On this edition of the Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Isaac sits down to discuss various topics, including his chemistry with his co-star Tiffany Haddish in the Focus Features’ “The Card Counter,” where he plays an ex-military prisoner and a traveling gambler with a checkered past. Knowing firsthand about the hustle of making it in Hollywood, both as a Latino and wanting to “be seen” by his peers, he’s mindful of choosing projects and keeping his family first and foremost.
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The Sponsors for Contenders Film: New York are Michter’s Distillery, Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, Eyepetizer, and modMD.Oscar Isaac is one of the hottest actors working in Hollywood, showcased by his distinct and invigorating performances in films such as “The Card Counter” from Paul Schrader, “ Dune” from Denis Villeneuve and “Scenes from a Marriage,” the limited series that just completed its run on HBO. And he says, ‘You’re born guilty, and you just get guiltier and guiltier.’ And that’s something I could really relate to.” And that guilt – it’s Paul Schrader, who grew up a Calvinist.
He’s been traumatized by what he did to others, and that he won’t let that go. It’s not that he he’s a victim of his own actions. “You’re seeing someone who has been traumatized by their own actions, right. ‘The Card Counter’ Trailer: Oscar Isaac & Tiffany Haddish Well-Suited In Paul Schrader’s Revenge ThrillerĪnd like many of Schrader’s central characters, a punishing guilt exists at the core, Isaac said. “All that is just so much fun for an actor to play with, all these kind of micro-movements, micro-expressions that betray this this taciturn, guarded person.” It’s like he plays with this idea: ‘Do you lose the audience completely? Can you still find a way to connect?’ … It’s so beautiful, what Paul gives to an actor, because he gives a whole treasure chest of behavior to investigate.Īs Isaac’s character gradually is shaken from his self-imposed purgatorial existence, the actor explored the tiniest details, including taking a cursive-writing course to get inside William’s bent toward journaling with militaristic precision.
And then he reveals this thing about him: You know there’s something there’s something dark there, there’s something he’s running from. “So because of that, it allows the actor to really play with a lot of restraint and mystery. “Paul’s talked about how the voiceover that he’s famous for, how it’s like this direct line into the audience,” he recounted. Isaac described how Schrader uses key techniques of his writing to style to great effect, and to the great excitement of his actors. Venice Review: Paul Schrader’s ‘The Card Counter’ What’s he hiding? What’s he doing, waiting, living out this really dark, sad existence? And you get to know him.” Isaac said he relished “being able to be one of these iconic characters that Paul writes, these guys alone in a room wearing a mask and the mask is their profession, whether it’s a guy that drives a taxi or it’s a guy that counts cards and plays poker. And he does it his way and, and there’s something about that that I just really connected to.” He makes these small movies, he goes to those dark places, he tells challenging stories with really challenging characters. “Paul has always been ferociously an outsider: He’s subversive, he’s punk rock in that way – he complains about it, but he stays true to that thing. “I think the thing that I relate to probably the most with most of Paul’s writing is the feeling of being an outsider,” Isaac said of his character, an Afghan War veteran. Tiffany Haddish plays a mysterious backer looking to add Tell to her stable of card sharks.
Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk and takes him on the road, but keeping Cirk on the straight-and-narrow proves impossible, and Tell is dragged back into the darkness of his past. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel (Willem Dafoe) from both of their pasts. The Card Counter follows William Tell (Isaac), a military interrogator-turned-card player haunted by his past. Contenders New York: Complete Panel Coverage