EXCLUSIVE: Chris Evans and Ana de Armas Talk The Gray Man
After starring in the hit 2019 film, Knives Out, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas are back together again in Netflix’s new spy thriller, The Gray Man. We got the chance to hear from the costars about their new movie, based on the book by Mark Greaney.
During the chat, the two talked working with the Russo Brothers, preparing to play their characters, and so much more. Check out what they said below.
Chris, you’ve worked with the Russo Brothers before but never as a villain, what was that like?
“Playing a villain is always a little more fun, you have a little bit more freedom, you get a lot more jokes, but working with the Russos is what gives that sense of trust and freedom. When you trust the filmmakers, you’re more willing to take risks, and certainly a character like this demands risks. So, without the Russos and the relationship and rapport we have, I don’t know if I would have had such a rewarding experience.”
How was working with them on this film different from your previous works with them?
“Well, it’s just a matter of evolving in our trust and our understanding and communication. You can get lost in a semantic fog, there’s all these creative minds on set, and you’re all trying to make the same thing and trying to communicate that vision can be tricky. And you just develop an understanding of the person’s language, and they understand my strengths, they understand things that I don’t necessarily wanna do and the things that I can’t wait to do. That familiarity is what breeds trust, and that trust is what makes the risk-taking process of filmmaking feel less like a risk.”
Ana, this is your first time working with the Russos, what made you come on board?
“I wasn’t busy then. I mean, many things. I was very, very excited that the Russos thought of me and as soon as I got on the Zoom call with them and they presented this character for me and the story, I was in. And I wanted to work with Ryan [Gosling] again, I wanted to work with Chris again, and all this amazing cast behind me. And the character, I just loved it. I love who this woman is and all her background and training and her mentality and how badass she is and how fearless she is, and all of that.”
Can you talk about how you prepared to play this character?
“I was very lucky to have Chili [Palmer]to train me on the military part of the character and the mentality of that and having experience physically and endure the pain of what is, like, this training for shooting and putting on all this weight of these weapons and just run around. I started running like a chicken at the beginning with this vest around me, I didn’t know how to move or squat or do anything, and I really enjoy the process.
The pre-production, for me, was really fun ‘cause I could see myself improving. But then I also needed this other side, the more psychological part of it. Like, what do you do? ‘Cause at the end of the day, you’re on the mission, you’re out there risking your life, and none of these other people are around you, they’re at the office, but ultimately, you’re the one calling the shots. You’re the one who has to make a decision to solve the problem in the moment.”
But this isn’t the first time you’ve played a character in an action movie. How does this character differ from your character in Bond?
“I was a woman in high heels kicking ass in a Bond movie looking beautiful, the way I was supposed to for that movie. But it is something really refreshing about this one where the focus is not on that. I’m not Ryan’s love interest. We’ve done that, too. We’ve been there. It’s about her power in a different way. And it’s really cool. It’s important to put women in action films in that light and have that vision to accentuate that part of badass women. “
The Gray Man is now playing on Netflix.
*This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Photo credit: Netflix