Hey Adrien, this is one of those awesome movies where you can sit back with your mates and predict which unlikeable character is going to buy it first, don’t you agree?
Ha ha! Yes, I guess so. I think, inevitably, some people are gonna have to go sooner than others. That’s a funny way to look at a movie — I haven’t done that in a long while. We used to do that when I was a teenager. I hang in there in this one, though. Ha ha!

We hope so – be a shame to knock you off in the first five minutes.
Ha ha! Well, you never know…

Were you a fan of the original?
Yeah, I’m a huge fan of the original — I saw its opening weekend with my friends. I think I was in the front row, smoking cigarettes, hanging out with my friends at the movie theatre in Queens — then me and my buddies ran around doing Schwarzenegger impressions for the rest of the week.

Speaking of impressions, can you make the Predator purring noise?
I can do it, yes — but I’m not going to do it for you. That’ll have to wait until I’ve had one too many beers.

What do you say to the naysayers who thought you were too sensitive and not macho enough for the role?
Buy a ticket.

We read Arnie lost 12kg in Predator to play Major Dutch Schaeffer, whereas we heard you gained 12kg to play the mercenary Royce in the new film. That’s a really strange parallel, don’t you think?
I’m not sure that’s true that he lost weight — I know there was this break in production with that movie, where Schwarzenegger actually looks a lot bigger and I thought he put on the weight in between. But if it is true, it’s interesting.

So there was no trade of muscle mass going on between you two guys, then?
Ha ha! No, there was no trade. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple. But I do think there was a physical transformation, for me, at least. But that wasn’t my entire goal. I think on one level it was important to be physically imposing, but what I tried to create was a character who had an inner strength and possessed the quality of a military leader — I tried to delve deeper than just the physical aspects.

Right, are we talking like an “emotional core”, Adrien?
Well, Royce is emotionally shut-off, but I did try play him very wolf-like.

Seeing you’ve tackled a gigantic gorilla in the past, really, taking on murderous aliens isn’t that much of a dramatic stretch, is it?
Umm… y’know, they’re very different. I’m not sure how to answer that one, but they’re both exciting in different ways.

How do you “method act” being hunted by trophy-hunting Predators — or it is kind of similar to being stalked by paparazzi?
Ha ha! Umm, well, you know, you have to understand tracking and hunting techniques, and literally imagine yourself as the prey… It’s difficult for
me to be too light with my responses on this end because I treated this in a very serious manner. I spent a lot of time isolating myself and researching military and paramilitary manuals. I spent three weeks living in the jungle and being in the zone. That said — it was a fun challenge to kind of psych myself up into a situation like that.

At any point, on set, did anyone utter the line [adopting dodgy Schwarzenegger accent] “If it bleeds, we can keel it”?
Actually, it was a line for Hanzo, the Japanese Yakuza fellow. It made it in.

We read that the Predator’s fluoro blood is made from mixing glow-stick fluid with KY Jelly. Did you have to supply your own personal lubricant on the day, or did they have plenty on-set?
Ha ha! No, there was a lot on-set.

So who actually discovered this luminescent cocktail and how?
That, I don’t know. I didn’t even know what was in it, but it was reminiscent of a glow stick. It also burns the skin like acid — which I know because I smashed two buckets of it and it literally burned my face and etched holes in my weapons. It definitely wasn’t the
KY that reacted that way.

Predator became infamous for its gruelling shoot, where a lot of the actors literally lost the plot — did anything happen like that this time around?
Umm, no. I think everyone was very focused. Maybe we’re living in a different time now, I don’t know. I can’t say what that film shoot was like, but I have actually shot another movie in the same jungle where they shot Predator.

We hear you’re keen for a Predators sequel already?
That I’m game? Sure, but we’ll see. There are a lot of things at play for that to happen. It’d be exciting to reprise the role, though.

We read somewhere that Heath Ledger just beat you to the role of The Joker. Now that, well, you know… would you ever consider reprising the character, or are they shoes too big to fill now?
Oh well, I don’t know. I think he did a remarkable job and I can’t really comment on that. I think he was amazing, and I had my shot. Let’s cross that bridge when it’s there.

You have won a César and an Oscar, but this is the first time you’ll be awarded your own Predator doll. Which is the greatest honour?
Ha ha! Umm, what do you think? Ha ha! I’ll be psyched to have a little action figure hanging out in my room somewhere, but I think one of those is a little more of a big deal.

Well, here’s hoping you’re happy with how you turn out in plastic.
I think it’s all done. It’ll be good, I’m sure.

You also recently had a part in Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox, but it wasn’t very big. Were you happy to play the field… mouse?
Ha ha! Yeah, Wes is a good friend, so any opportunity to work with him is an honour.

Come to Australia much?
I haven’t been back in a while but I spent six months living in the Daintree. You know, I love Australia. I’ll be back.

That’s the spirit, Adrien. Now you really do sound like Arnie.

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