Interview: Manu Bennett star of 30 Days of Night!

By Goldenwombat on 2008-02-25 20:39:12

We were lucky enough to sit down for a bit with Manu Bennett; star of 30 Days of Night. He's been garnering a good amount of acclaim with his role as Billy Kitka and, with any luck, could become one of the next big stars from the southern hemisphere.

Interview by: Eli Dorsey

DT: Hi Manu, thanks for spending the time to talk to us. First off, I would like to congratulate you on the success of your latest film; 30 Days of Night.

MB: Thank you.

DT: Your role in the film is quite different from the atypical supporting roles in  horror films. Not to get into spoiler territory; but, your character has to make some very hard decisions. Were there any special preparations you did to tackle such a complex role?

MB: Without going into too much detail; I have dealt with the loss of two members in my own family. I can, therefore, relate to the loss that Billy Kitka suffers. The suffering was difficult to perform, as you have to dedicate yourself to that sort of emotional outpouring. It cannot be acted, not when the camera is right in your face. The trick is resisting acknowledging that it is and that you're surrounded by crew. My style of acting is inhabiting the character from a direction of need and the relationship of that need with other characters. I think that is the way that we, as humans, survive. Billy makes the most extreme decision because he needs to protect his family; a decision that, ultimately, costs him his own salvation.

DT: Well, you did a great job on the role so it appears your technique worked. Did you have to employ the same mentality to help sell the illusion of being in Barrow, Alaska when in actuality you were filming on a stage in New Zealand?

MB: I don't think that we, as humans, notice our habitat as-much-as to distract us from personal situations. Once we were filming on the studio lot, and not in the exterior snow of the south island of New Zealand, it was night time already. The idea of  the environment was replaced by the fears of evil lurking in the darkness. The toughest thing was playing the cold. I would start breathing very shallow, shaking my body, rubbing my hands and chattering my teeth. As well as I could, I thought that I was freezing, despite the fact that we were wearing 4 layers of clothing and wrapped by goose down jackets. We were boiling hot & sweating during most of the scenes

DT: Your character has a moment that definitely had the gorehounds in the crowd cheering. Were the makeup effects ever distracting to your focus as an actor?

MB: In terms of acting the gorier scenes in the movie, I found that the more blood I was covered in the better. You know when you bang your nose and it's not the bang that bothers you as much as pulling your bloodied hand away? Well, I found I could play the disorientation, fear and pain that comes with being devoured or decapitated, the more I was covered in blood. I would actually keep a mouthful of stage blood, so that that when I screamed as a changing vampire, lots of blood would spray from my mouth - a way of emphasizing the destruction from within.

DT: Was that to keep yourself in the Sam Raimi spirit?

MB: Sam Raimi complimented me very kindly in regard to the scene where Billy is discovered in the bedroom. I think he appreciated where I went with Billy in that scene - it was, in fact, the scene that I auditioned with to get the role. David Slade told me that when he saw my auditon of that scene, he booked me right away.

DT:It looks like you have quite an extensive list of genre credits. (ie. The Condemned, The Marine, Zena, The Beastmaster TV. Series)  Are there any projects of yours that we can look for in the near future?

MB: I have been offered the role of Mark Kerr in the film version of the documentary: The Smashing Machine. That will be a very challenging role, as I have to put on a lot of size and enter the psych of a UFC fighter who is increasingly affected by the effects of steroids and pain killers.

DT: That sounds like another meaty role. Do you find any similarities to Mark Kerr's         life in your own to draw from, if you end up playing him?

MB: I fought in a charity boxing match in New Zealand. I had to fight the world champion sheep shearer, David Fagan. Everybody, including the press, was saying that I would get smashed, an actor versus a sheep-shearer. I broke his nose & KO'd him in the second round. I sent the producers of The Smashing Machine the footage of this fight. That's when they became interested in me for the role.

DT: Is this clip on YouTube? I'd love to see it.

MB: It's not on YouTube, but I should try to upload it.

DT: Did you find working on this film, with such a great cast and crew to be a great                       opportunity?

MB: It was great working with actors like Ben Foster, Danny Houston and Josh Harnett, You get to see how top-level performers apply themselves to their work, which also helps you to develop your own approach. Also, the fact that the film had bowed in the #1 slot in the U.S. Box Office, meant that I had the opportunity to be seen by a huge audience. Those are the best things that an actor can expect from working on a film.

30 Days of Night will be released on home video on February 26th via Sony Pictures.

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