Interview: Peter Sarsgaard Discusses Cinema and His Stunning Turn in ‘Memory’

Peter Sarsgaard has long been among the most interesting actors in the business, both in terms of what he chooses to play, and how he plays them. Not necessarily a traditional leading man, he’s gravitated towards complex roles, whether it’s Garden State, Jarhead, Shattered Glass, or now Memory, his finest turn to date. A late breaking awards contender, his work here is so above and beyond spectacular, you’ll almost immediately wonder how he did it. I sure did, and luckily got the chance to chat with him and pick his brain about just that.

Below, you can hear my conversation with Sarsgaard. We obviously talk plenty about Memory, which bowled me over, but also just about cinema, as well as how this is such a change of pace for filmmaker Michel Franco. He’s a lovely man, funny, thoughtful, and clearly genuine. He even is frank about being so eager to promote this movie due to how proud he is of the work. Sarsgaard has every right to be, too, as it’s positively stunning. He and Jessica Chastain turn in two of the best performances of the year, full stop.

In my review of Memory (raved about here), I spoke of his work opposite Chastain like so:

Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard have rarely been better than they are here. Chastain is all jagged edges and raised walls, but seeing how they start to crumble, with agonizing results, is really something. Sarsgaard, on the other hand, gives us a portrayal of someone dealing with dementia that we’ve never seen before. He’s so good, while doing something completely new. I was in awe of work. The pair eventually develop a gentle chemistry that’s downright hypnotic.

Here now is my interview with Memory star Peter Sarsgaard. Enjoy:

Memory is in theaters this weekend!