Patrick Wilson

Interview By: Andrea Tuccillo
AndreaTuccillo@TheCinemaSource.com

Patrick Wilson has made the transformation from Broadway star to intense movie actor in dark, controversial films. He's unafraid to tackle flawed characters that lack a cut-and-dry 'good' or 'bad' side. Wilson played a pedophile in the dark film Hard Candy, and in his latest film, Little Children, he plays Brad, a married father who embarks on a lustful affair with another woman named Sarah, played by Kate Winslet.

Coincidently, this movie also explores themes of pedophilia by having a convicted sex offender move into the quiet suburban neighborhood in which Brad and his family live. The character, Ronnie (played by Jackie Earle Haley), is not portrayed as a one-sided bad guy, however. Something that Wilson very much appreciates.

'I think as far as this movie goes, what I love about the character Ronnie is that he's played with a humanity because ultimately I think it's not some sort of archetype,' says Wilson. 'He's a real person and however dark and sinister the person is I think it's very important to look at them as a human. You find yourself caring for this person halfway through the movie and you go, 'Why do I care'' Well because he's a human and we have to take responsibility for how we react whether it's good or bad.'

As evidenced in Wilson's own career choices, playing real as opposed to perfect is the key to a provocative and interesting film. It surprises him when people are shocked by an imperfect character.

'I don't know why it's always such a novel idea to have people played as real people,' Wilson says. 'I think we're so used to in movies seeing characters that aren't very dynamic, that are very one sided'the good, the bad, boom there you go. He's bad he comes in, twirls his mustache, he's evil! All of a sudden it's like this anomaly to have, 'Oh my God, he's a real person! You mean there are flawed people out there'''

Brad and Sarah certainly, are far from perfect. Their adulterous affair leads to some pretty fiery love scenes, which Wilson describes as necessary for the film.

'Certainly for me, for Brad, that was the first time he physically does anything,' Wilson explains of the first time his character acts on his passion for Sarah. 'He's pushed and pulled throughout so much of the movie. That was such an important moment.'

All of the characters in Little Children have their own demons to face, and they all'even the adults'have a lot of growing up to do. The title of the film, therefore, alludes to various possible meanings.

'Whether it's adults seeming like children or, hey'remember the little children, the actual children in the movie who probably are the most stable of all of us, I think that's one of the things that is so brilliant about the title, is that it does resonate with everyone in a lot of different ways,' Wilson says.

Aside from the movie, Wilson has 'little children' on the brain for a different reason. Wilson became a first-time father with the birth of his first child in June of this year. He dotes on his baby son (with wife, actress Dagmara Dominczyk) and still has that new dad glow.

'It's a complete clich' but it's absolutely true,' says Wilson. 'You have no idea how much you can love until you have a child and honestly you couldn't pry me away from him. I'm as much in his life as I can be.'

As far as lessons Wilson has learned from making Little Children, he admits that it pretty much reaffirmed what he has believed to be true all along.

'I don't feel any different before or after the movie,' Wilson says. 'I feel like everything begins at home. That's pretty cut and dry to me.'

For more info on Patrick Wilson visit his #1 fan site at www.PatrickWilson.org