Actor Dane DeHaan talks to The Inside Reel about performance, tone and environment in regards to his Quibi series "The Stranger" recut as a feature film for Hulu.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 You wanna know what this story is?
00:15 I will break you.
00:17 [MUSIC]
00:26 >> With something like this, it was very unique.
00:29 I know, cuz I was there when they launched Quibi, so it was very specific.
00:33 I would think performance wise, vertically versus horizontally.
00:37 Does it change when you think it's moved to the sort of that?
00:41 Did you think about that performance wise?
00:44 Cuz Vena said it was important as far as knowing how it was working.
00:48 >> Yeah, I mean, Vena understood that format.
00:53 And I think her idea to tell this story using that format was
00:58 incredibly interesting and compelling.
01:00 And she's such a great storyteller and so smart and
01:03 understands all those things as well as character and all that stuff.
01:08 So that part of it was really exciting.
01:12 I can't say honestly that I think much about vertical,
01:16 horizontal character in terms of performance at all when I'm performing at all.
01:24 It's just about understanding the character and the tone of what we're going for.
01:27 And then I trust in the camera department or
01:31 in the director to capture it appropriately.
01:33 >> Now as far as tonality here, because you've been in so
01:38 many movies where the tonal has to be dead on.
01:41 Even and I'm a big fan of Valerian.
01:42 I mean, Valerian had such a specific tone, but it had to walk that.
01:47 And this, it has to sort of do the same thing where it ups it, but
01:50 it has to sort of have that, because it was done in ten minute sequences.
01:53 Initially, it's sort of amping it up, bringing it back down,
01:56 amping it up, bringing it back down.
01:58 Could you talk about finding your understanding of the tone of what this
02:02 needed to be?
02:02 >> Yeah, well, when I first read it, it just, it read like a whole lot of fun.
02:08 I mean, sure, it's a thriller, horror, whatever, but it was making me laugh.
02:13 And I was like, this character,
02:15 it just seems like it could be a really indulgently fun time.
02:20 So I think we had like a week-ish of rehearsals and prep.
02:24 And so those were most of my questions for Vino.
02:27 We're like, can I really have as much fun with this as I want to?
02:32 Are we going for, we're not going for dark, gritty, and realistic, right?
02:39 We're trying to make something almost verging on camp at times,
02:44 like real, fun, indulgent.
02:46 And she was like, yeah, she gave me permission to go and have at it.
02:51 So to have that permission from a director of just like, have fun, go for it.
02:56 I think this character indulges in every moment in some way or another.
03:03 And to have that permission as an actor, I mean, it's a lot of fun.
03:08 [MUSIC]
03:10 >> Hey, what happened?
03:13 >> My passenger from tonight, she pulled a knife on me.
03:16 [MUSIC]
03:18 He attacked me.
03:20 If he finds me, he will kill me.
03:24 >> Do you like to be as an actor, be in control and be able to go with the lines?
03:29 Or do you like to be spontaneous in the moment?
03:31 I know it depends on the project.
03:33 But how much do you give yourself liberty compared to say,
03:36 working with Micah versus Kara or Michael or stuff like that?
03:41 How do you sort of gauge that?
03:42 What's your barometer?
03:44 >> Well, it's up to the director.
03:46 I'm not here to rock the boat.
03:47 I'm here to bring the director's vision to life.
03:50 And some directors want you to,
03:54 I think you're asking about sticking to the script, is that what you're asking about?
03:57 >> Well, I'm asking like interpretation.
03:59 Because obviously, you've always been very good at taking something and
04:03 finding sort of your bent on it while still staying within the director's
04:07 sort of structure, but you're always able to bring that extra oomph.
04:10 I'm just wondering, you go with the script, but
04:14 then you have to put your own spin on it too.
04:16 >> Yeah, I mean, I love creating a character.
04:19 It's so much fun for me.
04:20 I love figuring out what drives these people forward.
04:24 What is their motivation?
04:25 Why are they doing what they're doing?
04:27 And then ultimately, who are they?
04:30 What do they wear?
04:31 What is their hair like?
04:32 I love that part of it, the creating of the character,
04:35 that's honestly more fun to me than being on a film set.
04:39 It's what I love.
04:41 But I do think a part of that is understanding the director's vision.
04:47 Like I said, I'm not gonna be trying to do something that doesn't fit
04:51 into the director's world, that doesn't fit into the tone of what we're going for.
04:56 And Vino was really, and I felt like I understood that tone from reading it
05:01 the first time, and Vino was very validating that, yes,
05:05 what you're reading is what I want, go for it, have fun.
05:09 And that's what we did.
05:10 >> Give an open book, ask me anything.
05:13 >> Are you famous?
05:16 You don't have to tell me if you are.
05:18 >> Why would you think that?
05:20 >> You live in a mansion and you're my age.
05:23 >> No, that's not my house.
05:25 >> Okay, do you live with your parents?
05:27 >> No.
05:30 >> Actually, I have no idea who lives there.
05:35 >> What do you mean?
05:38 >> Well, it's about environment as well.
05:40 I mean, Vino and I were talking about the fact that being Angelenos, and
05:44 I take it you live in LA too probably.
05:46 >> I don't.
05:47 >> You don't?
05:48 It's interesting because there's all these corners of LA.
05:51 I mean, obviously in the base and then all that, most people don't get to see.
05:55 And so environment affects and affects everything that goes on with
06:01 your character and how he sees the city and how Micah is sort of responding to that.
06:06 Could you sort of talk about how important environment is for you,
06:09 practical environment, say versus virtual or green screen,
06:13 which you've done in the past, of course?
06:15 >> Yeah, I mean, look, it's easier for
06:17 me to be in the actual place that things are actually taking place in.
06:20 I mean, that's just, for me as an actor, it does a part of my job for me.
06:25 If I don't have to imagine the space I'm in, that's just easier.
06:32 You're supposed to be in a house and we're in the house.
06:36 That just, it's easier for me.
06:39 Not that I don't love using my imagination, but it's also awesome.
06:45 What's great about working in Los Angeles is that's where movies got started.
06:49 There's something just cool about making a movie in the town where it all began.
06:54 I don't live there, and that's what I prefer.
06:58 I like visiting, I don't like living there.
07:01 So to have an opportunity to visit and work there and
07:04 know that it's temporary, it's a cool feeling.
07:07 >> About 40, 45 minutes ago,
07:13 a sharing economy driver, much like yourself, dropped me off and I rang the bell.
07:18 When the woman that lives there opened the door, I shot her in the face.
07:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]
07:28 >> That's funny.
07:29 >> No, not being funny.
07:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
07:34 >> Now in terms of the thematics, because I know you probably certain things draw
07:38 you in, obviously, a lot of different things.
07:41 But can you talk about the sort of themes here about control, chaos,
07:46 the overarching element?
07:48 Obviously, some of those things, obviously, you were part of Oppenheimer.
07:51 So that's another thing that sort of comes up as far as knowing and
07:55 understanding looking at the notion of fear, the fear versus control.
08:00 Could you sort of talk about that?
08:01 Because that's the key commodity that your character uses,
08:05 is that control in all this chaos.
08:08 >> Yeah, well, I think technology is such a big part of everything in this story and
08:15 how Carl uses technology to his advantage to be evil.
08:22 And I think that's something that we really need to be conscious of is,
08:26 as if people are gonna have free reign to use technology however they want,
08:30 inevitably, some people are gonna use it for evil.
08:32 That's just an undeniable fact.
08:35 So I think there's a responsibility to people to use it responsibly and
08:41 to understand what could happen if it gets in the wrong hands.
08:44 And I think there's in many ways,
08:46 there's more freedom with technology now than even when we made it.
08:50 So this is something, although within the movie,
08:55 it's over the top and fun and a crazy story.
09:01 It is something that unfortunately could happen.
09:06 I mean, people use technology for evil all the time.
09:09 [MUSIC]
09:19 (whooshing)
09:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]