people?
Everyone keeps bringing that up and I’m like, “It’s just rumors.” It’s a fabulous rumor because everyone keeps asking me but it’s just a rumor.
When it’s a rumor like that, it does keep coming up.
Yeah, I know. I’m trying to snub it but I can’t really comment on it.
You want to snub it?
I just can’t comment on a rumor. It’s not true so I don’t have anything interesting to say.
Is it something you want?
Sure, I mean I guess so. That would be f***ing amazing, but no one’s called me and checked on it.
Besides Conan, have there been any moves to make you an action hero?
It hasn’t happened yet. I’m really excited to be on this show that’s actually not action based. Everything I’ve done is action based so it’s exciting to do something else.
But it hasn’t been as the lead, and even watching “Bullet to the Head” I thought you were a great villain, but they should maybe build a vehicle around you.
That’d be great. I don’t know. It hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully someday.
How early in your life did you start paying attention to your physique as an asset?
Probably about two years ago.
That’s it?
Like when I got Conan I was like, “Oh s***, all right.” I started hurting more. The more I didn’t work out, I hurt. Like when you do these stunts and you don’t take care of yourself, it’s actually just to protect yourself from being injured.
On this actually, on “Red Road,” since I didn’t have that much action, I didn’t work out at all. I was just super pumped. I get to wear clothes, I get to talk and I don’t have to do any action. I was injured. If I had to run, I’d pull a groin. I did all kinds of stuff to get injured. It was ridiculous. They thought I was a big wuss, like, “This guy thinks he’s an action hero? He does Conan and he does all these things?” Martin’s giving me crap like I would just pull a leg muscle running, like, “Dude, you’re pathetic.” I’m like, “I really am good at action,” but I was constantly getting hurt.
Do your tattoos work for the role of Kopus?
They do. I didn’t have to cover it up.
Did they come up with a story for how Kopus got them?
Nah, he’s been in prison.
There’s movie coming up called The Voyager. Is that a lead role for you?
That’s a friend of mine that wrote that. It’s not a lead role. It’s supporting. That one’s still not quite out there yet. The next one we’ve got coming out is Wolves and then Road to Paloma. That’s the first movie I directed and wrote. I spent last year with some friends and I directed it, shot it with eight of my best friends. It’s shot on the 5D and it’s coming out in Spring/Summer. Me and my friends wanted to tell a good story.
What’s the story?
You know, I studied with the tribe too. It was inspired by New York Times articles about the rapes and violence and murders that were happening on the reservations.
From outsiders?
From outsiders. Have you read any articles on that where basically a non-native can come onto a reservation, commit a crime, tribal law can arrest you. They can’t prosecute you so it has to go to Federal court. Federal court’s too busy with terrorist acts and Homeland Security. Many of these cases were getting thrown out. So little small crimes, even though it’s important, it’s not a glory case like murder, but rapes and things like that were happening and it’s non Natives that were doing it which is f***ed up.
Being a father, being a husband, being a son, grandson, if you were to mess with any of my family and the law didn’t protect us, what do you do? It’s called Road to Paloma. My [character’s] mother’s name is Paloma and she ends up passing. She’s raped and beaten, is in a coma. My dad’s a tribal officer. Wes Studi plays my dad and he’s going back to get his mom’s ashes and take her up in these mountains and spread her ashes. At the same time, the police are after him. It’s not a chase movie. It’s more like he’s been hiding out for six months and now he knows he’s not going to make it.
Why are the police after your character?
He killed the guy. He killed the rapist so it starts with him doing migrant work, just being out in the fields and just barely getting by. It’s him coming out to go get his mom’s ashes and the characters that he meets on the road. It’s inspired by Five Easy Pieces, Dharma Bums, a Kerouac story, and I wanted to tell the story of what’s the mark you leave in this world? All the people that have inspired us or inspired you to where you were at, what mark you leave on other people.
And what is Wolves?
David Hayter, writer of Watchmen and X-Men, his directorial debut and I play obviously a big bad wolf.
Is that what the facial hair is for?
Oh, this? No, I just don’t like shaving. I don’t like haircuts, that’s all. If I’m not working, I’m not cutting my hair or shaving.
Was it fun to be a monster?
Oh yeah. You know, it was hard because it was like four to five hours of prosthetics. The same people that did X-Men and are amazing, They won the Oscar for The Wolfman. It’s tough because I’ve got ADD and I can’t sit still for 20 minutes. You see me right here, I’m like this. Five hours…
I appreciate hearing that it’s practical.
Oh, man, it was brutal.
Is a monster like a werewolf anything like Drogo?
It’s like Drogo dressed up as a big bad wolf. It’s pretty good, man.
With “Game of Thrones,” did you know about the Red Wedding in advance?
Yeah, I knew it was going to happen but still, it doesn’t prepare you for what you see. It was amazing. It was awesome. I was so proud of them.
You’re in pretty good company with people who don’t last long but make their mark on “Game of Thrones.”
Absolutely. Good God damn show, man.
