Matthias Schoenaerts on Dreaming about Dogs, Playing Dark Characters and working with James Gandolfini
Actor Matthias Schoenaerts sits down to discuss THE DROP, a thrilling and emotional drama that also stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace. Written by Dennis Lehane, based on a short story he penned in 2009, the movie follows Bob Saginowski (Hardy), a lonely bartender who one day finds a pit bull puppy in a trash can. Soon Bob will cross paths with the equally damaged Nadia (Rapace), her ex-boyfriend Eric (Schoenaerts) and a gang of hardened Chechen criminals. There will be violence, but also the possibility of redemption for Bob.
Also starring the late James Gandolfini (in his final film performance) and John Ortiz, THE DROP is directed by Michaël R. Roskam, whose debut picture Bullhead was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Born in Antwerp in 1977, Matthias Schoenaerts made his acting debut when he was just 15, appearing alongside his father in the Belgian film Daens. He went on to star in many acclaimed European productions, including Paul Verhoeven’s World War II drama Black Book, alongside Carice van Houten, and Erik Van Looy’s Loft, a thriller which became the top-grossing Flemish film of all time and made Schoenaerts famous in his home country.
Further acclaim came with Bullhead, the story of a cattle farmer who becomes drawn into the shady world of bovine steroids. Schoenaerts transformed his body for the role and his fiercely committed performance won him several awards. The film was also nominated for an Oscar at the 2011 Academy Awards.
The next year, Schoenaerts played opposite Marion Cotillard in searing drama Rust And Bone. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film explores the relationship between an ex-boxer and a paralysed killer-whale trainer. It received a ten-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Drop reunites Schoenaerts with his Bullhead director, Michaël R. Roskam. He plays Eric Deeds, a dark and dangerous figure that threatens the fragile link developing between Bob (Tom Hardy) and Nadia (Noomi Rapace). But the 36 year-old actor invests what could have been a one-dimensional villain with humanity and depth, making for a rich, riveting antagonist.
Schoenaerts sat down on the film’s Brooklyn set for the following interview.
How did you come to be involved in The Drop?
“I knew Michaël had read the script and he’d told me he was drawn to it. Finally he called me and asked, ‘Are you free at this time to be a part of it?’ At first it didn’t look like it was possible, but we managed to fix something schedule-wise. I really wanted to work with Michaël again, and this is a great part. And then of course you have the co-leads: Noomi, Tom, James. Really great actors that you respect and want to work with. It’s been a ball.”
You’ve played a lot of intense characters. But Eric might be the moodiest one yet…
“He’s a complicated guy! I don’t know why I keep running into these kinds of characters – I guess I just find them interesting. There’s a magnetism to them. But no, Eric is not the kind of man you want to have around for dinner. He’s not a cozy, charming fellow.”
All three of the lead characters have a relationship with the puppy. Have you ever owned a dog yourself?
“I had dogs when I was a kid. I had a chow chow, the Chinese dogs with the blue tongue. His name was Brando. He passed a long time ago, but I still dream about him. Every once in a while he pops up in my mind when I’m sleeping. Somehow on a deep level I must have been really attached to him, because in my dreams he feels so real that by the time I wake up I’m really sad he’s not there.”
How does working with dogs compare to working with cows in Bullhead?
“The dogs are easier! Apparently they do everything you want, at the moment you want them to do it. It’s really magical. I’m the owner of the puppy in the film, but by the beginning he’s ended up in the trash can and the characters adopt him. But I’ve been running into the dogs from time to time and they’re enormously cute.”
Do you see Eric as the villain of The Drop?
“I’m always scared of judging characters. Of course I know what his function in the screenplay is, but I don’t try to approach him as being a bad guy. He’s just a lost soul. Like all these characters are – they’re all lost, desperate, hiding things, ashamed. They all need each other somehow. I run into all kinds of people, and every now and again you’ll meet a weirdo like Eric. There’s guys who hang out in your neighbourhood and have a certain way of moving and behaviour that comes with it. We want to stay away from any kind of stereotype or ridiculousness.”
How has Tom Hardy been to work with?
“Tom’s a lot of fun. He’s really generous. I think the dynamic between our characters is far from the obvious thing people might imagine when they think of us together. The energy between them is dangerous and electric, but not in the testosterone sense. These guys are not fighters – they’re survivors. They’re not kids anymore. I think it will be surprising. But it’s a lot of fun to work with Tom. He doesn’t let the movie go. He goes to bed with it and wakes up with it. It’s alive, it’s permanent, it grows, it’s organic.”
And how about James Gandolfini?
“I only had two scenes with James. He’s iconic, of course, but so much more than Tony Soprano. He did a couple of indie films in which I really loved him. A badass actor, always powerful and honest and sincere. And humble and ready to work in person. That’s how I like it to be. A scene’s not about winning or losing – it’s about creating something visceral on-screen, so you have to do it together. It was an honour to have worked with him.”
Was it a different experience working with Michaël on an American film this time?
“Michaël is the same guy. He’s more experienced now, but still a natural storyteller, and nothing phases him. He has a way with actors, crew, all kinds of people. Bullhead was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was intense and took a long time to get made, but it was something very special in my life. At times it looked like it was going to fall through the cracks, and we’d have to give up, but we stuck together. When one of us lost heart, the other slapped him! It’s hard to define, but we have something very simple and genuine going on between us. We appreciate and respect each other. We’re friends outside of what we do professionally – we hang out and chat and laugh. There’s a true friendship going on.”
How would you define his directing style?
“Sometimes he is very clear: ‘I want this and that.’ But he also gives you a lot of freedom. I think that’s why he chooses the actors that he chooses, because he wants people who can bring something that he couldn’t have thought of. He’s not imposing anything. And that’s a good thing, because otherwise you’re just executing someone else’s wishes, like a circus animal. Sometimes we disagree, but we don’t ever get into an argument. Michaël and I might do a film in Belgium again in the near future, and I’m excited about that.”
You share the most screentime with Noomi. How would you describe the relationship between Nadia and Eric?
“These two people have a history, which Noomi and I made up in detail. We’re not explaining the whole of it, but we were really trying to define what these people mean to each other. And we realised that they must have been engaged in an extremely passionate, destructive relationship, absolutely depending on each other. And then at a certain point she found the strength to detach from him. Once one party in a relationship has the strength to leave the other person, that’s kind of hard. That’s what’s going on here: it’s two people that really love each other. The question is: what was their love? Was it really love or was it obsession? You can put so many words to it. But when the movie starts she’s decided to leave Eric. She gets to know Bob and reconsiders her life and relationship. That gives her the strength to walk away from Eric, something she hasn’t been able to do for so many years. Now she’s at that point and Eric can’t deal with it. The relationship between them is disturbing, it’s touching, it’s desperate. They are two very emotional people. And sometimes emotional people do bad things.”
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THE DROP IS OUT NOW ON BLU-RAY AND DVD