This weekend, Liam Neeson gets back behind the wheel for The Mongoose, a new action-thriller directed by his longtime stunt double, Mark Vanselow. The film sees the Academy Award-nominated actor go on the run from a power-mad law enforcement officer named Pope, played by none other than Michael Chiklis!
With the film hitting theaters tomorrow, we recently caught up with Chiklis to get some insight into what makes these authority figures so compelling to play, shooting most of his scenes opposite a monitor, and his experience working alongside Neeson and Vanselow.
Plus, with Avengers: Doomsday right around the corner, Chiklis reflected on the legacy of his original Fantastic Four films and shared why he thinks they are receiving renewed appreciation today.
The cast features Liam Neeson (Schindler's List; Batman Begins), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny; Spider-Man: No Way Home), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction; Mission: Impossible), Marcus Thomas (The Ice Road; Drowning Crow), Maurice Marvel Meredith (The Mongoose; The Terminal List) and Michael Chiklis (The Shield; Fantastic Four).
Neeson's longtime stunt double Mark Vanselow helmed the feature, with a screenplay from Thompson Evans (Buried in Barstow; Hit List).
The Mongoose hits theaters on October 30!
Watch our full interview below and/or keep scrolling to read the full transcription. Plus, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more exclusive content!
ROHAN: Michael, your character is in a position of authority and a bit power-mad. What is it about these kinds of characters who cross the line that appeals to you as a performer?
MICHAEL: Well, I think maybe it’s a little bit of my playing those characters appealing to the people who cast movies, you know what I mean? They just keep coming back to me with shades of this. I don’t like to repeat myself, but at the same time, I would be a fool to preclude law enforcement characters because 80% of what’s made in film and television are law enforcement roles.
I find law enforcement interesting because that’s where the action often is, you know? That’s where people are seen at their worst and their best moments, and everything in between. As an actor, you’re always looking for dramatic tension, comedic release, whatever it is.
This isn’t about shades of gray and ambivalence like with Vic Mackey in The Shield. This is a guy who is a bad guy. He’s someone who abuses his authority. He should not have any kind of power, and here he is with a badge and a gun. What do you do when you’re dealing with someone who is a bit of a trope? You commit to it because there are people like this. You have to completely commit to it, play a guy like this, and give yourself over to that set of circumstances.
ROHAN: Building off that, many of your scenes take place in the command center running ops and chasing after Liam’s character. How do you get into character and separate yourself when you're mostly acting in isolation rather than directly with the actors you're chasing?
MICHAEL: That was the great challenge of this particular movie for me because I am in every scene in that command center. 90% of my work in that movie is played to a piece of tape off-camera, which is very challenging because it’s about an imaginary set of circumstances and completely giving yourself into it. If you don’t do that, you’re going to fail.
I was really happy that Liam, who is just a gentleman and a pro, showed up for his off-camera work. The few times that I speak to him directly in the film, he was off-camera doing his dialogue with me, which really helped in a big way. But a lot of the rest of the picture is just me giving commands to my men off-camera, and there was no one there. It’s about commitment and just committing to it. That was one of the challenges I had to overcome in this picture.
Also, my envy—because I love driving, and watching all these Shelby Cobras fly around was a drag because I wanted to be in them!
ROHAN: I spoke to Liam and he mentioned he wasn't a big car guy, so that's funny. What was it like working with director Mark Vanselow, who has a long history with Liam and a massive action background using practical effects? As an action fan yourself, what was that experience like?
MICHAEL: Again, it was kind of a drag for me because I couldn’t take part in any of that! That was a drag. But he's a really nice, affable guy who obviously comes from that world. He’s also learned his lessons well. He’s been on sets with Liam for 25 or 30 years, so he’s been listening. He’s been listening to directors and the way they speak to actors. He understood the lingo, he knew what to say, and he wasn’t just a stunt guy. He understood what to talk about in terms of motivation with regard to actor-speak, and he also knew how to speak to the camera. He didn't strike me as a guy who’s just been sitting off-camera dealing with fight scenes; he’s been listening and watching. I’m happy for him that he got this opportunity.
ROHAN: The first film of yours I ever saw was Fantastic Four. How do you reflect on that legacy now, especially as fans develop a renewed appreciation for those movies?
MICHAEL: That’s one of the things that feels really good. I’ve been getting a lot of love recently about those pictures because a whole new generation of people are seeing them. Also, the people who grew up with those pictures are saying, "Hey, we loved those movies!"
I think they got a bad rap and got vilified in a lot of cases by critics. Honestly, I’ve said this before: they got it wrong. They were on the wrong page. They thought Fantastic Four was supposed to be dark and brooding like The Dark Knight, and that’s not what that is at all. They’re the "First Family." It is supposed to be cheeky, kitschy, a bit comedic, soft, and something for the whole family because they are a family.
In tone and tenor, we got it right. The critics rejected that, but the audiences didn’t—audiences loved those movies. Having people tell me, "Hey man, I grew up on those movies, I loved those movies," is rewarding. That’s what we do it for—we do it for the people, and they were very big hits with the audience.
Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and with nothing to lose, a war hero (Liam Neeson) leads law enforcement on a cross-country car chase with the help of his brothers in arms and a sympathetic public rooting for his getaway.