Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead is bringing Theo Rossi into the world of zombies as a border patrol guard that joins the zombie hunter team on their quest into the Las Vegas quarantine zone. Screen Rant visited the set of Army of the Dead in October 2019 and sat down with Rossi to discuss his role in the film, his experience working with Zack Snyder, and more.
Army of the Dead is bringing a number of twists to the zombie genre from the smarter, faster alpha zombies to the Las Vegas setting and the wall that surrounds it, turning it into a quarantine zone and all the political and social commentary that set-up implies. While Rossi isn’t a proper member of the zombie-killing team, he has other (apparently spoilery) reasons for joining, and as a border patrol guard, he finds himself in a somewhat villainous role throughout.
Between the conflicting motives of the team, the smart zombies, zombie animals, the heist mashup, and Area 51 zombie origin, there’s a lot going on in Army of the Dead, and with Rossi, there’s a lot for viewers to discover about his character when the movie arrives on May 21st.
Theo Rossi: So, uh, what’s up?
You tell us
I mean, you know, these are always one of those things where it’s like how much can you say and how much do you not want to say, you want to kind of leave that mystery. Listen, I’m a giant fanboy on a lot of this, especially genre stuff. It’s Zack Snyder, Dawn of the Dead, coming back, like, you know. He took something that we felt was Untouchable in that time and, you know, really changed it with James Gunn writing it and that whole thing. And what’s so amazing about Netflix, you know I’ve been fortunate enough to be really working with them the last couple years and, I’ve got a film coming out with them October 25th and they just trust. It’s almost like vertical integration with Zack. He’s doing everything. And when you let someone off the chain like that, like Zack, who is just such a visual master and such an incredible filmmaker, we have this. And this is like nothing, definitely like nothing I’ve ever done.
Because mainly my years were spent in TV, you know, and definitely in genre stuff, but TV stuff. This is like, he’s taking something we all know so well, you know the zombie genre, and just making it like not just Snyder, but just so different. And I know everybody says that, but we know from his history that you just trust that he’s doing something that is really different in every way. From the look, story, characters, the ensemble, everything about it. And for me, I’m fortunate enough because I came on to this pretty early and to play a bad guy in a zombie movie, it’s kind of cool. Because the zombies are bad enough, and then you’re like, the bad guy. You know, that’s always interesting because you’re bound by nothing. The zombies are the kind of bad ones. So I feel like I’m also kind of off the chain to do all these things that I’ve always wanted to do.
What was Zack’s pitch to get you on?
Just “trust me.” And there’s a certain, I mean what is there, maybe ten filmmakers that you would say “yeah, whatever, sure, whatever you want to do.” I mean, we can probably name ten amongst us all that you’re just like, “whatever you do, it’s going to be amazing.” And, like, if something goes wrong, it’s most likely not… it’s something along a different level that you wind up hearing about in a story years later. But there are certain filmmakers that are just visionaries who have changed the game in one way or the other. Like, have elevated it. And their catalog speaks for itself. And I think Zack is one of those guys. And also he’s just awesome. I mean, I don’t think there’s a person in the world that won’t say that they love Zack Snyder. I think it’s amazing.
What’s it like working with Dave Bautista and the rest of the cast?
I was fortunate enough to know most of them for a while one way or another. DB and I have known each other, I don’t even know how, just through things. I think through The RZA, because we all, a bunch of us grew up in Staten Island together… from Wu-Tang and his first movie that really broke him was the one The RZA directed, Man With the Iron Fist. And Omari and I have known each other for 20 years. We just actually, this is our second movie in a row together, which is odd. You know, we literally just went from one movie, had like two weeks off and came here. And we also, again, have known each other since 2000. And then everyone else, it’s one of those things, I felt like whenever I walk on the Sons of Anarchy set, I know everyone from their work. Because it’s just this amazing group of character actors, and you kind of are like, oh man, like Raul, the movie that was at Sundance and that was amazing that he did, We the Animals, and I was like “man I know him, and I know Nora, and Ana I was watching on Power, on Omari’s show, and Ella from her show on Starz,” so I just knew everybody.
I think that I’ve been fortunate enough as… playing characters like I do, I’m always very aware of character actors and kind of people who jump around. I’m a big huge fan of, like, “blue collar actors” is the way I always say it. But people who are just always there and who are always steady. It’s like the… it’s like the bar that Del Toro and Jeffrey Wright and John Carlos Esposito and even Cate Blanchett for a while, like people who have just taken that. Stanley Tucci. And just, they’re always killing it. I think the master, and he’s no longer with us, is Philip Seymour Hoffman. Everything he was in, no matter what it was, he was the best in that scene he was in. So when I’m around groups like that, ensembles, that’s where I think everybody thrives the most. I’ve been fortunate enough to always be pretty much in ensembles and this was one of those groups that when I saw them I was super excited. And led by Dave, I mean, I just think Dave is doing something very different. At first when you see Dave, you would probably make an assumption of what kind of actor he is, or what he’s going to play, or whatever, and then he’s just not. He’s amazing, he’s funny, he has incredible chops in that drama sense and he’s just doing something and he’s creating his own lane. Hollywood always wants to put people in a box. You can’t put Dave in a box. And I think that’s what’s so amazing about this film that I’ve experienced.
You know, we’ve been at this for a while. And every day, again, so, when I say vertically-integrated, it’s like Zack has everything. He’s the DP. He’s directing. He’s on the camera. He’s got, you know, you’ve seen all the stuff outside, that’s all Zack’s vision and the team that he has. And when you have that it’s just, you trust so much in it. So, yeah, that’s my experience with everyone. It’s amazing.
I think one of my favorite things about watching your work is that sometimes the moments when you’re not even saying anything, you’re just sitting there looking hard, you’re so good at that. I mean, a lot of character actors are really good at that. Is Zack tapping into that here? Talk about that from your perspective, what are you emoting as you’re doing that?
I was just having that conversation with the director from the film I’m doing right after this. The best acting I’ve ever seen in my life is when people don’t speak. I can name a few scenes, you know, you can always go to the amazing ones like Michael in The Godfather, or even Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights when the camera is pulling out when he’s in that crazy room and he’s not saying anything and Thomas Jane is the one talking in the background and the camera’s not even on him. It’s honestly becoming a bit of a rarity. Acting has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. The whole game has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. I think that when you’re just in it at all times and you’re experiencing anything that goes on it’s not about what you’re saying, it’s about the situation at hand, and I feel like, for me, it’s my job and my duty to do every single thing I can whether I’m on the side and in the background of a scene, or if I’m not even on camera, it’s just I always have to do everything because you’re only as good as your dance partner.
So you have to bring a certain level at all times, and for me I would never ever take on a character that I don’t think that I can fully fully commit to a choice, so, in life, like we are now, we’re all thinking something. Especially when we’re not talking. We’re analyzing everything. I don’t even realize you’re doing it. You know what I mean? I was talking to someone the other day, this guy came up to me and he had a little whitehead on their face, and I was like “oh, I can’t even pay attention, I really want to say something, I want to talk about that.” And I knew him, so I did say something. “This has to go, I can’t even concentrate.” So there’s things going on at all times in our head, nobody is just, like, nothing. There are those moments and you kind of snap out of it, so I feel like that’s kind of the thing that, in acting and performances that all those people that I named, and way more than that, are just always doing. There’s always something going on. And that keeps us captivated. So, yeah, thank you. That’s an interesting take on things. I’m glad… hopefully, one day, somebody will say that about me.
The best installments of the zombie genre tend to have societal commentary. Is that something that this movie’s aspiring to, or is it content to just have a lot of action?
You know, listen, I think from Shaun of the Dead – which I think it’s probably one of my favorites just because I’ve never seen anything like it – to Walking Dead, which is obviously the biggest show about it ever. I mean, it’s changed everything. I think Hollywood is at its best when we mirror a certain part of society in every way, and that means from what you see on screen, the people you see on screen, to the story. And your only goal in this thing we’re all a part of is to feel something. Some people are news junkies. Some people love these giant… you know, you ask them how the movie was and they say “it looked great!” and I say “but how was it?” and they’ll say “it looked amazing!” I’m like, they’re better off going into the MoMA or the museum, really, it’s just about that. So I think in this film there’s just something for everyone. People who want to see everything from performances to comedy to the actual genre where it’s all about the zombies and how they move and how they look to what’s going on in the story. So I think that that’s just part of this film, it encompasses all of it. I don’t want to make it like “oh my God he’s sitting here saying this because it’s press and everything you say is all great,” but no, this really is one of those things that I think people are going to look back and go “wow, that was really, I haven’t seen anything like that.” In all those ways.
Was it uncomfortable for you trying to get into the mindset of this border patrol officer, especially with the current political climate?
I think that it’s our duty as entertainment. I think that it’s our responsibility as entertainment to show something. To show things in whatever fashion you’re showing it. I think again, our duty is to make people feel something. With his character, I was just reading that someone said if you give people power they just go insane. You know what I mean? And especially, if you’re not prepared for it, right? I always say about Hollywood it’s like I tell people “if you have no money, like, how you are, money only accentuates who you are. So if you’re a bad person, you’re like a really bad person when you have money. If you’re a good person, then you are a great person. And it’s the same thing with fame and it’s the same thing with power. When you give someone power it kind of accentuates who they are: their insecurities, or it makes them be amazing, and they figure out a way to help everybody. You know?
So, I think with this guy, just like we’re seeing a lot is that he’s a character that thinks he has more responsibility than he does. And that spotlights every bit of emotion that’s in him. His, potentially, fear of who he is, his insecurities, which leads to, I think, potentially, some of the funniest things in the film. And I think that we all know that, right? When the stakes are super high, which they don’t get higher than some type of zombie apocalypse that’s going on, you know. Things get… there’s humor that comes from that in a way. Because you have to laugh, at the lunacy of it all. And, you know, definitely with this, there’s a lot of that.
Does the notion of a ticking clock affect your performance at all? Do you try to bring some intensity or urgency to it at all?
It depends on what it is. It depends on the situation. I’ve seen people in the most high-level stressful situations be as calm as I’ve ever seen someone and I’m like, “wow.” And then I’ve seen people where nothing is going on be complete lunatics and I’m like “what’s happening? Why? We’re not even doing anything, why are you freaking out so bad?” So, I mean it all depends on the situation. In the film, I mean, obviously with this, there’s a lot going on oh, you know. In the world, in the film. And to, again, see how Burt Cummings, I mean really the name has everything that you need to know about this guy. I mean, it just does. Burt Cummings. If there’s someone out there named Burt Cummings who sees this, take that for what you want, it’s a name. It’s definitely an intense one. So he, you know, the situation that’s on hand, you know, not to talk in circles, it puts something in him. I don’t want to say too much, but it put something in him that’s just kind of ridiculous.
Debbie talked about your role as you’re like a part of the team, but you’re obviously at odds, and then you describe it as a villain character. Is that a line that you play with a lot?
I think I’ve been fortunate enough to play complex people that I’ve strangely found people root for. You know what I mean? Like, I remember when I was doing Sons [of Anarchy] and people were like “ I just love Juice.” I’m like “Juice killed like 20 people. Like, what? Like, what do you love about him?” And the same thing on Luke Cage. People are like, “I mean, I just kind of like him.” I’m like, “he did all these awful things.” But again, I think that, when I say villain, I say villain as in the part of… it’s how you look at villains, right? I think that he’s at odds with them because he’s everything they can’t stand at this moment. Being part of that team and how that all occurs and why it occurs is a huge part of the journey we all go on.
I think that I have to always play everyone as… I told Omari this last night when we were at dinner, what I love about the way he acts, and I’ll use him as a reference to what I try to do is when someone comes on-screen I don’t want to know what’s going to happen. And I can’t tell you from the other side how many people you watch on-screen and I know exactly what they’re going to do. And there’s so many that I go ”I have no idea what’s about to happen,” so now my eyes don’t want to leave, I don’t want to look at my phone, I don’t want to move because I’m so intrigued about what’s going to happen next. That’s up to you as an actor to kind of make that happen, and the only way you do that the best is skating all sorts of different lines. So, villain? Bad, good? I don’t know, it’s just about not knowing what’s going to happen. And that’s life. None of us know what’s going to happen next. Something might be completely out of nowhere, but we don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s what I try to do.
Can you see a sort of through-line from Zack’s Dawn of the Dead to Army of the Dead, or is he sort of reinventing what he’s doing with zombies with this film?
You know, I feel like all zombie films would have to be related in some way, right? Because the outbreak, or whatever we’re saying has led to zombies. So every one of them is linked in a way, however, you look at it. It’s what happens after that… It’s a really different time making films. Films look so much different now from when he did that, what year is that, ‘04? Just the way – if you go back and look at that film – just the way that this look of the film is so different. This is, what I think when I dive into a genre is can it happen? Can this happen? Could this be possible? It’s like when we’re watching Nolan’s Batman, right? And you see, like, Scarecrow and Joker and you’re like “that kind of looks like someone who I might run into in New York City.” That doesn’t look so out of the realm, so it makes you kind of more in. I think now the through-line if I would say is that it just seems that now it’s everything seems very… if I heard a news report in Florida and something kicks to this next thing and we could be here and we could be in this moment. So I don’t know if they’re linked, that’s more of a Zack thing.
You mentioned there’s maybe ten filmmakers you would just kind of say yes to. and now that you’ve had this experience working with Zack, did it live up to those expectations, were you surprised, were you shocked, where are you, what was your take away from having that experience working with him?
So, I was fortunate enough to just go to Venice Film Festival and I was with Spike Lee and we spent like a bunch of days together. And I think Spike’s the master at the game. I just think that he’s changed everything. I think that he’s a master. Like Guillermo. Like Alejandro. There’s certain people that I think are masters. You know. Marty. With Zack, it was everything that I thought because I had yet to work with someone that is that type of visionary and everything is to support the vision. It’s just, whatever is [in their head] is what they want to support. It’s so comforting because it’s that single vision. You know what I mean? So, for me, it’s almost like you long for that, right?
It’s like when you hear about Nolan and guys like that where it’s just like they know, they’ve been living with that for so long, exactly how they want to do this and they know how to execute. So when you come in, like I always say, my only job as an actor is to fulfill what they have [in their head]. As much as I want to do my own thing and do whatever, I’m just getting to this party. They’ve been planning this party for 10 years, you know? Or however long, maybe even longer in their head. Except for me, once the other relationship, it’s like okay what do you want to do? What do you see? What do you have in here? And I think that’s what I found and working with, you know, someone like Zack is that he knew. He just knows. And you know when he knows. It’s like okay, that’s it. You can just tell. Because he’s not going to move on unless he’s got it. Because… he’s got that thing. So, there’s just an incredible trust. An incredible trust.
Going off of that, with him acting as DP in this movie in addition to directing, has that created any sort of different on-set dynamic than what you’re used to?
It’s the greatest thing ever. He’s right here. He’s, like, right there. So it’s like, when you’re talking to him he’s right here. And like, you know. And like I said, you know when he got it. You know. Because there’s a look. There is an “okay.” and then you know. He’s just, he’s right there. So it feels, again there’s just so much trust and it feels very, like family. Because it’s like everything is so intimate. And even on these giant set-pieces, he’s right there.
Some directors like to give more feedback and some kind of like to let things go, but especially with digital some actors say because you can do so many more takes that directors get more hands-on with a performance. So he’s doing digital on this one, and he’s cinematographer, so he’s right there, does that impact the kind of feedback you get at all? Or how involved is he in your actual performance on a scene to scene basis?
This is the most fortunate I’ve ever been. He’s let me go. Like I’ve never had someone that let me do this. And there’s little whispers between it of “ yes that. Change that. That.” and I’m just going. Like, ludicrous. Like, just going. Like I’ve never been able to really go. Because I’ve gone with people where if you say an “and” or a “the” wrong you got the potential to be fired, you know what I mean? Or, at least when the edit comes the camera won’t be on you and they just make you change the lines in ADR. Not Zack. Zack is like “you have that.” You have so many amazing meetings before it and so much trust. You come with that character and he keeps you – it’s almost like the bumpers in a bowling alley. He just keeps the ball in the middle. And it’s what you want. And it’s fulfilling that vision. That’s what you want.
One of the most striking things when I look at this cast it’s just how many people of color are involved, could you talk about working with this ensemble and if that means anything to you, because everything means something to me.
It means a lot to me, more than anything, obviously. For whoever knows my story. It’s, uh, look at the world. Go outside. Go anywhere. The world is a Benetton ad. You know what I mean? And we have to do that. It’s just sheer facts and numbers, right? Look at the world. Film is a global business. If we don’t represent, we’re doing a disservice. We have to show everyone. Everyone who sees it has to feel… I mean, think about that. I have two little boys. I get them action figures. We call them their humans, their friends. They just love action figures. It’s my job, I love when I see action figures now and it’s not like when I was younger. Everything is represented. So people don’t realize that there’s, this is such a huge effect. Cuz when you start representing in Hollywood and business. It translates into everything. Animation, toys. From when kids are young, everything looks a certain way. It looks like the world that we all live in. Right? So, this cast is it. It’s We Are the World video 2 here.
You very clearly have a lot of passion for the craft and the storytelling. But one of the conversations that we’re having with Netflix and features are going to Netflix that come and go away from the theatrical experience where you’ve captivated the audience and they’re there to see your story and there’s a possibility on Netflix they could pause it to answer their phone or talk to a friend or some such. What are your thoughts about that? What are your thoughts about the story that you’re creating for this two-hour arc being presented in a format like that?
That’s interesting. The one thing that we’ve learned in history, and I’m crazy about history, is you can’t stop progress. You can’t stop things. You can’t just, like, I mean technological progress. Things change. And you can’t. Now, sure, I absolutely love going to the movies, you know? Last week I saw a movie. It’s amazing. I also like sitting on my couch and watching a 75-inch TV or a 65 inch TV or whatever Target’s selling them for now. Like Vizio, I think they’re always doing deals on those. And especially for people who have kids. Sometimes you can’t get to the theater. Something I think is as great as anything in the world is give options. You can go there and you can go there. I see people when I’m in New York City watching TV shows on their phone. And I’m like, “no, that’s not supposed to be in that ratio. It’s bigger than that. You have to see that bigger.” You know, and I can’t imagine how hard that is, because there’s people around them at all times.
Options. We can never tell people what to do. It’s just not, we can’t. In their consumption of entertainment. In other things we should, but in their consumption of entertainment, we can’t tell people what to enjoy or what not to enjoy. That’s not how this business began. It began by something for everyone. That’s why there’s comedy and drama and all these different versions of it. So, in that debate, I think that there’s two answers that technologically things are going to go a certain way regardless as TVs in homes get bigger, as houses get bigger, as people whatever. And theaters are, look, movies are still making a ton of money. People are still going to the movies. And they’re seeing all types of films, it’s not just a big blockbuster. People are seeing all type of film. I just want to see Hustlers in the theater and Hustlers is not a, you know, giant set-piece that you’re like I have to see an IMAX oh, but it was amazing to see that. I saw the Mister Rogers documentary in the movies and that’s a documentary. I’m not a documentary freak, but I want to see it in the movies, at the theater, because I wanted to. So, I think again that’s my choice. It was available, but I chose to go to the theater. So I can cry in private. Where no one can see it.
You see the work that goes into a big picture like this, too, though. If you say, like say someone is watching on their phone on an airplane or some such…
Yeah, that’s their choice, man. Whatever people want to do. I learned a long time ago, people do what they got to do. Yeah.
I don’t know how much you can talk about your character’s interaction with the zombies in the film, but I’m sure you can at least talk about being on set with them.
Sure, I can say… pretty close interaction. Is the best I can say. As close as you could be. So I am pretty well-versed in the alphas and the shamblers. In every way. And they are a sight to see. Yeah, especially very close to you.
I just think that the one thing that will come out of this that will definitely be spoken about is the stunt team and the movement out of the action, like how it’s happening. Just the physicality of what’s going on with these zombies. The Alphas. It’s amazing. And again, we go into, where we started with this was taking a genre and changing something. I know like World War Z had fast zombies and Walking Dead has those like really slow ones where you could wait on the side of the room and walk over here and you could just keep playing that game all day and the zombies not going to get you. But with this there’s just kind of like more. Different. And the thing that almost makes you kind of, how do you delineate between is this real is this human is the zombies it’s just that whole thing. So, yeah. Very personal.
Key Release Dates
- Army of the Dead (2021)Release date: May 21, 2021
About The Author
