Will Smith: Supervillains give you a license to enjoy being bad

Will Smith

With a career replete with death-defying stunts à la 'Bad Boys', striking heroics in 'Independence Day' and an effortless suavity in 'Men In Black', international megastar Will Smith will next be seen as Deadshot, more commonly known as Batman's rival.

Will Smith

The actor spoke to hitlist about his role in the upcoming film, 'Suicide Squad', and his rapport with Margot Robbie in an e-mail chat. Edited excerpts:

Q. You begin your journey into the world of superheroes, er, supervillains as Deadshot in your next.
A. It's always great when you get a character that has such a rich history, but has never been committed to film. I get to pull from years and years of history while having enough room to create my own version. People don't have an image that you have to live up to; it's a rare opportunity.

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Q. This is a very physical role. Was the prep an adventure in itself?
A. Yeah, it was a little dangerous. It was the first time I got what you might call an 'old-man injury' during training, I was down for six weeks with a torn calf. I was like, 'How in the hell do you tear your calf?' So, it was a bit of a rude awakening for me that my action movie days are probably down to hours (laughs).

Q. Deadshot is the most deadly assassin, who goes on to become the leader of the Squad. When you read about him and filmed the movie later, were there facets of his character that came to you spontaneously or strike as alien?
A. The only thing I couldn't wrap my head around was what would make someone kill people for money. That was the distinction I had to find, but David (Ayer, director-writer) does a really good job of researching. He put together a fascinating mix of people, who had real experience with some of the things our characters deal with. He also led me to an interesting book called 'The Anatomy of Motive', by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. I read the book, and it struck me that you never need to ask why someone did something. He did it because it felt good. Every person does things they do because it feels good.

Q. Apparently, the whole cast was brought together for a five-week rehearsal period prior to filming…
A. During rehearsal, it's just David and the cast, and the process is all of us are sort of bonding with and learning about each other. David asks you questions about your life experiences to connect them to your character, and, in his mind, he's creating a mental storehouse of all your buttons. So, when you get on set, he pulls out your high school prom and the experience that you told him about and blends that to give you an emotional comprehension so that you understand the depth and expression that he's looking for in the moment.

Q. This seems a bit of a departure from your regular roles.
A. At this point, I am taking up movies I feel will add to my life. I am not looking to have hit movies, I am looking for experiences that elevate me in terms of my wisdom and understanding of life and the craft. And this was just that.

Q. Of late, supervillains have become just as iconic to fans as super heroes. What is it that endears them to audiences?
A. I think supervillains have a quality which fairytales have, in the sense that it's so far removed from reality that you actually get to explore your own darker elements in a safe way. You are allowed to relate to Deadshot, or Harley Quinn or the Joker. It's almost a strange kind of psychological release that somehow makes the hidden parts of yourself okay. I guess you could say that supervillains give you a license to enjoy being bad - just for a minute.

Q. This is your second movie with Margot Robbie. What was it like reconnecting with her?
A. There's an interesting three-way sort of thing happening between Deadshot, Harley, and the Joker. She's actually the Joker's girl, but she and Deadshot have a little thing bubbling under the surface. Margot is spectacular. She is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses I have worked with. If I never had to make a movie with anybody else, that would be perfect; I'd work with Margot for the rest of my career (laughs).

Q. How about Viola Davis?
A. Viola is ridiculous (laughs). I always love when you have these really wild, high-concept comic book movies, but they are anchored by a two-time Oscar nominee and Tony Award-winning actor. When you put Viola in a movie like this, it has a magical effect - it actually anchors it and makes it more real.