Taylor Kitsch interview: Battleship, John Carter, Friday Night Lights, Gambit and more

Your latest filmBattleships an obvious place to start.

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I loved it.

So it was really fun to go to work on any day on the USS Missouri.

And, you know, a live parameters the best setting.

We can work on these ships and this incredible history that they have, its awesome.

It looked, in some shots, as though you were far out in the ocean.

Was that the case, or was it just cunning photography?

Oh, we were.

That surely made it tough, then, to set up shots.

Yeah, a lot of it was.

But I think you know that getting into it.

And I learned an insane amount of patience withJohn Carter,which was even more technical.

So I was fine with it.

And again, it was fun to be in a live setting out in the ocean.

It felt like you were achieving something really cool.

Youre a bit of a glutton for punishment, really, arent you?

One extreme to the other, yeah!

But youd sayJohn Carterremained the more difficult film to make.

It was just exhausting for me.

And there was a lot of wire work, too, which must have been difficult.

Oh my God, man.

If I could even begin to explain.

That wire work was insane.

You got to work with Peter Berg again, who you previously worked with onFriday Night Lights.

Did that mean you had a kind of verbal shorthand onBattleship?

So what did you bring to the character?

We were talking about him so early, and we were at dinner in London.

He [Peter Berg] flew to London to pitch the movie.

And I think this guy really encompasses that.

So it was a guy thats truly afraid of his own potential.

Everyones been there in life, and some people never get out of that.

And thats where Hopper was, to me.

Hes not a stock hero, is he?

Which is a slightly different thing for a summer movie.

And you know what the best scene is?

The one where, through attrition, he becomes the captain.

And that scene is great, because hes completely lost, out of his element, and scared shitless.

And I loved that relatability.

That was a huge thing for Pete and I to get.

The other big thing in this film, of course, is its special effects work.

I assume that required lots of motion capture, with actors covered in dots and so forth?

Oh the aliens, yeah.

He was a great big guy, about six-eight, in grey pyjamas.

With little foamy things representing the apparatus or weapons, or whatever.

And he was on wires sometimes.

So that helped enormously.

He was really good.

Its all about bringing you guys into that.

Its the seven-year old in all of us, running around in the outdoors playing GI Joe.

But presumably for you, its been a long road to this point, rather than an overnight thing.

Its been a long and testing one, for sure.

And I never set out…

I dont think a validation for oneself is the budget of a movie.

I take as much pride in that and those kinds of roles.

It doesnt matter about the budget.

But I get that, through exposure, it seems like Ive come out of nowhere.

But Ive definitely chipped away, and Id go right back into a small movie, no problem.

Is that something youd like to do as a change of pace?

We haveSavagescoming out, the Oliver Stone film.

I was going to ask you about that.

Thats an unapologetic, different view.

No ones seen me as this kind of guy.

Theyre almost unrecognisable, these two guys.

Youre starring alongside John Travolta…

John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, Uma Thurman, Salma Hayek.

So what can you tell me about your character in that?

I play a mercenary, more or less.

A really jaded Navy SEAL, whos part of this drug game in Southern California.

And it really boils down to a movie about power and ego.

The gain of power and the loss of it, and what youll do to attain it.

Its really an unapologetic, raw film.

Is it a thriller, or is it more of a drama?

Im tellin you, man, its fucking violent.

I mean, we do not cut away.

ThatReservoir Dogs-key in tone.

Oh, without a doubt.

Well, some comedies that are coming out are R-rated.

Especially with financing theyve got to be uber low budget.

But this is right down Stones alley, and he knocks it out.

Benicio is phenomenal in it.

He plays a mercenary in the cartel, and its just a really gritty, raw film.

I shall look forward to that.

On a different topic, weve heard rumours, on occasion, of aFriday Night Lightsmovie.

Do you think thats likely to happen?

I dont think there will be.

From my position I havent even seen the script.

Im very happy with the way I left Tim Riggins.

And Ive complete closure with it, and left on such an amazing note.

So Im very happy to let it rest.

So hes not necessarily a character youd want to return to.

You feel its run its course.

Yeah, because Im so happy with him.

Another character youve played is Gambit.

Is that someone youd return to, perhaps?

I would, man.

But I havent been approached by anyone.

Whats been really flattering is that a lot of fans want to see it.

And I loved playing him hes a suave motherfucker.

Hes fun to play, man.

So Id love to do it.

But I doubt itll happen.

Maybe one day, though.

Yeah, maybe way down the road.

As weve already touched on, youve already worked with some great directors.

Who are you looking forward to working with who you havent already?

Well, Im working with Pete [Berg] again onLone Survivor,with Mark Wahlberg and Ben Foster.

Thatll be a gritty war film.

So Im sure Ill work with Pete again a couple more times in my career.

The obvious guys are Scorsese and stuff.

That would be very flattering to be a part of.

But I dont know if have a list… [Christopher] Nolan would be a joke.

Id love to work with him.

Im very open to it, and thats a best part of it.

Theres a mini list, but its not like Im hunting these guys down.

Im hoping theyll see my work and want to engage with me as well.

Going back toJohn Carter,briefly, did you have to fight hard for that role?

Oh yeah, fuck.

I battled for that.

And then there was an hour-long general meeting before just to get an audition.

It was no joke.

Do you have a character youre most proud of playing?

The beauty of it is, I dont think its a one-two-three.

Kevin Carter stands out to me, inBang Bang Club.

I love that fulfilment through that.

But every role has taken a different piece of me, and thats whats great about it.

The character inSavageswas a lot of fun to play.

SoLone Survivors your next project with Peter Berg.

And thats quite a tough war film, isnt it?

Its a true story about four Navy SEALS trapped in the mountains of Afghanistan, fighting against the Taliban.

And only one guy, one survivor, lives.

We havent shot it yet were going to shoot it in New Mexico in September.

Thats going to be a tough shoot.

But thats gonna be that old cliche of what you put in, you get back out.

I cant tell you how honoured I am to play this guy.

Taylor Kitsch, thank you very much.

Battleshipis out in UK cinemas now.

You canread our reviewhere.