Mads Mikkelsen & Alan Tudyk on Rogue One!! #RogueOneEvent

Discussing Rogue One with Mads Mikkelson and Alan Tudyk!

I am really excited to share another fun interview we had during the press event for Rogue One:  A Star Wars Story, in San Francisco last weekend.   Remember, Rogue One will be in theaters EVERYWHERE in just 4 days, so get your tickets, you will NOT be disappointed!!  

Q    :    Can you each tell us a little bit about your character?

MM   :    I play Galen Erso.  I am a scientist, working closely together with Orson Krennic in the film, before the film actually.  Working on a project that has the potential of making the world a better place, and also the potential of not doing so.  I’m also the father of our hero, Jyn Erso.

AT   :    K-2SO is a droid who was formerly of the Empire, he’s been reprogrammed by Cassian’s character and has been working with him prior to our introduction to Jyn.  He’s a soldier in the Alliance.  He’s been reprogrammed—the reprogram has caused him to be free with his own personality, which invites some brutal honesty in moments where honesty isn’t really required.  He can be funny in that way and sarcastic, and passive-aggressive.

Q    :    Do you ad-lib a lot of that, or was it all scripted?

AT   :    I luckily got to adlib a lot.  The way Gareth set up the set was really conducive to having fun, and playing around with the characters, and discovering how the scenes fit on the locations that we were shooting them in as opposed to saying, “Here we are, this iswhere you’re gonna be; you’re gonna stand here; you’re gonna move here; this is how it was” um… when we would get into this space, we would find the best way to bring life to the scenes.

I don’t want to say I just was off-roading the entire time – that becomes problematic in movie making.  I’ve worked with actors who do that.  A lot of the improving is based on the line that was there, and it’s just a version of what was there.

Q    :    For both of you – how did you find out that you would be working on Star Wars, and what was your initial reaction?

MM   :    Gareth called me and pitched the story for me and asked me if I wanted to be on board.  I didn’t see a necessity of seeing a script, because it was Star Wars, so I said yes right away.  If I hadn’t, if I’d turned it down, I’m sure my kids would’ve killed me. “

AT:  I was told that Gareth wanted to talk to me and we Skyped.  I knew it was for a droid in Star Wars.  But I didn’t think he was calling me to talk about ME being in it, [I thought] he just wanted to talk about droids and motion capture.  And I had done a motion capture robot in I Robot.  And so I was like, that makes sense – I’d be the go-to actor to just discuss how it’s done, how to do it.

It was a really frank conversation between the two of us, because I didn’t think of myself as in the running, just sort of someone he’s gathering information from.  I was like, ‘Yeah, you don’t wanna do it this way.  Here’s the traps that you’re going to find yourself in.  Don’t do this; don’t do that.’ ‘Give your actor a lot of takes.  You need to get it on set while the other actors are there, or else you’re going to be struggling to make up the performance in post, and then you’re screwed.’

It was really not the conversation I would’ve had if I had thought I was being considered.  Then he asked me to audition, I auditioned, I put an audition on tape. I recorded it at home with my wife, it was a scene that isn’t in the movie. “

During our interview a fellow blogger asked Alan about he’s on set ‘accident’ – where he was literally on fire.  Alan picked up the conversation from there;  

AT   :    I caught on fire!  We were in the trenches, literally.  There was a battle going on, and they had explosions, and I’m wearing my skintight pajamas, there are explosions, and people are ducking down, and suddenly my back gets hot. I think, ‘Oh, ow—ow—ow I’m on fire’ and it was just a spark hit it and then just spread out.  It [the motion capture suit] was very flammable.  I didn’t realize it.  But I wore fire retardant undershirts after that.”

Q    :    Droids are such an important part of Star Wars.  Did you feel pressured to make your character unique, or to match the rest of the droids?

AT   :    I guess I did.  I don’t remember it if I did. I just focused on the script, like any job.  I did have a concern when, after a take, people would go, “Oh that was really funny” that I was going to be a Jar Jar Binks.  I did talk to Gareth saying that I want to stay this side of Jar Jar.  I don’t want to be this bigger than the movie character that’s in his own world, and he assured me that he wouldn’t allow that, that he would keep me within the world as long as I was focused on it and I think we did it.  So that was my concern beyond being a droid.

Q    :    Before this movie, what were your favorite Star Wars characters?

MM   :    I think it’s Han Solo for me.  The simple reason is that he’s not really on anybody’s side—his own side.  And obviously Harrison Ford playing him charmingly, it’s just something you can relate to, so you’re not the good, or the bad, but you’re that guy who’s just there for the fun ride, and then he’ll leave you in a second if there’s no money in that, right?  It’s just recognizable in a wonderful way.  I like him a lot.”

AT   :    I like several characters, today I like Obi Wan Kenobi.  He was just great, you know, he was the one who could say, “These are not the droids you’re looking for” he had the force.  He was magic.  He was wise.  I liked him.  I like Guinness, man.  That guy’s amazing.”

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY opens in FOUR days.  

To get yourself even ore excited be sure to enjoy these brand new action-packed spots that are now available:

“Go Kids” – https://www.facebook.com/starwarsmovies/videos/1346570992061165/