Joey Magidson
When you begin watching The Life of Chuck, it probably will come as a surprise that you initially spend most of your time with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan. Yes, the title character is played, in part, by Tom Hiddleston, but without Ejiofor and Gillan hooking you, the film would not work at all. That they do such amazing work in their act is a testament not just to their talents, but understanding what filmmaker Mike Flanagan was out to do. With the movie about to go wide, I’m thrilled today to share my latest conversation about the masterpiece. I previously spoke to co-stars Matthew Lillard (here) and Kate Siegel (here) about the work (tomorrow Flanagan is up). Now, it’s Ejiofor and Gillan’s turn.
In my rave review of the film (here), I had the following to say about the cast, including Ejiofor and Gillan:
The cast is impeccable, executing Flanagan and King’s vision flawlessly. Playing Chuck, the trio of Tom Hiddleston, Benjamin Pajak and Jacob Tremblay share similar amounts of screen time, yet make each stage of his life incredibly distinctive. Pajak and Tremblay are asked to do a lot, while Hiddleston has to make his mark with less opportunities than you’d expect. At the same time, he nails it. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan have a very difficult task in hooking you during the most mysterious element of the story, yet they’re more than up to the challenge. You feel like you already know them, even as we’re just meeting them. Ejiofor’s everyman feel and Gillan’s openness suggest so much we missed out on seeing, in very moving ways. They’re the secret MVP’s of the film. Mark Hamill and Mia Sara are instantly iconic cinematic grandparents. They have some of the most heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments in the movie. Then, there’s Kate Siegel, who takes a one scene monologue that will stay with you. Siegel’s sequence is destined to linger in your heart. The smaller parts like those played by The Pocket Queen or Nick Offerman’s narration, they’re still excellent, meshing perfectly with the larger players.
Below, you can see my discussion with Ejiofor and Gillan. We did not have a lot of time to chat, so I wanted to make it count. We talk about their interpretation of the characters Stephen King and Flanagan wrote, as well as the humanity that needs to be on screen. They play two very emotional parts, which they ace, so it was a pleasure to hear a bit about how it came to be. If you haven’t seen The Life of Chuck yet, it’s about to be in wide release, so you no longer have an excuse. You can thank me later…
Here now is my interview with The Life of Chuck co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan. Enjoy:
The Life of Chuck expands into wide release tomorrow!
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