Garrett Hedlund

Interview By: Dan Portnoy
DanielPortnoy@TheCinemaSource.com

Previously a model for L.L. Bean and Teen Magazine, Garrett Hedlund decided to peruse a career in acting. In 2004 he made his cinematic debut in Troy playing Patroclus, 'cousin' of the film's hero, Achilles (Brad Pitt). He then went on to Friday Night Lights portraying high school football star Don Billingsley playing for The Permian High Panthers. At only 20 years old, Hedlund has already made a splash in Hollywood and invaded the rooms of many young ladies in pin-up form. This summer audience's get to see a different, 'badder' Garrett in a movie that takes retribution and vengeance to a whole new level in the crime drama, Four Brothers.

'Revenge is a dish best served cold' I believe the saying goes, and in Four Brothers it's about as cold as it can get. Excluding the fact that the film takes place during winter in Detroit, it deals with the savage murder of a sweet caring foster mother in what seems to be a liquor store robbery. Hedlund's character Jack Mercer is the youngest and most innocent of his three other foster brothers Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), Angel (Tyrese Gibson), and Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin). When the four return home for their mothers funeral they decide to do whatever it takes to find the people responsible and make them pay.

Not only does the film tell an interesting story filled with drama, action, and suspense, the men playing the 'four brothers' interact like they are really brothers, rather then just actors playing a part. 'The primary sort of focus of this film is believing that these four are brothers and believing the chemistry and believing the relationships that all four of these guys would do whatever it takes.' Garrett's character Jack is willing to do what it takes, following the lead of his older brothers. Since Jack is the youngest he is treated as the youngest, picked on, teased, and even called 'little sister.' But it's that kind of playfulness that makes the bond between the four characters seem genuine.

But how was that chemistry created' I mean obviously Hedlund, Wahlberg, Tyrese, and Andre liked each other, but where did it start' Garrett feels that it started immediately, once pre-production of the film began. 'Right when we got into Toronto we had to jump right into hockey practice and teach these guys how to skate and therefore we really got to become close on the ice just naturally.'

And even though Garrett did get teased both in the film and off it, he was able to get his revenge. 'I grew up in Minnesota so I was a little more adapted to the cold weather then these guys, and we were actually about 10 miles from the border of Canada.' Needless to say it was freezing. Not to mention a lot of the actors didn't know how to skate, so for some one like Garrett, used to the cold and used to skating, it gave him an upper hand on his co-stars. 'It was funny because Andre showed up everyday with a full piece snow suit.' So everyone makes fun of everyone else, and the cycle goes on. Oddly enough it's that kind of humor that is the basis for the chemistry you see in the film.

For Garrett especially, Wahlberg definitely captured the older brother mentality. 'He treated me with respect and I really looked up to him, and he really sort of played the older brother role around the set too, he was the oldest guy there and the most distinguished actor.' Playing the role of the older brother wasn't a luxury Wahlberg had growing up in a house the youngest out of five brothers. But on the set it gave him the chance to really let the older brother role out and the benefits that it holds. Benefits being the jokes, jibes, experience, and all other fun stuff big brothers get to do to make their little brothers, feel like little brothers.

So everyone had some fun before shooting began. And once the chemistry was created it wasn't difficult to bring it into the character, and create a feeling of 'brotherhood.' 'When were playing brothers and trying to make that chemistry believable, one of the things that helps is getting to learn each others instincts. Not necessarily as people but as their characters.' Granted, in the film the four actors pretty much had the whole chemistry thing down to a science. But with out the right director to bring the story to life, the bond between the characters dissipates and so does the film.

That's why it was good to have a distinguished director like John Singleton behind the film. Since his first film, Boyz in the Hood, for which he was the youngest person to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar, his career has continued to thrive. With Four Brothers only being Garrett's third film, it was a pleasure to be able to work with a director like Singleton. 'I definitely feel that John Singleton is one of the great passionate directors to work with... he's a great energy to be on set with.' Almost childlike in the way that he would get excited after a good take, Singleton was one of the driving forces behind the effectiveness of the film.

So what's next for Garret Hedlund' Only time will tell. With modeling behind him, my guess is that he will continue to rock the movie scene, expanding his career and experimenting with new roles. But for now you can see Garrett in this summers Four Brothers, that is if your not afraid of a little revenge.