Exclusive: Dayo Okeniyi Talks Terminator Genisysby Wilson Morales
June 12, 2015
Coming out this summer (July 1, 2015) is the return of the return of a franchise, where its story is a “retelling” of what the previous films have been. Directed by Alan Taylor from a screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier, Terminator Genisys stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in his most famous role, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Courtney B. Vance, Dayo Okeniyi, Byung Hun Lee and Matt Smith.
When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline. Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…
Okeniyi, who’s best known for his role as Thresh in The Hunger Games as appeared in ‘The Spectacular Now,’ and with Ben Affleck in ‘Runner Runner,’ plays Danny Dyson. Danny is the son of Miles Dyson (played by Courtney B. Vance in this film), who fans will remember from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Miles was originally played by Joe Morton.
In speaking exclusively with Blackfilm.com, Okeniyi gives some insight to his character…
How would you describe Danny Dyson?
Dayo Okeniyi: Danny Dyson is the son of the great inventor, Miles Dyson, who is the CEO of Cyberdyne Systems and he creates the seed that will basically become Skynet. In our movie, Danny, who was a kid seen in T2, is a lot older in the time that we jump into and on the cusp of taking the reins of his father’s position. He’s very ambitious and wants to create great technology for the future. He’s created this technology that he is unaware of but it’s the Trojan horse that creates the Terminator.
Since the film deals with different timelines, are we talking about the past or the future?
DO: The timeframe in which we see Danny Dyson is the present time. The movie has the past, the present, and the future.
Does anyone need to see the first two Terminator films in order to follow the story in this film?
DO: I don’t necessarily think so. The film is a retelling for a new generation. When people see this movie,the fans of the franchise will easily recognize the characters and the roles that they play right off the bat. There are a lot of homages to the first and second films. It’s definitely a retelling but I would advise people to see the other films just to be familiar with some things. I would compare this to Game of Thrones where you have the book and TV series and even though they are both companion pieces and tell the same story but they present different scenarios. Overall, I would say that for new and fresh eyes coming in, they won’t be a step behind. They’ll be right there with the rest of them.
How was the audition process like?
DO: The audition process was actually pretty quick. I got a call from my agent saying that they were doing a reboot. Ronna Kress was the casting director and she cast me in a film called ‘Runner Runner.’ She called me in and I went in and worked on the material over and over again until I got it perfect. The cool thing about this character is that he’s a visionary and in my audition, I did a long piece where I talked about technology and changing the world. It felt very theater like.
Are you tech savvy in real life?
DO: I liked to think I am. I went to college for graphic design and I had to learn coding and all that stuff. It’s not too far away in another universe where I definitely see myself working in Apple all day. I know CSS, HTML, Adobe and the whole creative suite, and Dreamweaver. In another world, I’m building websites and apps somewhere, so I can definitely relate to this character.
When you got the part for this film, did you go back and revisit the previous films?
DO: Absolutely. I remember watching the second film where Miles Dyson’s son had a small part in the movie. I went back and saw the films not necessarily to take anything because my character wasn’t really vital but really just to get a sense of the tone of the movie. They are very serious movies and they have heart to them and real relationships but there’s also slight comedy to them. It’s not comedy out of a punchline but situation comedy. I wanted to tap into that. I wanted Danny Dyson to tap into that charm where he wouldn’t be afraid to have a sense of humor. I wanted him to have a heart and that relationship with my father to push through as he tries to step into his shoes.
How was working with Courtney B. Vance and the rest of the cast?
DO: Courtney, who plays my father, is a legend. I’ve watched his work for years and to be able to be in a scene with him was great. He’s really like an acting teacher. I would give me advice on different techniques, such as how to deliver a scene, hide emotion, and it was really great to have him on set. All my scenes are with him. Jason Clarke was like a big brother on the set. He’s very cool and very comfortable to work around with. You feel like a novice working alongside these guys but they just elevate your game to the next level and makes you want to be better. The same goes for Alan Taylor. As the guy directing the film, he’s such a gentleman. He never lost his temper and was very cool and very respectful and would ask you questions on what you want to do. This is a huge million dollar franchise. Usually on these big films, they bring you out and place you at your mark, but Alan would ask if I wanted a close-up or wide shot. I’m like, “Really? You’re asking me what I want” He was so gracious.
Did you get to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger?
DO: Absolutely! Arnold is a great dude. He’s everything you imagine him to be. I literally happy to meet him.
What’s it like to be in two big franchise, with The Hunger Games and now this film?
DO: With me and my team, we just go after the character. We try to do something that’s different. We try to switch it up a little bit. With The Hunger Games, it was very physical role and action type; and in between we try to do more character pieces like ‘The Spectacular Now,’ ‘Endless Love,’ and ‘Runner Runner.’ We also wanted to do something more intellectual and wanted to show that side of what I can do and this was the perfect character. I just try to chase characters that I can do and be different. I’m playing a detective in this NBC series with Jennifer Lopez called ‘Shades of Blue.’ Again, it’s chasing the character and when you read the script, it’s not a caricature or some half-cooked idea of what a person could be. That’s what I loved about Danny Dyson. I had conversations with (executive producer) Dana Goldberg about this and she wanted to sell me on the idea that this is a person who has dreams and ambitions but he also has insecurities as well. It’s a franchise movie, which is even better.
