Common Interview, WANTED

MoviesOnline sat down with Common to talk about his new movie, “Wanted,” based on the explosive graphic novel by Mark Millar. The Grammy Award-winning, platinum-selling musical artist has made recent inroads into films, with roles in two 2007 actioners that had plenty of firepower (“American Gangster” and “Smokin’ Aces”) and which made him a logical choice for the role of The Gunsmith in the stylish and edgy action thriller, “Wanted.”

The exciting cast also includes James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, and Thomas Kretschmann. Common explains, “For me, coming from a musical background and being cast in a film with James and Morgan and Angelina was unbelievable. When I heard their names, I knew I had to be part of it. Being among these people, these great actors, just being able to watch and learn…it is an invaluable experience.”

In talking about his character, Common states, “The Gunsmith is a master of weaponry, guns in particular. He knows everything there is to know about guns – how to create them, assembly, new shooting techniques. Despite that, he has a good heart and is incredibly serene and focused.”

In 2006, Common made his big screen debut as a musical performer in “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party.” In January 2007, he made his acting debut co-starring opposite Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Alicia Keys, and Ryan Reynolds in “Smokin’ Aces” for writer/director Joe Carnahan. In November 2007, he co-starred opposite Denzel Washington in “American Gangster,” directed by Ridley Scott. Most recently, he was seen in David Ayer’s ”Street Kings,” starring Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker.

Prior to acting, Common rose to prominence as one of hip-hop’s most poetic and respected lyricists, having recorded over six albums: “Can I Borrow a Dollar?,” “Resurrection,” “One Day It’ll All Make Sense,” “Like Water For Chocolate,” and “Electric Circus.” In 2004, he partnered with Chicago native and rap music mega-star Kanye West to produce “Be,” which went on to garner four Grammy Award nominations. In July 2006, his video for the single “Testify” was nominated for two MTV Video Awards including Best Hip-Hop Video.

On July 31, 2007, Common released his critically acclaimed seventh album, “Finding Forever,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and went on to earn a Grammy award. He recently wrapped production on his latest album, “Invincible Summer,” slated for a summer 2008 release date.

Common is fabulous guy and we really appreciated his time. Here’s what he had to tell us about his new movie:

MoviesOnline: Were you familiar with guns before you did this film?

COMMON: The education I had with guns is from training in previous movies. So Smokin’ Aces to … which I didn’t have to do any training for American Gangster, but I did hold a gun and it really clicked. Then also Street Kings, gun training. To Wanted: gun training. So, I mean, ironically, I’m definitely not a promoter of guns and … who Common is, I mean that’s not me. The films I’ve been taken on all have some guns in them, so, I did go through extensive gun training in this one. It’s really like a gun education in a way because the Gunsmith is the one who’s taking apart the guns, putting them together, cleaning them, putting designs on them, so I needed to learn as much as I could about guns.

MoviesOnline: So are you pretty good with guns now?

COMMON: I guess so. I know a little something about it. I’m no expert, but I’m pretty good. I got to say, I’ve been to a gun range where I’ve been shooting and I’m thinking I’m good, but there’s been an older woman that’s a better shooter than me. So that’s like she’s there and in that case I’m not the greatest shooter, but it’s a learning process and it’ what you learn for a film. I’m glad I acquired that type of knowledge, but it’s not anything I want to utilize in my regular life.

MoviesOnline: Did anybody show you the graphic novel for this?

COMMON: Yeah. I went and got the graphic novel once I knew that I’d be part of it. I thought, “Man, let me see what this is about. Let me see the root of it, the foundation, where it came from.” I really liked it too. I thought it was real cool.

MoviesOnline: What was the atmosphere like on set?

COMMON: It was great. A lot of jokesters, man. I can definitely say Morgan Freeman is a cool guy. He’d be walking around joking and singing and just dancing. I was like, this dude was like … you just felt the artist in him. You know, artists are free, and I just felt the freedom in him. And even like with Angelina, we were just having a good time, just talked about everything. James is a funny guy, so it was a lot of fun, to be honest. You know, and then when it’s time to shoot, you get into that mode of what the character is and that’s when the intensity comes.

MoviesOnline: Did James speak with a Scottish accent in between scenes?

COMMON: In between he was Scottish and I didn’t understand him. I didn’t understand. Like just yesterday we were in an interview and I was like, I didn’t understand thirty percent of what he said. It was, actually, for me, like a lot of the crew were either from England or France and speaking with accents and Timur speaks with an accent. It was like, I was really adjusting. It was adjustments everywhere going on. And James, I was really amazed and impressed he would go from the Scottish accent to an American accent really quick.

MoviesOnline: You don’t have a lot of lines in the movie, so how did you approach a totally physical performance?

COMMON: Yeah, I mean, I just do my best to really become the character. If the character’s alive, he’s alive. If you really do, you know, as much research as you can to create who this person is and really know who the character is and know who the Gunsmith would be with or without saying things, then, you know, that energy and that presence is going to be there. And that’s the most important thing I can do, just really know who the core of my character is. At any given time they would also give you lines or take out a scene, so it was like, if you are that character, you don’t have a problem when the lines come to you. You do them. In a way, you still are that character, looking at somebody or, you know, putting a gun together.

MoviesOnline: Are you one of those actors that need your own backstory? Do you think about where your character came from?

COMMON: I definitely needed a backstory because it wasn’t in the script. I definitely created something where the Gunsmith eventually, you know, became a person who was like a samurai in a way. He was a master of weaponry and definitely a warrior, but also this calm Buddha-like character who would take things in. That’s why, without words, you could see things going on with him. He was perceptive and his energy was really more about trying to get James to become a good warrior as well as learning these guns and techniques, but it was like teaching him to become a good warrior, so that’s where the backstory of the Gunsmith, for me, came from that place.

MoviesOnline: Your character seems very calm and focused. How much do you draw on Common to bring that energy to your character?

COMMON: I must say I try my best to not have any Common qualities in my characters, but if the character has something that’s like me, you may see it come out. But I really don’t like … when I go to the screening or go to see the movie, I get mad if I see anything that has to do with Common, any of my maneuvers that come out … I’m like, ugh, it gets me mad. And I actually asked actors, “Do you see yourself when you’re doing a character?” They say it’s like the same thing. They get mad when they see themselves on the screen, because you really want to see the character. That’s your job as an actor to create that character. Common is removed from the film set when you step on and you’re doing Gunsmith. Actually, in Chicago, one thing I had to mention that made it kind of difficult was when I was working on being this character, because we were in Chicago, we had a lot more people coming up saying, “Hey, Common, what’s up baby? You’re home, how it feel?” and I’m trying to stay in the zone of the Gunsmith and it’s like, “Yo Common, what’s up? You coming ‘round the house?” and like, “Nah man.” It’s cool, but you do your best just to be that character.

MoviesOnline: You have such a positive influence on kids that might see you in a film, do you pick your roles with that in mind? Or do you just figure they know that is a role and not who you are in real life?

COMMON: I definitely feel that I’ve laid a foundation to let youth know who Common is. As artists, we get an opportunity to speak to people whether we go into the high schools, go to events or even interviews on TV. They get to hear what we’re about. I make it clear that I’m taking on a character and I’m not afraid to take on dark characters and characters that people may look at and say “Man this guy is a crazy character” or “This guy is bad.” As an actor, you don’t judge what you’re doing and you can’t worry about how do people perceive this character. As an actor, you’re becoming a person. As a person, you can’t really judge yourself too much so I just approach it like that, taking on these roles and just really wanting it to be a good role, be in good films. That’s really the goal. I think I can take care of letting people know that that’s not me. I’ve kind of established that already. But, for those who don’t know, they will get to see that.

MoviesOnline: Did you get hurt doing any of the stunts in this?

COMMON: I wanted more stunts. I wanted more. I would have been glad to be able to tell you, “Yeah, I busted my elbow.” I wanted more stunts. I was like “Man, when am I getting a good fightin’ scene as the Gunsmith.” But, true to the character, I guess, they didn’t really show that element of him, that aspect of him, but I’m looking forward to doing some stunts in whatever film I have to do them in.

MoviesOnline: What was it like being directed by a crazy Russian visualist genius?

COMMON: Exactly. I felt like I was being directed by a crazy Russian genius [laughs]. He was high-energy, very creative, very spontaneous. I was like “Man, this dude is a great artist.” He was describing to me…he would say “When the bullet curves, this is gonna happen.” You listen to him there, but you don’t know it’s gonna look that good or be that incredible. So, his mind, like you said, he’s a visual genius. You listen to him say it but you don’t know it’s gonna look that good or be that incredible. He already saw these things happening and saw how he could do it. I liked the fact that he was open to listening to what we believed our characters would be. He was open to us coming and making changes. He would make changes on the spot. It’s probably not the producer’s dream to have a director be like “Oh, I want to do this, do that.” But, eventually, he came out with an incredible product.

MoviesOnline: How did you feel when you saw the film?

COMMON: I haven’t seen it yet. I’ve seen the trailers and I’ve seen twenty minutes of a cut of the movie a while back. I went to Timur’s office and seen like twenty minutes and I was watchin’ it like “Man, I can’t believe I’m in this movie.” It was that type of level for me.

MoviesOnline: What kind of gun training did you have for “Terminator Salvation”?

COMMON: Actually, not to brag, but when I got to gun training for Terminator, I went one day and they were like “Oh, you know all this s**t.” [laughs] I was like “Yeah.” I humbly was like “Yeah. I got this. I can do this.” It was simple. Gun training was like one day and, like I said, they knew. I’m just starting the filming and there was a motorcycle scene where I wanted to do a stunt but they were like “Nah. We can’t let you do it on the motorcycle.” It was like I was gettin’ knocked off the motorcycle and they didn’t want me to do that but I was open to it. At a certain point I did think though, “Well, I do got an album coming out.” [laughs]

MoviesOnline: What is that set like because now we’re finally into the future war part. Is there metal everywhere?

COMMON: Man, that set, the way I can describe it, being respectful to the film, is it’s just an incredible set. I went in there, I went to that set and it was like “Man, we are in this world. This is like Terminator. I’m in ‘The Terminator,’ right in this world.” I would say the set is incredible.

MoviesOnline: Have you worked with Christian Bale yet?

COMMON: Not yet, but I’m looking forward to it. He definitely is a great actor, man. I can’t wait to work with him.

MoviesOnline: What’s your role in that?

COMMON: I’m playing Barnes. I’m part of the resistance, really like one of John Connor’s right hand men, a freedom fighter.

MoviesOnline: Had you seen all the other Terminator films?

COMMON: Yeah. I really dig them too. They’re really good films. I went back and watched the first two and I really was into them. Man, they’re great movies.

MoviesOnline: Have you kept up with “The Sarah Connor Chronicles”?

COMMON: I didn’t get to see that. I’m not a big TV watcher. I don’t know. TV kind of lost me [laughs].

MoviesOnline: What about the rumors that you’ll play Green Lantern?

COMMON: Man, rumors, those rumors…

MoviesOnline: Can you confirm or deny?

COMMON: I can say that if they do do a Justice League movie, I would love to be Green Lantern. That’s all I can say. I do like Justice League. I love it though.

MoviesOnline: Would it be you as an actor because, at one point, they were talking about doing motion capture animation?

COMMON: I think if they do it, they would have actors I believe. I’m not the producer or the director but, from my perspective, that’s what I think they would do.

MoviesOnline: What is your biggest fear?

COMMON: Oh man, I think it would probably be not achieving the things that I want to do. I’ve got a fear of that and I think that sometimes gives me my drive.  I’m like “Man, I’ve got to make it. I don’t have no other choice.” I’m scared of not making it, yeah. That’s the biggest fear.

MoviesOnline: That’s funny because Timur said his biggest fear was accomplishing everything.

COMMON: Well, even when you set goals… I started out as a musician, as an artist and I said “Man, I want to be a rap artist. I want to be a rap star. I want this artist to know who I am. I want to be on TV rappin’.” Then, you achieve that but your goals increase. You get new goals, new things to do so your drive is always there depending upon what kind of person you are. If you stay in tune with your drive, you’re like “Man, I didn’t know I wanted to be an actor when I first came out with music but now I’ve got a new goal.” When you achieve something, I think “Keep goin’. Set more higher goals.” At least, I do.

MoviesOnline: How hard is it to continue an acting career and put out albums?

COMMON: I think each expression is sharpened in the other, meaning both of them are helping each other. As an actor, when I’m working on a film, which is something I’m really intensely lovin’ to do, I can go write a song and it kind of feels like second nature. This is another way for me to express myself. It takes pressure off writing songs because I’m almost doin’ it in passing. It’s like “Okay, I just finished workin’ on this character, let me just write this song real quick.” There’s definitely a lot less pressure. I think that the music industry and performing and being an artist has helped me to be more confident coming into film; being able to deal with change and dealin’ with all eyes on you. It’s your time. You’ve gotta do it. That’s why I think music has helped and also, I come from a background of free stylin’ which is you’re spontaneously doin’ things. So that’s helpful when it comes to filming because you need to feel spontaneous and real if there’s a conversation goin’ on.

MoviesOnline: Is your new CD “Invincible Summer” out yet?

COMMON: No. It’s coming in August. It’s produced by The Neptunes and a guy by the name of Mr. DJ who did a lot of work with Outkast, so it’ll be out this summer.

MoviesOnline: What are your goals in acting? Terminator is a huge leap for you.

COMMON: It definitely is a huge leap and I’ve been very grateful. My goal is to be a great, an incredible actor and be one of the biggest movie stars out there. I want to have a long career as an actor and be noted as one of the great actors of our time. That’s what I want to be. I know it’s a journey but I believe I can do it. That’s what the goal is. I definitely feel it’s a wide range for me to do it. I know I want to do love stories, romantic comedy, drama, action. I want to be part of the great process.

MoviesOnline: Did you talk to Morgan Freeman about that?

COMMON: I did talk to him about it. I think that was one of the most important things. He was like “You know, you have to work at it. You’ve got to continue to work at it.” He was a good teacher to me. He did come over to say some little things in my ear that I would take heed to and I was so honored that he did. I felt like a chill when he came over and first gave me some advice because this is Morgan Freeman comin’ over. This is a guru, one of the greats. Everybody on the set looked at Morgan Freeman like that. From the D.P. to anybody on the crew was like “That’s Morgan Freeman!” He would do scenes and we’d be like “You just hear that voice. That’s Morgan Freeman.” For him to come and give me some advice, I really felt honored. I learned from him, Angelina, James. I learned from Denzel.

MoviesOnline: Do you imagine a signature character you might be known for?

COMMON: Good question. I feel that me, as an artist, I never want to be pigeon-holed as one thing. Obviously, it would be nice to do a superhero character eventually that becomes timeless but, at the same token, I would want to do the role of a pastor and that becomes timeless and then do the homeless man. So, I don’t think I would want to be pigeon-holed with just one character. I want to show my diversity and make classic movies.

MoviesOnline: What directors would you like to work with?

COMMON:  I want to work with Quentin Tarantino, or Martin Scorsese.

“Wanted” opens in theaters on June 27th.