‘We look after our mates,’ says Courtney
Jai Courtney denies that he has a high-profile clause in his standard movie contract, but you would never know it.
The Australian is filming his role of Captain Boomerang in the much-anticipated superhero flick Suicide Squad.
Last year, he played Dauntless leader Eric in the popular young adult sci-fi flick Divergent.
His latest trip into the iconic world of cinema is his role defining Kyle Reese in the Terminator update Terminator Genisys.
“It’s coincidence that I’m popping up in a few of these,” says Courtney in Los Angeles, taking a break from the Toronto Suicide Squad shoot to promote Terminator Genisys. “It’s certainly not by design.” In the Terminator movie, John Connor (played by Zero Dark Thirty’s Jason Clarke) sends Courtney’s Reese to the past to protect Sarah Connor (Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke).
But all is not what it seems, especially when who should show up but the Terminator Guardian (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s back but needs no introduction).
Time travel occurs often in the complex plot, but the eye-candy action is a constant.
The 29-year-old Courtney talked to Postmedia News about his new movie and his future:
Q: Were you a fan of the earlier Terminator movies?
A: I was into T-2 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) as a youngster … I sort of idolized the young John Connor because he could get away with so much.
Q: Was it strange to be in a Terminator flick?
A: It was kind of surreal to me when it came back around and I realized I was a part of this franchise.
Q: Did you have any misgivings initially?
A: I was curious when I first heard they were making a new one. When I finally got the script, I saw a smart concept. It was heavy on action, but it has a sentimental side as well. Q: What about Kyle Reese? A: I saw a character on a page who wasn’t just an action-hero guy. He has capabilities, but he doesn’t understand the world he’s in.
Q: Reese is a protector of sorts. Do you have that in you?
A: Growing up in Australia, we learn to look after our mates.
Q: Did it help that you had been involved in action movies previously?
A: I am no stranger to action, but there’s an emotional thing in my character I had to concentrate on.
Q: How did it impact your performance?
A: The instinct was to make (Reese) more cocky and give him a little swagger — but that doesn’t fit in with the story.
Q: Is that a constant in your preparation?
A: Yeah, I never approach an action film just focused on the running and jumping. That stuff is part and parcel of what you have to do, but that’s not what excites me. Q: What does excite you? A: It’s important to show vulnerability because that’s something everybody can identify with — there has to be some human nature explored.