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Big things coming from Michael Pena |
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Written by Jeff Strickler, McClatchy-Tribune
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Saturday, 24 March 2007 |
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Oscar prognosticators would do well to keep track of Michael Pena's future projects. For three years in a row, he's been in movies that were nominated for Best Picture: "Million Dollar Baby" three years ago, "Crash" two years ago (both winners) and "Babel" this year.
How has he achieved that track record?
"I don't think there's any magical equation to it," he said during a phone call to talk about the opening of "Shooter." "I just love good writing. And when I see it, I want to be in those movies."
Although he has the wherewithall to carry a movie, as he did with Nicolas Cage in "World Trade Center," as a policemen trapped under debris, he's more interested in the project's profile than his own.
"I just want to be attached to something good," he said. "Look at 'Babel' or 'Million Dollar Baby.' Those weren't flashy characters that stood out. That (standing out) is not my job. My job is to create the best character possible."
His interest in 'Shooter' comes from an innovative twist on a familiar action-adventure concept. It appears that he's playing Mark Wahlberg's sidekick. But he's more than that, Pena insisted.
"The character has its own arc," he said. "It's almost as if there are two movies going on at the same time. Mark's character has his story, and my character has his own story. For a sidekick, it's usually two guys and one plot. It was fun going to the screenings of this because when Mark did something, the audience cheered, and when I did something, the audience cheered. They picked up on both stories."
Pena plays a rookie FBI agent who believes Wahlberg's claims that he is being framed in an assassination attempt and is willing to risk career — and perhaps even life — to prove his innocence.
"The first time I read the script, I liked the fact that this is a guy you root for," Pena said. "His moral compass is intact, which is something we don't see much of anymore. Although he's scared out of his mind, he's willing to stand up and do the right thing."
Pena, 31, grew up in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career after graduating from high school. In 13 years, he has amassed a resume that includes more than 40 movie and TV roles, including recurring spots on "CSI" and "The Shield." In other words, he likes to keep busy.
"I like to do two movies a year, usually one big one and then a smaller one. So now I've done 'Shooter,' and later this year I'll be in 'Lions for Lambs,' a smaller production with only seven actors in it."
But don't those seven include Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and Robert Redford, who also is directing?
"Well, yes. Maybe it isn't so little, then," he said. And maybe it will be even bigger come Oscar time. | Only registered users can write comments.
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