Jack O’Connell Talks ‘Unbroken’Posted by Wilson Morales
December 21, 2014
Coming out this week is director Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, which follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (played by Jack O’Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII – only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit.
Also featured in the film are Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock as Phil and Mac – the airmen with whom Zamperini endured perilous weeks adrift in the open Pacific – Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini’s brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as “The Bird.”
For O’Connell, this has certainly been a breakout year for the English actor. Known overseas for his role as James Cook in the English teen drama Skins, O’Connell’s international exposure grew as he starred in the critically acclaimed Starred Up, followed by an appearance in the ‘300’ follow-up, ‘300: Rise of an Empire.’ Next year, he will be seen in ’71, which is currently making waves at festivals and gaining well-received notices.
In speaking with O’Connell, he talks about his role, getting in shape, and meeting the man he’s portraying on-screen.
From 300: Rise of an Empire, Starred Up, ’71, and this film, which has been the most challenging, physically?
Jack O’Connell: I started from the final series of “Skins.” That was in January, and then “Starred Up” came in February, and March and April was “’71.” By the end of all that, I was feeling quite jaded. But there was plenty of time between “’71” and the beginning of “Unbroken” to shake off whatever there was previously and start dieting and improving my stamina and running in stride. Three months was more than enough time for me.
Were you mentally prepared for the amount of physical work you would endure on this film?
JO: Yes. I went into “Unbroken” because of the work I had just done and had a level of understanding of what’s required on set and what kind of extremes one would be pushed to. I also didn’t know for sure either. I was accepting the challenge.
When you got the role, did you read the book to get a better understanding of the man or did you play it as Angelina wanted you to play?
JO: Because the film is an adaptation of the book, the book was key. In the time I was dieting and before meeting him, I was reading the book, but I still haven’t finished it. I was going to finish it on my way home from Australia but I think I was a bit broken by then.
Have you had a chance to meet Louie before he passed away?
JO: Yes, on three separate occasions. The first time was quite awkward actually because there were cameras set up with lights in his living room. I remember catching a glimpse of him looking confused. Not that he’s used to the whole process and whatever but I felt intrusive and rude. That affected whatever conversation we had. It’s hard to ignore the enormous crew around. He was perplexed as to why that was happening. I insisted we meet again before I went to Australia and that gave us to connect privately and properly talk. Sometimes researching one’s character can be aided by asking questions and interviewing them. And sometimes it’s best to be quiet to achieve something free in the dialogue we were having. Even if we’re off topic and talking about different thing, I was able to gain a lot by connecting with him and being in his presence. Those were two moments were I was completely awestruck. I never felt sensation to that degree before.
Although you’re starred in other films, what does this role do for you as an actor? How did it take you to shake off the role once film was completed?
JO: For a long time, I was pushed to extremes I wasn’t aware I was capable of and that was all I was focused on for a long time. Basically, I’ve proven to myself that I do have that level of focus. I don’t want to relax now. I want to get into it again and feel the pain as it were and feel capable again. In terms of shaking off the role, I just went home and spent time with the people who are important to me and who I missed while I was away. There are plenty of reminders. I also mature and strengthen and the process of not prioritizing yourself for a long and willingly be uncomfortable for a greater cause, it’s benefited me quite a lot.
How was working the cast?
JO: I’ve been lucky in my career that I’m surrounded by pretty flawless actors, at least in terms of how they approach the work. It means I can compare myself to them and take in the satisfaction I’m similar to them in their approaches. Throughout the film, we had this camaraderie between and everyone felt fortunate to have any involvement with this film. For me to be in this position and have the responsibility of portraying the lead, that feeling was re-enforced by everyone’s enthusiasm by being on set.
How much did you know about the history of POWs?
JO: Some topics are so harrowing that naturally people leave them alone a bit and detach themselves from the reality of it. Why would anyone take it upon themselves to study Japanese POWs and its history for any other reason than research? Maybe I was a bit de-sensitized to it all. If one has been exposed to such much death, terrorism and war, that the human qualities become more and more de-sensitized and far removed from empathy. It’s important that as storytellers, we reflect a scope to an audience that does study it. By then end of it, we thought we were experts in prisoner war camps.
Where do you from here?
JO: Jodie Foster is making a film called “Money Monster” and that’s with George Clooney. That’s all I can say about the film. I play a character name Kyle. I’m looking to do things more diverse and explore the range I can receive as actor.
