|
Pop Superstar Justin Timberlake Stars in 'Alpha Dog' |
|
Friday, 12 January 2007 |
By Christina Radish
|
|
|
Justin Timberlake at the William Rast Spring/Summer '07 fashion show held at Social Hollywood on October 17, 2006. | Based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, the youngest man to ever be on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, the Universal Pictures film Alpha Dog follows three fateful days when the lives of a group of Southern California teens suddenly dead-ended.
Cocky and headstrong Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) is a mid-level drug dealer in the privileged neighborhoods in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley. For Johnny and his friends, their existence is a blur of partying and looking for the next thrill. The model of the good life they imitate comes to them from rap music, video games and movies and, for them, life doesn’t come with any consequences.
But, when raging hothead Jake (Ben Foster) fails to come up with the money he owes Truelove, the situation escalates into a battle for dominance that culminates with Johnny and his gang impulsively kidnapping Jake’s little brother, Zack (Anton Yelchin). When the group decides to keep him around, Zack falls under the temporary care of Johnny’s charismatic friend Frankie (Justin Timberlake), and enjoys an illicit summer fantasy of drinking, girls and new experiences. With everyone having lost sight of the fact that Zack is a hostage, the line between playing a thug and becoming one soon blurs, and very real, very adult consequences result for everyone involved.
Pop superstar turned actor Justin Timberlake talks to MediaBlvd Magazine about taking on a character like this, and how working with a caliber of actors, that also includes Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, affected his own performance.
MediaBlvd Magazine> How do you feel about making a film with such unlikable characters?
Justin Timberlake> We didn't plan it that way. I don't think that the point was for the characters to be repulsive. I think the point was just to show the truth of what was happening with the story. We had laid so much ground work as actors. There was so much information on the characters and I think that we all felt morally responsible for portraying that. I don't think it is stretching a statement at all to say that this is a tough movie to watch, but this is as close to what happened as we felt like we could make it. As far as the repulse you will have to talk to the director about that because I think he definitely wanted to push that.
MediaBlvd> Was playing this character a risk for you?
Justin> My only stipulation for the movie was I just wanted to crack a couple of jokes here and there, and that was it. For me, it was attractive to just be involved with great actors and a great director. To be involved with great material is what led me to this film.
MediaBlvd>Since you are a novice to acting, how did you work together with everybody to establish the characters? Did you know people like your character?
|
|
|
Justin Timberlake at the Futuresex / Lovesounds album release party held at Miauhaus Studios in Los Angeles, Calif. on September 19, 2006. |
Justin> I don't know that I knew anyone growing up who was specifically like this, but I think, as an actor, it is your job to find out how you relate to a character. You can latch on to some things that might have happened. Kids are cruel. I actually went with Nick Cassavetes and we traveled to upstate California to go to prison to visit the guy that my character was based off of. When we all signed up for the project, we got a stack of files. Literally, it was like a novel of files of all the police reports and all the newspaper reports about that had happened. Nick was able to really get a lot of information, so we really just trusted him. We all signed up to just portray the truth of what happened, and we followed Nick's lead on that.
MediaBlvd> Did you meet any of the witnesses?
Justin> In California, this story became almost like legend. Around Los Angeles, and outside of it, people would come up and say, “Hey, are doing that movie about Jesse James Hollywood?” I would say, “Yeah, sure,” and they would say, “Yeah, I knew that guy. I knew Jesse James Hollywood.” Everybody knew somebody that knew him. When we were making the film, it helped to hear those kinds of things. You could tell immediately that half of the people that would come up to you and tell you about it, knew nothing about it. All they knew was that the kid was kidnapped and murdered, but they were always like, “Yeah, I knew him!” I found it interesting that, through his infamy, he became this weird tall tale to these young people who were, in some weird way, wanting to be involved with it. What I like about the film is that it doesn't treat you like a dumb ass, so to speak. It lets you feel what really happened. What I took away from the film is how just a little perspective on things could change the outcome of someone's life.
MediaBlvd> Which scene was the most emotionally challenging for you?
Justin> For me, personally, the hilltop scene wasn't the most challenging for me because I could relate to it. So many times, when you might be intoxicated, something happens and, all of a sudden, you are not in control of the situation. I didn't find that reaction difficult. The most difficult scene for me was a scene with Shawn Hatosy, where we were sitting at the hotel on the steps. He is talking me through why this should happen, and that my character should accept that. That was the toughest scene for me to wrap my mind around. For me to get through that scene, I just had to accept that his decision was based solely on fear. When you are afraid of the moment, you either don't take control of the situation and you don't do the right thing, or you let the wrong thing happen.
|
|
Justin Timberlake performing at the KIIS FM Jingle Ball concert held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on December 7, 2006. | MediaBlvd> How different is music from acting for you?
Justin> Well there are lots of differences. In creating music, you are the writer, the director and the producer. You create it from scratch. Playing a role in a film, you take guidance and you put your trust in the director and the writer. I find it even more collaborative, especially with a project like this. You come into it and you really trust the people that you are in front of the camera with. I was a sponge the whole film, just watching all of the other actors. You also feel like you are playing a position on a team. You play a role and you are part of a collaborative movement. With creating music, you are solely responsible for the creation of it. So, you definitely approach those two things differently.
MediaBlvd> What is your favorite album this year?
Justin> I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers record. There is nothing missed on that record. It is a double album full of classics -- song, after song, after song. |
|
|
