BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Q&A: Emile Hirsch Is A Freakishly Protective Father In Sci-Fi Thriller

Following
This article is more than 4 years old.

While he may be most closely associated with his onscreen depiction of doomed nature lover Chris McCandless in 2007’s Into the Wild, versatile actor Emile Hirsch has an ever-expanding and eclectic oeuvre of films (the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer, David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche, Oliver Stone’s Savages) for his fans to enjoy. He now plays a father for the first time in the sci-fi thriller Freaks.

Co-written and co-directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, Freaks tells the story of a father trying to protect his young daughter, Chloe, from the outside world by keeping her locked away in their boarded up suburban home. He may be mad or possibly justifiable fearful for his young daughter’s safety. Nowhere in sight is Chloe’s mom. Hirsch’s character repeatedly makes his daughter Chloe (10-year-old newcomer Lexy Kolker) recite a scripted fake story about herself in the event an outsider questions her as he prepares to leave for a simple trip to market. Closed-off-from-the-world Chloe is curious, though, especially when an ice cream truck pulls up in front of the house, tempting her with its tasty sweet treats. With dad temporarily away, she escapes the house and meets the truck’s mysterious proprietor (Bruce Dern) who offers to take her to the park. Tensions mount and Chloe’s dad’s concerns about his special daughter and the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance become clearer as the plot unfolds.

Newly returned from Puerto Rico where he wrapped production on Force of Nature, a Michael Polish-directed heist movie set against the backdrop of a hurricane and co-starring Mel Gibson and Kate Bosworth, Hirsch spoke about his newest role, finally getting a chance to share scenes with his Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood co-star Bruce Dern, indulging in his music passion and infusing his real life paternal instincts into his Freaks character.

What appealed to you about Zach and Adam’s script?

Emile Hirsch: It was the first time I played a dad. That was probably one of the main things about it that caught my interest. I have a son who’s almost six years old so I’m very used to playing that role in my real life, so I really identified with that (fatherhood) element of it. It seemed like, in a way, because I identified with so many things about being a dad, the character felt more like me than a lot of other characters I’ve played in the past. He’s trying to protect his daughter at all costs. The protective nature of being a parent is such a strong thing that you can’t help but really relate to it. So, for me, that was a huge pull for the role. It was so primal, that feeling, that it wasn’t a huge challenge for me to play that part because I know that feeling so well.

Would you consider yourself a protective or an overprotective father to your son?

Hirsch: Very protective.

Did that translate as you were working with Lexy? Were your scenes together improvised or completely scripted?

Hirsch: Zach and Adam had developed a technique through the audition process with the younger actors. They’d loosely use the script and kind of improvise to navigate it. That was what Brie Larson and (child actor) Jacob Tremblay did in Room. I read in an interview where the director, Lenny Abrahamson, let Brie be the guide for Jacob and he would take notes directly from Brie within the scene itself. The performances in that movie are incredible, so I thought, let’s try that.

We would do a scene and sometimes I’d go back into a moment and we’d play it different ways and then I’d suggest a different way to try it. It was a very fluid thing. It never felt like an actor who needed to hit their mark and get their lines. It was always with the idea that we could keep going back and trying something again. It was like building an emotional moment up and the fluidity of that was super-helpful. It was interesting because what started out as a process that would “assist a younger actor,” ended up really helping me.

The filmmakers do a great job of making the audience feel the claustrophobia of the house. Did it actually feel that way on set?

Hirsch: At times, it was a little warm and there wasn’t a lot of light in it. They blacked out most of the windows. There was an element of claustrophobia. But I didn’t feel anxious on the set. Adam and Zach are such gracious guys. We didn’t feel a tension, like we were on top of each other.

Your co-star in Freaks is Bruce Dern, who also was in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, though you had no scenes together in that film. What was it like getting a chance to work with him?

Hirsch: When I was shooting Freaks, I was talking to Quentin (Tarantino) about (my Jay Sebring role in) Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. I sent him a picture of me and Bruce because he had worked with Bruce on The Hateful Eight.

So, what was it like working with Bruce?

Hirsch: It was incredible because I don’t think I had previously ever worked with an actor that was so skilled at improv. We’d be doing a scene together and he was making up these amazing moments. You get the sense that he’s so free and it makes his performances seem in the moment, lived in and natural—not artificial at all. Seeing how he would work it and be different at all times and not try to hit some particular thing but going where it took him was cool to watch.

(Our characters) have these borderline shouting matches, and we would keep going for maybe 10 minutes at a time. It was wild. There was one scene we did with Amanda Crew (who plays Chloe’s mom) where she’s strapped down on a table and Lexy and Bruce are there as well, I remember during the scene looking over at Lexy and Bruce thinking that Bruce might be the oldest actor I’ve ever worked with and then at Lexy, who might be the youngest actor I’ve worked with. It was interesting to be in that scene with the spectrum of ages of actors.

How was it shooting Force of Nature in Puerto Rico? Were you there during hurricane Dorian?

Hirsch: I’ve been back for about three weeks so I was there before Dorian. Thankfully, it just skirted Puerto Rico. I had a great time working with (director) Michael Polish and (his wife, actress) Kate Bosworth, and Mel (Gibson) was a lot of fun to work with.

I’ve been getting into music and I made this album, just under my last name “Hirsch.” I’ve put out a couple of songs on my Instagram. I played Kate one of the songs called “Love is Real,” and she really liked it. So, I asked if she wanted to shoot a music video, kind of jokingly. But she and Michael (Polish) said, “Yeah, let’s do it!” So, one weekend we shot this music video with Kate and it turned out pretty cool. It’s now on YouTube. I also have a link to it on my Instagram. The album will be out in October. We’re distributing it through DistroKid, a distribution service, so they’ll end up putting in on Amazon, Google, iTunes and YouTube, and all that. Me and this French guy, Mathieu Carratier, made it together. It’s kind of like electro pop.

Has music been a secret passion of yours that you’re now starting to share with the world?

Hirsch: I was always writing rhymes and raps in junior high and high school, and then I did this movie about five years ago called All Nighter, in which I played a bluegrass singer. An actor buddy of mine heard a cover song we did and suggested I sing a couple of original songs. So, I started trying my hand at writing and recording with these band members that we were playing in the movie, and we ended making a record as the characters in the movie. In the years since, I’ve been writing songs and working with different music producers and then I found Mathieu, who I really jibed with, and we ended up making this album in the last year.

It’s a great creative outlet. I love acting but sometimes you can’t control where or when you do it or how it gets done. I’m grateful for the opportunities that I get but the great thing about music is that you can create whenever you want. There’s no limitation on when you can write a song.

What other passions or hobbies do you enjoy?

Hirsch: I’m a pretty big moviegoer. I love playing tennis with my buddies, running, staying in shape and hiking, and taking my son to the climbing gym—just doing regular dad stuff. I take my son to ballgames.

What advice has helped you the most as a father?

Hirsch: When my son was born, my mother said to me, “It goes quick, so enjoy every moment of it,” and she was right. My son’s almost six. He’s like a dude now.

Since Freaks opens Friday the 13th, do you have any superstitions?

Hirsch: I’ve always loved the number 13. My birthday is March 13 and my son was born in 2013, so I always have positive associations with the number 13.

You’re returning to voice “Jim” on Netflix’s animated science fantasy series 3Below: Tales of Arcadia?

Hirsch: Yeah. I’ve been doing that on and off for a couple of years now. It’s a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity and yet it was sad too because I took over the voice for Anton Yelchin who passed away.

Do you have live-action projects in the works?

Hirsch: There was a script I wrote last fall that Ivan Kavanagh, who directed Never Grow Old that I was in with John Cusack, read, and he wants to do it. It’s a two-hander about some rock climbers. Most of the movie takes place 1,000 feet up on a rock, strapped to a wall. It would be a tricky shoot so we’re working on raising the money. Even once we raise the money, it’s like, “How do we do this?” So, I’ve been going to the climbing gym. I’m open to other stuff. I’m focused on getting another music video or two shot for my upcoming record.