Interrogating the Undead Duo of Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds

Sep 24, 2013
JEFF BRIDGES IS ROY PULSIFER, AND RYAN REYNOLDS IS NICK WALKER IN R.I.P.D.
Q: What was the appeal of R.I.P.D. that made you choose to do this film?
JEFF BRIDGES: The thing that grabbed me was the freshness of the film. Also, one of the things that I do when I choose a film is to make sure that the film is one that I would like to see. R.I.P.D. certainly fits that bill. I like movies that are surprising and take you in areas that you don’t expect. This film is very much like that. You think it’s going to go one way and it goes another way. It’s full of surprises.
RYAN REYNOLDS: We've all lost something. Something we knew we'd never get back. I was attracted to the idea of a character who refused to accept this. A character who refused to let something as permanent as death stand in the way of love.

Q: What were the aspects of your character that made you want to portray him on screen?
JEFF BRIDGES: I liked having a chance to play a guy from the 1800s because I like that period of time. Roy is a fellow who takes himself quite seriously and people who take themselves seriously have a lot of humor because of that. He probably doesn’t think of himself as being particularly funny, although he does have a sense of humor. Sometimes his humor is involuntary. I think people laugh at him, as well as laugh with him.
RYAN REYNOLDS: Nick is a guy who loves his job more than his life. It isn't until the latter is taken away that he realizes just how much he's missed the point.

Q: You seem to love to wear those cowboy hats and Western garb in your movies, like you did, for instance, in TRUE GRIT and CRAZY HEART. JEFF BRIDGES: I love Westerns. When I get a chance to get on a horse or wear a cowboy hat, that’s always a plus for me. I used to play cowboys when I was a kid and so much of acting is basically playing pretend. Being an actor gives you the opportunity to be a grown up and play like you’re still a kid. Q: If you were in the same position as Nick, would you be willing to join the R.I.P.D.?
RYAN REYNOLDS: I think so. I'd certainly explore any and all options to be reunited with those I love.
Q: What was it like to work with each other?
JEFF BRIDGES: Ryan is wonderful to work with. He had to not only be the action guy and have all the comedy to play with, but there’s a dramatic story that threads through the film that he is involved in as well. I think he was very skilled at serving all of those different roles in the film. Ryan is very good at comedy and he’s also great with drama. Not to mention, he’s a great physical actor and in great shape. He did a lot of the action scenes himself and he did them very well.
RYAN REYNOLDS: Jeff is the living embodiment of zen. Working with Jeff is a lesson in character acting. A lesson in life. From the moment you meet him, you see he's immediately curious about everything around him. It's that curiosity which makes him so good at what he does. He's always learning.

Q: Two other very popular and respected actors play important parts in R.I.P.D., Mary Louise Parker and Kevin Bacon. What can you say about them?
JEFF: They are both excellent actors and each have their own special talents. In my opinion, Mary Louise Parker stands alone. She has an acting style that is really her own. We had a lot of fun working together and we would improvise at times. She brought a really unique quality to the film. Kevin Bacon was wonderful to work with as well. We all became great friends. 
RYAN: Fantastic. Kevin Bacon is a legend and Mary-Louise Parker is easily one of the finest actresses working today. She's inspiring to watch.

Q: That scene that you mention does look exciting. Is shooting action scenes as fun as it looks from the audience’s point of view?
JEFF: Shooting movies is often a very laborious process. Sometimes five seconds in the final movie take a whole day to shoot. I try to have a good time wherever I am and it helps to have guys who approach the work in a similar way, like it was on this film. We really had a good time, joking all the time. Even when we had to shoot scenes over and over again, it was fun.

Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film and what have you taken away from the whole experience?
RYAN: I think it would have to be the time spent with Jeff. It's not every day you work with your heroes -- let alone spend several months with one. I'm grateful for my friendship with Jeff.

Q: What do you think the audiences will take away from R.I.P.D.?
JEFF: The main thing is that the audiences will be entertained. Again, I don’t like to spoil the surprise, but it will be a great ride!
RYAN: I think it's important never to underestimate the comedic tones the film offers. The summer is jam packed with a lot of great movies and audiences have a lot to choose from. I think it's important to offer something which can embody true adventure and fantasy.
R.I.P.D. is a 3D supernatural action-adventure that tells the story of two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of creatures who refuse to move peacefully into the afterlife.
Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous souls disguised among the living as ordinary people. His mission? To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of outlaws trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth.
Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of the R.I.P.D.’s finest must restore the cosmic balance...or watch as the tunnel to the afterlife begins sending angry spirits the very wrong way.
Starring alongside Bridges and Reynolds in R.I.P.D. are KEVIN BACON (X-Men: First Class) as Bobby Hayes, Nick’s partner before he’s taken out in the line of duty; MARY-LOUISE PARKER (television’s Weeds) as Proctor, Nick and Roy’s tough-as-nails bureau chief in the R.I.P.D.; and STEPHANIE SZOSTAK (Iron Man 3) as Julia, Nick’s widow who must find out the reason behind his untimely departure before she is forced to play an unwelcome role in the world’s end.
Rounding out the cast of supporting roles are legendary character actor JAMES HONG (Blade Runner) as Nick’s very unexpected elderly avatar and supermodel MARISA MILLER (television’s Gary Unmarried) as Roy’s very sexy one.
“RIPD” opens August 21, 2013 in theaters nationwide is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corporation.
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