Exclusive Interview With Frank Grillo On The Purge: Anarchy

So, I have to ask, do you believe in The Purge and its methods?

Frank Grillo: Personally? No. You know why? I’m a fairly passive guy in real life, I have a family, I’m always thinking of their safety, and the amount of senseless violence I see in this country concerns me. We’re obsessed with guns for some reason. But it’s funny, because people ask, “What would you do?”

I would hide.

Frank Grillo: Yup, and I probably would, too – but they say, “If you were, HOW would you purge?” So my answer is always, “I’d probably just steal earrings from my wife, if I can get away with it – and I’d still run.” [Laughs] So yeah, I don’t want to hurt anyone, and hopefully no one wants to hurt me.

Alright, so I’m getting a definite love for old-school action flicks from you – here’s a question. If you could remake any old-school action flick and give it your own spin, what movie would it be? Who is Frank Grillo’s action spirit animal?

Frank Grillo: I’d love to be Eastwood, but I’m urban and ethnic, so you keep thinking “who could I be?” You know, people keep throwing up The Punisher for me, I keep hearing it, and that’s a killer character. I’d go down that road. But I could never fill the shoes of an Eastwood or Bronson – those guys are the best.

Analyzing your recent influx of roles, I have to ask – is it fun being bad? You’re Brock Rumlow, you’re pretty mean in The Grey, and even in The Purge: Anarchy, I’d consider your character an anti-hero…

Frank Grillo: Listen, like The Purge, it lets you exercise your imagination. I get to be this guy with no cause and effect – and what’s more fun than that? I get to be 10 years old when I go to work. For me, I tell Chris Evans all day he can be Captain America, that’s a snoozefest, I want to be the bad guy. [Laughs] I want to beat up The Falcon. In fact, I want to beat up Anthony Mackie right now!

I can see why, he kind of gave you a run for your money…

Frank Grillo: No, I beat him up in the movie! [Laughs] If the building didn’t come down, he was done!

That’s fair, but as it stands now, Brock Rumlow is gone – we’re now going to get only Crossbones. Do we have to wait for Captain America 3 for the unveiling of your Marvel villain?

Frank Grillo: I can’t tell you. [Smirks] I plead the fifth. Everyone secretly works for Marvel. You’re Kevin Feige! I know it. You’re gonna take a mask off pretty soon and show yourself.

I’m sure this is a fruitless question, but did you get a glimpse of the costume yet?

Frank Grillo: Nope! [Beaming laughter] I know there’s bones, and there’s a cross…

Damn, that’s some serious exclusive material right there! So I take it you’ll have a pretty big beef with The Falcon whereas other villains will be more focus on Captain America?

Frank Grillo: I think I’m going to have a beef with everyone. The thing about Captain America: The Winter Solider – and I think the Russo brothers absolutely nailed it – there is no right or wrong, bad or good. It’s two sides of a political theory. There are so many Nazi references with Redford, and those people, as horrific as they were (and remain), they didn’t think they were bad. They were on another side of an idea. That’s the way I view Brock Rumlow (Crossbones). I don’t know people who think they’re bad – everyone thinks they’re doing the right things somehow. Somewhere, in their sick minds, they’re justified.

Are there any fears of becoming typecast? You mentioned earlier about filling a Hollywood void – but is that possibly a bad thing?

Frank Grillo: Nah. It’s funny, because Liam Neeson has become one of my closest friends, and he’s basically doing the same kind of movie over and over – he’s a brilliant actor. I enjoy doing this, I’m having a great time. When it gets boring, that’s when I’ll start looking at other roles if people are interested in me. I’m also not a kid, so when it starts to look ridiculous, I’m not interested. I’m just enjoying the ride day by day, and if people still keep seeing me as “that guy,” and as long as I believe I can do it – it’s like being a professional athlete. At some point, you’re on the mound and it’s like, “I’m not having fun anymore, and I just can’t throw the ball.” You’ve got to know when to walk away sometimes.

So I’m assuming no one is coming to you with romantic comedies?

Frank Grillo: [Laughs] I’m just not that guy. I don’t look like that guy. Chris Evans looks like that dreamy guy. I think people walk by and question me – he’s a little suspect.

When you signed onto Captain America: The Winter Soldier, did you know it’d be such a departure from Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger?

Frank Grillo: Nope – I didn’t see it on the page like that. I read the script, and it’s thick – I had to read it many, many times to understand the world. I was like, “How are these Russo guys going to shoot this movie? It’s a huge movie!” When I saw the film, I was impressed that they shot the whole film, it’s all there, every bit of it from the script. The political points of view they had, the scope of it seemed enormous in comparison – same running time, just a grander scope  – but I liked Captain America a lot more. There’s more of him in The Winter Soldier to understand.

So I know you’re on a leash with the whole Marvel universe, but what is on your plate past The Purge: Anarchy?

Frank Grillo: I’ve got The Raid, which was supposed to shoot in September but we’re pushing it to January for different reasons, I’m doing a show called Kingdom, which is a very visceral, The Sopranos-esque drama only the backdrop is MMA, but I can’t plan too far ahead because of Marvel, we’ve got to see how things go. I have a little bit of free time, we’ll see if anything is around, but if not, then I’m unemployed for a few months.

Thanks so much to Frank Grillo for giving us his time, and be sure to catch The Purge: Anarchy when it opens on July 18th!