We caught up with “Logan” stars Richard E. Grant and Elise Neal at the film’s New York fan event.
In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces. LOGAN opens in theaters nationwide on March 3, 2017, and is rated R.
Check out our interviews below:
Tell us a little bit about your role in the film.
Elise Neal: I’m kind of scared still to say too much, but I’m happy to be here, happy to be a part of the film. I play Catherine, and I think the whole part of me in the movie is the human side, the human element that we bring as a family. I think when you’re wrapping up a character, you want to be able to give point A, point B, point C, and I think we’re the C of his life and his journey. He’s never experienced family before, and it’s just a nice feeling to be part of that family that he touches.
Would you say there’s any particular symbolism involving your character?
Elise Neal: Just kind of maybe what he missed. I don’t want to speak on Hugh Jackman’s take on it, but possibly what he missed having the powers that he had. This is something that he couldn’t have, or maybe he felt like he shouldn’t have, and so we were able to show that side of him. But I will say that I feel all the X-Men movies touch on differences, and this one is no different. Plus we enter in the new school at the same time. It’s a great film. Everybody seems to be excited to see it, and so am I. I haven’t seen the final draft yet, so it’s all good.
How is working with James?
Elise Neal: Oh, my God, James Mangold is so amazing on set. “Do it this way. Do it that way. Have a great time. Do this. Give me more.” I love that. I come from musical theater, so working with Hugh was a dream. Everybody, just seeing everybody every day was just really great.
You also have another movie going to South by Southwest with another X-Men alum, Alexandra Shipp. How was working with her? Did you guys bring up the connection?
Elise Neal: Yeah, we didn’t really bring it up too much, but you know what, she’s such a sweetheart. I love working with her. I play her mom in that movie, and you know what, hopefully that’ll be the next time you see me, Tragedy Girls.
Can you tell us a little about your character and his connection to the X-Men?
Richard E. Grant: He’s a geneticist who works behind the scenes creating killer mutant children, and so very much like Doctor Mengele working with the Nazi party in the second World War, he has no compassion or empathy for people who he considers to be sub-human. So, it’s under the guise of science, that evil is genuinely normalized, institutionalized, and made every day. So just saying, “You know, I’m going to pull your teeth out, and staple your tongue to your shoulders, and pull your intestines out, and then kill that guy,” so it’s the most perfectly normal thing to do, because that is evil. Rather than somebody who’s, you know, you think, “Oh, that guy’s evil.” He’s just a perfectly normal person, like most serial killers are, you have no idea that they are, which is how they get away with it, cause they’re psychopaths.
How was working with James?
Richard E. Grant: He’s very, very focused, and very intense, and very specific about what he wants, and you felt the sort of the weight of the whole legacy on his shoulders of how he wanted this movie to be the finale of this, and to deliver everything that the fans wanted and more. I think he’s done it, and we know from the reviews that that’s what people feel.
What’s next for you?
Richard E. Grant: I’m doing a film in Manhattan at the moment with Melissa McCarthy. It’s a dramedy.
