Hollywood heartthrob, Chris Pine, known for playing the iconic James T. Kirk in the ‘Star Trek’ reboot film series, sits down with MiNDFOOD to discuss his latest role in ‘I Am The Night’, dealing with fame and why he prefers keeping to himself.
One of Hollywood’s busiest (and most photogenic) actors, Chris Pine, 38, stuns audiences in the upcoming TNT limited series drama, I Am The Night, directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), in which he stars as Jay Singletary, a jaded reporter who meets Fauna Hodel (India Eisley), whose family secrets inspire him to try his hand at solving the gruesome Black Dahlia murder.
Pine has stared in a whole host of movies in recent years, including Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), Hell or High Water (2016), and more recently Wonder Woman (2017), A Wrinkle in Time, and Outlaw King, both in 2018. Critics are calling him one of Hollywood’s finest leading men – and not just for his looks.
What did you know about The Black Dahlia before signing onto it?
Well, I grew up in Los Angeles and it’s in the consciousness of any true crime fan.
What was your interest in this?
My real interest was Jay Singletary. I found him to be completely intriguing and flawed and a wonderfully comic train wreck. But the titillation of the dismembered body and all that, that’s not really my jam.
What drew you to this story if not the gory details?
We are talking about a human that we judge as a monster. He could be the killer, he could not be, and I look at the piece as symbolic of the monster inside of us. It’s in our past, our history, our family history and is it alcoholism or racism or self-hate? Whatever it may be, what are the monsters eating us alive? That became kind of a nice way to explore it.
Sounds like a stressful project. How do you relax at the end of the day?
A lot of yoga and a lot of meditating. For the energy I expend doing this I have to do things for myself like walking or sometimes it’s just about not being around anybody. So that’s my personal chemistry. I have to detach quite a bit which is getting easier as I get older. You understand yourself a bit more.
Who drives you crazy?
I mean, there’s a gentleman on the East Coast of the United States right now that we can all talk about.
What drives you crazy?
There’s a lot of noise in the world and a lot of people want to talk and tell everybody about themselves and cable news is filled with people shouting at one another. I feel like it would do all of us good just to be quiet. Maybe one day a year there is “Quiet Day,” where we don’t talk, and just kind of listen and see what happens.
How have your views on acting changed over time?
When I got into the business, it was a simple value system of “please validate me.” And while that certainly is still the case, as I am getting closer to 40, I have more money than I ever wanted, I have more opportunity than I could ever want, I am in a percentile of the population of people that do what I do is very rarefied. I am very grateful for all of that, but to have satisfying experiences creatively, it feels harder and harder to find that. I am not super concerned about money.
How do you deal with the paparazzi?
There’s a big learning curve of getting used to the whole game of it, going out and getting photographed. It’s gotten a lot easier and it’s certainly not something I enjoy, but it is what it is.
In ‘Outlaw King’ you had to master the Scottish accent. Lots of Australians and Brits come to America and steal roles with their great American accents. Is that what you’re doing now too?
Well that is why we started the “steal the British role gang,” which started a couple of years ago and we have 150 members and meet twice a week and we are really planning something big, so watch out. (laughs)
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about LA?
LA is continually deemed fake or whatever bullshit they want to throw at you. I have been to so many parties in New York that are so fucking fake, it would make your head spin. What I love about our city is at least we own it, you can be a transgender blue space alien and no one gives a flying F where you came from, how you got here, if you are a good time, you can hang. I am deeply proud of the city I live in.
What are other cities you love?
I love New York. And I love Rome and I love Paris and I love the big cities, and we will never be that, but we are our own beast, man. We are our own thing.
Do you find the landscape of LA makes it hard for personal relationships?
It’s very hard. If you are in New York, you can leave your hotel and walk around and you have met people and you can go on a journey. LA is a bit harder to navigate that way because you have to get in your car and travel and make the plan and all that.
Do you have a love for music?
I wish I was more of an audiophile than I am. I am the friend who calls my friend and says “What are you listening to?” and then put it on Spotify. But I don’t even have a smartphone anymore so I don’t have Spotify. I’ve got this incredible record system – a record player.
What do you listen to?
I listen to Jazz pretty much all the time. Jazz makes me feel the best in the world. Miles and John (Coltrane) and Coleman Hawkins I love. But I will just put it on low because I want to have that ambient sound. I don’t like anything too loud in my house and I am in my home a lot.
Would you say you are a homebody?
I don’t really leave my house. That is another problem with LA. If you are an isolationist like me, after a couple of weeks hanging out in the house you have to force yourself out.
Watch the ‘I Am The Night’ trailer:
I Am The Night is streaming exclusively on Stan in Australia.