Den of Geek: What did you know about this series, this character?
Were you familiar with it at all?
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Dylan OBrien:I wasnt, no.
Not until it was put in front of me.
The script was the first thing Id read of the story basically.
That was the first time I became familiar at all with it.
What kind of books do you like to read normally, when you read?
But no, anything anyone recommends me.
My dad reads a lot and hell always recommend me a good one.
Ill always be reading a good book.
Its just really anything anyone kind of recommends or is going around or I hear is good.
Did you know that Flynn had passed away a few years ago?
Oh yeah, that was awful, too, when I found that out.
It was really sad to hear and it was so recent too and he was so young.
I was both really happy and honored to be doing something like that for him and his family.
Also, incredibly nervous, too.
You hope that if he were around hed absolutely approve of what you did.
Ive gotten to know his wife well on this project, too.
Shes been a part of things and shes been amazing.
Shes an incredible person.
I can only imagine what a great guy he was.
It makes me really happy that his project was finally able to get on its feet as a movie.
Im really happy to be a part of that and I just hope his wife Lisa likes it.
Did you worry about preconceptions or how hes supposed to be in the other books?
For me it was all about just tapping into this origin.
I just dont think we see that a lot.
Also, where he came from was also really compelling to me, and really emotional and really strong.
So, I thought that was like …
It became more of an important story to tell, in my mind.
Did you talk to a lot of CIA guys?
A couple of them.
We had one primary advisor on the film who was ex-CIA, ex-Navy Seal.
Hes an incredible dude, hes been doing it for years and hes retired now.
Its just amazing the life that this guy lived, you know, and the things that hes seen.
And to understand actually what they go through every day is just mind blowing.
No, nothing like that.
Just things I dont think Id ever survive.
We see a fictionalized version of that in the movie with the Stan Hurley character played by Michael Keaton.
Hes everything youd want Michael Keaton to be.
Just like such a normal, laid back, smart guy.
Hes had a great career and a really great life, hes really close with his family and son.
Yeah, I really admire the guy.
Your fight trainer on this, Roger Juan, was a key person for you.
Yeah, hes become one of my closest friends.
This whole process of the movie started with me and Roger, you know.
It was really just us first in L.A. training for the first eight weeks.
I couldnt be more grateful to that guy.
Both just as a friend and my trainer on the movie.
We would talk and would just pull me out of it sometimes.
And did that come full circle when you came back to finish theMaze Runnerseries?
I mean yeah, absolutely, man.
It was a big full circle for me.
It was a really long journey.
But I couldnt feel better about it all now.
So it was really good to get back and finish it.
It was a very long and challenging journey, but I couldnt feel better about it all now.
Im glad I got it done, and again, just able to finish it on a positive note.
What would you say to fans aboutThe Death Cure?
I think we made something great, you know.
I hope we did, that was the goal.
We really wanted to finish it strong.
I feel like we had a really strong template to start with.
I feel like we had a really strong crew out there too in South Africa.
Its going to be an emotional one, man.
American Assassinis out in theaters this Friday (September 15).
