In an interview, Hollywood legend Michael Douglas reports on his experiences during the shooting of the Marvel film “Ant-Man 3”.
German viewers can currently experience Hollywood legend Michael Douglas (78) in the latest Marvel work “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” on the big screen. Alongside leading actor Paul Rudd (53), Douglas plays the moody scientist Hank Pym. In the third “Ant-Man” film, the group of protagonists end up on the subatomic quantum level – a strange, imaginative world in which countless adventures have to be survived.
In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the two-time Oscar winner reveals what he was able to learn from his co-star Rudd during filming, how his work on the set has changed due to the extensive use of special effects, and whether the main character Ant-Man finally earning the respect of Hank Pym.
Comedy timing is spot on between you and Paul Rudd in all three “Ant-Man” films. How was the collaboration on the set?
Michael Douglas: Paul is the best. I just follow him. In fact, I learn a lot about comedy by watching him. He makes it look so effortless. We also talked a lot about American football during filming, because Paul is a passionate fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, who also just won the Super Bowl. So, of course, Paul is a very happy man right now. That being said, I will always cherish the time we worked together. He probably doesn’t realize how much I’ve used him in my method to learn a little more about comedy.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania stars as Ant-Man’s daughter Cassie Lang – now played by Kathryn Newton. Is your character Hank Pym a mentor to Cassie? And what is your impression of actress Newton?
Douglas: Kathryn is already doing her own thing. Not only is she a very impressive young actress, but she is also a great athlete. She did a lot of her stunts herself and I think audiences will be very excited about her action scenes.
As far as mentoring goes, though, Hank Pym may not have given Cassie enough guidance. ‘Cause she’s the one who’s causing us all the trouble. It triggers a small event that sends us on this whole wild trip down to the quantum level.
You’re just suggesting that large parts of the new film take place on the so-called quantum level, which is composed of numerous computer-generated images. Has that changed your work as an actor?
Douglas: Quantumania is my third Ant-Man film and I’m very happy about that. Because if this had been my first, I would have been completely overwhelmed by the number of special effects required. Because 90 percent of the film is set in this other world, the quantum realm, and there’s actually a lot of computer graphics, CG design, involved. During filming, we as actors certainly wondered what the end result would be like.
It was then a pleasure to see the finished film where everything is complete. And I think the audience will have a real pleasure exploring this crazy world. When working as an actor, however, it doesn’t look like that at all. You only see a fraction of it. So how are you supposed to play it? That’s why you have to be able to trust your director in a special way – even more than usual.
One final question, does your character, Hank Pym, now respect Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man? Especially in the first movie that seemed to be a problem…
Douglas: Hank Pym will always have concerns about Ant-Man. As long as Ant-Man is interested in my daughter, he will never be acceptable (laughs).
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
