The summer of 2014 is looking like a great year for movies, then again we said the same thing about 2013 and that didn't turn out so well. But anyways, one of the first films to kick-off the summer of 2014 will be Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2. A lot of the success or failure of the film will rest on Jamie Foxx's performance as Max Dillon and his super-villain alter ego, Electro. The In Living Color actor chatted with Eric "Quint" Vespe at this year's Comic-Con to discuss that role. Going into detail about the mental anguish that will be inflicted upon the character. Also, how a Los Angeles gangster influenced his performance, as well as using intimidation to get under the skin of Andrew Garfield.
Jamie Foxx: Here's the thing. When they talked about this, I said “Look, I know Electro.” If we go on Electro's history, he's born in Endicott, New York. His father's an accountant. He should have followed in his father's footsteps, but his father leaves. Right off the bat you set Max up as a person that's been hurt. The father's not there. His mom is sort of crazy protective. He even tried to get married. Now, that's not in our movie, but to see a person in their 40s still trying to catch fire... I know guys like that. They're still trying to figure out what their life is about. There are guys who I could pattern this character off of so even before he turns into Electro he can be compelling.
When we got together, Marc (Webb) and I, I said how about it's his birthday and nobody remembers it, including his mom? So, when he goes in and says, “Mom, it's a special day today... is there something you want to tell me?” She goes, “Yeah, like I tell you every day, you're a dummy. Anything else?” Immediately the crowd is going to go, “Awwww.”
I said if we can have him betrayed by three things: love, family and his job then we can have an opportunity to have an old school villain. “Everyone's turned on me so I'm gonna get mine.” That's why I jumped at the chance of this. It wasn't just about “alright, let's go be in a superhero film!” because if you don't know a lot about it you'll end up one-dimensional. We wanted to sit down and actually develop him.
Something that happened to me... I was in LA. I was young, up and coming... the In Living Color days, but I really wasn't famous then. These guys were messing with me and I asked this gangster dude to help me out with it. When I did I was indebted to him. Every club I'd go to, it'd be “Hey, you gonna get me in the club with you?” I'd say, “I can only get in one...” “I got nine.” So, I'd have to pay to get them in.
So that energy that he had, I took it to Electro. When Spider-Man says to me as Max, “Hey, we're friends, we're partners” he remembers that as Electro. “You don't remember me? You said me and you were going to do this together. I'm Electro now, we can do this...”
Quint: So for him, it's another betrayal.
Jamie Foxx: When he betrays me, I take the same sensibility of that gangster that was chasing me in LA and I want him to be the guy that is chasing Spider-Man. Every time I was on the set and someone would ask me what I was doing that day, I said, “I'm chillin'. I'm chasin' spiders. I'll hit you back.”
I wanted to up the ante with the heat on him because I think the way Andrew (Garfield) had now taken control of that role... I wanted him to be uncomfortable. Even when I'd see him out, I'd go “Yo, you know somebody's after you, right?” He'd go (in a soft and, I gotta say, slightly effeminate British accent) “What? What-what-what do you mean somebody's after me?” I said, “Yeah, you've got a formidable opponent, somebody that wants to take your shine. Somebody who wants to take that Spider-Man sign and melt it so it says 'Electro.'”
That's what's cool about it, that's what's cool about being in this movie. And my daughter who is crazy about Spider-Man, she always dresses up like Spider-Man, she's sitting on the set with her costume on... It was all just a big fun experience, but we were down to the business of making characters multi-dimensional.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW
TASM2 - Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be directed by Marc Webb from a script written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt. The film will star Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Sally Field as Aunt May, Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson, Paul Giamatti as Rhino, Jamie Foxx is Electro and Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn. The Amazing Spider-Man sequel will swing into theaters May 2, 2014.