‘Tin Soldier’ Exclusive Interview: Scott Eastwood

Scott Eastwood in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Opening in theaters on September 12th before arriving on digital and On-Demand beginning September 30th is the new action thriller ‘Tin Soldier’, which was directed by Brad Furman (‘The Lincoln Lawyer’), and stars Scott Eastwood (‘Fast X’), John Leguizamo (‘Violent Night’), and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx (‘Miami Vice’), and Robert De Niro (‘Heat’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Eastwood about his work on ‘Tin Soldier’, his first reaction to the screenplay, his research into cults, what his character is fighting for, working with Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro, doing his own stunts, and collaborating with director Brad Furman, as well as giving an update on when ‘Fast X: Part 2‘ will begin production.

Related Article: Scott Eastwood Talks ‘Alarum’ and the ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise

(L to R) Scott Eastwood and Jamie Foxx in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you want to be part of this project?

Scott Eastwood: The setup was quite interesting. It was original, but it’s something you could imagine could happen if a cult had formed, but instead of a bunch of yahoos, it’s ex-military. I thought that that was an interesting concept and having the one guy who had escaped the cult called back to help the government go in and break it up. At the same time, he is lured in by his wife who had gone missing, that she might still be alive. I thought that was an interesting concept. Also, Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro, it was like, that’s a no-brainer. I got to work with those two.

MF: Did you do research into real-life cults and the mindset of a person who is a former cult member?

SE: Yeah. I watched a ton of documentaries about them. Luckily in recent years there’s been a lot of documentaries about these cults, whether it’s ‘Wild Wild Country’ or the Waco stuff. There’s been a lot more docs about them and a lot more deep dives into the psychology and how the brainwashing happens. It’s interesting stuff.

(L to R) Scott Eastwood and Jamie Foxx in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

MF: Can you talk about the relationship between Nash and Bokushi and what was it like working with on those scenes with Jamie Foxx?

SE: Yeah, from the research, they sort of all have the same playbook. They break you down and then build you up and they become like a messiah for people and then it always seems that they turn ugly in some of the manifestations of these behaviors. Whoever these figures are, whether it’s the Bhagwan (Shree Rajneesh), Ron L. Hubbard, it sort of turns dark. Working with Jamie was great. I mean, he made some wild choices with this guy. So, getting to work opposite him was, for me, it made the job quite easy because he’s a bigger than life character, and he brought a ton of interesting choices to him. So as an actor it’s a dream because you just sort of react to those choices.

MF: Did you know Jamie already before making this movie?

SE: I did. Yeah, I did, and Jamie’s a great guy. He’s great and he’s easy to work with and super giving and friendly. He brings a vibe to the set that always gets people to smile and relax so you can be there and have fun doing your job.

Robert De Niro in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

MF: You have some intense scenes with Robert De Niro. How did you prepare for those scenes and were you intimidated working with him?

SE: Just like anything, yes, you feel that you want to do a good job, you want to bring life to this character, but that’s all just reps in the gym beforehand. By the time you get on set, you’ve already done all the hard work. You’ve already done the performance 10,000 times. You’ve done the emotional work, you’ve done all the prep work, so by the time you get there, then you can just relax and do the best job you can do. That all comes from your prep, prepping and doing the performance a bunch, and then you just get to show up and have fun.

MF: What did you learn from working with De Niro, and could you see his greatness in the scene when you were acting opposite him?

SE: Well, I think he would probably tell you the same thing. I’ve intellectualized a little bit about acting with him, and then I’ve also heard him speak through the years about process, but it’s a similar thing. If you’ve done the work and you’ve done the performance 10,000 times and you’ve mined it and go deeper and deeper into everything from all the choices the character would make, and just really discovering that, then by the time you get to the set, the hard work is done. I mean, I’ve heard him say that many times and we spoke about that.

Robert De Niro in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

MF: I’ve heard that De Niro likes to do a table read with the cast before he signs on to a project to make sure it’s something that he wants to be involved with. Is that true? Was that the case on this film?

SE: We didn’t do a table read that I can remember with him. My memory’s a little fuzzy, but I don’t remember doing that. But he is so prepped when he shows up on set. I mean, he has done all the work and really explored the character.

MF: In many ways, as an ex-military and a former member of this cult, Nash is uniquely qualified for this mission. Can you talk about that and how he feels about going back to confront Bokushi?

SE: Yeah, he is. I mean, he’s been in that world, sucked in and was really the only one to get out. So, he’s got that inside information and he’s been pulled back in. He is at the same time, I think, a very tormented character through what he’s been through, so he’s got that pulling at him, the whole movie, which makes him a very complex guy.

Jamie Foxx in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

MF: Nash returns to save his wife, who he is not even sure is still alive. Is that what drives the character in your opinion?

SE: That’s what drives him, yeah. That’s sort of the emotional rollercoaster of the film. That’s the heart of it, trying to discover the truth, get back to the truth and find out if she’s alive. Which made it, that’s like the North Star. That’s all he really cares about. He doesn’t really care about trying to break this thing up. He’s there for his own reasons to see if his wife is alive.

MF: Can you talk about shooting the action sequences and did you do all the stunts yourself?

SE: I think so. Not everything. There were certain stunts, and we shot this movie in Greece. I find that anytime you go into Europe, you get away with a little bit more. You get away with some bigger stunts and get away with some stuff that might not be allowed in the U.S., which always makes for a better movie because you get a bigger production value out of it. But no, there were certain stunts that they didn’t want me doing that I sort of acquiesced and said, “Oh great, let’s let someone else do that one. That one seems like it’s threading the needle a little bit.” But I try to do as much as I can. It just helps the movie. When you can do the most that you can, then the movie becomes more visceral. You don’t have to cheat things; you can do cool camera movements if you keep the actor in those stunts.

Scott Eastwood as “Joe” in the action crime thriller ‘Alarum’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

MF: You’ve played characters with military backgrounds before. Do you have to retrain every time or does the training stay with you?

SE: You brush up on it before you do gun work and before you do that stuff. I think you always brush up on it just to keep it tight and make sure that’s good. But yeah, it’s in the toolbox for sure, so that’s easy for me.

MF: What was your experience like collaborating with director Brad Furman on set?

SE: Fascinating. He’s very complex and very visual. He’s a fascinating guy. We had a very tough shoot, but the movie turned out to be a wild ride.

Scott Eastwood in ‘The Fate of the Furious’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Finally, can you give us an update on ‘Fast X: Part 2’? Have you seen a script yet or do you know when you’ll begin shooting?

SE: I don’t know, but I know that there’s talk about it and whispers about it right now. It’s happening right now.

Jamie Foxx in ‘Tin Soldier’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.

What is the plot of ‘Tin Soldiers’?

The Bokushi (Jamie Foxx), who preaches to hundreds of veterans who have been drawn to the promise of protection and purpose under him. After several failed infiltration attempts on his impenetrable fortress, military operative Emmanuel Ashburn (Robert De Niro) recruits Nash Cavanaugh (Scott Eastwood), an ex-special forces asset who was once a disciple of The Bokushi. Nash agrees to use his insider knowledge of the enigmatic leader as he seeks vengeance on the man who took everything from him, including the love of his life.