Back in action
Barry Pepper takes aim in revenge thriller ‘Trigger Point’
After 25 years in the business, Barry Pepper sees each film he now makes as a welcome “adventure.” “Trigger Point,” opening April 23, finds Pepper, 51, starring as Nicolas Shaw, a traumatized retired CIA special operative.
“He led an ‘invisible’ team of CIA assassins, the guys who would terrorize the terrorists,” Pepper said from his home in the Pacific Northwest.
“He’s now living off the grid. The title refers to the point of impact before the trigger is pulled but it also has something to do with Shaw: We meet him where his trigger point is these nightmares and flashbacks he’s experiencing. Because of that trauma he only has fragmented glimpses into what happened.
“He does know he’s been accused of giving up the names of his team members — and they’ve all been assassinated. He’s tracked down by his former CIA handler — that’s Colm Feore — and must go find the killers.
“It’s a revenge thriller, action driven and a classic whodunit that kept me guessing. But within that it allows you to breathe. The way it begins with the character quite isolated amid peace and solitude is the reason I liked it.”
While Pepper’s played military men in “Saving Private Ryan” and Flags of Our Fathers,” “There’s specific training for each role. This was the pistol work.
“It was the fast mag changes and quick pistol work and you need to be so efficient, it’s second nature. You work with experts on two-gun technique. That was unique to ‘Trigger Point’ where ‘Ryan’ or ‘Flags’ was rifles.
Pepper came to “Trigger” directly from filming “Solitary” with David Oyelowo (George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky”), which is in post-production.
“Solitary,” Pepper explained, “is set during COVID lockdown. We shot it last September and that was another interesting aspect, a reflection of what was going on. I chose that because it’s a fantastic script and I liked the role.
“It’s hard to say what compels you to do a movie. Sometimes you take to a character or you just wanted to be a part of it. Sometimes it’s just an adventure.”
Both “Solitary” and “Trigger” were filmed under strict COVID protocols.
“It’s like working in a dental convention, everyone has masks and full Plexi face shields. The entire crew is tested twice a week. If a supporting actor or lead gets COVID, you shut down for two weeks and that’s incredibly expensive, maybe 10% added to your budget.
“We were blessed, we managed to get through both ‘Solitary’ and ‘Trigger’ but it certainly slows down your schedule.”