Chris Cooper Interview, BREACH

MoviesOnline recently caught up with Academy Award winning actor Chris Cooper to discuss his latest film at the Los Angeles Press Day for "Breach,” a dramatic thriller inspired by true events and set inside the halls of the FBI. The film is directed by Billy Ray, who previously explored themes of deception and betrayal in the electrifying "Shattered Glass.” The screenplay for "Breach” is co-written by Ray, Adam Mazer ("Shelter from the Storm”), and William Rotko ("Freeze”). Cooper stars as renowned FBI operative Robert Hanssen, one of the most notorious spies in the history of our country, who was found guilty of treason against America in 2001. Over a period of more than two decades, Hanssen systematically and deliberately sold his country’s key intelligence to the former Soviet Union. Ryan Phillippe joins Cooper, starring as Eric O’Neill, the young agent-in-training handpicked by the Bureau to help draw the traitor out of his deep cover. Engaged in a lethal game of spy-versus-spy, O’Neill finds himself fighting to bring down Hanssen before the treacherous double agent can destroy him, his family and the nation they are both sworn to serve.

Breach Clip : Retiring

Breach Clip : Replaced

Breach Clip : New Assignment

Breach Clip : GunPoint

Breach: Making of Video

Breach Clip: Back to Work

The Breach

"From the beginning, Billy Ray was taken with Chris Cooper,” recalls producer Scott Kroopf. "He felt that Chris was the epitome of Robert Hanssen, that he could play the darkness of the character, but also find the humanity. The word ‘chameleon’ describes Chris to a T. This character is all about shades and layers and colors and contradictions.” Cooper, who over the years has chosen work from his role of Colonel Frank Fitts in "American Beauty” to the conflicted jockey Tom Smith in "Seabiscuit,” cites the smartness of the material and the complexity of the character as informing his decision to play Hanssen. "Good material is hard to find,” offers the actor. "This jumped out at me – a good script and an unusual character told very well.”

"Hanssen is probably the most contradictory character I’ve ever played,” continues Cooper. "There is a whole opposite world he’s living in, and it’s often a complete contradiction.” Of playing a traitor, he relates, "I really had to work on having something else to think about while playing a scene. When audiences see the film, I think that concept will become self-explanatory.” "The character of Hanssen is alternately very punishing, then seducing,” explains Ray. "His intelligence becomes clear right off the bat, but so does his oddness, his quirkiness. When he looks at you, it’s like being looked at by an X-ray machine. He has the ability to shake your confidence in yourself. There aren’t a lot of actors who can pull that off without twisting themselves into a pretzel, but Chris just stands there and you feel it. He was born to play Hanssen.”

Special consultant Eric O’Neill was equally struck by Cooper’s performance. "Chris is channeling the guy so well that it’s almost nerve-wracking to sit and watch,” the former FBI man remarks. "He’s intent on making sure he really understands Hanssen – not only the way he speaks with a Chicago accent, but the way he moves, how he would get into your personal space, and all the nuances that made up the man.” For Ryan Phillippe, tapped by the filmmakers to play the role of Eric O’Neill, the opportunity to work opposite Cooper was a huge bonus. Comments Phillippe, "Chris Cooper is, in my estimation, one of the best actors working today. The idea of getting to work opposite him doing this material and having the ability to learn from him just blew me away.”

One of the most respected character actors of our time, Chris Cooper was recognized in 2003 with an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his portrayal of John Laroche in Columbia Pictures’ "Adaptation,” written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. The film, loosely based on Susan Orlean’s book "The Orchid Thief,” follows a sexually frustrated screenwriter’s attempt to adapt Orlean’s anecdotal book for the screen. Cooper was also recognized for his performance in this film by numerous critics associations, including the Broadcast Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Toronto Film Critics Association. In 2003, Cooper starred opposite Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges in Universal Pictures’ "Seabiscuit,” directed by Gary Ross based on the best-selling book. Cooper was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for his portrayal of Seabiscuit’s trainer, Tom Smith. In the same year, Cooper was nominated for an Emmy Award for his supporting performance in the HBO film "My House in Umbria,” starring Maggie Smith. In 2004, Cooper was seen in Newmarket Film’s "Silver City,” a political drama and murder mystery written and directed by John Sayles. Chris Cooper is without a doubt a very talented actor and we really appreciated his time. Here’s what he had to tell us about how he approached the character of Robert Hanssen, what it was like working with Ryan Phillippe, and how his wife taught him the rosary:e HH

MoviesOnline : What was the first thing you did when you got this role and how much research did you do?

MoviesOnline : Did you feel intimidated to play a real person versus a fictional character?

CHRIS: The intimidation was that even though there were some pretty embarrassing and treacherous acts committed, I still felt responsible and respectful of primarily Hanssen’s family. No doubt this is a terrible embarrassment for the country and his wife, Bonnie, and his children. I think the script handled some of those aspects very tastefully. But intimated? No.

MoviesOnline : Was there ever a question of you visiting Hanssen in prison?

CHRIS: That would be impossible. He’s in a super-max prison, and I believe to this day he’s caused so much trouble with the amount of information he gave the Soviets over a 15-year period that from time to time, he may well still be interrogated on occasion.

MoviesOnline : Do you think there’s a possibility that he may see this film?

CHRIS: I don’t know. I saw a documentary on the prison where I believe he is, and I don’t know if they are granted reading material or televisions. I don’t believe they are but who knows. He may make some friends with the guards there and may get to view it someday.

MoviesOnline : Was the Catherine Zeta Jones stuff true?

CHRIS Yes. (laughing)

MoviesOnline : What about the religious aspect – was that only part of whom he was, and second, after making the film as well as all the research that you did, do you have any theories about why he did it?

MoviesOnline : Did you discuss with Billy the portrayal of the religious aspect of your character and why Hanssen was the way he was?

CHRIS: Billy and I touched on that, but it was more my responsibility how far I went. I'm not Catholic, my wife is, and Patricia Clarkson, another actor friend, because we're going to be working with her, gave the house a call and Marianne picked up the phone, and it was a Saturday night, and Patty said, "What are you guys doing tonight?" Marianne said, "I'm teaching Chris the rosary." And I had no idea how lengthy a rosary could be and how involved it was. The religious aspect was all my responsibility how serious and what religious fervor he held for Opus Dei and the Catholic religion.

MoviesOnline : Can you talk about working with Ryan Phillippe?

MoviesOnline : How valuable was it to you shooting at some of the real locations, especially the capture/arrest location? Did that help your performance?

CHRIS: Yeah, in a subtle way, but it was an extra big layer. You're in this neighborhood and you're retracing the steps of this guy. If you saw the film where the car is parked and I'm about to get in the car and drive off, that house behind the car, I can't remember her name, but she was such a cute lady about 70 or so, and she had t-shirts printed up – ‘Hanssen was captured here.’ She was very accommodating to the cast and crew.

Q: Did you get one?

CHRIS: I didn't, but it really gave you a sense of re-doing, of re-walking history.

MoviesOnline : Were there any specific antidotes that Eric O’Neill gave you about Robert Hanssen while making the movie that helped your performance?

CHRIS: He was saying, and we did incorporate it into the film, and some people had different interpretations of it. But the scene where I'm walking and talking with O'Neill down the hall and I sort of drive him into furniture or the wall or whatever, and Eric never knew, was this intentional, is this another intimidating tactic, and I just didn't go that way. I went with – when this guy is involved, his gyro just gets off, his physical sense just goes an odd way. Eric would tell us of all the mind games Hanssen would play and Hanssen never kept that proper social distance. He'd always come around the table to where Eric was working and just hang behind him and on occasion touch him. It was very creepy for Eric. And those instances, those close calls when it was so close that Hanssen might have discovered that Eric was a set up to shadow Hanssen.

Q: Thank you.

CHRIS: Thank you, guys.

"Breach” opens in theaters on February 16^th.