Last year, when director Wes Ball was filming his adaptation of the James Dashner YA novel The Maze Runner near New Orleans, I got to visit the set with a few other reporters. While some movies are made primarily on soundstages, the production found a rough patch of land filled with poisonous snakes and transformed it into a filming location in order to bring this film to life. And if you think I’m joking about the snakes, the production had a few snake wranglers on set at all times and their sole mission was to make sure where they were filming was snake free. For more on that, watch this interview.
During a break in filming, I participated in a group interview with Dylan O’Brien. He talked about how he landed the role, why his MTV hair almost cost him the job, what the film’s about, if he feels pressure being the leading man, what it’s been like working with Ball, his reaction to the production artwork, the stunts, and a lot more. Hit the jump for what he had to say.
Before going any further, if you’re not familiar with The Maze Runner, the film centers on a group of teens who appear in an area known as “The Glade” but have no memory when they wake up. The only way out appears to be through a shifting maze of massive walls that harbor dangerous creatures known as Grievers. Only one of the teens, Thomas (O’Brien), holds the secret to their escape. The Maze Runner also stars Kaya Scodelario, Aml Ameen, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, and Patricia Clarkson.
Question: Was this a project you went after? Did they come after you?
DYLAN O’BRIEN: Just like anything, I just auditioned for it. It’s funny. The way Wes told me it happened was, at first, I went in on it initially with the casting director, just like everybody. I didn’t hear back for like a month and a half, because Wes was like, “His hair is too MTV!” That’s what he thought, which was so funny. Then he saw a picture of me with more regular hair, the buzzcut or something from Teen Wolf, and he brought me back and it worked. It just ended up working out.So, your hair almost cost you your job?
O’BRIEN: Yeah! [Laughs] Isn’t it funny how that can happen?
[Will Poulter passes by and calls out, “I love you Dylan!”]
O’BRIEN: That’s Will. He’s my boyfriend here. You have to latch onto somebody while you’re working. It is a little bit like prison, what we do here.His character is like your enemy in the movie. Are you having fun being horrible to each other?
O’BRIEN: It’s actually uncomfortable! We’re so funny. Even tonight, what we’re doing right now. We wrestle. He’s vicious. He’s scowling. He’s the antagonist of the movie and I’m the protagonist. Wes always says we’re opposite sides of the same coin, so we’re always supposed to be butting heads. Even after every take, he’ll go, “Are you okay?” I’ll go, “Yeah, are you?” He’ll go, “Yeah, but oh, I hit your knee!” And I go, “Yeah, my knee is fine! But how’s your elbow?” It’s just hilarious. We’re buddies off screen, as we all are. Having to then just act, like, awful to each other. It’s always weird with acting.There’s a scene where your character goes into the maze, basically to sacrifice yourself. Do you think you would do that for your friends?
O’BRIEN: When you think about it, I think it gets in your way, in your head about it. But instinctively, I’m always one who will lash out at anyone hurts my friends, viciously, kind of. Like, murder. [Laughs] No, but I’m very protective of the people I love. Sacrificing is a whole other thing. I don’t think you often come to that situation in life. But it’s a primal instinct, but maybe. Put me in that situation and we’ll find out!
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29 Apr '14
