IR Z Direct Interview: Dane DeHaan For “The Stranger” [Hulu] - Part I - video Dailymotion

The Inside Reel

Actor Dane DeHaan talks to The Inside Reel about performance, tone and environment in regards to his Quibi series "The Stranger" recut as a feature film for Hulu.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:10 You wanna know what this story is?

00:15 I will break you.

00:17 [MUSIC]

00:26 >> With something like this, it was very unique.

00:29 I know, cuz I was there when they launched Quibi, so it was very specific.

00:33 I would think performance wise, vertically versus horizontally.

00:37 Does it change when you think it's moved to the sort of that?

00:41 Did you think about that performance wise?

00:44 Cuz Vena said it was important as far as knowing how it was working.

00:48 >> Yeah, I mean, Vena understood that format.

00:53 And I think her idea to tell this story using that format was

00:58 incredibly interesting and compelling.

01:00 And she's such a great storyteller and so smart and

01:03 understands all those things as well as character and all that stuff.

01:08 So that part of it was really exciting.

01:12 I can't say honestly that I think much about vertical,

01:16 horizontal character in terms of performance at all when I'm performing at all.

01:24 It's just about understanding the character and the tone of what we're going for.

01:27 And then I trust in the camera department or

01:31 in the director to capture it appropriately.

01:33 >> Now as far as tonality here, because you've been in so

01:38 many movies where the tonal has to be dead on.

01:41 Even and I'm a big fan of Valerian.

01:42 I mean, Valerian had such a specific tone, but it had to walk that.

01:47 And this, it has to sort of do the same thing where it ups it, but

01:50 it has to sort of have that, because it was done in ten minute sequences.

01:53 Initially, it's sort of amping it up, bringing it back down,

01:56 amping it up, bringing it back down.

01:58 Could you talk about finding your understanding of the tone of what this

02:02 needed to be?

02:02 >> Yeah, well, when I first read it, it just, it read like a whole lot of fun.

02:08 I mean, sure, it's a thriller, horror, whatever, but it was making me laugh.

02:13 And I was like, this character,

02:15 it just seems like it could be a really indulgently fun time.

02:20 So I think we had like a week-ish of rehearsals and prep.

02:24 And so those were most of my questions for Vino.

02:27 We're like, can I really have as much fun with this as I want to?

02:32 Are we going for, we're not going for dark, gritty, and realistic, right?

02:39 We're trying to make something almost verging on camp at times,

02:44 like real, fun, indulgent.

02:46 And she was like, yeah, she gave me permission to go and have at it.

02:51 So to have that permission from a director of just like, have fun, go for it.

02:56 I think this character indulges in every moment in some way or another.

03:03 And to have that permission as an actor, I mean, it's a lot of fun.

03:08 [MUSIC]

03:10 >> Hey, what happened?

03:13 >> My passenger from tonight, she pulled a knife on me.

03:16 [MUSIC]

03:18 He attacked me.

03:20 If he finds me, he will kill me.

03:24 >> Do you like to be as an actor, be in control and be able to go with the lines?

03:29 Or do you like to be spontaneous in the moment?

03:31 I know it depends on the project.

03:33 But how much do you give yourself liberty compared to say,

03:36 working with Micah versus Kara or Michael or stuff like that?

03:41 How do you sort of gauge that?

03:42 What's your barometer?

03:44 >> Well, it's up to the director.

03:46 I'm not here to rock the boat.

03:47 I'm here to bring the director's vision to life.

03:50 And some directors want you to,

03:54 I think you're asking about sticking to the script, is that what you're asking about?

03:57 >> Well, I'm asking like interpretation.

03:59 Because obviously, you've always been very good at taking something and

04:03 finding sort of your bent on it while still staying within the director's

04:07 sort of structure, but you're always able to bring that extra oomph.

04:10 I'm just wondering, you go with the script, but

04:14 then you have to put your own spin on it too.

04:16 >> Yeah, I mean, I love creating a character.

04:19 It's so much fun for me.

04:20 I love figuring out what drives these people forward.

04:24 What is their motivation?

04:25 Why are they doing what they're doing?

04:27 And then ultimately, who are they?

04:30 What do they wear?

04:31 What is their hair like?

04:32 I love that part of it, the creating of the character,

04:35 that's honestly more fun to me than being on a film set.

04:39 It's what I love.

04:41 But I do think a part of that is understanding the director's vision.

04:47 Like I said, I'm not gonna be trying to do something that doesn't fit

04:51 into the director's world, that doesn't fit into the tone of what we're going for.

04:56 And Vino was really, and I felt like I understood that tone from reading it

05:01 the first time, and Vino was very validating that, yes,

05:05 what you're reading is what I want, go for it, have fun.

05:09 And that's what we did.

05:10 >> Give an open book, ask me anything.

05:13 >> Are you famous?

05:16 You don't have to tell me if you are.

05:18 >> Why would you think that?

05:20 >> You live in a mansion and you're my age.

05:23 >> No, that's not my house.

05:25 >> Okay, do you live with your parents?

05:27 >> No.

05:30 >> Actually, I have no idea who lives there.

05:35 >> What do you mean?

05:38 >> Well, it's about environment as well.

05:40 I mean, Vino and I were talking about the fact that being Angelenos, and

05:44 I take it you live in LA too probably.

05:46 >> I don't.

05:47 >> You don't?

05:48 It's interesting because there's all these corners of LA.

05:51 I mean, obviously in the base and then all that, most people don't get to see.

05:55 And so environment affects and affects everything that goes on with

06:01 your character and how he sees the city and how Micah is sort of responding to that.

06:06 Could you sort of talk about how important environment is for you,

06:09 practical environment, say versus virtual or green screen,

06:13 which you've done in the past, of course?

06:15 >> Yeah, I mean, look, it's easier for

06:17 me to be in the actual place that things are actually taking place in.

06:20 I mean, that's just, for me as an actor, it does a part of my job for me.

06:25 If I don't have to imagine the space I'm in, that's just easier.

06:32 You're supposed to be in a house and we're in the house.

06:36 That just, it's easier for me.

06:39 Not that I don't love using my imagination, but it's also awesome.

06:45 What's great about working in Los Angeles is that's where movies got started.

06:49 There's something just cool about making a movie in the town where it all began.

06:54 I don't live there, and that's what I prefer.

06:58 I like visiting, I don't like living there.

07:01 So to have an opportunity to visit and work there and

07:04 know that it's temporary, it's a cool feeling.

07:07 >> About 40, 45 minutes ago,

07:13 a sharing economy driver, much like yourself, dropped me off and I rang the bell.

07:18 When the woman that lives there opened the door, I shot her in the face.

07:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]

07:28 >> That's funny.

07:29 >> No, not being funny.

07:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]

07:34 >> Now in terms of the thematics, because I know you probably certain things draw

07:38 you in, obviously, a lot of different things.

07:41 But can you talk about the sort of themes here about control, chaos,

07:46 the overarching element?

07:48 Obviously, some of those things, obviously, you were part of Oppenheimer.

07:51 So that's another thing that sort of comes up as far as knowing and

07:55 understanding looking at the notion of fear, the fear versus control.

08:00 Could you sort of talk about that?

08:01 Because that's the key commodity that your character uses,

08:05 is that control in all this chaos.

08:08 >> Yeah, well, I think technology is such a big part of everything in this story and

08:15 how Carl uses technology to his advantage to be evil.

08:22 And I think that's something that we really need to be conscious of is,

08:26 as if people are gonna have free reign to use technology however they want,

08:30 inevitably, some people are gonna use it for evil.

08:32 That's just an undeniable fact.

08:35 So I think there's a responsibility to people to use it responsibly and

08:41 to understand what could happen if it gets in the wrong hands.

08:44 And I think there's in many ways,

08:46 there's more freedom with technology now than even when we made it.

08:50 So this is something, although within the movie,

08:55 it's over the top and fun and a crazy story.

09:01 It is something that unfortunately could happen.

09:06 I mean, people use technology for evil all the time.

09:09 [MUSIC]

09:19 (whooshing)

09:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]

IR Z Direct Interview: Dane DeHaan For “The Stranger” [Hulu] - Part I

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