Li taħdem ma’ atturi veterani u ikoniċi ta’ Hollywood huwa privileġġ – fuq is-sett iġibu enerġija li żgur timmotivak u tispira lil kull min ikun preżenti.
Sostna dan ma’ Net News l-attur Malti Andrei Claude meta f’intervista permezz ta’ e-mail tkellimna miegħu dwar l-aħħar film li ħa sehem fih bl-isem ‘The Union’, li preżentament qed jixxandar fuq Netflix u li fih huwa interpreta r-rwol ta’ Javin Karinejad.
F’dan il-film Claude ħadem spalla ma’ spalla ma’ atturi ta’ fama internazzjonali fosthom Halle Berry, Mike Colter u Mark Wahlberg – fejn iddeskrivihom bħala persuni umli u li kellu l-pjaċir assolut jaħdem magħhom. Dan filwaqt li ma’ Mike Colter għadu ħabib sal-lum.
Matul il-film, li huwa miżgħud bl-azzjoni, hemm xena partikolari fejn Andrei Claude u Mark Wahlberg jispiċċaw jitqabdu f’karozza waqt li l-vettura tkun għaddejja b’veloċità qawwija.
Claude spjega ma’ Net News li hu u Wahlberg spiċċaw marbutin ma’ xulxin permezz ta’ harness għal madwar sagħtejn sħaħ hekk kif kellhom jixxabtu ‘l barra; bl-attur Malti jirrakkonta li din ix-xena damu jiġbduha madwar tliet ġimgħat fejn darba minnhom saħansitra tant kemm kellu wiċċu viċin l-vettura l-oħra li seta’ jħoss is-sħana tal-magna.
Huwa stqarr li biex jitħarreġ għal tali film kellu jitgħallem isuq bi preċiżjoni, u anke tħarreġ fid-drifting flimkien maċ-Champion tal-Formula 2 Luciano Bacheta.
Claude saħaq li l-ġbid tax-xeni tiegħu nqassmu bejn il-Kroazja u s-Slovenja f’Piran, raħal żgħir b’toroq dojoq. U għaldaqstant il-preċiżjoni fis-sewqan kienet essenzjali.
L-attur Malti insista li għamilha premura li l-istunts kollha jagħmilhom hu u għaldaqstant ħadem ma’ tim dedikat, tim li kienu diġà ħadmu fuq films bħal The Matrix Resurrections u John Wick: Chapter 4.
Iżda ammetta li x-xena ma’ Mark Wahlberg fejn jispiċċaw jiġġieldu waqt li jkunu għaddejjin b’velocità qawwija kienet l-aktar waħda li sab eċċitanti u rrakkonta li waqt taqbida f’BMW tas-sebgħinijiet dejjem jista’ jinqala ntopp – bħal meta Wahlberg, bi żball, spiċċa tajjar il-mera ta’ quddiem b’rasu.
Andrei Claude faħħar il-ħidma tad-direttur Julian Farino u kif idderiġa l-atturi; partikolarment ix-xena bejnu, Halle Berry, Mike Colter u Jessica De Gouw.
Mistoqsi x’se joffri l-futur lill-attur Malti, huwa insista li preżentament m’hemm xejn konfermat, madanakollu għandu numru ta’ proġetti li qed jiġu diskussi.
Intervista sħiħa hawn taħt bil-lingwa Ingliża:
1. What was it like stepping into the shoes of Javid Karinejad? Did you have to do anything special to get into his mindset?
The script evolved after I signed on for the role. My original view on the character was that he’s an entrepreneur just looking for a profitable deal. After reading the new draft I saw him as a ruthless businessman, who wastes no time and takes what he wants. I never judge the characters that I play, I simply try to understand their motives and the reason behind each line and action. A villain does not see himself that way. In his mind he’s doing the right thing. So, for me the preparation, aside from the numerous stunt rehearsals, was the same as that for any other role. I must add though, that I found this character very interesting.
2. You got to work with big names like Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, and Mike Colter. What was it like on set with them? Any cool or funny stories you can share?
Collaborating with such veterans and iconic Hollywood actors is truly a privilege. They bring an energy to the set that inspires and motivates everyone around them. Mark and Halle are very grounded people, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Mike and I have remained friends to this day, and he’s also an incredibly talented and humble person. Since all the stunts in this movie were practical, certain precautions had to be taken. During the final car chase scene for example, Mark and I were strapped together with a harness for close to two hours, because we were leaning out of a fast-moving vehicle, with two other cars driving at high speed inches apart. One time my face was so close to the car behind us that I could feel the heat radiating from its engine. These action scenes can take a long time to shoot. We worked on that sequence for three weeks, and even though we had numerous rehearsals, some issues, such as cars breaking down or just getting the right frame for the camera can delay the process.
3. Did you learn anything new or have any memorable moments with them on set?
I learned precision driving and drifting with a Formula 2 champion named Luciano Bacheta. Again, another lovely person to work with. I had a lot of fun doing this, and he made me feel very confident when it came to shooting the actual scenes. In Croatia most of the roads were fairly wide. When we went to Slovenia though, we were shooting in a small town called Piran, and the streets were all very narrow, so accuracy was crucial. I even learned some Iranian words, with the assistance of a tutor I hired, who also helped me get the pronunciation right.
4. ‘The Union’ has some intense scenes. Was there a particular action scene or stunt that you found especially challenging or fun to film?
I really enjoy being physically active. So, when our second unit director, Scott Rogers and I were discussing what he had planned for my character’s scenes, I committed to doing all my stunts, just the way he intended, without any compromise. This meant that I had to have total trust in him and his team, who have worked on numerous action movies such as The Matrix Resurrections and John Wick: Chapter 4. All the driving I did in this movie was a lot of fun. I found the fight scene with Mark Wahlberg, where we end up hanging out of a car moving at 60mph the most exhilarating though.
5. Did anything unexpected happen while filming that you’ll always remember? Maybe a blooper or a moment that really stood out?
Well, when two grown men are performing a fight scene inside a confined space, like the inside of a 1970’s BMW, minor incidents do happen. I remember Mark knocked off the rear-view mirror with his forehead during one of the takes. As I mentioned earlier though, the entire crew were so experienced that nothing major ever went wrong.
6. How was it working with the director on this film? Did Mr. Farino give you any advice that really helped you nail your role?
Julian is what I call a proper actor’s director. He knows how to give subtle directions, while allowing an actor to bring their own interpretation of the character to a scene. This approach creates a true sense of collaboration. I shared some of my ideas with him a few days before we began shooting and he was incredibly receptive. During the rehearsals for the scene with Halle Berry, Mike Colter and Jessica De Gouw, he discussed with us the overall tone, while leaving each actor determine the attitude of their character. This is how I like to be directed.
7. If you had to pick one favorite moment from filming ‘The Union’, what would it be and why?
We had over 900 people involved when we were filming the scene in Tartini Square, in Slovenia. So, the energy was very vibrant, with hundreds of people working together. We also knew that this was a pivotal scene in the movie, and I felt this might have added a layer of excitement. I would therefore probably say that my favourite moment was when Halle’s character, Roxanne enters, and suddenly we all switched.
8. What’s next for you? Any exciting projects coming up that you think the audience should keep an eye out for?
Right now, nothing is confirmed, although there are a few smaller projects that are being discussed.
