This dynamic action-thriller directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton , Michael Douglas, Michael Angarano; and introduces mixed martial arts superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts.
Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive. Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary. ‘Haywire’ is out now in the UK. It’s set for release January 20th in the US.
First off, how did you get involved with ‘Haywire’?
Antonio Banderas: Steven Soderbergh is one of those guys you say “yes” to, sometimes without reading the script. I had the opportunity….he called me twice in my career, but I couldn’t actually work with him. One was for ‘Che’ and the other one was ‘Traffic.’ I was signed at that particular time with other movies, but I knew. I had talked to him very early when I came to Los Angeles. He just presented ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotapes‘ and I loved that movie. We were talking about Almodóvar, because he’s a fan of Pedro. So at that time, he said to me, “I would like to have the opportunity to work together some day.” But many years, almost twenty years happened in the middle (laughs). He sent me the script. It was very confusing to me, to tell you the truth, but it was an immediate positive answer to work with him. I don’t regret it for a second. It was great.
How did you find working with Gina in Barcelona, in the square?
Antonio Banderas: It was a beautiful setting. It was actually my first shot, we had beautiful lighting, there was a beautiful sunset in Barcelona. The square is fantastic. Shooting in my home town, sorry, not my home town but my home country, it was fantastic for me. I was also very surprised by Gina, she’s amazing, very sweet, she has a spark about her. I think many people will relate to her in this film. I really feel like we’re witnessing the birth of a new star.
I didn’t have to fight with her in the movie. I have done a lot of movies where I had to fight a number of guys – fast guys, big guys, little guys, anything. I would have been very confident with her really, because she’s very precise, and fortunately, you don’t only see that in her fighting in the movie. What really shocked me when I saw it was how good she is, how wonderful she is as an actress. She’s beautiful. Her performance is easy-going. There is a sense of alert focus all the time, that front of a spy on her is demanded – she does that beautifully. I think you follow the story through her unbelievably well. What surprised us all was not that she could fight, we knew that, but her ability as an actress. After seeing the movie my wife is very curious to know her better, because she said to me when the movie finished, “She’s totally real,” and I totally agree with that.
Having worked with a number of great directors in your career, how did you find working with Steven Soderbergh, someone who’s got such a unique way of making movies?
Antonio Banderas: Not only just how quick he goes, which is fantastic for the actors and I suppose the rest of the team, but also the fact that he doesn’t use lights – and that happened in Barcelona, the first scene that I shot in the movie was how fast he shoots, and the non-use of lighting. We were shooting in the square plaza, it was unbelievable how fast we were moving, and at the same time, he didn’t do any type of coverage sometimes. We’d just shoot the scene, move on. Being a director myself – still a rookie, but a director (laughs) – I shoot everything. I shoot ash trays, anything. As much material as I can so I can look later in the editing room. This guy doesn’t shoot anything. It was just moving like, “We got it, moving on. Let’s go to the airport.” The same afternoon, we shot at the airport – boom, boom, boom, moving on. Only a director with tremendous confidence and self-assurance can do that.
The beard is great, where did the beard come from?
Antonio Banderas: It was an accident (laughs). I did a workshop in New York for ‘Zorba,’ a project I had in mind and may happen. I didn’t have anything to do and I wanted to do the workshop with a beard because I just pictured the character of Zorba with a big beard. I was going to shave the next day, but I had an interview with Steven for the movie. He wanted to see me here in Los Angeles, and he said, “I like the beard.” I said, “No, please. I haven’t shaved in two months.” “No, no the beard is fine. It’s a different you.” So I was trapped with my beard for another three to four months (laughs). My wife was not very happy about it.
The interesting thing is I finished the movie, I wrapped in New Mexico, and I went to Spain and was doing the movie with Pedro Almodóvar, and I think it was the last week I was working with him. Steven called me and he said, “I just put together the movie. Your character is very enigmatic and very shadowy. I like him, but we have to close him. It’s my fault. I’m just going to write a couple of scenes for him that is going to explain the whole entire thing. Actually, you became the mastermind of the whole entire operation, and you’re going to have a scene with Gina.” And I said, “Steven, I am still working with Pedro and I will be free in a week and I don’t have the beard.” And he said, “We’ll build it for you.” So I came a year after we finished the movie, and we did those new scenes, which is actually the end of the movie. With the beard, we did a couple of scenes underground with the French actor, and then shaved for the last moment with her.
Did you feel different without the beard?
Antonio Banderas: Yes, those scenes are….like a mask. When you have a beard you act differently. It’s almost like working with different languages. I’ve done movies in Italy, for example, and you start doing things with the hands. All these kinds of things are different. You act differently with a beard – I don’t know how to explain it (laughs). Also, I felt older. I can actually hide behind my beard, in a way. It’s interesting for my character because he’s the guy that nobody knows what he’s really doing – not until the end. I think it was a smart decision on Steven Soderbergh’s part. This is the guy that nobody is paying attention to. He never got beat up by the girl, but he is the one who is cooking everything in the background.