LOS ANGELES—We continue our list of 2015’s most fascinating interviews. This year, we highlight talents other than the usual engrossing suspects—Meryl Streep and company.
TOM Hardy. Photo by Ruben V. Nepales
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy, George Miller’s new Mad Max, walked into a room at the Siren Studios on Sunset Boulevard looking like a hip-hop star—red tee over a black one, loose pants, white sneakers, lots of rings and bracelets.
The actor reveled in the fact that amid the slam-bang action, the crux of the story deals with women and freedom. “Women should be celebrated more across the arts,” Tom said.
“Women are the most profoundly important people who supported my growth and development as a person. So, I have tremendous respect for women. But I am still human. My wife would probably pick me apart for still being irritating (laughs). I’m a bloke, you know.”
DAVE Bautista. Photo by Ruben V. Nepales
Dave Bautista
“No, I wasn’t careful with him (Daniel Craig),” declared Dave Bautista, the first Filipino-American James Bond villain, about brawling with the actor in Sam Mendes’ “Spectre,” probably among the most memorable fight scenes in 007 cinematic history. “We beat the hell out of each other, to be honest with you.”
“But I was a professional,” stressed the actor whose father is Filipino. Dave looked massive—a six-foot-six-inch-tall giant in a meeting room at the Corinthia Hotel in London.
Dave volunteered how he grew into a hulk. “I have this physique for a reason,” Dave dished with a laugh. “I was such a socially awkward, introverted, shy kid that eventually I just found my comfort in exercise.”
He revealed, “I was raised by a single mom who was a lesbian, and my dad was nowhere in the picture, so I wasn’t raised around sports. I was raised on the streets.
“I was running on the streets, getting in trouble. When I was a teenager, my mother finally sent me to live with my father. I was in high school.
“I just went out and started beating the hell out of guys… Then, I found my way into the weight room. I started lifting weights. In my first year of wrestling, I was 185 pounds. In my second year, I was 220 pounds. After high school, I was 250 pounds.”
PETER Capaldi. Photo by Ruben V. Nepales
Peter Capaldi
While Peter Capaldi has been a British film and TV mainstay for many years, becoming the 12th Doctor is bringing him some worldwide attention. The Glasgow, Scotland-born actor went from being “Peter who?” to The Doctor of “Doctor Who,” a beloved time-traveling humanoid alien in the cult British science-fiction TV show favorite since the series debuted in 1963.
Peter, a delightful raconteur in person, is also a director who won the 1995 Oscar best short film-live action trophy for “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life,” which he shared with Ruth Kenley-Letts.
“I know this sounds perverse when you are playing a role of this size—but I didn’t want the audience to love me,” he declared. “That wasn’t my mission statement.”
PAUL Rudd. Photo by Ruben V. Nepales
Paul Rudd
He’s every man’s screen bro. Dudes everywhere will high five each other to know this—offscreen, Paul is easy, cool, prone to break into a sincere grin. He’s good-looking but not in an impossibly handsome Brad Pitt way.
In person, Paul is just as crazy-funny. He’s not the I-am-actually-serious-and-morose-in-real-life-comedian variety. No, sir.
We asked Paul to comment on his quotes from a Playboy magazine interview: “I’ve been naked in a lot of my movies. There’s something inherently funny about the naked male body, particularly mine. Ryan Reynolds, sure, it makes sense why he’d strip down. But not me. I shouldn’t be allowed to.
“The things you are not supposed to say in the right moment can be pretty funny,” Paul added. “And maybe there’s something inherently funny about a butt.”
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.