There are few actors that have done such an eclectic body of work over the past decade like Joel Kinnaman. From his incredible performance in 2011’s “The Killing” series from AMC to his work in films such as “Knight of Cups” and “Suicide Squad,” Kinnaman has made a career of taking a wide variety of roles and putting his stamp on them. And that’s exactly what he’s done with his new feature, “Brothers by Blood.”
With “Brothers by Blood” arriving in theaters this weekend, Joel Kinnaman spoke with us on this week’s The Playlist Podcast, where he discussed his new crime drama and why he believes costar Matthias Schoenaerts is a “lunatic” (in the most lovely way, of course). He also spoke about David Ayer’s Director’s Cut of “Suicide Squad,” what James Gunn brings to “The Suicide Squad,” and years later, the things he’d do differently if he made a new “RoboCop” film.
When speaking about his new film, “Brothers by Blood,” he talked at length about having fun playing a sociopathic crime boss.
LISTEN: Ramin Bahrani Talks The Unexpected Relevance Of ‘The White Tiger,’ His Friendship With Roger Ebert & More [The Playlist Podcast]
“I wasn’t concerned with the audience’s sympathy in any way, shape, or form,” explained Kinnaman about his latest role. “It’s a character that you can really go full blast with him. That is what was so fun… I just found this walk, and this look at the world. I got really loose, really quick.”
When asked about “RoboCop,” he explained that he would have done things very differently if he was given the role of Alex Murphy today.
“That was the first big movie I did,” said Kinnaman. “I had to quell all my instincts for everything over the course of that film. I’m like, ‘Why am I wearing a black suit? That doesn’t make any sense at all.’”
He added, “The first interview I did for ‘RoboCop,’ and it was right after I was cast…I got the first questions for ‘RoboCop,’ and the question was, ‘So, is it going to be R-rated?’ And I was like, ‘Of course, it’s going to be R-rated! Only an idiot would make “RoboCop” a PG-13 movie.’ Cut to the next morning—47 missed calls I woke up to.”
“What I feel like the whole movie didn’t take into account is what the fans loved about [the original [‘RoboCop’],” Kinnaman continued. “And you have to pay homage to that. And I think the producers and the filmmakers and me included didn’t really understand how to do that in the right way. I think it’s a really solid movie, it just didn’t fit the ‘RoboCop’ concept.”
If you want to check out Kinnaman’s latest, “Brothers by Blood,” you can find it in select theaters and VOD today. And “For All Mankind” Season 2 is expected to debut on Apple TV+ on February 19.
You can hear our full interview below:
As always, The Playlist Podcast is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes Be Reel, The Discourse, The Fourth Wall, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. To listen on this page, you can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating as we do appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
