On this episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo is joined by Jai Courtney, the star of the new shark thriller “Dangerous Animals”—a tense and darkly fun survival tale about people who become trapped at sea and hunted by a relentless predator. The Sean Byrne film also stars Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Ella Newton, and more.
Courtney has tackled a wide range of roles throughout his career—heroes, villains, and wildcards—in everything from “Suicide Squad” to “The Terminal List” to “Divergent” and beyond. But in “Dangerous Animals,” he fully embraces his character’s layered chaos, playing a grizzled, morally complicated serial killer named Tucker with an energy that’s both menacing and magnetic—like a great white circling his prey with a big shark-toothed smirk.
During the conversation, Courtney shared how quickly the film came together and why he jumped at the chance to play someone so unhinged. “I read the script and felt like I knew what I wanted to do with that character, if it was permissible,” he said. “So then I spoke to Sean, and we touched base on his vision. And I was like, cool, we’re on the same page. I wasn’t interested in a version of this where the bad guy is just straight, like a threat at every turn, and everything plays out down the line. That wasn’t appealing to me, and fortunately, it wasn’t what Sean wanted either.”
The two clicked creatively, but that didn’t mean production was always smooth sailing—especially when filming in open water. “There was one thing that was ironic, hilarious, and super scary. We had a visitor,” he recalled. “A bull shark came up and got really, really close to one of our safety divers. He got pulled under. Didn’t get hurt, but it was a reality check for sure. We were like, ‘Go shoot your shark movie in shark-infested waters—what do you think is going to happen?’”
Courtney admitted he used to go to greater extremes to find his characters, once famously taking mushrooms and burning himself with cigarettes to prepare for his role of Boomerang in “Suicide Squad.” “I’ve matured since then, I guess. Turns out you don’t need to,” he laughed. “No cigarettes were harmed in the making of Tucker. But I did drink a lot of beer. I wanted him to feel like a salty, sea-swept guy you’d find at the marina. Any remnants of a put-together Hollywood actor? I got lazy for a couple of weeks and showed up that way.”
Courtney quickly clarified when asked if the film represented a kind of comeback. “I remember reading that headline and going, ‘Comeback from what?’ I’ve been here the whole time,” he said. “But I get it. Sometimes something gets traction, and it feels like a reintroduction. I’ve been working steadily, but in the indie space. And those projects, no matter how much heart you pour into them, are hard to get seen. This one’s getting a proper release, so in that sense, yeah—it feels good.”
He also discussed how his tastes have shifted when choosing roles. “I’ve always felt like a character performer,” he explained. “Early on, I explored stuff that felt more earnest. But now I’m freeing myself from the pressure of wanting to be the lead or save the day. I enjoy roles where I bend them a little further, which feel risky or out of my comfort zone. That’s where I’m having the most fun.”
And though his blockbuster past often resurfaces in interviews, especially with fans campaigning to see the so-called Ayer Cut of “Suicide Squad,” Courtney keeps things in perspective. “I’ve never seen [The Ayer Cut],” he admitted. “I haven’t even watched the released cut since 2016. But if it exists, sure, I’d check it out. I love David [Ayer]. He’s a great filmmaker.”
As for a return to Captain Boomerang? He’s not counting on it, but he’s not ruling it out either. “I’ve joked about it. It’s good clickbait. But honestly? If James Gunn ever called and said there was a chance to do it again, of course, I’d come through. I wouldn’t want someone else doing it. That said, if no one has an appetite to see Boomerang again, that wouldn’t surprise me either.”
Courtney also reflected on his experience in major franchises like “Terminator” and “Die Hard,” and how those gigs shaped his career. “They were great jobs at the time and absolute no-brainers,” he said. “But franchises are tricky. You’re chasing the nostalgia people had when they first experienced something. You revisit it 20 years later, and it’s a tall order to get them to feel the same way. That opens the door for a lot of scrutiny. You could probably pluck a few out of the sky where, you know, maybe the third installment is someone’s favorite film. Really, it’s an impossible task. But if a great opportunity came along, sure! I’m not averse to trying anything.”
“Dangerous Animals” hits theaters on June 6.
The Playlist Presents: Jai Courtney’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:
- “Two Hands” (1999)
- “Chopper” (2000)
- “Mr Inbetween” (2018–2021)
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Entertainment journalist, podcaster, and host of The Discourse and Bingeworthy podcasts, with bylines at Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and IndieWire.
