Battle: Los AngelesAn Interview with Cory Hardrict
By Wilson Morales
March 7, 2011
Opening on March 11 is the alien invasion war film, ‘Battle: Los Angeles,’ which stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, Ramon Rodriguez, Ne-Yo, Jim Parrack, Cory Hardrict, and Adetokumboh M’Cormack.
For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.
For Cory Hardrict, the film represents a major step in his acting career.
The Chicago native previously appeared in numerous TV series, such as ‘Smart Guy,’ ‘Felicity,’ and ‘Lincoln Heights.’ Hardrict ventured in the film world with roles in ‘Never Been Kissed,’ Clint Eastwood’s ‘Gran Torino,’ and ‘He’s Just Not That Into You.’ Along with this film, Hardrict also has ‘The Day,’ set for release this year.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, Hardrict spoke about his role in ‘Battle: Los Angeles,’ working with the cast, his future role as a father with actress wife Tia Mowry, and his upcoming projects.
This film is really, really intense. And it’s good that it has all these newcomers who are not just in the background. Each one of you has a significant role.
Cory Hardrict: Yeah, man, I mean it’s a blessing just to be in a film that’s full of minorities and survive. I dreamed of doing stuff like Will Smith and films on a big scale. And some stuff with myself was cut out of the film. But that’s expected because when there’s so many characters, you have to keep the movie in to a certain pace and to a certain flow and some stuff- some guys got cut out of the movie who had supporting parts. They had one scene here and were done.
You got an important role in the movie.
CH: I’m very thankful and I’m blessed to be given that opportunity from Sony and the director, Jonathan Liebesman. I mean from everybody. Neil Moritz, and Ori Marmur. So it was a blast.
How would you describe your character, Corporal Jason Lockett?
CH: Corporal Jason Lockett is as a passionate young marine. He’s very intense and has a great heart. He just wants to be loved by the corp. He just wants to be a good soldier and wants to make his family, because he lost brother in the war, proud. And just kind of keep that tradition going on in the family. That’s all. He wants to be accepted but at the same time he also wants to help. And he wants to defend the world with his mission, what’s going on in LA. So that’s who I say Jason Lockett is. He’s a good, young hearted man who means well and is full of passion and energy. He has a lot of emotion. He has a story.
You’re an actor who worked for a number of years. How did you get latched onto this movie? Do you try out for it? Did they call you up?
CH: No, I had to audition for it, man. I auditioned for it three or four times. And then I went to Sony and auditioned for it again and I got a part. And I didn’t know what part I had. I thought I was a regular little soldier in it. I thought I had a small part. I didn’t know. I just was thankful if I could get any part in this movie. I read the script five times.
What was the attraction to being in this movie? Were you just looking for a job? Or did you want to be part of this movie?
CH: Well, it was both. I was unemployed at the time, and at the same time it’s very rare you come across a film of this magnitude from reading material. I always wanted to do a war movie and I always wanted to do a movie like ‘Independence Day.’ And when you can see the two elements combined and I had the opportunity to be in it, I said, “Man, this is a blessing right here. Let me go in there movie ready for the audition.” I wanted to go in there all the way. I had my crew cut. I had the Marine cut. I went in there and I just did my best and it worked out.
How was boot camp?
CH: The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, work wise. Seriously, they put us out in the woods forr three weeks. They threw us out there, and we built our tents. We slept outside in these little coffin nets to keep the mosquitoes off you and keep the rattlesnakes and all the bugs away from you, including the insects. We did that for three weeks. Wake up every morning five o’clock. Run three to five miles in the morning. It was still dark. We were running with flashlights. Drill sergeants. And it was like we were going to the Iraqi war. They were getting us ready for war. So we did that. We did the MRE’s with the hot water. We ate our food out of cans. They wanted us to think like Marines, sleep like Marines, walk as Marines. You know what I’m saying? Proud. They were just on us. They didn’t want any actors showing up day one in that shoot. And it worked.
You’ve some intense scenes in the movie. One, in particular, is with Aaron (Eckhart). How was working with him and with the rest of the cast?
CH: Oh my God. It was amazing. Adetokumboh M’Cormack. I mean he’s amazing. He’s a great friend of mine. Everyone was good from Neil Brown Jr., Jim Parrack, Ne-Yo, Michelle Rodriquez, Ramon Rodriguez, and Will Rothaar. Everyone in this movie! It’s like we’re all team players. Everyone was doing their thing but everyone was like a team player in this and we were all for one goal. And that was just to make a great, great film and put your all into it. And that’s what everybody did. We don’t have control over editing and posting and what cuts and what’s out. Like I said, I got a whole bunch of stuff cut out but that’s just part of movie making, you know what I’m saying? It is what it is. It doesn’t matter to me because I’m all for the coming of the whole, overall total thing is the movie to win. That’s it.
Did you get to work with CGI?
CH: Yeah, a little bit. I did some stuff with my boy, Jim Parrack. We had a few scenes where they put the green screen behind us. But that was kind of it. The rest was location stuff. We were closing in on freeways in Louisiana. It looked like LA. We were shooting real houses that looked like Santa Monica and Venice Beach. They would build sets that were straight out real. So you couldn’t really tell me that CGI was a part of this movie. It was real gritty. It was down and dirty and I still feel war wounds to this day.
What kind of research did you do for the film, especially since you had to go to boot camp?
CH: Well, I rented all my movies. I still actually got them all from ‘The Hurt Locker,’ ‘Platton,’ ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ and ‘Black Hawk Down.’ I got all my favorite films. I got all my movies that were dealing with war. And I got some great films like ‘Independence Day.’ I got my ‘War of the Worlds,’ and my ‘District 9.’ And I was just studying how all these films come together. And then I started watching YouTube videos of Marine soldiers and how they operate. I was renting videos and DVDs of people in boot camp. I was just doing all my homework on the signals. Everything! I just became a student of the Marine Corp. and I really commend the men and women who serve this country and the world. And I commend them what they do. And much respect and love for them.
What would you do if you just happened to be somewhere where aliens came down? Where would you go?
CH: You know what, that’s a good question. I don’t know where I would go. Because if they came down, really, how are you going to fight an alien? And based on anything they got in the movies it’s like those things look real as hell. Like it’s like they got monsters, they got tactics. That’s a good question. I don’t know where I would go. I would tell you one thing. I’m sure going to grab my wife and we’re going to run for cover somewhere. We’re going to do something. And we aren’t going to have too much time to think about it.
2011 represents a big year for you. You’ve got a big international movie coming out with this film and you’ve been around for a number of years. Congrats on your impending fatherhood. How is your life changing every day?
CH: My life is the same life that I’ve been having for the last fifteen years or so. So I don’t really see the change yet as far as career wise. But I do feel a change at peace. It just feels good that things are coming to fruition and my visions are coming to pass. That feels good and I feel at peace. And I feel like God has blessed me tremendously to this point. So that’s still yet to be determined, and the successes of the film or how the acting career goes. But not matter what happens or what takes place, I’m just going to continue to push towards the mark and work hard. That’s what I believe in. just a strong work ethic. Just to continue to work hard and continue to perfect my craft. And whatever happens out of that is what’s going to happen, you know. That’s all.
What month is Tia due?
CH: July 3rd. I’m having a baby boy. A son. I can’t wait. We were at Mo’Nique’s earlier in the day, and they gave me a hoop with a basketball on it. So, my son’s going to be hooping on that thing. Watch, because I had hoop dreams on me growing up. So I’m going to put that to my baby and he’s going to get it on.
Everything’s coming all at once, and hopefully this will drum up more work, which will be great now that you have a big family to feed.
CH: Come on now. My wife, she wants to keep going. She probably wants a couple more babies because she’s flying back and forth from Atlanta doing her program. So I’d rather her be home doing what she’s got to do with the kids and myself, as well. So it’s my turn to get out there and grind. And get my Will Smith on.
Is there anything else that keeps you grounded?
CH: Church. Just church. Just believing. And always just having strong faith and having a foundation. And family. I believe family first. Blood is thicker than water. I grew up like that and I want to continue to keep that goal in my heart. Just family first! Just honesty, integrity, and respect. All of that. I live by the code of those things. If you do that you’ll be fine.
Do you have other projects lined up?
CH: Yeah, I have a film coming out at the end of the summer called ‘The Day’ with Dominic Monaghan, who was in ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Shawn Ashmore from ‘X-men,’ Shannyn Sossamon, and Ashley Bell from ‘The Last Exorcism.’ And that’s an apocalyptic war film, like ‘The Book of Eli’. It’s awesome. I carry an AK-47. It’s a visceral thriller that goes off in a twenty-four hour time span. And it’s a group of friends just fighting for survival. So that’s another great one. Great universal cast. I’m just trying to touch the world and touch the people and just get good material. And show them that we can get it done. Just because you’re African American, you still can touch the masses. And that’s my goal. I won’t stop until that goal is continued to push it hard to the world that we are the universal person, as well. Don’t let the Oscars fool you, you know what I’m saying? We can get it done on a big scale. We got talent.
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