Daisy Ridley stars in ‘Cleaner’.
Opening in theaters on February 21st is the new action thriller ‘Clearner’, which was directed by Martin Campbell (‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Edge of Darkness’) and stars Daisy Ridley (‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’), Taz Skylar (‘One Piece’), and Clive Owen (‘Children of Men’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Daisy Ridley about her work on ‘Cleaner’, her first reaction to the screenplay, comparisons to ‘Die Hard’, her character’s relationship with her brother, shooting the action sequences, and working with director Martin Campbell.
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Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, and did it read like an old school action movie such as ‘Die Hard’, where one hero is pitted against a group of terrorists in a confined space?
Daisy Ridley: When I finished it the first time, I thought, “Brilliant.” It was so propulsive and page-turning. Of course, you know ultimately, well you hope, that the good guy is going to win. But I could not, I was like, how is this going to be resolved? But that also coupled with the idea of working with Martin Campbell. But making it, I was excited to make a British action movie. Then of course it is essentially a love letter to ‘Die Hard’. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of one hero against everyone because I was so alone for so much of it, but because I’m constantly on the phone to the police, and me and the police officer build such a rapport and trying to figure out how to defeat what is ahead of us, and then me and my brother have built this beautiful relationship in the film, and that’s part of it. I felt weirdly alone but had a team. So, in that way it was lovely.
(L to R) Daisy Ridley as “Joey” and Matthew Tuck as “Michael” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Can you talk about the trauma Joey suffered as a child, as well as her relationship with her brother, and what she’s willing to do to protect him?
DR: It’s interesting because I feel like their relationship, I really wanted to honor relationships between siblings where one is in more of a caregiving position, and what that can do to the relationship and the dynamics that her and her brother have. Clearly, they love each other so much, but also, they are siblings. So, they fight, and they lash out and then they’re regretful, and certainly playing her, she loves him, but she has over the years put things off. In the small amount of time they have, she tries to say to him, “I’m so sorry for the time that was wasted up until now, and now we have no time.” But it’s so her driving force for the end of the film, and he ends up being such a hero in a way that I think is so beautiful. But working with Matt (Tuck), this is his first film, which is insane. Working with him was so wonderful, and it felt real in that she ends up taking accountability for the way she hasn’t been a great sister, but of course you learn that their childhood was difficult. Essentially everyone’s just trying to do the best they can really.
(L to R) Daisy Ridley and Director Martin Campbell behind the scenes of the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: What was it like working with director Martin Campbell on this movie?
DR: I mean, the whole shoot honestly was taxing because the of physical stuff, of course, but emotionally maintaining that level of angst, and understanding that the audience can’t be that angsty the whole time, so there has to be levels to the angst. I really had to rely on Martin to guide me through those levels. He’s just so wonderful to work with, really drawing out the emotion of the actors he’s working with and these relationships, so it feels like people you want to get behind. But I can’t speak highly enough of Martin, I just think he’s wonderful.
Daisy Ridley behind the scenes of the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Finally, what was the most challenging action scene that you were asked to perform and how did you execute it?
DR: Well, weirdly, the fight, I was really bruised. Like I was hurt. I’m pretty sure I wrenched something in my shoulder. But weirdly, the hardest thing was when I’m Spider-Woman for a moment, and it’s funny because a lot of the fighting is very realistic, but it’s the moment I was like, “Where does Joey come from?” But I dropped from the ceiling, must put a bag over someone’s head, and then I’m shoved into something here, and then I had to shove the stunt guy out of the shot. Someone was holding my toes, because I was just on wires that two guys were holding in the corner. I was floating, so someone had to hold my toes, so I was a bit stable. Then run away, and then my adrenaline was going because there was such choreography with the camera, I had to drop. A few times I missed his head. Then everything had to be so perfect. We ended up doing it maybe 50 times and my adrenaline was spiking. So weirdly, that ended up being one of the hardest moments, because there was so much to that one piece.
“The stakes are a thousand feet high.”
Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Cleaner’?
When activists take over an energy company’s annual gala held at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf in London, some more radical members of their group take hostages and threaten to blow up the building if police intervene. A dishonorably discharged but highly trained ex-soldier (Daisy Ridley), who works as the building’s window cleaner, attempts to save the hostages when she learns one of them is her older brother.
Who is in the cast of ‘Cleaner’?
Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
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