Interview: The Cast of Tom McCarthy’s The Visitor

[Yesterday, was the first part of Yama’s press day coverage for Tom McCarthy’s The Visitor. Below is his get together with the cast.]

There’s no sophomore slouch for actor-turned-writer and director Tom McCarthy. After The Station Agent, he returns with a mature and complex tale, lined with rich performances from veteran actors Richard Jenkins and the internationally renowned Hiam Abbass who makes
her U.S. film acting debut. The story
about a lonely professor whose path is crossed with several immigrant inhabitants of the culturally diverse New
York city is both an original and an involving film that that stimulates the senses.

The Visitor is political film without being preachy, romantic without being cheesy,
and entertaining without being dumb. Written by McCarthy, this
showcases real people with real problems that you hear about but rarely
see on the big screen. Fluidly directed by McCarthy who has no
difficulty in sliding behind the camera, this small, independent film
allows actors like Jenkins and Abbass to excel in their lead roles.
Anybody looking for a smart and entertaining film about real people
will want to seek this out once it hits theaters this coming friday –
it may just be the best film so far in the new year.

I met with the the cast at the Four Season’s Hotel in Beverly Hills.

YR: I really enjoyed your performances in this film. Tell me how
the project came to you! I hear you were both involved early.
Richard
Jenkins: I think Hiam was there before I was.
Hiam Abbass: No he said you met
already.

RJ: Oh ok. We knew each other but weren’t friends. We had the same
agent and were shooting two different films at one point but staying in the same
hotel. So we went for dinner and chatted about different topics. So he started
writing this character of Walter who wants to learn about this other world of
Tariq and Mouna. He was a fan Hiam and wanted her for the project.
HA: My
agent set a meeting with him but at the time I haven’t seen his film. He said he
had this idea and liked me as an actor and he shares his writing process with
actors he likes.
RJ: He didn’t say that to me.
HA: Because I’m a woman.

RJ: He must have been desperate.
HA: Funnily enough after two hours of
talking about everything, he didn’t tell me anything about the film. So I said
goodbye and didn’t know what make of it. Two days later he called me asking for
another lunch. Again he was asking me all these questions like “What if this
Arab woman. Not you. How would she react to this or that” His process of
thinking was advancing that I didn’t know about. Again that experience enriched
the script. Three months later I got the script. Even at that time I wasn’t sure
what he wanted and told my agent what does he want from me. I’m not selling
information.
RJ: A year after our initial dinner, I got this script and he
told me he wrote this part for me and whether I wanted to do it. I read it and
was blown by the incredible script. I said nobody would give you the money with
me in the lead. He said that’s not what I’m asking you. So I said of course I
wanted to do it. I think he asked me about you (Hiam) whether I knew you or
not.
HA: I think he had me in mind but I didn’t know till much later.

YR:
I think the characters are tailor made for both of you that’s hard to imagine
with other actors. Sometimes when a film is cast any actor could be cast but in
this case it had a lot texture that was based on your characters.
HA: It’s a
great thing you are saying because we brought each much to the roles. We got to
know much about each other being involved in the script than you would if you do
a table reading. So we brought in more by knowing each other. So it was natural
process that occured and some stuff in the film came from that like the bed
scene.

YR: Was there a lot of improvisation?
HA: Well since we were
involved in the script, we knew but certain issues would rise and Tom would say
“Keep it in mind” and we would arrive to a solution on the day when we did the
actual scene.

RJ: Well at the end of film she calls me “Habibi” which mean
“beloved” but during the rehearsal she said wouldn’t call me that because you
don’t call someone just like that. It’s so personal and private word. The
feeling must be incredible to say it. So I tell her you don’t want call me that
and she said I don’t know. I said oh ok. So when she said that which was one of
the last scenes we shot, I really was touched by it. So it was a process from
beginning till the end. It was great. 

YR: It was refreshing to see
diverse characters in this film which is a true reflection of New York. How did
you prepare for your roles?
Danai Gurira: I’m originally from Zimbabwe so I
know about the immigration process from family, friends and other people. The
script was so well written that it was there on the page. The film give voice to
voiceless people which really touched me.
Haaz Sleiman: For me the connecting
with character was so easy. The script incorporated so many current issues but
does it in a way that’s not about those issues but the human interaction of
these people. So of course I did prepare meeting with people who were really
affected by real life incidents. We went to a real detention center and ours is
an exact replica of the original. I don’t think I could have given the
performance without having met the real people.

YR: Did you know how to play
the Djembe?
HS: No I had start from scratch. I had to learn to play like I’m
doing it for 20 years. Thank god for the magic of film making. I practised
everyday. Actually Richard knows more drums that I do. He should have taught me
how to play and Hiam knows how to play as well?

Overture Films opens The Visitor in theaters April 11th.