http://newsok.com/strike-back-star-sullivan-stapleton-discusses-cinemax-series-and-gangster-squad-movie/article/3601001‘Strike Back' star Sullivan Stapleton discusses Cinemax series and ‘Gangster Squad' movie
BY MELISSA HAYER
mhayer@opubco.com Published: September 5, 2011
Sullivan Stapleton made his presence known to American movie fans in the Academy Award-nominated 2010 Australian feature “Animal Kingdom.”
Stapleton played a drug dealer in a dysfunctional family made up of criminals and received an Australian Film Institute nomination for his performance.
Now, he's stealing the spotlight in Cinemax's first original prime-time scripted drama, “Strike Back,” an action-oriented show adapted from the 2010 British series of the same name, which airs at 9 p.m. Fridays on the network.
The Australian actor plays former U.S. Special Forces operative Damien Scott, who along with British Sgt. Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), are members of a British top-secret counterterrorism intelligence agency known as Section 20.
Although Stapleton, 34, had not yet officially signed on the dotted line at the time of this phone interview, he also is scheduled to join the stellar cast of the upcoming feature film “Gangster Squad,” which includes Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone. The movie will be directed by Ruben Fleischer.
Stapleton discussed “Strike Back” and “Gangster Squad” in the following Q&A session:
Q: What stood out to you about “Strike Back” that made you want to be a part of it?
A: It was a great script from the outset. It was an enjoyable read. And then it sounded like a lot of fun. I'm traveling the world and playing soldiers.
Q: How would you sum up Damien Scott?
A: Well, Damien Scott's an ex-Delta Force soldier and dishonorably discharged through no fault of his own. And Section 20 comes to find him and, you know, Stonebridge finds Scott cage fighting in Kuala Lumpur for cash.
They ask Scott to help them in their search for terrorist Latif. And you quickly find out that Scott does things a very different way to Stonebridge, who is quite the serious soldier.
Scott does things very differently. He's a bit of a naughty boy, mischievous. But, you know, he's very good at his job, but he tends to have more fun doing it, I think, than Stonebridge.
Q: What similarities, if there are any, do you share with Scott — or how are you most different?
A: Definitely have the same sense of — I try to have as much fun as possible.
And the major difference would be that when I get shot, they call cut, and, you know, it doesn't kill me. It doesn't hurt.
We definitely share a love of the nightlife I would say, Scott and myself. ... I think I'm as cheeky as Scott.
Q: Talk about the boot camp training you went through to prepare for the show.
A: Yeah. They put us through hell. We landed in Cape Town, South Africa.
Phil and I, we met in the auditions, but we met basically every morning for that six weeks before shooting.
And we met at 6 a.m., and we'd go for runs. I would run to the gym, we'd work out, we'd run home. We ate lots of chicken. And that was about it.
And then we did military training. We had some great military advisers taking us through tactical operations and clearing rooms and houses. And weapons training, which is a lot of fun. And then lots more gym and lots more running.
We'd get in an overnight observational exercise out in the bush of South Africa. That was a lot of fun until 5 in the morning when we were woken up by the military advisers and told to run uphill with full kit and weapons.
And, it was hard, but it was fun ... it was a great exercise. And, really, the whole cast sort of bonded throughout all of that period. And put us in good stead for the show, for the rest of the filming period.
Q: One of the best elements of the show is the camaraderie between Scott and Stonebridge. Describe their relationship.
A: Obviously, at the start when they first meet, there's sort of an apprehension between them. Stonebridge, I don't think really likes Scott's way of doing things, and vice versa.
But throughout the show, these boys, they get into some pretty hairy situations.
And, I think through those ordeals, and that pressure, and the fact that basically they're watching each other's backs and saving each other's lives throughout these missions and they become quite close, and a high level of respect and admiration comes through.
Which also reflects in real life for Phil and myself.
Q: So let's talk a bit about “Gangster Squad.” Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone — that's an exciting crew to work with.
A: Yeah, it's very exciting, very exciting. I keep pinching myself if this stuff is actually happening. But apparently it is.
Q: What is your role?
A: I'm playing Jack Whalen. He's a hit man. And it's, obviously, set in the '40s, it's a gangster film based around Mickey Cohen, and I play a hit man.
He's not really affiliated with any one particular mob of gangsters.
He's a bit of a lone wolf and, funnily enough, an ex-military man.
But he sounds like a stand-up guy. And, basically, he's a childhood friend of Ryan Gosling's character. He actually sounds quite menacing.
Q: What kind of preparation do you have in mind for this movie?
A: I'm just gonna get back into the gym. I must admit I've had quite a relaxing time since I've finished filming.
Get back into the gym and get back into the form that I was in.
And, obviously, start doing some research.