Interview with Ryan at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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Hey, Bigwig!: Ryan Robbins
September 14, 2009
by Brad Frenette

Hey, Bigwig! is our daily focus on an up-and-coming actor looking for a big break at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Today: Ryan Robbins

Q: If you had a meeting with Steven Spielberg, what would you say to try and convince him to put you in his next film — in ten words or less?
A: It would depend on the role and the film, but I would probably remind him that I have worked for him twice before (he was producing) and his assistant’s assistant said Stephen liked a scene I did once.

Q: Why should the movie industry take a chance on you? What do you have to offer?
A: I don’t think the industry would be taking a chance. I’m a pretty diverse and pliable actor and I try to bring something memorable to the table with every role.

Q: What is the role you were born to play? Inversely, what role do you think you could never pull off?
A: I’m not sure what I was born to play, but as a musician and actor, I would love to portray Jeff Buckley in a film. His music helped me through some really tough times and I think a film about his life and his music would be very thought provoking. I’d also love to play Chet Baker for some of the same reasons. I don’t think I’d be able to pull off playing Oprah in a biopic about her.

Q: If you're not acting in five years, what will you be doing?
A: Crying myself to sleep at night.

Q: Which producer/other actor/director would you most like to end up with in an elevator during TIFF? What would you say?
A: I’m pretty quiet in elevators. Plus, I feel like cornering a celebrity in an elevator is only one step away from cornering them in the bathroom.

Q: If you had complete creative control, what book or play would you make into a film, and would you star in it?
A: I’d like to see a film or mini-series about Satchel Page. His life was extraordinary. I also think that every Chuck Palahniuk novel should be made into a film. I’d love to star in a film adapted from one of his novels. Also, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series would be an amazing film/franchise. I’d probably cast Paul Bettany as the lead in that.

Q: Do your parents support your career choice? Do they offer advice?
A: My Mom has always been incredibly supportive. Her advice sounds cliché, but when it comes from Mom it really matters, she just reminds me to be myself.

Q: What makes TIFF unique? You're a Canuck, do you feel as if you have home-court advantage?
A: I am a proud Canuck. But I don’t feel any home court advantage. TIFF is an industry market that caters to Hollywood big shots, but it balances that nicely with it’s incredible support of Canadian films as well as indy films from around the world. And it manages to do all this without some of the pretense that other festivals have become known for. You really get a feel for how excited everyone gets when TIFF is coming up. It’s very electric and it’s an infectious feeling. In fact, I’m feeling infected right now, as I write this.

Q: Tell us about a role or audition you've turned down.
A: Fortunately, none that I’ve regretted.

Q: What script do you most wish you had had a chance to read for in the last 5 years?
A: There are quite a few, but one that immediately comes to mind is Choke.

Q: What's your favourite bad movie?
A: I dunno... Ishtar?

Q: Have you ever listed a skill on your actor’s CV that you couldn’t do?
A: No, but I did have an agent once who told a director I was a smoker. It was one of my first jobs and I had to French inhale, but I’d never smoked a cigarette in my life. The director took me outside and had me practice. Over and over. I learned some lessons that day. One of which is that my skin is capable of turning green.

Q: What is your next project?
A: I’m just finishing up producing and starring in an indy feature called Marilyn and then it looks like I’ll be doing Zack Snyder’s next film, Sucker Punch.


Source: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blog ... bbins.aspx