‘High Ground’ Interview: Jon Voight and Charlie Weber

(Left) Jon Voight in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures. (Right) Charlie Weber in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

Available to buy on digital beginning March 18th is the new modern day Western ‘High Ground’, which was directed by James Bamford (‘Shadow Land’), and stars Charlie Weber (‘The Painter’), Katherine McNamara (‘Arrow’), Henry Thomas (‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial‘), and Oscar winner Jon Voight (‘Heat’ and ‘Megalopolis’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jon Voight and Charlie Weber about their work on ‘High Ground’, Voight’s first reaction to the screenplay, how Weber developed the project, their characters, working together again, their respect for actress Katherine McNamara, preparing for the action sequences, collaborating with director James Bamford, on set and if Mr. Voight is still having fun making movies at this point in his career.

Related Article: Jon Voight Talks ‘The Painter’ and If He’ll Appear in ‘Heat 2’

Jon Voight in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

Moviefone: To begin with, Mr. Voight, what was your first reaction to this screenplay and why did you want to be involved in this project?

Jon Voight: Well, I was recommended to it, and it’s always exciting to get somebody who wants you for a part. I had worked with Charlie on a picture called ‘The Painter’, and it was a big success with the Paramount+ folks, a popular movie. So, I was excited to read it. Then, when I did read it, I found that it could be very powerful, actually, and all the pieces playing their proper parts. I thought I could probably do the part they asked me to do, playing his father and the story. I said, “Yeah, let’s do this.” It turned out to be a good picture. I’m very pleased with the picture, Jami.

MF: Charlie, can you talk about your approach to this character and how Jake’s military background makes him uniquely qualified for the situation he finds himself in?

Charlie Webber: Absolutely. I developed this script for months. I found it. My friend Jon Thaddeus, who I had wanted to work with on a prior movie but had to drop out because of a scheduling thing with a show I was on. So, I wanted to produce something, and I saw this script of his, ‘High Ground’, and just shaped it into what it is, a sort of a modern day western. The character, Jake Wilcott, is based, not even loosely, on his son who served as an Army Ranger. I wanted to bring that to the movie. But anyone with that kind of training that’s been through those experiences can take care of business, so to speak, but also, they bring with them an experience having come home. He just wanted to kind of lay low and not be involved. He had to find himself throughout this story to step up to do what he does.

(L to R) Charlie Weber and Jon Voight in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

MF: Mr. Voight, can you talk about Ezra’s relationship with his son Jake, and how he helps him through this situation?

JV: Well, he’s been the sheriff. The character I play has been his dad and the sheriff for quite a long time, 35 years. He’s gotten a little older, and he’s going to be stepping down, and he’s passing it on to his son. He knows that his son has been through quite something in his military service and is shy in many ways of taking it on. He’s concerned about his son. I think that makes the piece rich, this, “You know, I’m capable of things,” and occasionally, I step up and say, “You want me to handle this son?” He says, “No, Dad, I’ll take it,” or whatever. I think it’s a good relationship. Then, we both come to the finale, and everyone involved must be capable of holding off this evil attack of many bad folks who are capable of just annihilating us. We’re only a few people, but we’re all skilled. Then, the audience sees what happens, and the final battles are quite extraordinary and fun for the audience. The skill set of this guy (Charlie) is terrific.

MF: Charlie, you and Mr. Voight have worked together before, did that help with the father/son relationship you have in this movie?

CW: Jon alluded to that, the relationship he and I have, and we’ve worked together before and we had a shorthand going into this movie. We work well together. I really enjoy working with Jon. That relationship and the sense of family and love that you get from this movie, by the time you get to the showdown, the stakes are very high.

MF: Charlie, can you talk about the way the town’s residents rally together to support Jake when they are attacked?

CW: They absolutely do. I think, as I said, when I was developing it, I’m from a small town, and I wanted to sort of reflect that and the mentality of people that are in this small place together. When you’re used to something, change can be tough for everybody. When someone’s been the sheriff for 35 or 40 years, to have somebody else come in when you’re used to something else can be hard for everyone. But it was hard for Jake. He didn’t know if he wanted to take on that responsibility after what he’d been through. So, I think the movie reflects that and ultimately the community rallying together.

(L to R) Charlie Weber and Katherine McNamara in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

MF: Charlie, can you talk about Jake’s relationship with Cassie and working with Katherine McNamara?

CW: Kat was perfect. She was such a great Cassie. We just really got along immediately and had a great rapport, respected each other’s work, and it was just breezy. We really got along great, and the scenes together were so fun and just natural. I really enjoyed working with her.

MF: Mr. Voight, what was your experience like working with Katherine McNamara?

JV: You know, the thing about Kate, I mean, she’s really gifted in many ways, and she’s gifted physically in terms of all of her understanding of martial arts and stuff. She’s very talented, and she has quite a following because of that. But she’s also a wonderful actress, too. She’s good.

Charlie Weber in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

MF: Charlie, can you talk about preparing for the action sequences and how you executed them on set?

CW: (We had a) great stunt team and great stunts. The gunplay, like I said, you have a great team of people surrounding you. I’m very fortunate to have gotten to work with a lot of great people over the years and have received a lot of training from a lot of talented people. We just had great stunt and fighting guys, like Max Kraus, who was an absolute pleasure, and I’d love to do it again, but just a great crew. You show up early. You dedicate yourself to just learning everything and focusing on making everything look right. Now, I’m a big fan of working extremely hard to master the things they try to teach me. I think it’s sort of a way to honor the people that do these things.

MF: Charlie, does training stay with you from film to film, or do you have to train differently for different roles?

CW: It’s nice to brush up on things, but I stay active in my personal life as well, when it comes to shooting, et cetera, and martial arts. So, for me, it’s nice to get in with a true professional and brush up on everything. But luckily for me, I’ve been fortunate enough to do enough of these movies where it’s pretty much in my bones at this point.

(L to R) Charlie Weber and Jon Voight in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

MF: Mr. Voight, you’ve worked with director James Bamford before, what do you enjoy about working with him?

JV: He’s appropriately named “Bam”, you know, Bamford. Because he has a dynamic personality. All together positive, and he’s very prepared. He’s been a martial arts guy, and he’s fought in the cage, you know, he’s the real thing. So, he has a very high expectation for the work that the stunt people do. He puts them through a lot of stuff. Sometimes I get scared. I said, “Wait, what are you going to let that guy get hit with the thing? Then he says, “Oh, yeah, he’ll do that.” I’m very concerned about all the folks around. But he’s a total professional, very smart, very good guy, and it’s a pleasure to work with him.

MF: Charlie, what was your experience like working with James Bamford?

CW: I love James. I loved working with him. I can’t wait to work with him again. I think to the point of what we were talking about, he is a great director, but in a previous career was a top tier stunt coordinator. He really truly cares about that work, but he also truly cares about his guys, the stunt performers. When you’ve got that camaraderie on a set, the stunts just go, great.

(L to R) Charlie Weber and Jon Voight in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

MF: Mr. Voight what was it like reuniting with Charlie on this film after making ‘The Painter’?

JV: Oh, Charlie and I get along. We have from the beginning when we did ‘The Painter’. You kind of try to get to know somebody and have a sense of what their relationship might be. From the beginning, Charlie and I got along. Charlie’s a wonderful actor and a total professional. When I came to the set, he was ready, and I was ready. That’s a great thing. I mean, once you know that, you’re in. Anyway, he has a wonderful way with these kinds of films too, because he’s got the physical ability on top of it, and the ability to go long nights with a few pieces of damage on his body to make it interesting. But no, he’s the real thing.

MF: Charlie, what have you learned about acting from working with Oscar winner Jon Voight?

CW: I, obviously, was very excited to meet Jon when we did ‘The Painter’, but as he said, we immediately just fell into a conversation and really got along. Then, as he also said, you step on set, and you got two guys that are ready to go and have some fun and care about the work and then care about not just the work, but each other and the people around them. I just really, obviously, admired his work before we’d met. Then, I just loved him as a person, and we just had a great chemistry. I think it was just a reinforcement of something that I’ve already felt, which is, you take the work seriously, but are a kind and cool person. I think seeing Jon on set just sort of reinforced that if you’re someone who truly cares about the work and the people around them, you’re going to do something special.

Jon Voight in ‘High Ground’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

MF: Finally, Mr. Voight, at this point in your legendary career, are you still having fun making movies?

JV: Oh, sure. It’s always dangerous, too. You never know how things are going to work out. So, when you come to the set, each scene has its own demands, and you’re concerned about it, but it’s fun. That’s why we’re in this world. We fell in love with it at a certain point. We really love to come to the set and do this work and see if we can pull something off for the people. So no, I haven’t lost any of the enthusiasm I had when I was young, and I’m still very demanding, and I want to see it work right and all of that. I mean, it is an interesting thing about stunts. When anybody’s doing a lot of stunts, you’re concerned for them. Sometimes young actors, they want to show off, or they want to prove themselves. They’re not concerned with some of the things that keep things safe. It’s a danger. But when you’re a professional, there is a little danger on the set. These timings must be right and all of that, and you must know how to fall and stuff like that. But anyway, the good ones, and Charlie’s one of the good ones, they take care of everything, but they do the job. That’s a whole different area. You know, I’m an actor, but I also have done quite a lot of that other stuff, too. I really admire the people who do it well.