Justin Timberlake is on top of the world. With the recent release of his second album this year, “The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2,” and his new film “Runner Runner,” he has his work cut out for him on all fronts. In his movie, the former boy-band-star-turned-actor plays Richie Furst, a Princeton student who becomes involved in an online gambling organization, taking on his dream job with a dream income under Ivan Block, played by Ben Affleck.
Timberlake performs alongside Anthony Mackie, acclaimed actor from “The Hurt Locker” and “Half Nelson,” playing FBI Agent Shavers, who finds Timberlake enjoying his luxurious lifestyle, only to reveal the true scheme behind his work. In a Google Hangout with a small group of college journalists from around the country, Timberlake and Mackie spoke with Daily Bruin’s Sebastian Torrelio about their new thriller, and what they learned from their filming experience.
Daily Bruin: You play a character where everyone is against you. What’s it like to get into that character?
Justin Timberlake: I find that regardless of the relationship the characters have in the movie, I think the more fun you have with the actors and the more collaborative the experience is with the actors, and, in a way, the closer you get with the actors, that it’s easier to play any type of relationship.
For instance, with characters like (Anthony’s and mine), he basically terrorizes me the whole movie. But off camera, it was an opportunity for us to immediately jump in and start dissecting the scene and the material, but in the meantime, you know, hangout and have fun. I think the more fun you have together, the more comfortable you feel playing a guy or guys that are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
DB: Director Brad Furman’s last film, “The Lincoln Lawyer,” was a lot about the legal world, with playful, entertaining tones. Does “Runner Runner” follow the same style?
Anthony Mackie: I think if you look at Brad’s other movie, he really has an interesting way of looking at the world. With this movie, it’s so bright and beautiful, you really give your character the opportunity to really go as far as they can into the world they live in without becoming superficial or unbelievable.
I feel like if you look at Justin’s relationship with (Ben Affleck) and how they relate to each other throughout the film, you can put yourself in that position. And I think that is the same thing with “The Lincoln Lawyer” – Brad is good at building characters in stories. This movie is the exact same way, you can track the characters and put yourself in their position throughout the course of the movie.
DB: Justin, is it more difficult to work on an album or a film?
JT: On the surface it may look like a lot of things are different about the process, but I would say that a lot of what I do with music informs a lot of what I’ve done in playing characters and vice versa. There’s a real rhythm to certain scenes and certain types of movies. Timing is everything in life and acting; it’s extremely important.
I guess where I would say making a record is a lot harder is because it would be like being the producer, the director, the screenwriter, the actor. To make a record you have to put all the parts together, because you are basically creating your music from scratch. I’ve never written a script before, I’ve never directed a movie before. I can’t imagine how tricky that could get, but I would say that, from the outside looking in, watching the directors that I’ve worked with, making an album is kind of like being all those things at the same time.
DB: What about your characters attracted you to the roles?
JT: I loved the idea of Richie, this character who’s a good guy, he’s trying to do the right thing but he’s got himself into a hole. It’s kind of the idea of trying to dig yourself out of a hole, but you just keep digging yourself deeper and deeper into that hole. I identify with a lot of things about him.
AM: For me, it was more I enjoyed the ability to really just push Justin around. My character is such a bully in this movie, and I’m never given the opportunity to grow out my facial hair and look crazy and sweaty and smack up white dudes. So when I’m given that opportunity I go for that 100 percent.
DB: How do you guys think the roles you played in “Runner Runner” helped with your growth as actors?
AM: I wanted to do the movie because I was a fan of Justin, and Ben and Brad and I were friends. So when they called me and I read it I felt like it was a no-brainer being associated with those people. As an actor I learned so much because, when you’re running down hallways and doing all that crazy stuff, it’s so easy – like, we’re hanging him out of a building two stories in the air, we literally could have dropped him on his head. There’s just so much stuff going on that if you’ve never experienced that as an actor, you kind of have to roll with the flow.
JT: Getting to work with these people. What I like about every character is that, in a movie like this, it could easily be in a way, “genrefied.” It could easily become cliche. What I love about how this was written, not only is my character intelligent, but Ben’s character is intelligent, Anthony’s character is intelligent.
It’s like going to see a basketball game with two great teams. You got great athletes, but it’s “who’s the best on that day?” That’s what I kinda like about these characters – the movie can go in any direction based on who outsmarts who. I just think that elevates the material.