Sorry to all you goody-two-shoes, but ladies will always and forever have a soft spot for the bad boy,. Most recently, Max Ryan has had his share of fantastic escapades as the dementedly devilish Pachenko in Paul W.S. Anderson’s reimagining of Death Race. After his first appearance in Luc Besson’s Kiss of the Dragon, Ryan has continued crafting himself into a leading man. His upcoming star turn in Four Years Running will convince you that he’s more than just a bad boy with an attitude. With so much anger being presented on screen, a humble and modest version of the celluloid sociopath sits down with The Urban Daily to dish the behind-the-scenes on Death Race, why Tyrese is not a diva (contrary to popular belief) and who would win in a battle royal between him, Black Ty and Jason Statham.
The Urban Daily: For those who aren’t familiar with you, Max – how did you get your start in acting?
Max Ryan: The first movie that I actually did was Kiss of the Dragon that starred Jet Li. It was a Luc Besson movie and we filmed primarily in Paris. Bridget Fonda was in it, as well as, Tch�ky Karyo and I played Bridget’s pimp. I was a middle-level nemesis to Jet Li before his fight against the big boss and that kind of started my acting career off.
TUD: Do you like playing villains and bad guys?
MR: I don’t really look for the bad guy roles. It’s just that when you’re an up-and-coming actor and you want that leading man role, you gotta start somewhere. The roles that I’ve had, I’ve really enjoyed playing them and made the most out of the characters that I’ve made and performed as. It’s with the help of the director, the costumes and the places that you go to to film these movies. They add an underlining effect to your personality and the characters around me.
TUD: You were quite the adventurer growing up, I heard… You jumped off a balcony and fell three stories as a child? Was this the start of your love of action?
MR: I was about 25-years-old when that happened [laughs]. Two of my parent’s friend’s children were being savaged by this Alaskan dog and I saved the girls from it. I don’t know about a “love of action,” but I know that I don’t look for trouble… it just has a way of finding me [laughs]. I do my best to stay away from it, let’s put it that way.
TUD: Trouble happens to find you, but your outspokenness as a child got you in a lot of trouble when you were in school. Has that same outspokenness got you in hot water on the set of Death Race?
MR: No, because I’ve grown up now [laughs] and things have changed in my life. This is a business that I’m in, you know…? You have to be aware that this is a different world. Being in school as a young boy and getting into trouble got me punished. But… I was just a child and that’s a different world than Hollywood. It’s a million dollar movie set and a lot of things can go wrong on it if you’re not careful or professional. When you’re working and doing stunts and fight scenes, you have to really focus all your energies into that moment to make sure that no one gets hurt. You make the moves great and then they sell the film…
TUD: On this million dollar set you were just on, did Tyrese get all diva-like while you guys were working?MR: [Laughs] A diva…? No! Tyrese Gibson is a phenomenal man. He is an amazing guy. Over the course of the filming, we became very good friends. I have nothing but great things to say about him. He was great in Death Race. He was nothing but a gentleman and throughout the course of filming, he was my neighbor, so we always had fun together. I can’t say enough about him. In fact, I’m seeing him for lunch today, but [laughs] I’ll send him your sentiments, Kevin [laughs]…
TUD: …Please do… [laughs]
MR: Both the guys were good. Jason [Statham] was phenomenal as well. He was truly a professional. All the cast were great from the extras to the crew. Everybody did their share of work on this film because it was a big movie and we had a lot of work to do and a lot of fllm to shoot. In the end, the movie speaks for itself. I’ve seen it in the cinema a few times and it’s good to see how much people are just loving this movie!
TUD: Everyone had to train to drive those cars, but you and Jason are really learned behind the wheel. Were there any tricks you guys traded that you wanted to try with your own car?
MR: None whatsoever. Everybody was doing their own thing, you know…? I’m accomplished in driving and I used to race bikes. I’ve always been into that stuff. In the end, you either can drive or you can’t. It’s one of those things. You’re never taught how to drive a car right; you just have to have it. Knowledge of the laws of physics or something like that [laughs]…
TUD: The races were really exciting, but so were the exchanges between your character “Pachenko” and Jason’s character. Was there any “anger” left over once the director said, “Cut“…? Any fights?
MR: You know… all of a sudden, once you’ve shot the scene that’s been that intense, there’s a moment where you gotta just chill and be in your own headspace. After everything’s done, you’re the best of buddies. In fact, it brings you even closer than before. You have to be strong with each other because you have to know what you’re doing with each other’s moves. It’s like when punches have been thrown, missing your mark could mean hurting the other person. It’s not a game. You’re throwing punches and you’re socking back, but you’re that close to people and people can get hurt. Let’s not kid ourselves here, movies are becoming more intense, fight scenes are becoming more aggressive and the more hours you’ve worked the more you’re able to get stressed. You’ve got to be on your game all the time, you know…?
TUD: Yeah, I heard what happened between James Franco and Tyrese on the set of Annapolis. When the director yells, “Cut,” does that friction really end that quick?
MR: No… There were no fights behind the scenes [laughs]… unfortunately [laughs]. Everything in the end was cool, though.
TUD: So, you’re this cool kid from the other side of the pond and you’ve never been to prison, right?
MR: No… That was my first time [laughs]!
TUD: Can you talk about your next project – Four Years Running…?
MR: Yeah! Wow! It’s a first time writer/director’s project and I had filmed this movie some time ago. It’s a very exciting project because it’s not an action movie per se. It’s more of a drama piece. It’s very thought-provoking and the story was shot in middle America. Four Years Running is all about the acting and not that much about the action. It’s a completely different situation and I’m looking forward for this movie to come out!
TUD: You’re the lead this go-’round, right?
MR: Yes!
TUD: Can you talk about the plot for the people?
MR: I play a car mechanic and I do deliveries for the local mob. My girlfriend in the movie works in a strip club. This cop accidentally kills her and the mob gets involved somehow. It’s kind of like The Usual Suspects. People start to go missing and my character is charged with having to find certain people who have killed the people he’s close to. It’s a very good film and I don’t want to say too much more about it and give away stuff. It’s in post-production now and I’d just like people to not have any preconceptions. I’d like for them to see it and enjoy themselves.
TUD: Your character, “Pachenko,” seemed like such a badass, but you’re this mellow cat… So, who would win in a fight between your character, Jason’s “Frank Martin” (The Transporter) and Tyrese’s “Luke Cage” character?
MR: Great question! You know I’m a mellow guy [laughs]. I’m creating characters. I think that Pachenko is a very intense guy. That’s how he comes across. He’s a little bit mad in the brain. But as far as a fight, though, hmm… I don’t know. Get us three together and maybe see who throws his should out [laughs]! Tyrese and Jason are fit and really big guys, so it’d end up being a huge battle. With three bulldogs that aren’t going to lie down, it would be funny… as long as we can shake hands afterwards and say, “It’s cool,” then I’m happy. Pachenko is the most intense character of all my movies to date. I’ve got some other characters that will surpass what I’ve done in this movie. It’s going to be interesting to say the least. It’s gonna take some work though. I’m developing this character for a big movie that’s coming out this year. I’m training for this character. I have a lot of thinking to do to make my character stronger, believable and super-intellectual, too!
Max Ryan currently stars in Paul W.S. Anderson’s Death Race, which is in theaters now!
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