Interview by: Jennifer Krieger
*Click Here For Another Interview with Thomas Jane
Tom Jane is perhaps best known for his role as undercover agent Frank Castle in the big-screen adaptation of Marvel Comic's The Punisher. True film buffs will also recognize him from smaller roles in Dreamcatcher,Boogie Nights, The Last Time I Committed Suicide and The Sweetest Thing. Yet with his breakout performance as a cop turned bank-robber in Stander Jane is poised to become a household name, whether he wants to or not. For despite his admitted gravitation towards smaller, darker roles, in Stander Jane displays the kind of charisma and versatility that may garner him leading-man status. I got a chance to sit down with Jane fresh from the New York promotional circuit and hear what he had to say about preparing for the role of Andre Stander, filming in South Africa, and why he always ends up playing the anti-hero.
Jane does not deny the similarities in the roles of Frank Castle, Andre Stander, Neil Cassidy and Mickey Mantle (who he portrayed in HBO's 61*) these are 'guys who go against the grain.' What they have in common is that 'they're outsiders, (they) struck out on their own path,' some 'take the law into their own hands' for good or ill, and all 'attained some sense of spiritual freedom' through their subversion of the system. Jane asserts that 'characters like this gravitate towards me and I accept' He sees the appeal of these anti-heroes, musing that they play a 'necessary role in the context of our lives, (they) represent the other side of the fence. And while their actions can serve as 'cautionary tales' they also represent the dark underbelly of our desires. 'We all desire (to be these characters) but not all of us are willing to pay the price, so we sit chained to out daily lives, of what's expected of us.' These are men who 'flew too close to the sun' they are 'candles that burn twice as bright but have as long' and Jane welcomes them as 'recurring themes' of his work.'
When asked if he worried about being typecast, Jane responded that his choices as an actor subvert Hollywood's attempt to typecast him; he typecasts himself. He readily admits that he pigeon-holes himself in these roles, that he is 'comfortable in these kinds of parts,' and muses that there are 'not a lot of guys willing or able to play these kinds of parts.' By creating a niche for himself playing the anti-hero, Jane quips that he is 'pigeon-holed by being a guy you can't pigeon-hole' and that suits him just fine. 'Pick a color,' Jane declares, 'and there's a million shades of that color.' Jane plans to explore every shade and nuance of the man he has determined, without the pressures and expectations of Hollywood that he wants to play.
And his portrayal will never be simplistic. Jane did extensive research for the role of Andre Stander, working with a dialect coach to perfect the tricky South African accent, interviewing everyone from cops to his ex-partners, doing 'as much research as I could' all in attempt to 'get to the source of who this man was.' But is was also crucial for Jane to get beyond the myths and legends surrounding the infamous bank robber, It was crucial for Jane to 'get through the filters to the essence of who he really (was)' 'The myth grows out of the man,' Jane muses, and 'my allegiance is to Andre Stander the man, not what people thought of him, but to the man' So Jane found out everything from what he like with his eggs to his favorite musician (Bob Dylan).
As for the shoot itself, Jane recalls it as 'brutal.' With 'sometimes four costume changes a day, in multiple locations'.We worked incredibly hard for very little pay. In the end it was 'a tough tough movie and it paid off.' And, despite the difficulties, shooting in Johannesburg, where the events actually occurred, surrounded by people who knew the legend of Andre Stander like the back of their hand was essential for realistically capturing the time and place, the social context that rendered the unbelievable life and deeds of a man believable and real.
The most emotional aspect of the film was, not surprisingly, the riot sequence not only because it's success and believability lay on the shoulders of thousands of extras, but also because most of those extras were locals who had relatives that had been in the Tembisa and Suetta riots that the film was recreating. The four days of shooting were 'emotionally charged, powerful, fraught with tension and potentially explosive' but the end result was 'a cathartic experience' for all involved. So cathartic that Jane believes that 'if the film serves any purpose it was for those who participated in the riots.'
Despite being visibly exhausted and drained from the shoot and the promotion, Jane was excited to talk about his next project, playing famed guitarist Glen Shirley who was incarcerated and then released into the custody of Johnny Cash. After that it's the Punisher Sequel which Jane promises will be 'Incredibly violent and just get more violent'a take no prisoners, punk-rock kind of a film.' And despite his desire to 'explore the morality of what (Frank Castle) does' Jane will not be donning any hero's capes any time soon, and while mainstream success may come knocking on his door, Jane is determined to remain in roles that challenge and disturb, and movies that 'cater to people who like to see something different.'
In the end, Jane imagines all his anti-hero roles, real and imagined playing poker together and remarking on his ability to capture the complicated essence of their characters. Musing on the man who was Andre Stander, Jane quips 'when I die, I don't want to meet him up there and have him tell me I fucked it up.' He pauses for a second, laughs and adds, 'well maybe not up there.'
JenniferKrieger@TheCinemaSource.com
