September 11, 2025 • 23 mins
ICYMI: ‘Later, with Mo’Kelly’ Presents – An in-depth conversation with acclaimed actor Tim Blake Nelson (‘O Brother, Where Art Thou,’ ‘Minority Report,’ ‘The Incredible Hulk,’ ‘George & Tammy,’ ‘Watchmen’) who joins the program to preview his new film ‘BANG BANG,’ which follows “retired boxer Bernard ‘Bang Bang’ Rozyski (Nelson) as he reconnects with his estranged grandson, training him in the sport that once destroyed his life and raising questions about redemption, rivalry, and the legacy of anger…” - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app & YouTube @MrMoKelly
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Kelly k I Am sixty. It's Later with Mo Kelly.
We are Alive Everywhere the iHeartRadio app. The movie Bang
Bang follows retired boxer Bernard bang Bang Ziski as he
reconnects with his estranged grandson, training him in the sport
that once destroyed his life, but along the way, it
(00:27):
raises the questions of redemption, delayed rivalry, and generational anger.
Bang Bang will hit select theaters around the country, including
Los Angeles, starting Friday.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Most humans don't intentionally put themselves in danger, but fighters
put themselves in danger every day.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Some say we do it for money. Some might say
it's a sickness. What about you.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
I'm rich and a lot of things with money and
happiness ain't one of them.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Bernard bang Bang.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Bang Bang is an American professional boxer a featherweight and
held a professional record of forty.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Two six and two Say Lord you grandfather.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
He was known for his wild and abrasive personality.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Any good to watch him for a while?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I got a babysit in and outside of the ring
will knock your taste.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
But where's the remote?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Guys of disgrace? YouTube fought right. Every fighter has a
weakness that's yours. Get dressed, making a comeback. Now we're
here for you, bringing pride back to the RAZISKI name.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
Why did you come in here? Don't be shy. I
want you to hit your grandpa like a piston. Now
that's how you hit your grandpa. I've never trained anyone before.
I never wanted to swimming around in your DNA. Others
may have forgotten what he did, but I had you
ever think about why he threw that fight.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I don't want him thinking that the only way out.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Is your foxing.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Bang bang stars.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
My next guest, Tim Blake Nelson, who you know from
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? The Incredible Hulk, Meet the Fockers,
Minority Report, Watchman on HBO, one of my favorites, and
most recently Captain America Brave New World as he played
the villain Samuel Stearns, the Leader.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
What a treat to have.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Tim Blake Nelson joined me on later with mo Kelly,
how are you this evening, sir?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I'm great, and it's a treat for me as well.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I think it's fair to say that you can be
a chameleon, and you have a wide array of looks.
When you see yourself, either on the small screen or
the silver screen. But I'm curious to know about your
inspiration to pursue this craft. What were you watching while
growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma that said to you, I
want to do that.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
It was a pretty disparate collection of stuff, mostly that
was available on television growing up in Oklahoma in the seventies,
So Marx Brothers, W. C. Fields, Sergio Leone movies, detective
shows like Mannix and Barretta comedies like The Mary Tyler
(03:16):
Moore Show. And then whenever I could go to the movies,
Peter Sellers movies, all the Pink Panther movies, Charles Bronson
movies like The Volacchi Papers and Death Wish Ye Walking Tall,
and then those late seventies disaster movies like Earthquake and
The Airport Adventure Airport Towering Inferno. So yeah, and then
(03:42):
also reading, reading novels and just being loving stories and storytellers.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
What's probably less discussed is that you have two Grammy
nominations and even one Grammy win for Album of the Year.
Oh brother, where art though? But here's my question. Was
a Grammy award on your dream board?
Speaker 3 (04:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
I never imagined winning a Grammy, and since I have
one son who's a professional musician and two others who
are really good musicians, though not professional at least yet,
I'm sensitive to how little I deserve my Granmar.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
But I do have one all that aside in Bang Bang,
which hits select theaters in LA, New York and Detroit
this weekend. It's gritty, meaning it's not pretty. It's violent
and unflinching. What drew you to this project?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I'm mostly interested in roles that are going to continue
to challenge me as an actor, and this was certainly
one of those. I'd never played a boxer before, or
any sort of fighter, except on this weird TV show
I did with Brett Ratner called Chaos for half a
season on CBS. I did some fighting in that, but
(04:56):
I'd never played a boxer, and I wanted to go
through that training, which I did for six months. I
was interested in playing a guy whose default position is
one of aggression and paranoia and taking offense, because it's
very different from who and what I am. Gave me
the opportunity to play a grandfather, and I'm not a
(05:17):
grandfather yet hoped to be one day. And there was
just great interesting stuff emotionally in the character in terms
of the range, beautiful piece of writing by Will Janowitz,
and I really trusted the director, Vincent Grashaw, so I
was eager to do it. I think I was about
the fourth person they asked to play the role, and
(05:39):
I think, actually I know that the reason others had
turned it down was because of how difficult the role
was and how much prep it was going to take.
And there were other actors who would have been great
in the role, but they didn't want to They didn't
have the bandwidth, and they just were worried that they
(05:59):
weren't going to be able to put in the time
necessary to pull this off. So I feel very lucky
that they came to me.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You talked about the physicality of the role, which is
required in playing a boxer, and I understand that, but
you also comment on the mentality going to a very
dark place, dealing with possibly demons that you don't know of.
You can only speculate on how did you prepare emotionally
to do this role.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Really, the fighting training was what got me there, because
I was spending five six days a week at the
gym for several hours a training session and talking with
a lot of guys and also getting in the ring
and sparring, and it just altered me in some really
good ways for playing the role, just to think about
(06:47):
psychological and physical strategies to winning a fight.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Let me get out of the way.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Let's talk more about Bang Bang and how he's trying
to go on this redemption arc with his grandson.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Where do we pick up in the story?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
We pick up in the story with a guy who's
battling his past. He's battling alcoholism, he's lost his way,
he's feeling no purpose, and he's fueled by rage and
who knows what he's going to do and where he's
going to end up, But he's contemplating murdering a guy.
(07:27):
And at this moment, his daughter shows up with his
grandson and says, can you take care of him for
a few weeks? And that's what really sets the story
in motion, because he decides that he's going to train
his grandson as a way not only of finding purpose,
but also maybe exploiting his grandson in settling some scores
(07:53):
from his past.
Speaker 6 (07:54):
Well, you had its name.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
You don't need to start putting I've heard that.
Speaker 6 (08:02):
No w.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So how'd you get the name Bang Bang? Punching people?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
If you're just tuning in. My guest right now is
Tim Blake Nelson. Grammy Award winning Tim Blake Nelson. As
a matter of fact, we're talking about his new movie
Bang Bang, which hits select theaters including Los Angeles this Friday.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
More with actor Tim Blake Nelson.
Speaker 7 (08:33):
In just a moment, you're listening to Later with Mo
Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
KFI Later with Mo Kelly. We're live everywhere in the
iHeartRadio app and YouTube, and we're talking right now with
venerable actor Tim Blake Nelson. You know him from Oh Brother,
Where Art Thou? Where he won a Grammy Award. As
a matter of fact, The Incredible Hulk, Meet the Fokkers,
Minority Report, Watchman on HBO, and most recently Captain America
(09:10):
Brave New World as he played the villain Samuel Stearns,
the Leader. But right now we're talking about his new
movie Bang Bang, which follows retired boxer Bernard bang Bang
Rasiski as he tries to reconnect with his estranged grandson
training him in the sport of boxing and that road
to redemption for both of them.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And let's pick up there. Let me go up to
thirty thousand feet.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
And I know this may not be your area of responsibility,
but I think you have some knowledge about the subject.
Bang Bang is going to be released in select theaters
this Friday, including Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
If I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
How has the business big picture changed as far as
releasing movies in theaters for audiences to consume as opposed
to streaming.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Well, most actually all movies, including big studio movies, the
biggest studio movies like a Marvel movie which I was in,
you know, like Captain America, which was in theaters early
this year. And the fact is that most views of movies,
even studio movies, now occur via streaming. That said, I
(10:18):
don't think there's any substitute for seeing a movie in
a movie theater. There's no comparison. And I don't care
how good your system at home is and how comfortable
your sofa is, it's never going to be what it
is to see a film fourteen feet tall with great
speakers and surround sound in the dark, with a collection
(10:42):
of strangers from your community. There's nothing that can compare
to it, and it is the apogey of artistic expression
right now still, and that has to happen in a
movie theater. It can't. It's no comparison when it occurs
at home. I think it's really important for indie films
(11:03):
to get their time in movie theaters, and I really
hope that we're going to kind of claw our way
back into that space, by which I mean people who
make independent films smaller movies, because I think it's really
important to see movies that aspire to something more artistic
than just how much money can we make as the
(11:24):
driving factor. Not that I think studio movies are trying
to be artistic too, but they need to make money
because they cost a lot of money, and there's just
less pressure on indie films, and so then we end up,
in a sense, caving to the opportunity to get eyeballs
on our movies at all, and often that involves day
(11:49):
and date or no theatrical release at all. So any
movie that can get into a movie theater I'm grateful for,
and I think that we all, including audiences, need to
keep fighting for these sorts of movies to play in
movie theaters, and that means going out and seeing them
in movie theaters.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
When you complete a project, an independent project to highlight
your point, like Bang Bang. When you are playing a
role like Bernard Reziski, and you throw yourself into that
role for as you acknowledge, five to six months as
far as just training for the role, do you find
it difficult to walk away from it or put it
down and move on to the next project because you
(12:30):
have so immersed yourself in this person in this project.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Sometimes, and in this case, it was like that. I
actually pride myself on being a dad and a husband first,
even though I work my tail off and I'm traveling
all over the place doing movies and have devoted much
of my have devoted my career life to that. I've
(12:55):
always it's always been important for me not to bring
the work home when I'm playing a character like this.
I'm not sure why, but this one was a little
more difficult than the others. And it's the first time
my wife said, what's up with you? You're you're a
little quick to anger, and which is very unlike me.
(13:16):
And then suddenly I realized, oh wow, it bled over
a little bit, and I corrected myself. Let's just say,
but this one, this one was tough in that regard.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
You have such a diverse body of work.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I'm as much interested in you the person, the actor,
as well as the roles that you play. For me personally,
this is one of my personal favorites. Your role is
looking Glass in HBO's Watchmen will always be one of
my favorites. Did that role Talking about the impact of roles,
did that role impact you differently? Since it was set
in your birthplace of Tulsa, and sometimes the loaded history
(13:51):
connected to Tulsa, it.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Certainly made it a part I really really wanted to play.
So there was the working with with Dame Lindelof and
Tom Speze ally on the show was obviously very exciting
for me, and knowing the Watchman graphic novel was very
exciting to me. But yes, coming from Tulsa and the
(14:15):
way that Watchman dealt with Tulsa's scarred racial past, specifically
the race massacre in the early twenties, made it something.
Once it was offered to me, I was definitely going
to do it.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
You think it's Calvary that would really obvious conclusion.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Did he suffer?
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah, it's cars up the roll hair tire's blown out
with the spike strip, intermuscular hemorrhage, fractured laryngeal Skillett and
literature marks are all consistent with the violent asphyxiation. Both
his poems got rope burns, he got fighters in his fingernails.
(14:57):
He was alive the whole time.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
And Tailor quo, mister Nelson, I'm sorry, but we need
to pause for just a moment. I would love to
have one more segment with you, if you got time,
and talk more about Bang Bang, and then maybe a
fan servicing question to close out our conversation if you could.
It's Later with mo Kelly. My guest is Tim Blake Nelson.
We're talking about his new movie Bang Bang, which hits
(15:27):
theaters this Friday in LA and other select cities around
the country.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
You're listening to Later with mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
You know the nighttime is the right time. You know
the nighttime.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
Is the right time. Lay tell Lata, La Tell Lay
Tell KFI.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
It's Later with mo Kelly.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
We live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app and I hope
you've been enjoying this conversation with the Tim Blake Nelson.
Yes you know him from Captain America, Brave New World.
Yes you know him from Watchmen on HBO, Meet the
Fokkers Old Brother, where art thou the Incredible Hulk?
Speaker 3 (16:15):
So much more.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
But right now we're talking about Bang Bang, his latest movie,
which is going to be in theaters this Friday.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
In theaters.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's very important, talking about boxing and the redemption of
a grandfather with his grandson, and mister Nelson, let me come.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Back to you.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
I can appreciate how you would choose a role like
looking Glass and Watchman. I can appreciate how you would
choose a role like Bernard Roziski in Bang Bang, But
what fulfills you as an actor? Yes, their roles you
probably take because it may offer you more money, and
it's still a business. It's still a job, and you
still have to be successful in that regard. But what
motivates you for roles moving forward?
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I guess it's being asked to do something I've never
done before in material that is director centered. So I
first and foremost want to be challenged, But almost right
alongside that, I want to be involved with artists who
are working in the film medium, who make movies that
(17:18):
are specific and unique to them, with a really bold,
uncompromising vision, and producers who are going to support the
director in pursuit of that. A movie that I just
was in that just premiered at the Venice Film Festival
is Mona fast Bolds The Testament of Ann Lee, and
(17:41):
my role in that is marginal. I think I have
about six scenes something like that, and it's really very
much from an acting point of view, Amanda Seifreid's movie.
But I just wanted to be a part of Mona
fast Bolds and Brady Corbet's world as filmmakers. This is
the team that made The Brutalist and this is their
(18:02):
next movie, and I just wanted to be around them
and be a part, just be a paint color on
their canvas. And that really really motivates me. And so
this was a case in which the role itself was
not an enormous challenge. It had some specific stuff that
it asked of me that was interesting, but it was
(18:24):
kind of more about being around Brady and Mona and
then working in support of an actress like Amanda Seifried.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Before I let you go, I have to ask you this.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
When you're doing an independent feature like Bang Bang, how
do you assess whether the work you put into it
was received in the way that you would hope. Is
it box office as a critical acclaim? Is it possibly
award acknowledgment or recognition. What is your yardstick for measuring
whether Bang Bang met expectations for you as an actor?
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah, well, it's definitely not awards because as much as
you know, everyone likes awards and they're great and so
I have nothing against them, but they're not a great
barometer because the whole movie has to break through for
you to get awards attention. And so we're starting out
in three cities. Who knows how many cities will end
(19:17):
up in that's going to be a measure of how
well it does. And you know, what's called a platform release.
But if the movie doesn't break through, then awards consideration
is not so much of a possibility. And that's not
you know, I've seen movies. I mean, just one example,
(19:38):
Sarah Silverman gave a performance years ago in a movie
called I Smile Back, which is just incredible and absolutely
she should have been in awards contention that year, but
few people saw the movie because it didn't break through.
And it's actually a really, really good movie. But I'd
(19:59):
hold that moments up to any performance I've seen in
the last ten years. So I guess ultimately I want
to know you know. I'll look at it and I'll
make my own consideration. Ultimately, it's an internal conversation more
than it is related to any externalities. Of Course, I
(20:21):
want the director to be happy, but I've been in
projects where the director said I was fantastic, and then
I looked at it and thought I really didn't measure up.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
One fan servicing question as I closed, mister Tim Blake Nelson,
I appreciate all the time that you've given us has
been a joy. I've wanted to speak to you personally
and professionally for all of my radio career, so this
is a personal delight for me. But as a fan
servicing question, I've always been curious since I saw you
as mister Blue Samuel Stearns opposite Edward Norton in The
Incredible Hulk.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Did you have any reason to believe back then that.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Marvel was eventually going to circle back around to Samuel
Stearns and his story.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Did they keep you in that loop?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Oh my god, there was the expectation my contract stipulated
that I was going to be in the next Hulk
movie and possibly the one after that. It was a
three movie contract. It didn't obligate them, but obligated me
and locked in what you know that they were in
(21:21):
first position, and so just to go do any other project,
I always had to get permission from Marvel in case
the Hulk movie was going to happen. And then it
never happened for various reasons. And about five years into
that attenuated silence, I figured, all right, that's over with.
(21:44):
I'm never going to get to play the character. And
then ten years after that, I was astonished to get
the phone call that they wanted to bring me back
as the leader, and I was delighted. Captain America, would
you do me the kindness of counseling a bitter man
at the end of his rope.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
That's what you do, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
I guess we have five minutes until the MP has
dragged you ass out of here.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
You ruined my grand finale on the Indian Ocean, so
now I'm forced to turn myself in to get what
I want.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Well, if you're waiting for an apology, will be here while.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
I'm waiting for you to realize that we both want
the same thing.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
For the world to see Ross as he truly is.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It's only right that I do the same thing to him.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Why aren't you smiling him?
Speaker 4 (22:43):
You never use that big brain of yours to consider
that maybe you're wrong about Ross.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Want to bet?
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Where are you going to stop this?
Speaker 5 (22:54):
Get on the ground now, Captain in America, can and
will if I'm right about Ross, You're going to die.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
You're gonna die, and maybe you're not done. We might
see you again and maybe adventures doomsday. Not that you'll
be able to tell me. The movie we've been talking
about is Bang Bang and follows retired boxer Bernard bang
Bang Rasisky.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
It's stars my guess right now.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Tim Blake Nelson, who I've been overjoyed to be able
to talk to this evening. Mister Nelson, thank you so much.
We'll be checking for this in theaters. It hits LA
New York and Detroit this Friday. Tim Blake Nelson, congratulations
to you, much success to you, Thank you, to you.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
My pleasure, thank you great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
It's later with Moe Kelly. I am six forty. We're
live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app
Speaker 7 (23:47):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty
Kelly k I Am sixty. It's Later with Mo Kelly.
We are Alive Everywhere the iHeartRadio app. The movie Bang
Bang follows retired boxer Bernard bang Bang Ziski as he
reconnects with his estranged grandson, training him in the sport
that once destroyed his life, but along the way, it
(00:27):
raises the questions of redemption, delayed rivalry, and generational anger.
Bang Bang will hit select theaters around the country, including
Los Angeles, starting Friday.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Most humans don't intentionally put themselves in danger, but fighters
put themselves in danger every day.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Some say we do it for money. Some might say
it's a sickness. What about you.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
I'm rich and a lot of things with money and
happiness ain't one of them.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Bernard bang Bang.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Bang Bang is an American professional boxer a featherweight and
held a professional record of forty.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Two six and two Say Lord you grandfather.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
He was known for his wild and abrasive personality.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Any good to watch him for a while?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I got a babysit in and outside of the ring
will knock your taste.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
But where's the remote?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Guys of disgrace? YouTube fought right. Every fighter has a
weakness that's yours. Get dressed, making a comeback. Now we're
here for you, bringing pride back to the RAZISKI name.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
Why did you come in here? Don't be shy. I
want you to hit your grandpa like a piston. Now
that's how you hit your grandpa. I've never trained anyone before.
I never wanted to swimming around in your DNA. Others
may have forgotten what he did, but I had you
ever think about why he threw that fight.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I don't want him thinking that the only way out.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Is your foxing.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Bang bang stars.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
My next guest, Tim Blake Nelson, who you know from
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? The Incredible Hulk, Meet the Fockers,
Minority Report, Watchman on HBO, one of my favorites, and
most recently Captain America Brave New World as he played
the villain Samuel Stearns, the Leader.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
What a treat to have.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Tim Blake Nelson joined me on later with mo Kelly,
how are you this evening, sir?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I'm great, and it's a treat for me as well.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I think it's fair to say that you can be
a chameleon, and you have a wide array of looks.
When you see yourself, either on the small screen or
the silver screen. But I'm curious to know about your
inspiration to pursue this craft. What were you watching while
growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma that said to you, I
want to do that.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
It was a pretty disparate collection of stuff, mostly that
was available on television growing up in Oklahoma in the seventies,
So Marx Brothers, W. C. Fields, Sergio Leone movies, detective
shows like Mannix and Barretta comedies like The Mary Tyler
(03:16):
Moore Show. And then whenever I could go to the movies,
Peter Sellers movies, all the Pink Panther movies, Charles Bronson
movies like The Volacchi Papers and Death Wish Ye Walking Tall,
and then those late seventies disaster movies like Earthquake and
The Airport Adventure Airport Towering Inferno. So yeah, and then
(03:42):
also reading, reading novels and just being loving stories and storytellers.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
What's probably less discussed is that you have two Grammy
nominations and even one Grammy win for Album of the Year.
Oh brother, where art though? But here's my question. Was
a Grammy award on your dream board?
Speaker 3 (04:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
I never imagined winning a Grammy, and since I have
one son who's a professional musician and two others who
are really good musicians, though not professional at least yet,
I'm sensitive to how little I deserve my Granmar.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
But I do have one all that aside in Bang Bang,
which hits select theaters in LA, New York and Detroit
this weekend. It's gritty, meaning it's not pretty. It's violent
and unflinching. What drew you to this project?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I'm mostly interested in roles that are going to continue
to challenge me as an actor, and this was certainly
one of those. I'd never played a boxer before, or
any sort of fighter, except on this weird TV show
I did with Brett Ratner called Chaos for half a
season on CBS. I did some fighting in that, but
(04:56):
I'd never played a boxer, and I wanted to go
through that training, which I did for six months. I
was interested in playing a guy whose default position is
one of aggression and paranoia and taking offense, because it's
very different from who and what I am. Gave me
the opportunity to play a grandfather, and I'm not a
(05:17):
grandfather yet hoped to be one day. And there was
just great interesting stuff emotionally in the character in terms
of the range, beautiful piece of writing by Will Janowitz,
and I really trusted the director, Vincent Grashaw, so I
was eager to do it. I think I was about
the fourth person they asked to play the role, and
(05:39):
I think, actually I know that the reason others had
turned it down was because of how difficult the role
was and how much prep it was going to take.
And there were other actors who would have been great
in the role, but they didn't want to They didn't
have the bandwidth, and they just were worried that they
(05:59):
weren't going to be able to put in the time
necessary to pull this off. So I feel very lucky
that they came to me.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You talked about the physicality of the role, which is
required in playing a boxer, and I understand that, but
you also comment on the mentality going to a very
dark place, dealing with possibly demons that you don't know of.
You can only speculate on how did you prepare emotionally
to do this role.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Really, the fighting training was what got me there, because
I was spending five six days a week at the
gym for several hours a training session and talking with
a lot of guys and also getting in the ring
and sparring, and it just altered me in some really
good ways for playing the role, just to think about
(06:47):
psychological and physical strategies to winning a fight.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Let me get out of the way.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Let's talk more about Bang Bang and how he's trying
to go on this redemption arc with his grandson.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Where do we pick up in the story?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
We pick up in the story with a guy who's
battling his past. He's battling alcoholism, he's lost his way,
he's feeling no purpose, and he's fueled by rage and
who knows what he's going to do and where he's
going to end up, But he's contemplating murdering a guy.
(07:27):
And at this moment, his daughter shows up with his
grandson and says, can you take care of him for
a few weeks? And that's what really sets the story
in motion, because he decides that he's going to train
his grandson as a way not only of finding purpose,
but also maybe exploiting his grandson in settling some scores
(07:53):
from his past.
Speaker 6 (07:54):
Well, you had its name.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
You don't need to start putting I've heard that.
Speaker 6 (08:02):
No w.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So how'd you get the name Bang Bang? Punching people?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
If you're just tuning in. My guest right now is
Tim Blake Nelson. Grammy Award winning Tim Blake Nelson. As
a matter of fact, we're talking about his new movie
Bang Bang, which hits select theaters including Los Angeles this Friday.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
More with actor Tim Blake Nelson.
Speaker 7 (08:33):
In just a moment, you're listening to Later with Mo
Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
KFI Later with Mo Kelly. We're live everywhere in the
iHeartRadio app and YouTube, and we're talking right now with
venerable actor Tim Blake Nelson. You know him from Oh Brother,
Where Art Thou? Where he won a Grammy Award. As
a matter of fact, The Incredible Hulk, Meet the Fokkers,
Minority Report, Watchman on HBO, and most recently Captain America
(09:10):
Brave New World as he played the villain Samuel Stearns,
the Leader. But right now we're talking about his new
movie Bang Bang, which follows retired boxer Bernard bang Bang
Rasiski as he tries to reconnect with his estranged grandson
training him in the sport of boxing and that road
to redemption for both of them.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And let's pick up there. Let me go up to
thirty thousand feet.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
And I know this may not be your area of responsibility,
but I think you have some knowledge about the subject.
Bang Bang is going to be released in select theaters
this Friday, including Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
If I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
How has the business big picture changed as far as
releasing movies in theaters for audiences to consume as opposed
to streaming.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Well, most actually all movies, including big studio movies, the
biggest studio movies like a Marvel movie which I was in,
you know, like Captain America, which was in theaters early
this year. And the fact is that most views of movies,
even studio movies, now occur via streaming. That said, I
(10:18):
don't think there's any substitute for seeing a movie in
a movie theater. There's no comparison. And I don't care
how good your system at home is and how comfortable
your sofa is, it's never going to be what it
is to see a film fourteen feet tall with great
speakers and surround sound in the dark, with a collection
(10:42):
of strangers from your community. There's nothing that can compare
to it, and it is the apogey of artistic expression
right now still, and that has to happen in a
movie theater. It can't. It's no comparison when it occurs
at home. I think it's really important for indie films
(11:03):
to get their time in movie theaters, and I really
hope that we're going to kind of claw our way
back into that space, by which I mean people who
make independent films smaller movies, because I think it's really
important to see movies that aspire to something more artistic
than just how much money can we make as the
(11:24):
driving factor. Not that I think studio movies are trying
to be artistic too, but they need to make money
because they cost a lot of money, and there's just
less pressure on indie films, and so then we end up,
in a sense, caving to the opportunity to get eyeballs
on our movies at all, and often that involves day
(11:49):
and date or no theatrical release at all. So any
movie that can get into a movie theater I'm grateful for,
and I think that we all, including audiences, need to
keep fighting for these sorts of movies to play in
movie theaters, and that means going out and seeing them
in movie theaters.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
When you complete a project, an independent project to highlight
your point, like Bang Bang. When you are playing a
role like Bernard Reziski, and you throw yourself into that
role for as you acknowledge, five to six months as
far as just training for the role, do you find
it difficult to walk away from it or put it
down and move on to the next project because you
(12:30):
have so immersed yourself in this person in this project.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Sometimes, and in this case, it was like that. I
actually pride myself on being a dad and a husband first,
even though I work my tail off and I'm traveling
all over the place doing movies and have devoted much
of my have devoted my career life to that. I've
(12:55):
always it's always been important for me not to bring
the work home when I'm playing a character like this.
I'm not sure why, but this one was a little
more difficult than the others. And it's the first time
my wife said, what's up with you? You're you're a
little quick to anger, and which is very unlike me.
(13:16):
And then suddenly I realized, oh wow, it bled over
a little bit, and I corrected myself. Let's just say,
but this one, this one was tough in that regard.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
You have such a diverse body of work.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I'm as much interested in you the person, the actor,
as well as the roles that you play. For me personally,
this is one of my personal favorites. Your role is
looking Glass in HBO's Watchmen will always be one of
my favorites. Did that role Talking about the impact of roles,
did that role impact you differently? Since it was set
in your birthplace of Tulsa, and sometimes the loaded history
(13:51):
connected to Tulsa, it.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Certainly made it a part I really really wanted to play.
So there was the working with with Dame Lindelof and
Tom Speze ally on the show was obviously very exciting
for me, and knowing the Watchman graphic novel was very
exciting to me. But yes, coming from Tulsa and the
(14:15):
way that Watchman dealt with Tulsa's scarred racial past, specifically
the race massacre in the early twenties, made it something.
Once it was offered to me, I was definitely going
to do it.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
You think it's Calvary that would really obvious conclusion.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Did he suffer?
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah, it's cars up the roll hair tire's blown out
with the spike strip, intermuscular hemorrhage, fractured laryngeal Skillett and
literature marks are all consistent with the violent asphyxiation. Both
his poems got rope burns, he got fighters in his fingernails.
(14:57):
He was alive the whole time.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
And Tailor quo, mister Nelson, I'm sorry, but we need
to pause for just a moment. I would love to
have one more segment with you, if you got time,
and talk more about Bang Bang, and then maybe a
fan servicing question to close out our conversation if you could.
It's Later with mo Kelly. My guest is Tim Blake Nelson.
We're talking about his new movie Bang Bang, which hits
(15:27):
theaters this Friday in LA and other select cities around
the country.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
You're listening to Later with mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
You know the nighttime is the right time. You know
the nighttime.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
Is the right time. Lay tell Lata, La Tell Lay
Tell KFI.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
It's Later with mo Kelly.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
We live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app and I hope
you've been enjoying this conversation with the Tim Blake Nelson.
Yes you know him from Captain America, Brave New World.
Yes you know him from Watchmen on HBO, Meet the
Fokkers Old Brother, where art thou the Incredible Hulk?
Speaker 3 (16:15):
So much more.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
But right now we're talking about Bang Bang, his latest movie,
which is going to be in theaters this Friday.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
In theaters.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's very important, talking about boxing and the redemption of
a grandfather with his grandson, and mister Nelson, let me come.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Back to you.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
I can appreciate how you would choose a role like
looking Glass and Watchman. I can appreciate how you would
choose a role like Bernard Roziski in Bang Bang, But
what fulfills you as an actor? Yes, their roles you
probably take because it may offer you more money, and
it's still a business. It's still a job, and you
still have to be successful in that regard. But what
motivates you for roles moving forward?
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I guess it's being asked to do something I've never
done before in material that is director centered. So I
first and foremost want to be challenged, But almost right
alongside that, I want to be involved with artists who
are working in the film medium, who make movies that
(17:18):
are specific and unique to them, with a really bold,
uncompromising vision, and producers who are going to support the
director in pursuit of that. A movie that I just
was in that just premiered at the Venice Film Festival
is Mona fast Bolds The Testament of Ann Lee, and
(17:41):
my role in that is marginal. I think I have
about six scenes something like that, and it's really very
much from an acting point of view, Amanda Seifreid's movie.
But I just wanted to be a part of Mona
fast Bolds and Brady Corbet's world as filmmakers. This is
the team that made The Brutalist and this is their
(18:02):
next movie, and I just wanted to be around them
and be a part, just be a paint color on
their canvas. And that really really motivates me. And so
this was a case in which the role itself was
not an enormous challenge. It had some specific stuff that
it asked of me that was interesting, but it was
(18:24):
kind of more about being around Brady and Mona and
then working in support of an actress like Amanda Seifried.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Before I let you go, I have to ask you this.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
When you're doing an independent feature like Bang Bang, how
do you assess whether the work you put into it
was received in the way that you would hope. Is
it box office as a critical acclaim? Is it possibly
award acknowledgment or recognition. What is your yardstick for measuring
whether Bang Bang met expectations for you as an actor?
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah, well, it's definitely not awards because as much as
you know, everyone likes awards and they're great and so
I have nothing against them, but they're not a great
barometer because the whole movie has to break through for
you to get awards attention. And so we're starting out
in three cities. Who knows how many cities will end
(19:17):
up in that's going to be a measure of how
well it does. And you know, what's called a platform release.
But if the movie doesn't break through, then awards consideration
is not so much of a possibility. And that's not
you know, I've seen movies. I mean, just one example,
(19:38):
Sarah Silverman gave a performance years ago in a movie
called I Smile Back, which is just incredible and absolutely
she should have been in awards contention that year, but
few people saw the movie because it didn't break through.
And it's actually a really, really good movie. But I'd
(19:59):
hold that moments up to any performance I've seen in
the last ten years. So I guess ultimately I want
to know you know. I'll look at it and I'll
make my own consideration. Ultimately, it's an internal conversation more
than it is related to any externalities. Of Course, I
(20:21):
want the director to be happy, but I've been in
projects where the director said I was fantastic, and then
I looked at it and thought I really didn't measure up.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
One fan servicing question as I closed, mister Tim Blake Nelson,
I appreciate all the time that you've given us has
been a joy. I've wanted to speak to you personally
and professionally for all of my radio career, so this
is a personal delight for me. But as a fan
servicing question, I've always been curious since I saw you
as mister Blue Samuel Stearns opposite Edward Norton in The
Incredible Hulk.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Did you have any reason to believe back then that.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Marvel was eventually going to circle back around to Samuel
Stearns and his story.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Did they keep you in that loop?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Oh my god, there was the expectation my contract stipulated
that I was going to be in the next Hulk
movie and possibly the one after that. It was a
three movie contract. It didn't obligate them, but obligated me
and locked in what you know that they were in
(21:21):
first position, and so just to go do any other project,
I always had to get permission from Marvel in case
the Hulk movie was going to happen. And then it
never happened for various reasons. And about five years into
that attenuated silence, I figured, all right, that's over with.
(21:44):
I'm never going to get to play the character. And
then ten years after that, I was astonished to get
the phone call that they wanted to bring me back
as the leader, and I was delighted. Captain America, would
you do me the kindness of counseling a bitter man
at the end of his rope.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
That's what you do, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
I guess we have five minutes until the MP has
dragged you ass out of here.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
You ruined my grand finale on the Indian Ocean, so
now I'm forced to turn myself in to get what
I want.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Well, if you're waiting for an apology, will be here while.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
I'm waiting for you to realize that we both want
the same thing.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
For the world to see Ross as he truly is.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It's only right that I do the same thing to him.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Why aren't you smiling him?
Speaker 4 (22:43):
You never use that big brain of yours to consider
that maybe you're wrong about Ross.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Want to bet?
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Where are you going to stop this?
Speaker 5 (22:54):
Get on the ground now, Captain in America, can and
will if I'm right about Ross, You're going to die.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
You're gonna die, and maybe you're not done. We might
see you again and maybe adventures doomsday. Not that you'll
be able to tell me. The movie we've been talking
about is Bang Bang and follows retired boxer Bernard bang
Bang Rasisky.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
It's stars my guess right now.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Tim Blake Nelson, who I've been overjoyed to be able
to talk to this evening. Mister Nelson, thank you so much.
We'll be checking for this in theaters. It hits LA
New York and Detroit this Friday. Tim Blake Nelson, congratulations
to you, much success to you, Thank you, to you.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
My pleasure, thank you great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
It's later with Moe Kelly. I am six forty. We're
live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app
Speaker 7 (23:47):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty
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