Based on a true story, American Murderer follows Jason Derek Brown (Tom Pelphrey), a charismatic con man bankrolling his extravagant lifestyle through a series of scams. On Brown’s trail: Lance Leising (Ryan Phillippe), a dogged FBI special agent determined to put Brown behind bars.
When Brown’s funds run low and his past catches up with him, he plots his most elaborate scheme yet, pitting himself against Leising in a deadly game of cat and mouse - and becoming the most unlikely and elusive fugitive on the FBI’s most-wanted list.
A little earlier this month, we got to speak with Phillippe and director Matthew Gentile about their collaboration in this riveting thriller. The actor talks us through his approach to playing the FBI agent, while the filmmaker explains why he cast Phillipe and Pelphrey as American Murderer's leads (and pitting them against each other without them ever sharing the screen).
Gentile is definitely a writer and director it's worth keeping an eye on, while Phillippe does a fantastic job of bringing Leising to life in the movie. As you can see right at the end of our conversation, he appears to have rubbed off on the actor in more ways than one!
Watch our interview with Phillippe and Gentile in the player below.
Ryan, you play this FBI agent who is in this dogged pursuit of Jason Derek Brown, but how did you go about getting into his mindset and the frustration he feels about this guy constantly being one step ahead?
Ryan: Well, I love true crime as a fan of the genre. I love true stories as an actor because it does a lot of the preparation work for you when you’re playing someone who existed or does currently exist. There was a fair amount of material to watch and read about the case, but there has to be a good script at its foundation. That’s what drew me in.
It was very clear to me there was something personal in this for Leising as well. Not only is he a man that does his job doggedly and to the Nth degree, but there was something about Jason Derek Brown’s attitude, behaviour, and conman nature that really got under his skin. It gave him the extra impetus for trying to find him. The fact that, in the wake of his crime, he thumbed his nose at law enforcement or gave them the middle finger. I think that was something that really annoyed and angered Lance Leising [Laughs].
And Matthew, when it came to telling this story and pitting Tom and Ryan against each other in this cat-and-mouse-style hunt, what made them the right actors in your mind to deliver that despite them never really being on screen together? I thought that tension was awesome.
Matthew: Thank you. One of my favourite films is Heat. That does something very similar, and while they share the most explosive scene of the movie together, I think the concept of how an agent and investigator might never meet his prey was very interesting to me.
In terms of casting these two, it was really a no-brainer. Tom, I had just seen him in Ozark, and my producer recommended him to me. I was blown away by his performance, said ‘We have to get this guy at all costs,’ and we got him. Then, Ryan, they say you should never write down your top choice on a list because you’ll never get them, but I had actually thought Ryan was shooting Big Sky and then there was the bait and switch the audience didn’t see coming. He was at the top of my list, so we got the offer out, and it was very easy to see why he was the right fit. First of all, he’s a great actor, and quite a chameleon because he’s played great villains and everything in between.
Leising had to be someone with a sense of justice and when you talk to Ryan about his past and upbringing in a military family, you see that come through and I think it comes through in the performance. Ryan’s work here is very truthful, nuanced, and grounded. He functions as the audience’s way into the movie.
Ryan, did you get a chance to speak with the real Lance at all and, if so, how much of an influence did that have on what you did with this character?
Ryan: You know, over the course of my career, I’ve worked with FBI agents on other stories, so I have a sense of who they are and what makes them tick. I didn’t speak to Lance. We had an advisor who could give us a frame of reference for certain situations, but no, we were basing it all on the information that was publicly available and the fact I have played a fair amount of these types in various projects throughout my career.
I will say, since you brought it up, one of my only regrets is that I didn’t get to work with Tom Pelphrey because I think he’s so good. I’m hoping we have that opportunity at some point. I also want to reiterate that Jason Derek Brown is still at large. Let’s get as many people to watch this movie as we can and maybe find this guy and bring him to justice and give my character a sense of justice finally.
Matthew: He’s still Lance. It never left him! [Laughs]
American Murderer is only in theatres on October 21, and arrives on Demand and on Digital on October 28.