Savannah Film Festival Interview: Aaron Eckhart
The star of “The Dark Night” and “Thank You for Smoking” chats with us about Johnny Depp, his knack for making bad guys appealing and his scheduled return to the Coastal Empire in 2012. By Summer Teal Simpson.
Savannah Magazine: You are being honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award at the Savannah Film Festival. What does that mean to you given the company of a fellow honoree such as Lily Tomlin.
Aaron Eckhart: Well, I am not in her category. I’m honored to be here. It’s nice to be asked. I feel like I have a long way to go to deserve an honor such as this. That’s pretty good company.
SM: With the work you have done in films like “Towelhead” and “Thank You for Smoking,” how is it that you are drawn to these complex, sometimes unappealing characters?
Eckhart: Well, it all comes from the script. The reason why you do movies where you may not come out in the best light is because the writing is good, the directors are good and your fellow actors are good. You feel a connection with the material. People ask you to do those types of roles because they know that you are going to give your all, that you are going to make an accomplished character and you are going to play into the hero and not the villain. I don’t know how many people offer me roles where they say, “You’re the only guy who can make this guy appealing. Make him human.” That’s a compliment, but if I ever get married or have a girlfriend, I can’t keep on playing those roles. It’s tough sometimes.
SM: I know that you have an upcoming role in “The Drummer,” which is about Dennis Wilson, the drummer of The Beach Boys.
Eckhart: Yes, and it is going to be filmed here.
SM: Really?
Eckhart: I think it is going to be filmed right around here. Next summer, I think.
SM: We’ll be glad to have you back. I read that you started out with an interest in songwriting. Can you tell us about the musical demands of that role?
Eckhart: Well, they’re pretty big. I get a little scared when thinking about it. You know I have to learn how to play drums, piano and harmonica. I have a lot of songs to know. That’s what I am doing right now. I have either drum or piano lessons everyday, but I am also doing a movie before that where I play the monster Frankenstein, so I’ve got that to do. I feel I have a big responsibility with “The Drummer” because of Dennis Wilson. This was his passion, his life. It is what ultimately killed him. He was a very complex dude.
SM: The film version of Hunter S. Thompson’s “The Rum Diary” has recently been released, which you star in with Johnny Depp. What was that experience like?
Eckhart: It was great. I really enjoyed working with Johnny. He is so good to the people he works with. He treats you like family. And he is so passionate about Hunter. Hunter’s chair was always mixed in with ours, always with a script on it. And every day they would dip their fingers in whiskey and put it behind their ears in tribute to him. It’s nice to be able to work on projects like that because it wasn’t a job for Johnny. He was carrying on Hunter’s legacy.
Source: Savannah Magazine
