0:02 [Music] Just tell us about Hummingbird. It's a film in case you haven't noticed by Steven Knight. See, I didn't finish my sentence. Um Steven Knight is uh you know a world-class writer that has written some fantastic films and this is his first uh his uh first and great effort as a as a filmmaker and a director. So um it's a a terrific story about a guy running away from his past uh and uh someone that shares a very dark secret with um with a nun. So not something I've done before. So, how did you come to be involved in a
0:48 do you know Steven prior to making this movie? No, but I've I've you've been very aware of his his his work and and who he is and yeah, it's uh you know, it's a it's that kind of quality doesn't usually land on my uh on my desk. You know, normally people want me to bang someone around the head, drive a car, and shoot a gun and they're very happy. So, um this has, you know, a lot of uh a lot of content. It's a much deeper and richer story with, you know, great characters and, you know, takes takes me places that, you know, that I don't normally go. So, was it did you quite enjoy the kind of the challenge that was of taking on this quite intricate character? Yeah, I enjoy working with smart people. Um, I've worked with a lot of people that ain't so smart. Uh so when I do get
1:34 to be surrounded by you know such a an amazing set of uh people that you know there's Paul Webster who's a brilliant producer, you've got Chris Mangis who's a great DP, you've got a fabulous production designer, a great costume designer. It's all those things are very important when you come to you know to make a film. you need uh you're only as good as the team around you and uh you know the people that you're working with working with Vicky Mccclure and you know Agata the uh it's that that kind of environment is is is so important on the quality of the end product you know and you've got a very strong chemistry with Agata I feel did that something you just found came quite naturally the two of you have to kind of work towards that no I think that's uh that's either there or it isn't there
2:21 um no one knows whether that's going to come or or I don't know how you find chemistry. I think it's just an instinctual thing and uh we just uh we just found a way that it just it just it was like a little spark for us. It just worked great. And uh did you do you know that straight away when you go on to a set when you meet them? Can you tell instantly this is something that could work? This this could be the start of something quite Yeah. You know immediately. Yeah, I think so. I think within within a day or two of of a rehearsal, you know, uh you know what's what's coming, good or bad, and this, you know, it's it's it's, you know, it's it's really relaxing to know you can you know you're going to go and do something that is going to work. Absolutely. You
3:06 mentioned Vicky Mccclure, of course. I mean, she's arguably be this most of promising actress in Britain at the moment. Must be wonderful to be working alongside her. Yeah, it's uh it's a it's a great thing, you know, we are it's such an important role for for the Joey character to to have someone like that. Um my only my only regret is that we didn't have a lot more to do, you know, have more screen time together. Um but she's fabulous. I'm just just so happy with someone like that. Because you've done a lot of big Hollywood productions. Is it quite nice to be back here at home in London shooting a movie? Yeah, I mean I'm you know been kicking around with you know big Hollywood uh action stars and uh this is uh it's a it's a different thing. It's very nice to be back home. Yeah. And I mean obviously
3:51 this was all sort of um shot on location guard and and Soho etc. Did Did that pose any difficulties? Were people coming up to you and stopping you? I mean because obviously you're quite famous. Uh no it was 5:00 in the morning mostly. uh there's not many people that sort of recognize you if they are they're too drunk or too pest I mean even [ __ ] to be able to stand next to you you know effectively this is a kind of rags to riches tale do you reckon were you able to kind of um get really kind of find a middle I don't know get in touch with the character I suppose cuz when snatch and locktock came about you really you your career really elevated and I know the situation is quite different but could you find some connection to the character in the sense that life just kind of changing for the better sort of instantly Yeah.
4:36 Uh it's, you know, I've been given a lot of opportunity. Uh and you know, when you have an opportunity, it's, you know, the lights come on. Uh and you have to do the best you can with that. Um so there is definitely some something uh inside that recognizes that. Yeah. I mean, you are you have sort of one of the biggest well action heroes in the world at the moment. Did you ever envision it would ever get to this point? Uh, no. I think it'd be deluded if I thought that that was ever going to happen. You know, selling jewelry on the street. And of course, I mean, the rumor mill was in overdrive at the moment, but is any word on Expendables 3? Is that something you're interested in? And you? Yeah. Expendables 3 Stallone is uh, you know, he's he's very hard to say no to.
5:22 So, even if I didn't want to do it, which is ridiculous to think, he'd have a way of persuading me. you know, it's a it's it's a privilege to be, you know, kicking around with those people. They're, you know, they carved out the name uh action hero. They are they play heroic characters which are, you know, the strongest of the strong. And, you know, if you get a kick around with Arnold and and Sly, you know, on the same day of work, it's it's a good day, believe me. And Homefront is another film we can see you in for definite coming up. Well, not too soon, but in the near future. you can tell us a little bit about that as well. That was something that Sly had written for himself. Um, it's uh, you know, it's a the thing about Sly is, you know, he's he's like
6:09 Steve Knight. He's a he's a writer, he's a filmmaker, he's a director. Uh, and this is a personal uh, sort of delivery. You know, he he wrote it for himself and he's asked me to do it. So, uh, it's a very significant time in my career that, you know, I get presented with something on a personal level to go and to go and go to work with. So, what's your relationship with like with Sly? Cuz it seems like you're almost he's seen like a prodigy of sorts, like he's handing over the baton in a way. Yeah. I fill the car up, cut the grass, I do all, you know, the usual things, man, in my position. Thank you so much for much appreciated. Cheers.
