Tyrese Gibson Interview, LEGION

After a terrifying biblical apocalypse descends upon the world, a group of strangers stranded in a remote truck stop diner in the Southwest unwittingly become humanity's last line of defense when they discover the diner's young waitress is pregnant with the messiah.

MoviesOnline sat down recently with Tyrese Gibson at Comic-Con to talk about his upcoming film. Here’s what he had to tell us about the apocalyptic thriller directed by Scott Stewart:

Q: What keeps you so energetic on a movie set?

Tyrese: I think people just take life way too seriously. At the end of the day, it’s just a real blessing to be able to work on anything. You can either look at it as a job, because you’ve been hired to do something, or you can look at it as an amazing opportunity to further your career, work with this new set of people, be in this new location and have all of these new energies around you. I just love it, man. I just hope they never stop calling me.
 
Q: Who do you play in Legion?

Tyrese: I play Kyle Williams, who is just on his way somewhere. He ends up pulling over for directions and gets sucked into The Matrix. It just gets wild in that restaurant. All of these spirits and all of this stuff is going on, trying to stop the birth of this child. The whole time, you’re just going to see me complaining. I’m like, “Man, can you get me the hell out of here? I don’t care about the birth of this child, and all of this.” I never really get involved in what’s happening. I’m just complaining about everything. He’s dealing with a court case with his child, which sounds a little familiar with my life right now. He’s on his way to court, and he just pulls over for directions ‘cause he’s lost, and he gets sucked into all of this.
 
Q: Are you a fan of these films about the end of the world?

Tyrese: I don’t really focus on the end of the world coming. No, not me. I love the world, as it is. There’s beautiful weather. I love life.
 
Q: Do you have any kick-ass action sequences in this?

Tyrese: Absolutely! Come on, baby. We’ve got to get some of that.
 
Q: Do you have any interaction with the ice cream man (Doug Jones)?

Tyrese: Yes, I do, actually. I have a few moments with that guy, with the long arms and jaw dropping. There’s some jaw-dropping stuff, in this movie.
 
Q: What is he?

Tyrese: He’s just a very scary-looking thing. He’s pretty damn scary. I didn’t really talk to him, on any level, on the set. I kept it moving. His costume was really scary, on the set. It was pretty bad.
 
Q: You’ve done Transformers and now Legion, and there’s been talk of you doing Thunder Cats, and now you even have your own comic book. Do you want to stay in this comic book/fantasy world?

Tyrese: Last year, I was at Comic-Con to promote Death Race with Jason Statham. I have a lot of fans that have been around for 15 years, of me doing some form of show business, but I have never had fans show up who say, “I love you so much, I want to look like you.” When I saw the comic book fans, who not only love their favorite book characters, but they’re selflessly here, dressed up in their costumes, walking about as Batman, Spider-Man and all of those different characters, I’ve never been exposed to anything like it, and so it did something for me. That was the birth of my own comic book, Mayhem. I did a huge deal, over at Image Comics, with Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman. I’ve been having so much amazing momentum. The first issue has pre-sold over 20,000 comics of my debut comic book.
 
Q: What is the basic premise of it?

Tyrese: Mayhem is a modern-day, gun-slinging vigilante, who seeks refuge in the basement of a church. His headquarters is underneath a church, so spiritually this due struggles with good and evil, and he’s on a mission to take out his rival in the comic book, named Big X. Big X is a crime lord/drug kingpin, and he’s doing some real damage to the streets of L.A. So, Mayhem is on a mission to take this guy out. What’s going to be revealed, in a few issues down the line, is that Big X and Mayhem have a relationship, of some sort, that’s going to shock people.
 
Q: Are you looking at adapting this?

Tyrese: No. You can’t go to the Staples Center and expect to sell out a concert, if you haven’t sold any records. So, I’m out there with the people, selling comic books. You can do the Hollywood thing and show up at Comic-Con, and speak on panels and do press junkets, or you can be out there with the people. I love being out there with the people. I love being exposed to that type of passion. Just to see people putting my comic book in their hands [is amazing]. We’re selling 1,500 to 2,000 comic books a day. It doesn’t come out for two weeks. We have a special Comic-Con tribute cover that’s a tribute to Jack Kirby. It’s just been amazing. To be honest, the crazy thing is that it’s almost been backwards for me. Not to name drop, but I’ve got the likes of Avi Arad, Grant Morrison, Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman, all supporting me and saying amazing things about my comic book already. These are legendary comic book gods. So, now I’ve got them and we’ve got to get the fans to believe as much as they believe. That’s why I’m here. I brought myself out here.
 
Q: What’s the inspiration for it?

Tyrese: I don’t draw. I’ve never been into comic books. I don’t have no big, long history of growing up, reading them. It was me coming out here for Death Race last year that shook me up. After I was exposed to that energy, I was like, “Count me in!” There have been all of these rumors about Luke Cage, and all of these different comic book characters that they’re approaching me to be a part of, but I wanted to contribute to this world, so I’m here.
 
Q: Does Mayhem have a message?

Tyrese: It’s definitely goto a message. It’s got some things going on, up in there, that’s very appealing. People are reading it and loving it, and that’s what I want because they’re going to spread the word and put the energy out there. It’s all about the fans.
 
Q: You also have the movies to back this up?

Tyrese: I’ve been in this world, but through the more back-door approach of just doing the films that are heavily associated with comic books. But, now I have a comic book, so it solidifies everything. 
 
Q: Is there something about this genre that you like?

Tyrese: I love science fiction films because it’s the best of people’s imaginations. If this was a scene in a movie, if someone said, “I want a helicopter to come crashing through the walls, in the middle of the interview,” then it’s going to happen because it’s just someone’s imagination. I love it! It’s the highest level of escapism.   
 
Q: Were you disappointed that you were not in Fast & Furious?

Tyrese: I was disappointed.
 
Q: Would you like to get involved again?

Tyrese: If the opportunity comes down the pipe, and the scheduling and certain politics all get figured out, Roman Pierce is here to stay. Please believe that. Everywhere I go, no matter where I go, around this world, they know that movie.
 
Q: What about Transformers 3? Are you signed on for another film?

Tyrese: Absolutely!
 
Q: Who was the loudest on that set, you or Michael Bay?

Tyrese: Michael Bay. I was second loudest.
 
Q: What is next for you?

Tyrese: I’m just focused on getting the issues of Mayhem done, keeping the storyline interesting and getting the cliffhangers lined up. We’ve got to keep our readers excited. Jim Lee is doing the cover of Issue #2, which is a very big deal. He was one of the founding partners of Image Comics, and now he’s over at DC Comics, so for him to be doing something at Image again is causing shockwaves in the comic book industry. He also agreed to do a full wrap-around graphic novel
cover for Mayhem. We’re just excited. There are a lot of major things happening.
 
Q: You’re involved in Mayhem is very much about the story, isn’t it?

Tyrese: Yes. The story as well as the images. A lot of times, as I’ve been in it, a lot of comic book creators make the mistake of letting too many artists draw on their books. You have to establish a certain look and a fanbase first. And then, after you do that, you can have these featured artists that come in. I was just making sure, in the midst of Jim Lee doing what he does, that he stick to the spirit of who Mayhem is.
 
Q: Do you reach out to people online as well?

Tyrese: Oh, yeah. I’m on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Tyrese4ReaL. Follow me, please. I just took over Raging Waters, about two weeks ago. We called it a Twit Bash. The password for the first 100 people to get in free -- that cost me a lot of money -- was Mayhem Jim Lee Issue #2. If they drove up and said those words, they got in Raging Waters for free. What type of marketing is that? 
 
Q: You’re clearly more than just an actor and singer now.

Tyrese: Listen, actors are work for hire. We’re all interchangeable. At the end of the day, we’re featured artists in these films. We all have a fanbase that shows up to see us in these movies. But, people love movies. If anything doesn’t work out, contractually or politically, they’ll swap you out, put somebody else up in there, and the show must go on.
 
Q: What about music? Are you still doing anything with your music?

Tyrese: I’ve given music a break. I have a spotlight page up on iTunes right now, where this song called “Mayhem Take Me Away” has been released. Mayhem has a soundtrack. That’s never been done before. It’s called the “Mayhem Take Me Away” remix. It’s got a real house/techno vibe. When you look it up on iTunes, you see the word Mayhem. It’s just all cross promotional marketing, getting the Mayhem energy out there.
 
Q: When you are seeking inspiration for the comic book, where do you go?

Tyrese: There is a story, a plotline, a backstory and relationships within the characters in this world, so you just have to make sure there is a level of consistency, some surprises and some, “Whoa, where did that come from?” You’ve just got to sit down, put the story together and have it all make sense. Do I go and sit in hot tubs and rub my knuckles together for inspiration? No.  
 
Q: Can you buy the comic online?

Tyrese: Yes, go to www.BuyMayhem.com .

“Legion” is scheduled to be released theatrically in January 2010.