Night Hunter is now in theaters and available On Demand, and to mark the movie's release, we recently caught up with star Alexandra Daddario (
Baywatch,
San Andreas).
She's part of an incredible cast which also includes Henry Cavill, Sir Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, and Nathan Fillion - all names comic book movie fans will be familiar with! Written and directed by David Raymond,
Night Hunter is an action-packed thriller revolving around a twisted serial killer, and contains plenty of massive twists and turns (
you can read our review by clicking here).
We've already brought you Alexandra's comments
about her interest in superheroes, but this interview focuses on her work in this movie, including the challenges that came with playing Rachel, a profiler and interrogator who goes head to head with the killer.
Needless to say, we want to say a huge thank you to the actress for talking to us about
Night Hunter!
I wanted to start by asking what, if any, research you did to play Rachel?
I researched a lot about what it was to be an interrogator in the police force and I think she's also sort of new to it which I incorporated into the character. I also did a lot of work on her backstory; who she was, what was going on at home. There was a part of the story that was cut out that deals with her marriage and her issues at home and her relationship with her husband which I think can have a huge impact at work and what you're bringing into work and whether work is a distraction or a way to control things when you feel out of control with other aspects of your life. I really put a lot of thought into who she was, why she came to this place, how she got this job position, and her motivations (which weren't dealt with in the story itself). Sort of the underlying parts of what make her who she is.
The interrogation room scene with you and Brendan Fletcher's character where Rachel confronts him about his past is really tense and gets physical quickly; what was that like to shoot?
It was a really interesting sequence to shoot. One of the things I love about acting is getting lost in the moment and not planning what's going to happen and having things happen organically. Brendan did such an incredible job as he's very method and he and the director wanted to keep things organic in that way which I enjoyed by not telling me what was going to happen next. He would give notes to Brendan privately so that during the scene, I didn't know what Brendan was going to do, so I could act organically to it. That's really cool because the scene takes on a life of its own and I like to over prepare and over plan and then let it go when I get to set because I want things to happen naturally to the extent that they can. That's really what we got to do in that scene and you sort of reach this meditational place where you're not planning what's going to happen next. That underlying feeling and just reacting naturally in the moment I think is why that scene took on a really unique sort of vibe.
You share some great scenes with Sir Ben Kingsley, so how beneficial did you find it as an actor to work alongside him here?
Oh, it's incredible. I was beyond excited to work with him, and talk to him, and learn from him. He's a wonderful person and one of the best things he provided me with was just incredible support. For someone as legendary as Sir Ben Kingsley, he was immediately very much bolstering myself, the women of the film, and really providing, I felt, the sense that all I needed to do was what I was doing. That's really wonderful because I think having the support of someone as legendary and incredible as he is makes you feel a lot more confident. A lot about acting for me is confidence. He also just has a wonderful sense of humour and was really fascinating to talk to and to pick his mind. I just couldn't have been more honoured working with him.
Something I imagine must have been really challenging was shooting the movie in the cold climate of Canada. Can you take us through what that was like for you, specifically those scenes on the ice?
I keep doing films where I'm either way too hot or I'm way too cold! [Laughs] It's a challenge. In this case, yes, it was tremendously cold. We shot in Winnipeg and it was really ridiculously cold. I really admire the people of Winnipeg for being able to survive those winters! But it was supposed to be cold and it actually helped create that bleakness and feeling of panic when you actually are that cold. Luckily, because it's supposed to be cold, you get to wear jackets! The worst is when it's not supposed to be cold, and it is, and you have to pretend that you're warm. It was a challenge and I think it was a big challenge for the crew. I thank the crew a lot for struggling through those incredibly cold days making the film and shooting in weather conditions like that. In terms of performance, while it was uncomfortable, it was supposed to be that way and it helped in that sense.
This is a movie with a lot of great twists and turns; was that part of what led to you signing on to this project?
Yeah, it's always nice to keep the audience guessing. I think that was a big part of it. The cast was a big part of it. I sometimes am attracted to some pretty weird, darker stuff and I thought some of the scenes were really intense. I was excited to get lost in something that dark and I was intrigued by the idea of doing something so different, how it was going to be pulled off, and seeing the process of that film getting made. It lived up to that and it was a really cool experience. I learned a lot through it.
Even though women are victims in Night Hunter, the movie doesn't shy away from giving its female characters strong story arcs – is that something that's important to you when signing on to a project like this?
I think it's very important to make female characters real. There's been so much talk of strong female characters but I think that could mean so many different things. Sometimes, the strongest characters seem weak or vulnerable but that vulnerability can be what creates strength in both men and women. I think that creating a fully formed character is what gives them strength and a lot of that is what's exciting about approaching the roles I get offered. Finding out who they are, why they do the things they do, and as long as that's all there and there's the ability to find all of that within the script, then that's what I really look for.
Henry Cavill stars in this action-packed thrill ride that will shock you at every turn. When police detective Marshall (Cavill) and local vigilante Cooper (Ben Kingsley) arrest a serial killer targeting women, they discover his game has just begun. The hunt is on as the murderer masterminds a series of deadly attacks from behind bars. Now in a desperate race against time, Marshall and Cooper fight to stay one step ahead of their suspect’s deadly plan. Also starring Alexandra Daddario and Stanley Tucci, Night Hunter is a pulse-pounding thriller where the only way out is through the mind of a killer. Tick-tock.