Garrett Hedlund as Billy Darly in 20th Century Fox's "Death Sentence".

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Garrett Hedlund makes a change from to his first bad guy role. His career starting role as Patroclus in 2004 “Troy” seems long passed and the actor’s career is blossoming with “Death Sentence” being the second of his releases this year; the first being “Georgia Rule” with Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan and Felicity Huffman.
We spoke to Garrett in a 1-1 interview on August 13th (’07) before the film’s release and the young man born September 3rd, 1984 from Minnesota talked about his new, hardcore gang leader role, helmer James Wan (“Saw”) and more.

Question:

This is your first bad guy role. Can you talk about your character Billy Darly who’s this ruthless gang member?

Garrett Hedlund:

“Yeah, that’s it in a nutshell. He’s a ruthless gang leader, sort of leader of a group of thugs, you know. His motivation is to get money however, wherever. In his situation he runs a meth lab and that’s what they call the office and that’s basically where he resides throughout the day. Basically where he’ll come into this story is that he’s getting his brother to commit an act of initiation whereas at that time it happens to be the same place where Kevin Bacon and his son are and that’s where I think the story starts to really unfold.”

Question:

Can you talk about your research for this. I know its backbone is the novel by Brian Garfield which is the sequel to his novel “Death Wish.” So would you say this is a modern day incarnation of revenge classics like the Charles Bronson flicks?

Garrett Hedlund:

“Yeah. I would say it was. I would definitely think it is. It’s written by the same author and it deals with the same theme of revenge which in this case of it, it’s that whole eye for an eye scenario. With that mind frame you only cause more hurt and suffering.”

Question:

On that topic of revenge, do you agree with “An Eye for an Eye?

Garrett Hedlund:

“Do I agree with it? Umm, I think it would have to depend on what the situation was and how high the scales are. If it was something like this you never know how you react when part of your blood, especially some of your family is affected. I think that your impulse is just unpredictable.”

Question:

Your career is flying right now with some great credits. How about working with Kevin Bacon. Is there anything you learnt from him as you continue to grow as an actor?

Garrett Hedlund:

“You know, the guy’s always under control and he’s always so calm and he told me one time, he said ‘I like to be as calm off camera as on camera’ and it’s funny man because he actually is. For a man to actually have that much physical control over his heartbeat. I’d say what you say around him, he might have ties with God.”

Question:

You play John Goodman’s (Bones Darly) character’s son. Talk about the characters’ relationship.

Garrett Hedlund:

“John Goodman’s character as Bones Darly is a non sentiment that really sort of is passed on to me as well. That’s something I really wanted to focus on was not being sentimental whatsoever, kind of remaining cold an always having that objective and in this case it’s Kevin Bacon’s character you know? So, no matter what if one my gang members goes down you know I completely jump over every obstacle to complete that objective to take down Kevin Bacon’s character Nick Hume.”

Father and son. John Goodman as "Bones Darly" and Garrett Hedlund as "Billy Darly" in 20th Century Fox's "Death Sentence".

Question:

So would you say this was a physically challenging role?

Garrett Hedlund:

“Yeah, I would say so because I mean I had to gain a lot of weight and become physically bigger and intimidating all the while having to have a cigarette in my mouth in every scene. It was a little difficult when physically, during the day you have to run through the alleys and then tomorrow or the day before is just a scene with a million cigarettes. That’s the only physically demanding part, but gaining the weight and all that was just a blast.”

Question:

How many pounds did you put on?

Garrett Hedlund:

“I probably…I was a little thinner, I was coming off Georgia Rule…I probably put on another twenty or twenty five.”

Question:
As far as working with James Wan. You must have seen “Saw” right?

Garrett Hedlund:

“Yeah, of course and for this project because the script was dark you know, and it demanded a darker director, someone visually sort of gritty and that’s what James brings to the table very well. A sort of a creative style with the visuals and the angels and the pans and everything, you know, he was the right guy for the job on this and the reason why I actually wanted to do it as well.”

Question:

So, I read that whilst in high school you would read screenplays of older films then watch those films on video and then pretend you were actually auditioning for one of the roles in the film. Can you talk about that?  Do you still do that

Garrett Hedlund:

*he laughs*
“It’s funny you ask because I get tempted sometimes to continue to do it. I think it was in a stage where I really didn’t have as much money for coaching and stuff. I would just sit in a room and read a certain script that I hadn’t seen prior and then I would study it for a week, rent the film and see what somebody had done in order to get it. But that was all more a lesson of sort of spontaneity and showing you there are no rules to where you could imagine you see one line that could be…you know, you’d imagine it to be so monotone and so flat and just throw it away, throw those away and blow these ones up but that line as well could be so explosive. It was just one of those, that there were no rules and that’s where my entry into this whole side of arts came; it was when I had that realization.”

Question:

Were you a fan of anything in particular growing up? Are you big fan of the crime genre or is there anything else you fancy more?

Garrett Hedlund:

*short laugh*

Question:

“The only unfortunate thing was we didn’t really have a broad selection of films where I grew up at our video store…mostly your new releases and everything. I grew up during the latter ends of the eighties and nineties in Minesota, so I never really got the classics there until I became sort of invested into acting and wanted to learn more and study more and then I finally started picking those up. Yeah, I’m a fan of the ‘French Connections,’ you know films like that. But it was funny because I’d had that concern, I sad to Peter O’Toole one time ‘you know what? It’s hard for me to be able to get appreciate the films from two generations past me.’ You know like his earlier films and I said ‘It’s hard to keep up let alone when I have kids and I want them to experience the brilliant films you were in prior.”
He puts on a hilarious, spot on Peter O’Toole impression and continues -
“And he goes ‘Well Garrett my boy that’s the benefit of DVDs now!” *I laugh*

Question:

Future projects?

Garrett Hedlund:

“I don’t have anything that’s set in stone right now. I’m not working on anything, I’m taking a little break but my main focus is just to work with great directors that I can learn from on set and great material that’s going to push me.”