We talked with Pacific Rim: Uprising’s John Boyega and Steven S. DeKnight in a monster interview

We get down to the nitty gritty of being professionals in the movie industry.

Star-studded action movie Pacific Rim: Uprising released a few weeks ago in America, yet the film has only just aired in Japan. Rumors floated into the SoraNews24 office that lead actor John Boyega and director Steven S. DeKnight were in town to promote the new movie, and so we sent our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun to take a shot at interviewing them.

▼ Boyega’s widely known for playing Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens,
while DeKnight directed the first season of Netflix’s Daredevil.

Facing these two remarkable individuals with only ten minutes to work with, P.K. went into interview mode and fired off a few salvos of questions.

P.K.: I didn’t think I would be able to meet up with Finn from Star Wars and the director of Daredevil. I’m a reporter from the quirky news website, SoraNews24.

Boyega: SoraNews24? That’s great!
DeKnight: Why, thank you for watching Daredevil.

P.K.: This might be a little sudden, but I think Pacific Rim: Uprising is ten times more interesting than your previous works. And I think that’s because Jake (the role that Boyega played) was so cool! Don’t you think that’s the coolest role you’ve been in so far?

Boyega: Wow, I’m thrilled! I thought Finn and Jake were rather similar in their roles. They’re really pushy characters with attitudes, but they really warm up as the story goes along.

▼ The Japanese trailer for Pacific Rim: Uprising

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy5Pn0v3ptw

P.K.: Go on.

Boyega: But Finn was a really interesting character who held onto fear, whereas Jake had a wild personality with a firm core. They’re both fascinating in that sense.

P.K.: I see. Finn’s cool factor does seem a little different from Jake’s. The next question is for you, director. What makes a good actor?

DeKnight: That’s a really difficult question. To me, an excellent actor is one who is willing to take risks. “Don’t be afraid of failure” would be the right phrase.

P.K.: That’s intriguing.

DeKnight: John over here puts 120 percent into his role, and he’s a great example. Although he reads from the script, there are times when he ad-libs and creates a scene better than what was originally intended.

P.K.: I see.

▼ The chemistry between the two men is
perhaps what made the movie so good.

DeKnight: Let’s take an example of recording for extended periods of time. When morale flags because of difficult scenes, he’s always smiling and becomes a role model for everyone. He just cheers everyone up and that’s incredibly helpful.

P.K.: That’s a real compliment there. For an actor like yourself, what constitutes a good director?

Boyega: A great director is one who is excellent at communicating with people.

P.K.: Communication skills then?

Boyega: Right. We actors come together to support our director’s vision. He needs to convey his perspective to us and make sure we’re all on the same wavelength, or it’ll be a huge mess. I think it’s really important for him to be able to properly communicate that message to us.

P.K.: That’s quite true.

Boyega: There are times when we think that our lines seem inappropriate for the situation at hand. I think a director needs to either take the initiative to correct them or come up with a convincing explanation to the actors.

▼ Boyega signing autographs for fans

P.K.: I’m convinced.

Boyega: Those two were particularly important in this film because the scale in the movie was immense. But thanks to our director here, no one got hysterical and we finished the movie like proper adults.

P.K.: It’s a big title after all.

Boyega: Fortunately, nothing bad has happened while filming. I truly think that’s a blessing.

P.K.: I see! I think you two did a splendid job onscreen. Thank you very much for the interview.

Boyega and DeKnight: Domo arigato!

Having been inspired by the teamwork and camaraderie of these two big celebrities, P.K. pondered on whether he should finally venture into the art of film making thanks to all the valuable tips from famous actors like Mark Hamill. Dreaming of his own debut on the big screen, P.K. trundled off to lunch with a big smile on his face.

SoraNews24 —Japan News—