Will Poulter is one of the most likeable actors working today and always a pleasure to interview. It’s therefore even more of a surprise to see him play evil with such conviction, embodying a nasty, racist police officer in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit.
We caught up with Poulter in London to mark the film’s impending release, and we asked how he went about getting into the mind of a character so far removed from himself. He discusses the implications of playing such a hateful role, and what it was like collaborating so closely with Bigelow.
The actor, who is going from strength to strength, also discusses with us his own acting path – and what advice he would give to a younger Will Poulter starting off the industry, knowing what he does now.
Watch the full interview below…
Synopsis
In the summer of 1967, rioting and civil unrest starts to tear apart the city of Detroit. Two days later, a report of gunshots prompts the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Army National Guard to search and seize an annex of the nearby Algiers Motel. Several policemen start to flout procedure by forcefully and viciously interrogating guests to get a confession. By the end of the night, three unarmed men are gunned down while several others are brutally beaten.
Detroit is released on August 25th. You can read our review of the film here.
