Moving As One with Charles Melton & Will Poulter

0:28Hi, I'm Will Poulter. You know, I was talking to someone about how impressive I think it is that it was co-directed because I actually was able to say this to, you know, Alex and Ray, who are both like strong personalities. and I was able to say this I hope in a way where they were able to kind of like you know receive it in the spirit in which I said it which was like I wasn't sure how two such like strong kind of like personalities would fare when it came to co-directing and it required both of them to like practice this amazing level of like self-awareness and humility and deference to each other over different things and watching that happen.

1:16And then like a massive group of guys as well. You just wonder like, it's a lot of testosterone. It's a lot of like personalities and it's kind of amazing how it all kind of came together. It's felt very, just like, yeah, both Alex, very selfless. Yes. There's different kinds of egos, but there's no ego that got in the way. Just like this whole story because, and even with all of us guys and everything and what we did, It kind of felt like we were all on ground zero. Yeah, man. Right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And we showed up and did a lot of different things that kind of, the methodology that informed our whole process.

1:59Yeah, yeah. I've never done a play before or a theater or anything. Neither. But hearing Alex talk about it and just kind of what our experience was where there's no shot list and we're shooting 20-minute long takes and it's, you know, people for the theater are probably like 20 minutes. That's nothing but like over and over and over again. It's just incredible how it all. Yeah, it was unconventional in so many ways. And also the thing that I really loved about the process is like, you know, where possible and to a large degree, like didn't really feel like you were actors or going about it in the kind of traditional way of like spending time in your trailer and you know kind of spending time apart from the ensemble like we were all together kind of at all times like never really left the environment that we shot in and kind of operated like a unit as well.

2:58And it informed everything. It never felt like we were acting. It was impossible like 30 seconds goes by, a minute goes by and cameras are going on for like you know 15 more minutes like there's no acting. It's like existing right and like yeah i never felt again you know the immersion like we you know it's pretty amazing it's kind of cool though with all of us guys you know our roles were uh we were oic yeah yeah kind of like the chain of command and like kind of how ray you know created leadership yeah through the boot camp and how you know we learned so many things right all the quotes that we would write every day that you would write every day like really leaning on each other I caught some heat for some of those some of those were like very corny I think yeah yeah yeah the farah was like what are we graduating he was like fall down six times you get that exactly yeah Will wrote that way tired as hell googling inspirational quotes first thing in the morning I'll never forget when we got everyone watches and you would because you kept the voice and everything like a part of like the process like you know the instrument you get the instrument by always like speaking in the american accent right which is so incredible and i uh really respect that and uh amongst other things but it was just i'll never forget all right gentlemen it is zero five forty two uh have um breakfast done by zero six thirty we're meeting at base camp get through the works hair and makeup by 0645 and uh get rigged up and we will leave here at 0700 for the marquee to be there at 0715 and then and then to arrive to block at 0730 yes sir yes sir that is so funny but you really led man and you know I learned a lot like you led you led us you led me and then you know we all led each other it's funny you know when we're kind of like setting the tone in a way based off of our roles and kind of the responsibility that Ray gave us it's funny and I remember telling somebody yeah Will would always be the last one to eat Always the last one to eat He'd be the first one At the food truck for breakfast You know we take turns giving orders Sometimes you're like Top can you get this And I'm like Let me get my voice Because you know we have to be direct And there's a certain kind of The semantics And like the terminology is very alien But you would always be the last one You let everyone go eat before you and you'd be the last one and I was like fuck Will's doing this and I'm OIC as well so I'm like I gotta fucking wait no dude like you're really kind to say that but man the way that you approached your leadership role and assumed your responsibilities you did it with real grace I learned a lot by watching you and and how you went about it and for those listening and or watching like you know we were given a really great honor and responsibility in our roles as officers in charge and representing the real life people that we represent.

6:35And same is true of Joe Quinn, who formed the kind of like third point in the leadership triangle. And I think I can't speak for anyone, but my nerves around being the officer in charge and having not earned that role, you know. Immediately being kind of, by definition, in charge of anything felt like wrong. And what was really cool was to see how all the guys sort of cast aside ego and just committed wholeheartedly to the sort of hierarchy and the structure of things and the protocol. and I think trust and certainly genuine love and affection kind of developed over the natural course of the boot camp and the shooting process.

7:26And that was really, really cool to see. And as you said, it just ended up informing everything that we did going forward. And I'm so glad we went about it that way. I was going to take it back and ask you how warfare, like first, you know, kind of like landed on your desk, so to speak, and what your initial thoughts were? Because obviously you have a deep personal connection to the story as well. Right. Well, yeah, I, you know, as you know, and for anyone listening, my dad was in the army for 24 years, you know that. And I think the beautiful thing that we get to do with this medium with being actors is you know there's reasons for doing a job and sometimes I'd like to have most of those reasons for every job be like some sort of personal reason for me and it was to get closer to my dad to understand my dad better man right so in order to get the process of understanding my dad better also taught me in process I'm an actor did not experience you know anything that he experienced but just more so in a way understanding the maybe again we have no idea what it's like we're just sure actors sure it just brought me closer to my dad and like understanding him from a psychological perspective maybe just it's always difficult for the veteran community and like we've talked about this like difficult for the veteran community to speak about certain right things that have happened it's indescribable right so to be able to for you know as the reason you know part of Ray doing this for Elliot is so that he can see it instead of just reading transcripts yeah of like a recollection of like, you know, 10 different guys or 15 different guys from the operation.

9:28You know, he could actually see it and experience it. And, yeah, I think, you know, growing up, like those four years, my dad was away, you know, deployed. I'm just still a kid growing up. I don't know what's happening or the idea. Not that I know what's happening, but I think doing this whole film with all of you guys and Alex and Ray just like brought me closer to maybe, not the experience, but the idea. Like maybe, you know what I mean? Yeah, and helping you understand that. Yeah, and like just from like military tactics, protocol to the brotherhood, to the camaraderie, to humility. I just learned so many different things throughout the process and it just made me, helped me understand my dad better.

10:14That's awesome. Yeah. I remember meeting with Alex and Ray. We got dinner. If I knew Alex and Ray better then, I would have not went to the place we went to dinner at. Why? What was it? I don't know. It was like someplace like Beverly Hills. Someone, I was like, did you guys bake this place? They were like, no, did you bake this place? I was like, no. You're like, no, they'd be cool with like a slice of pizza and a beer. Yeah, no, it was like steak was like a hundred bucks. I was like, what? What is this? I couldn't pronounce like half the thing, you know, the menu. But we met and like, it's so funny.

10:47I remember Ray shared the story with me, and then they kind of told me their vision and talked about the intensity of this project. And I was just like, I'm in. I'm already in. And Alex was like, I'm not going to do his attitude. I'm not going to do it. But he goes, Charles, piece of advice. Never say yes to anything before you read it. You can imagine him saying that. Oh, my God, yeah. And I was like, no, I know. But I know I'm going to do it. I just felt it. You had that conviction. I just knew. Next thing I know, yeah, I'm with you guys. Was the process, because you met with Alex. Yeah, I met with Alex actually separately from Ray initially.

11:36And it's funny, man, on paper, it was like a yes. It was like one of those things where they were like, Alex Garland's next A24 movie I was like well yeah obviously I'm going to want to do that and then to be honest when he told me that it was a war film like and I've told you this but like my heart sunk a little bit the reason being and I should have known better because it's Alex Garland right right right and it's A24 like I should have known better but my heart sunk because I thought there are so many films that depict war that run the risk or actively kind of like glorify it or romanticize it and like we don't need another film that does that.

12:17And one of the things that Alex said to me very early on that I like latched onto was this idea that he wanted to challenge the Hollywood grammar in how war films are sort of made and tell a story without Hollywood grammar. That is to say, remove the fictionalization, not try and glorify it, like create something that is a very literal recreation of the events so that you can see the kind of horrifying like consequences of war and how that impacts everyone. And when he said that, I really lent in and I was really excited. And I kind of returned to that initial state of like excitement and bizarre, like having Alex Garland, a filmmaker I've admired for so long, literally quite literally like on my bucket list of directors I want to work with and then like offering me the role.

13:14I was like, this is nuts. Like people talk about pinch me moments. Like that was one of them. And it was just, it was a real honor and a privilege to like be part of something that really like broke with convention and was so different to anything that I think certainly I've ever done or ever really has been done. You know, that's a really rare opportunity for anyone. Like it's like a once in a lifetime opportunity. So that was really cool. And one thing I did kind of know going into it, which I knew would be really enjoyable, is that as a group of guys, we were going to get incredibly close. And me and you started on the journey kind of earliest because we met in San Diego, meeting the two gentlemen that we represent.

14:06And their identities are protected for obvious reasons. and kind of we embarked on the journey like early, early on and it was funny like meeting you because, you know, at that point we didn't know each other at all. We'd been in like the same room once. We didn't know each other at all but I knew that by way of this process of this, you know, four-week bootcamp and, you know, five-week shoot or whatever it was, like we were going to end up incredibly close. Right. Like. In love. And in love. in love as it happens and that's such a that's such a cool thing that's such a beautiful aspect of this process as well that like as a group of guys we've all got so close right um and and met some amazing personalities through the process you know what's interesting is someone that was asking me about this process right like you guys got so close like you guys got tattoos um you guys stayed like you know you guys lived with each other yeah and like you guys got tattoos but I think and I was just basically the way the person was asking these questions is you did all these things in order to connect and I was like we didn't get the tattoo to connect we didn't eat to connect like we just connected and we wanted all those things and we wanted all those things and it was yeah it was just like interesting because you know I don't think I'll ever experience what we experience through this process.

15:44It's hard to imagine to ever experience something like that as far as just like, I mean, we all talk every day, you know, love each other. And it's crazy too, you know, I don't think people understand the extent where, you know, when Elliot came to the Pendley Manor, and like yeah people don't know I mean I don't know if we can talk about it but you know Elliot coming to visit yeah coming to visit and just like you know it's like we're all like kind of one body we move together if Ray needed to take take care of somebody we're all taking care of that person yeah yeah if one person needed something we all needed it and we all found out how to guide it.

16:37It was cool seeing also like just the individual growth in all of the guys through the process. Like it made better people out of everyone who went through that training, like in terms of being accountable, being kind of like teammate before you are an individual. It made everyone, I think, like more selfless. Right. We could tell, you could probably, probably all of us can give each other, all 13 of us, each other's meal request. A meal order. Yeah, a meal order. Because, you know, it was always one person, like, taking the reins and just being like, this is what we're going to, or, yeah, guys, we're going to eat in this room at this time.

17:17Like, what do you want? Send your orders. And then that person, most of the time, you or whoever, Finn, whatever, would go to the restaurant and get the order. So we could show. Shout out to the staff in that hotel who just, like, were incredibly accommodating of 13 very hungry. Hungry boys every day. I mean, like Noah ate three burger patties every night, which was pretty extraordinary to watch without deviation. I don't think he ever changed his order. Right. It's kind of wild to watch that. Yeah, those fries. Those fries are so good. That's good fries. Good fries and treat. Yeah, and I think like so much of what you see on screen is a direct result of the process, right?

17:59And I was really grateful that like Alex and Ray and production kind of like facilitated that for us and it made it really special. It made everything like feel a bit more authentic. And I think like broadly what that means is that the film is more authentic. It is more realistic. And my hope is it's received in the spirit in which we made it, which was to just make something that reflects like the absolute reality of that situation. So that whatever your political stance or whatever your perspective is on war, it's like at least there's something that you can view that accurately represents what that experience can be and what the consequences can look like as opposed to us rooting it in something that maybe tries to sort of make it look cool or entertaining.

18:55Like Ray said it himself. It's like if you watch this film and you think like that looks like a good time and you want to like sign up for it, It's like, there's probably something wrong with him. It's like, political perspective. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is just one of many stories. He's like, but understand that this can be, you know, the consequences of what it is to serve and go to war. And he's not saying don't, but he's saying, be prepared to reckon with the consequences. Yeah, because this isn't just some idea. This is a telling. Exactly. to as the most authentic and truest form.

19:31On a totally different note, but keeping it at A24, you're working on beef at the moment. Yes. I know you can't say like all too much, but how fun is it for you to go from something like warfare and then, you know, do something on the TV side that is so different and from an acting perspective, I imagine like comes with a whole host of other sort of challenges and a different process as well. Right, right, right. It's happy to be working, grateful to be working. It's definitely lighter in ways, and it's been so much fun. I can't say too much, but I mean it's been so much. I mean everyone's great.

20:13You know, Sonny is brilliant, and he's directing, Jake Schreier's directing, and then just having Kaylee's so awesome. It's kind of like we're all connected because she worked with Alex on Civil War. And we're working on Beef. And she plays my fiance. And we're really close. So that's just, you know, I kind of feel like she would have been great if she was in warfare with us. Oh, awesome. Yeah. You know, she would have... Bought into the process. Bought into the process. Like, immersed. Like, you know, she has my bag. I have her bag in Carrie and Oscar. Incredible. Awesome. It's been really very different.

20:56Yeah. I haven't quite, I've been very fortunate to experience kind of a different journey, a different process with each thing, you know, from, you know, all the things I've done and like, you know, before our film, you know, May, December, and then to all different kinds of processes. Yeah, yeah. Where, you know, with all, you know, visionaries and tours. And it's like, it's cool. it's um yeah it's very different i think it's gonna be fun it's kind of cool thing right like no one job is the same and and so the processes are all different yeah yeah and then td's always bouncing back like we'll bounce to the end and then like is that trippy how do you feel because we obviously shot warfare in like continuously yeah and you that's that's a treat right that's not always amazing alex i think always tries to do that right i think like i don't know if ray is going to do that going forward.

21:51But how do you find the challenge of shooting out of continuity?

21:57Yeah, it's kind of confusing sometimes. I struggle, man. Yeah, you got to kind of remind yourself of like what part of this journey is. This role in, like, you know, this guy in, like where is he? And then, but it's always kind of like, but then also it's kind of good. Keeps you on your toes a bit. Keeps you on your toes and you're like, oh, because I've experienced the end, now I know how maybe there's a clearer picture of how I'm going to start at the beginning or maybe I'm just being an optimist yeah interesting no yeah yeah that's interesting yeah yeah because I'm like oh this is where I've ended yeah this is the middle yeah oh now this can be the beginning but like there are you know there's also something about like you know that like expression like truth is stranger than fiction and like I think about this often with acting where it's like like Like often I feel out of continuity in my own life.

22:51Right. I feel like Wednesday does not feel like Wednesday. Right, right. Do you know what I mean? And so like actually in a way, sometimes I feel like I'm living an experience that feels like I'm out of continuity. And so like to not fight that, you know, on set or whatever and actually like lean into it sometimes. 100%, it's very human. Yeah, it's very human. Like it's more real. Wow. So sometimes I do kind of feel that way about it. same time I haven't done a lot of TV but I can imagine like if you're doing episode 10 in the morning and then in the afternoon you're going back to you know an episode five prior to that or whatever right must have I guess I guess you saying that it's like yeah it's I guess I've learned or I tried to surrender to the process and everything right there's a lot of surrounding to the process of like you said it's not like the beginning of this guy is happy and And then the middle is he's sad.

23:45And the end, he's angry. It's like, no, that's not real life. It fluctuates like that. So there's a lot of surrender through this process and every process. But, yeah, TV is great. It's great. I can't wait to see it. I'm so excited. And now speaking about you, you've been doing this for a long time. I guess so. I remember, well, first off, you already told it. I've already told you this. I was like nervous and excited to work with you. Dude, I never felt the same thing with you. And I was just like, oh man, that's Wilpolter. Oh, fuck it. I was like, oh fuck. You know, this is shit. Didn't last long, that.

24:27I was like, oh fuck, man. Did you see my movie? I don't know. But, you know, it's amazing. Because, you know, I've followed you. Literally, the first thing I saw you in was, uh the millers okay yeah yeah and just to see how you've just like progressed to uh you know doing katherine bigelow's movie and then just and then you know you have two movies coming out pretty you have death of a unicorn yeah what is that before yeah how how was how was that dude it's really fun like i've been nervous on the press because we all got on really well as a cast and we had so much fun. But I've been very conscious and I've said this to like my Death of a Unicorn castmates.

25:14I'm like, this is the way I put it. Like Death of a Unicorn for just a pure like fun and like silly comedy perspective. Right. It's like the best experience I've ever had. Right. Right. But like my experience on warfare with all you guys was the most transformative, meaningful experience I've ever had with a cast. So I never wanted to get that twisted. Right, right. saying how much fun I had on Death of Unicorn. I never wanted any of our guys to be like, hold on a minute, did you not have fun on our thing? I thought we were like a family. But Death of Unicorn was such a laugh, man. And I did it...

25:53Wait, I'm trying to think. Yeah, so I did it before Warfare. They just happened to be coming out kind of around the same time. But like you said, it's so fun to do something different and that comes with a host of other challenges. and kind of immerses you into a different process. And yeah, bro, like you said, when you get to work with people you really admire, like Paul Rudd, is such a blast to work with. He's so fun. He's all about play and enjoying yourself. Jenna's amazing. Been a fan of Jenna for a while. I've never seen her not be great. And I grew up watching Richard E. Grant, and it's just so many incredible people in it.

26:36Taylor Leone was like my North Star on that film, like my kind of like onset mom, as well as like kind of bestie. So we just had a blast. It was really, a really, really fun time. But as far as like transformative kind of personality shaping experiences, nothing comes close to warfare. And I don't think I'm insulting them by saying that. Right, right, right, right. Also I'm like, you know, there's like 12 lads I have to answer to if I say anything bad about Warfare that's a scary prospect starting with me exactly starting with you right now exactly

27:17you've done so many different kinds of so many different genres and like I mean I again for the sake of it not being the other films that I've seen here not being A24 so I'm not going to even mention them but like if anyone's followed your work they can see just like you're just shape-shifting so much and so what do you what's like your process like your thought process when it comes to like choosing the next thing are you kind of like i need to relax on this or you know is it the director is it the story is the money i know yeah i don't know listen i i uh i i appreciate you like you know paying me that compliment about doing lots of different things because that's what you do man and like, you know, you know how much I love your work and also how much I respect kind of your process and how you go about it.

28:07But man, I've been really, like, you make a really good point. Like the first thing is that you're really grateful to be working, right, as an actor. Like you just have to remind yourself of that first and foremost. I've had so much good luck and fortune come my way. And the reality is, is like, for the vast majority of people, like, you know, a certain amount of like good luck has to break your way. And I'm very aware of that. I'm very aware of the fact that like some of the best actors are walking around working other jobs. right now outside of acting so so there's that firstly and then i think the thing that i'm sort of attached to more and more is like the social application of right of the work and how it's gonna like change people's perspective like stimulate discussion like i'm really hoping like you know warfare contributes to the conversation around for sure in the concepts of like conflict and whatnot in a way that hasn't necessarily been discussed before.

29:00And then also with something like Death of a Unicorn, I hope it offers people a bit of a laugh and a moment of escapism from what is a difficult moment in many respects. Yeah, sorry to cut you off. No. It's going to be just insane watching because I've only seen the trailer of Death of a Unicorn. I want to see it. but seeing you in that compared to what we did and what we shot just a complete just insane it's insane and you know I don't know if you remember this I remember I remember you remember how Alex and Ray would give us 20 minutes to rehearse the scenes yeah and then come back yeah and then come back within the blue dividers I remember everyone was talking about when you guys were rehearsing the first part Gandolfini told me this story And I loved it Because we were so in it We were in the thick of it And we were getting It was a huge responsibility It was very emotional the whole process And you being OIC You had a kind of The role you had to take charge of a lot of different things And I just remember everyone just Loving and being in awe Of seeing Your human frustration come out when you like because you care so much it's amazing to see someone care so much and just get so frustrated and go internally because you're like oh I get that guy that's me but Ganolfini who's the world's best storyteller by the way the best storyteller he should tell this story because it's so beautiful and he's probably a lot more eloquent than I am blink twice if I should stop not at all but do you know okay but he just regale us every night with amazing stories yeah you like threw the script and just fuck threw it like it was just so safe that we could just go through that and be upset and frustrated and like try to figure it out because we had a responsibility not just as actors but like to Ray to Elliot to Alex to all the servicemen the pressure of that yeah but that was just like amazing to see you know You know, I loved it.

31:20It's so funny. He's fiery. Yeah, I just had a little tantrum. Because I recognize that you're hard on yourself too. And it's a challenge, isn't it? Holding yourself to a standard that you want to meet, but also not being so hard on yourself that you become like a saboteur. For sure. You know what I mean? Like give yourself a steeper climb than you need to make. Does that make sense? Right, right, right. That's a challenge. I feel like we should maybe talk a little bit about the, just on warfare, like, well, obviously we only represent a very small fraction of the cast. And like, it feels wrong not to like talk about some of the guys on this.

31:58And like, because the experience being as special as it was is predicated on how special they are as humans. And it's really funny, like, you know, the first time we all hung out, we're like in this like tea room, conservatory sort of thing at the back of this hotel. Peacocks running around. Peacocks running around everywhere. And, you know, you don't really know how like 13 guys are going to like get on with one another. And also shout out to Haider and Nathan as well who played the Iraqi Scouts. Such great actors, such lovely guys and were a major part of the process as well. You don't know how everyone's gonna like gel and get on right and obviously we've spoken about how the formalities the protocol the right so chain of command inform things but like as serious as it was and as intense it was like we had so many laughs too yes like it was so fun man yeah I was uh I know everyone was really intimidated to meet me when I showed up.

33:10Really? I was like, I was alright. What are you telling me? Someone was really scared. Someone rolled out a red carpet for me and I was like, it's fucking chill. It was really interesting watching all those different sort of personalities kind of come into contact with each other. And nobody I think that's the beautiful thing. With humility I feel like you can, whatever personality you have, if you just have humility and like love is behind that humility, I think you can find love to like for anyone. Yeah. You know, like we all were there, like we weren't here to like add this to our resume or this and that.

33:56No, yeah, yeah. We weren't here for the paycheck. Yeah. It was such a fun group. All from like different parts of the world and different experiences up to date. Remember when they gave us night vision goggles to take home? Yes. Which was an insane decision to give our group night vision goggles to take home. Because naturally we just ran around the hotel with the night vision goggles on. And we sang happy birthday to Noah. Noah said to Nate it was birthday. Remember we were outside wearing our goggles and we were like, how the fuck does this work? We're like blinding ourselves almost. Oh my God.

34:37Were you singing Happy Birthday? You remember that? I do remember that. We would like, after every day, we'd all eat together. We'd probably all work out together. We'd smoke cigarettes and drink Diet Cokes in the garden together. And that was pretty much how every single day went. And it was really interesting as well how, you know, for the sake of like balance in the social experience, we'd go from these really, really intense conversations and naturally really, really intense kind of serious work straight to the silliest, most ridiculous joking around. You can imagine it was really fun to be able to do both at once.

35:27We played Mafia. That was fun. We played a lot of games of Mafia. You were like the games master, right? he would like run that yeah mafia was fun i'll never forget do you remember when uh you me and joe were having a conversation and just like you know leadership we're having a conversation and kit was walking towards us and like just like so happy and jolly and i just shoved my hand on kit i looked and i was like no not right now i don't even remember that He was like, you do it. He was so... And we're like, no, this is a serious moment. We're not joking around. No, really, really. There was so many bits that you had to constantly be on your toes.

36:08There was also a habit of, and the armorers ended up like stepping in. There was also a habit of like stealing guys' handguns off them. Right, right. You constantly had to be... I got zip tied to a chair at one point without me knowing. You fell asleep? I fell asleep. Oh, when guys fell asleep, people would get photographs taken of them or they'd get like messed with in some way. DeFarrow has... DP's got so many. DeFarrow was... Didn't someone stack like 10 books on his head while he was asleep? Yes, we stacked like several different household items on his head when he was asleep. Michael Gandolfini is the greatest storyteller and one of the funniest human beings.

36:41He's the best. Of all time. TJ, I think could... TJ and Evan could actually both legitimately be team guys. Yeah. And kind of like ran point on weapons handling. Yeah, yeah. They're great. So when Ray wasn't directly involved, which was amazing. Yeah. Cosmo's so funny. Cosmo is... The biggest sweetheart. Beating heart of our group. Amazing to see how the process sort of took hold of him as well. And he's like surrendered to the idea of like being a team guy, you know. Right. And because I think he'll admit himself, he's like kind of like started off Lone Wolf and then just became like the beating heart of our group.