Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clarke Duncan & Temuera Morrison Interview For ‘Green Lantern’

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. In ‘Green Lantern’ Temuera Morrison stars as Abin Sur, a Green Lantern who crash lands on Earth and recruits Hal Jordan as his replacement. Geoffrey Rush lends his voice to Tomar-Re, a member of the Green Lantern Corps who teaches Hal Jordan how to use his cosmic powers. Michael Clarke Duncan stars as the voice of Kilowog, a drill sergeant trainer of new recruits for the Green Lantern Corps. Check out what they had to say about the film below. ‘Green Lantern’ reaches cinemas June 17th.

Were you a fan of Green Lantern before hand?

Michael Clarke Duncan: I was a big Green Lantern fan as I was of DC Comics, all the comics back in the day. I was pretty familiar with Green Lantern, Kilowog was one of my favourite characters because he was the only one I could really idenitfy with (laughs), he was the biggest one. A lot of people don’t know that Kilowog is a nice and generous person, he looks big and tough but he’s a nice guy, hint hint (laughs).

How did the prosthetic make-up affect your performance?

Temuera Morrison: What tended to happen with me is that I became a little bit larger than life, all of a sudden my voice took on a croak and a deeper sound. This is what happens when you get all these external things placed on you. I think the challenge is keeping it real and believable, keeping it human. That was the challenge for me, it can makes you get a little bit theatrical, playing it larger than life. Martin Campbell wanted it quite natural.

Can you talk a little about your character Tomar-Re?

Geoffrey Rush: He’s a very gentle, matter of fact guide. I think he respects that if the ring has chosen him, chosen this human for the first time….he’s not like a drill sergeant, there’s an acceptance that if the ring has chosen you, you are THE person to do it. Then it’s just a step by step of taking him through an understanding of what the rings powers are. Tomar-Re suggest at one point, “Now we are going to fly.” Hal Jordan thinks “what the hell,” (laughs). Tomar-Re has to help him accept it and do it, he’s a mentor.

How was it working with Ryan Reynolds?

Temuera Morrison: He brings a kind of natural warmth and wit to everything. I noticed even in our scene together, some of the things he’s doing, even though he’s freaking out because it’s the first alien he’s seen so he’s freaking out, there’s a lot going on, my character talks, that adds to the strangeness, I’m telling him all this information about the ring, say some oath, even amongst all that madness he’s got this warm and sincere sense of humour to him as well.

Can you talk a little bit about the constructs and the Green Lantern training process?

Michael Clarke Duncan: When you wear that ring, whatever you perceive in your mind, that’s what you can do. There’s one training session where Kilowog has these weights dropping on Hal Jordan, he has to make a platform to save himself. Then he throws weights at him, slings weights like a Frisbee at him. He has to react to that too, not only do you have to be able to think on your feet, you have to be fast. Because when you’re fighting something evil, like this force that’s coming, you have to be ready for everything. Everything he goes through in training will come in to play later. So while it may seem hard, the constructs are going to help him. What he can see in his mind, he can manifest out there. That’s what Kilowog is there to do, make sure he does. It’s a great concept.