McG Talks Terminator Salvation Casting Choices
Posted 05.12.09 by BrentJS
Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol has come a long way from his humble beginnings shooting still photos of local bands in Newport Beach, California. McG's still photography led to him shooting music videos and music documentaries before Hollywood came a-calling in the form of Drew Barrymore's big-screen adaptation of the classic TV series Charlie's Angels.
The McG-directed films Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle were both financial successes, but McG immediately tried to distance himself from those films in favor of "more substantial material." If McG's latest project, Terminator Salvation, is even half as good as the trailers, the film's release should obliterate any further references to Angels when discussing McG's work.
There are many elements that go into making a film both a critical and a financial success, but arguably one of the most important factors is hiring the right actors to bring the story to life. In a recent interview, McG was asked about some of his Terminator Salvation casting decisions. About Christian Bale, McG said:
I wanted him to play Marcus, but he was more interested in playing Connor, and we went about the business of working on the script. Christian Bale is so passionate about acting and about his craft. He has no entourage. He's got no assistant. He is about the work. That's who he is. And, to work with an actor who's that focused and that intense, is to all of our benefit.
McG goes on to discuss casting Bryce Dallas Howard and Moon Bloodgood:
I took one look at Bryce, and I know a thing or two about her upbringing and who she is as a young lady, and I thought that she was effectively a wonderful First Lady choice for this world. Then, you take a look at Moon, and Moon, to me, is the third leg of that triangle of Ripley and Sarah Connor. Moon can damn well do one-handed pull-ups on a psychiatric bed, turned upside down, and that's following in the footsteps of Sarah Connor. She is a survivor and she doesn't have a rich uncle in Hollywood. She's got to pick herself up by her own boot straps and make it happen, and I responded to that. I said, "I believe you would be the last woman standing, so come be a part of this."
Terminator Salvation also stars Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reece and Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright, a human-Terminator hybrid.