That’s an interesting subject. You’re working with two different filmmakers in very emotional roles about real people and either they’re still alive and/or their family’s are alive. When you’re making “Only the Brave” Joseph is a very visual filmmaker. Did you sometimes feel as though, and it’s no criticism, that it was harder for you to focus on the emotions of the character and what they were all going through because it was so visual? Or is just that something you’re used to?
No, I would say it’s nice working with really powerful filmmakers and I experienced that with both these guys. What I will say is that the connected thread between Jason and Joe, is that they both really cared about the authenticity of it. If we were doing something on “Only the Brave” and if one of the Hot Shots on set was like, “That would never happen.” Okay, it’s out of the movie. How do we make this real? And that was the driving force behind both these films. We really felt a responsibility to these men and we wanted to get it right.
Out of the two, “Only the Brave” is such a tearjerker at the end. Can you watch these films? I mean, I don’t know if you’re one of those actors who can watch yourself or you can’t.
First of all, yeah, it’s very uncomfortable for me to watch myself. It does take me out. I’ll never be able to watch a movie objectively, it’s just not how it goes. But, what I will say, when I do watch a movie, I can feel like I’m back in that place. It’s not like I’m getting moved by my performance. No, I’m feeling like I did on that. And a couple of those days at the end on “Only the Brave” were fricking really tough. And I remember we had this guy and he was a hot shot and he was there that day when Brendan came back to the base camp or whatever it was. And once he found out, ’cause those were all his buddies, and once he found out that they’d all passed…I remember I did the scene and afterwards, he just gave me a big hug and thanked me because he said I was him that day. What I was going through, what I just did, he said that’s how he felt.
I wanna say maybe ten years ago around 2008, 2009, there were a bunch of movies about the Iraq war and Afghanistan and they tackled soldiers returning home in some respects. And then, the theme sort of changed. It stopped being about them coming back home and it started being like “Lone Survivor” or stuff that was happening over there, in that respect. You talk about your buddies in the military, do they feel like their stories are being heard?
I mean, this experience that Adam had just being in the army and the army infantries fighting their own wars, it’s a different type of war than my buddies who are special forces team guys have made. And those dudes are quiet professionals, to where they’ve never told anybody they’re a Navy Seal. And honestly, they really don’t like it if you tell your story because they feel like you’re looking for kind of attention when everybody out there’s doing the same job. But, with this, I mean, we’re still in the war. I don’t know, the timing feels right for me to tell a movie about what these guys are coming back from because we’re starting to see the numbers now of how many guys that are dealing with PTSD from this war. Now we’re getting the guys who enlisted after Sept. 11, that’s 16 years ago, so now we’re starting to see kind of what that transition home has been like and those guys are really grateful that we’re telling it.
I think one of the things I liked most about “Thank You” was that people always hear in politics, “Oh, the VA needs money. Oh, it needs help.” And I feel like this is the only film or TV show that has actually explained it to an audience.
Yeah, it was surprising and I know that it’s authentic because when we’re screening this for vets, they’re like, “Dude, you fricking nailed the VA. Did you live in a VA?” And yeah, I think that it’s overwhelming and the VA’s not the problem. It is the solution for these guys, they do a really good job, they’re just overwhelmed. Right now, the way things are set up, there’s a lot of bureaucratic red tape and they’re just unable to, I think, assist in the way that they need to. And we’ve screened the movie in DC and showed it to Secretary of the VA and I think the movie’s really made an impact on them.
Wait, you showed it to the Veterans Administration Secretary?
Yeah, Shulkins is the guy’s name and Jay has had a lot of conversations with him. Yeah, I think the movie kinda put a mirror up to what that experience is. I think people are watching it and getting frustrated.
Before I go do you know what you’re doing next?
I’m working with Nic Refn for Amazon, it’s this series we’re doing. It’s called “Too Old to Die Young” but, Nic will tell you it’s a 10-hour long movie.
Wait, so, I’ve interviewed Nic. I’ve seen all his movies. Is it…an experience? What word would you use to describe it?
I haven’t started yet, but I know it’s gonna be an experience. (Laughs.) Same with you, I’m a big fan of his and he’s got his own thing that is uniquely Nic and I’m just excited to work with the man. I know that I’m gonna really be challenged in it and yeah, I think we’re gonna make something pretty awesome.
“Only the Brave” is now in theaters nationwide. “Thank You For Your Service” opens nationwide on Oct. 27.