Kevin Durand thinks most people aren’t going to like his latest character.
The Thunder Bay actor has been gaining momentum in Hollywood the past few years with roles like Little John in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood and starring alongside stars like Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis.
His latest project, Fruitvale Station, won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival and opens in theatres this Friday. In it, Durand, 39, plays the role of one of the police officers involved in the shooting of Oscar Grant.
The film tells the real life story of 22-year-old Grant, who was shot and killed by police in San Francisco in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2009. Durand stars alongside Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle, The Wire) and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (The Help).
While not unfamiliar to playing the villain, Durand said he felt more responsibility portraying a character that was based on a real person.
“You want to be able to show the humanity in a character that may have done something in one moment that changed people’s perception of how he might be for the rest of his life. You want to show as much humanity as you can,” he said.
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And while his character may not be popular, Durand doesn’t worry about people liking him.
“In a narrative you need the light and the dark and my job as an actor is not to make people like me,” he said. “My job is to provide a stronger foundation within a story.”
Fruitvale Station isn’t the only time audiences will see Durand this summer, or even this year.
He finished filming eight different projects and is now taking a break before he starts filming for FX’s upcoming television series The Strain.
The vampire horror series is from the creative minds of visionary film director Guillermo del Toro and former Lost executive producer Carlton Cuse. Durand will star alongside Corey Stoll (House of Cards) and everybody’s favourite hobbit Sean Astin.
Next month, Durand will appear alongside Lily Collins and Jonathan Rhys Meyers in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, an action-fantasy flick based on a young adult book series.
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For Durand, choosing his roles is based on his gut reaction to a script and also which directors and actors he wants to work with.
And preparing for each role comes with a different process depending on who the character is and if Durand has a good idea of who he is ahead of time.
“Sometimes I have to play these guys who are so far away from who I actually am it takes a little bit more time where I talk to myself a lot, much to my wife’s chagrin, in these strange accents trying to find the voices and walk around the house driving her completely mad,” he said.
Although working steadily and mostly living wherever his current project is being shot, Durand still finds time to come home to Thunder Bay.
“I love the people here,” he said.
