In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo goes on a joyride with one of the stars of “The Bikeriders.” The film follows the members of a Chicago-area biker gang from their innocent inception in the 1960s to their descent into a darker underworld. The Jeff Nichols (“Mud,” “Midnight Special,” “Take Shelter”) film stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, and more.
Jodie Comer joins the podcast to discuss her role as Kathy, a woman who stumbles into the world of the biker gang through her relationship with one of the members. The film is primarily seen through Kathy’s eyes, with her being the primary narrator. During the interview, Comer discussed taking the role due to the amazing script from writer/director Jeff Nichols.
“The world and the characters were so all so rich, and that was very evident when reading the material,” Comer said. “It was amazing to see that with the knowledge that it was going to be led by Jeff [Nichols]. I’m like you. I’ve been a massive fan of his, and I’ve always been very enamored by how beautiful and cinematic his movies are, but, ultimately, [they’re] very character-driven and focused on emotional truth. And so to think about playing Kathy as a character and who she was as a woman and what I could hear through the audio [interviews] and know that it would be Jeff leading the way— that was really exciting to me because I knew that even though they’re characters, Kathy was very much larger than life. You would be wanting to tackle this in a very kind of subtle and naturalistic way.”
Subtle isn’t how many would describe the Chicago accents in the film, from Tom Hardy’s signature wild tonal choices to Comer’s unique accent. Comer discussed knowing that many would find the accent ridiculous going in, but she wanted to remain loyal and truthful to the real-life Kathy and the recordings she had of her voice.
“When I was speaking with my dialect coach when we first got together and listened to the audio, she was like, ‘We know she’s from Chicago, but, you know, within 20 seconds of this recording, all her vowel sounds are a contradiction.’ So much of this doesn’t make sense. If you were going to go and do a general Chicago accent, you would not do this. It was very unique and distinct. And I felt it gave me such an insight into the woman that she was. So I kind of made peace early on with the fact that I was going to commit to the decision of getting as close to the audio and be well aware that when the film came out, there’d probably be a big line of people saying, ‘That’s not at Chicago [accent], and that’s fine, because that’s that wasn’t what I was aiming for that at all.”
Comer won an Emmy for “Best Actress in a Drama Series” for her role of Villanelle in “Killing Eve,” which catapulted her to stardom in 2018. The series came to a close in 2022, leaving many fans upset with the abrupt ending and lack of closure it presented. Comer discussed hearing about fan reactions and how the character’s end was inevitable.
“I know there were a lot of upset fans,” Comer said. “And look, everyone who was on that show worked on that show for four years and put so much into it. I think [Villanelle] was like a cat with nine lives. And it felt like it was always gonna catch her in the end. And I’m very moved and touched that the fans have connected so much to it that the response to her dying was very visceral and not what they wanted.”
Comer is currently shooting Danny Boyle’s zombie sequel, “28 Years Later,” which picks up, as the title suggests, 28 years after the original “28 Days Later,” which reignited fandom for the flailing zombie-horror genre at the time of its release and starred Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendon Gleeson and more. Comer was asked what fans can expect from the film, which features Murphy returning to the zombie universe, fresh off his Oscar win.
“I’m like four weeks into filming right now, and nothing has been disclosed in the press, so I am I’m terrified to slip up about anything, but I’m all I can say is that I’m having the most amazing time working with Danny Boyle. He is such a playful and innovative director. It’s been fascinating to see him working on set with his crew and his DOP and the camera work that they’re doing and the choices they’re making and seeing how things have evolved within within this universe. And I think people are going to be really pleased. It’s really exciting.”
Comer is also gearing up to star alongside Hugh Jackman in a new take on Robin Hood in “The Death of Robin Hood.” Putting the pieces together, Comer knows Hugh Jackman and has starred in “Free Guy” with Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy. So, is she also secretly appearing in the upcoming “Deadpool & Wolverine”? Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I know — you need to get them on the [podcast] and ask them why I didn’t get a call,” Comer said before gushing a bit about her past and future collaborators.“They’re so great. I’m really excited to work with Hugh. I met him very recently, and he just seems wonderful. And just like such a gorgeous human being, as are Ryan and Shawn.”
The Playlist Presents – Jodie Comers’s Film Recommendation Playlist:
1.) “Love Lies Bleeding” (2024) – Directed By Rose Glass
2.) “No Country for Old Men” (2007) – Directed By Joel & Ethan Coen
3.) “Billy Elliott” (2000) – Directed By Stephen Daldry
“The Bikeriders” is in theaters now. You can listen to the full interview below:
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