Exclusive 1-1 With Timothy Olyphant On Hitman By Kellvin Chavez on November 19, 2007 Timothy Olyphant was nice enough to meet me here in New York City to talk exclusively 1-1 about his new role in the upcoming moving HITMAN.  Based on the top-selling, award-winning videogame franchise, the HITMAN is a genetically-engineered, elite assassin known only as Agent 47. His hallmarks are a lethal grace, unwavering precision, and resolute pride in his work. But even 47 couldn't anticipate a "random equation" in his life of exactitude: the unexpected stirrings of his conscience and the unfamiliar emotions aroused in him by a mysterious Russian woman. Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood; Live Free or Die Hard) stars in the title role, a mysterious and complex man of profound contradictions: He was bred from the world's deadliest criminals, but raised by an exiled brotherhood of the Church. His very existence seems to be a sin, but he wages a quiet war to rid the world of evil. He's brilliant, charismatic and charming - yet reveals little about himself, has no name, and is known only by the last two digits of a barcode tattooed on the back of his head. Here’s what Olyphant had to tell me about HITMAN in this 1-1 Exclusive. So, for those people who haven’t played the game, can you elaborate on your character? Olyphant: Sure. If you play the game you kind of know the guy, but Agent 47 is a guy who has been born and bred for the soul purpose of killing.  He’s only identified by this bar code that is on the back of his head.  In broad strokes, he’s a professional assassin.  He’s very good at what he does.  The movie is a story, about that guy, in which his world kind of turns upside down.  Everything that he thought he could sort of depend on and trust in, is flipped on his head.  The hunter becomes the hunted. Were you a fan of the game? Olyphant:  Very unfamiliar with it, when this came to me I had no idea.  When the script was sent to me originally, they sent it to me accompanied with 4 photos taken from the game.  That was my introduction.  Images of Agent 47, from the game, were the first thing I saw. What kind of research do you do for that, especially with the Internet now days? Olyphant:  I approached the role like I approach any role.  Just read the script, over, and over, and over.  I really read the script, try to figure out the story that we are trying to tell.  As far as the game is concerned, and the fact that there was a source material, I just read about the game.  The beauty of the Internet now is that everything is so accessible now, all the information.  Xavier [Gens], the director, he and I talked about it a lot.  He is a huge fan of the game.  We talked about the things we thought were very important in terms of the game, what really was getting to the essence or spirit of the game, and making sure that we were honoring that.  It was easy though.  The game, by its nature, really lends itself to film. And the game is actually very violent.  Was that the tone you guys wanted for the film as well? Olyphant:  Yeah, I think so.  Again, I don’t think any of the fans of the game are concerned about the level of violence in the film.  They won’t walk away disappointed. Did you have any kind of training for this? Olyphant:  I worked out, as soon as I got the job, intensely for about 6 weeks.  I didn’t have a lot of time.  I was about 15 pounds heavier than I am now, when we shot the film. Were you scared to shave your head? Olyphant:  If we could have done it in a swim cap it would have been nice.  At the end of the day you got to do it right. Does that help, you as an actor, to build your character? Olyphant:  It all helps.  Anytime you play a character where you really have a costume, you are really a character, its really helpful.  It’s really informative.  To some degree it’s helpful because you can let the costume do the work for you.  In this case shaving the head, and putting the barcode, it takes care of so much for you.  You immediately are a very distinct person.  It is a striking image of the character. There were things on the Internet that was said, whether or not it’s true... Olyphant:  There is always stuff on the Internet.  [Laughs]  The day I got offered this job, the following day, there was stuff on the Internet.  I know, Vin Diesel. Yeah, that Vin Diesel was attached and then there was reports that Jason Statham was attached. Olyphant:  It’s crazy.  What is odd about the Internet, about this particular part of the Internet, and I don’t mean to say this in a too overly pretentious or serious way, but nobody is a being accountable.  There is a this sense of ‘Just put it out there.’ ‘What if we’re wrong?’ ‘So what, we’ll just put something else out there right after that.’  So, there is no sense of real journalism being done.  At the same time it’s fascinating because it’s like the Wild, Wild, West.  Every now and then they actually have stories breaking.  I know what you are asking, there have been rumors about the director and Vin Diesel and stuff.  I got called on Friday by someone at the studio, who I have a relationship with, and they were going to offer me this movie.  It’s true that there was, at a certain point in the history of this film, where it was going to be a Vin Diesel film.  I got called on a Friday, from my agent, and I actually got an official offer.  ‘You have been offered ‘Hitman’.  They said they were going to offer it to you and they have.  Here is the offer.’  That was left on my machine.  On Monday morning I ran into a guy I had never met, I met him and he actually plays hockey for the Rangers now, and he says ‘I hear you took this job from Vin Diesel.  I hear you stole a job from Vin Diesel.’  I think ‘What is he talking about?’  I thought ‘He can’t be talking about ‘Hitman’ because I just got the phone call Friday.’  I hadn’t even returned the phone call.  ‘Is he talking about this movie I did years ago?  ‘A Man Apart’?  Does he thing I stole a movie from him?’  So I asked him what he was talking about?  ‘Are you talking about ‘A Man Apart’?’  He says ‘No, I’m talking about this thing that is a video game.’  I was like ‘Get the fuck out of here!’  I said ‘Who do you know at the studio?’  He said ‘Nobody.  I read it online.’  I was like ‘What do you mean you read it online?  How can you read it online?  It hasn’t happened.’  He said ‘This morning I read that you are going to do this movie.’  I got home and my wife said the same thing.  ‘Oh, so and so told me that you are going to do ‘Hitman’.’  My wife and I are going ‘What are they talking about?’  We hadn’t even begun negotiations. At the same time it was true though? Olyphant:  Well, it’s not totally true.  It’s not true.  It was just an offer.  I hadn’t even begun negotiations.  I could have passed on it.  That afternoon I could have called and said ‘No thanks, I appreciate it.’  Now, what’s that story?  Then there is a new story ‘Well, that’s not true.  Now this is true.’  It’s pointless.  My point is, I don’t know if there is any value, I’m quite certain I don’t think there is any value in addressing it with any real seriousness. Did you bring anything from that character in ‘Deadwood’ to ‘Hitman’? Olyphant:  I don’t know if you bring anything from that character.  There are certain elements that are similar.  They are both characters that are capable of great violence.  I think they are very conflicted characters.  I think they have similarities, is my point, if that is what you meant.  Yes, I do think that much.  I think they are both guys who are men of few words.  I think it’s a different thing though.  For the movie, maybe you can tell me more, but for the movie Xavier and I both thought that there must be a certain weight to the character.  There is almost sadness to the character.  I don’t think that existed too much in ‘Deadwood’.  I think that was a guy who was more connected emotionally.  He was very conflicted, and difficult, but this character leads a very lonely life.  He lives a lonely existence. The rumors about Xavier being fired, was that true that he was fired? Olyphant:  He is here in New York promoting the film. And that there were also re-shoots? Olyphant:  The other one is easier for me to address because it’s about me personally.  I don’t want to address any of these rumors about other people.  I joked around about it and then… You got taken seriously. Olyphant:  That is what is hilarious, from what I understand, I sat with the website people in LA.  They asked and I joked around with them.  From what I understand, some of the websites made it clear I was joking.  Other websites ran headlines as if I was being serious.  What I said was that I tried to get him fired a long time ago.  [Laughs]  That he didn’t speak English and didn’t anyone understand that was going to be a problem.  That was my joke.  They asked me about him being fired and I said ‘Get the fuck out?  They fired him?  I was trying to get that guy fired months ago.’  It was a joke from ‘Rushmore’.  When they tell him they are getting rid of Latin his response is ‘When?’  and they say ‘This semester.’  He said ‘I’ve been trying to get rid of Latin every year.  It’s a dead language.’  So, I’m fucking around.  Here is what I can tell you about Xavier. How was it working with Xavier actually? Olyphant:  First of all, he was final piece of the puzzle.  In a lot of ways he’s the reason I decided to do the movie.  He was a very bright guy and he was so clearly aiming high.  The films that he was inspired by, that he used for this movie in particular, were great films.  He had a great sense of what he wanted.  We sat and talked, when we first met, about character.  If you didn’t know the details you would have thought that we were talking about some independent film that was on its way to Sundance.  I mean that in the best way.  I thought that was just a real selling point for me, Xavier.  He had artistic sensibilities.  When you see those promos, you see the elegance of those images, and the beauty of the shots?  That is all to his credit.  He promised that and delivered that as well. How involved was Luc Besson in the film with shooting? Olyphant:  I don’t know how involved he was, in the sense that my relationship was primarily with Xavier.  He and I met in Los Angeles about two months before we started shooting, maybe 6 weeks.  Right after I met with him is when I started training.  The day after I met with him we said ‘I’m in, get me a trainer.’  I put on 15 pounds.  I met Luc on the set, so he was there, and he was involved.  But I don’t know to what extent he was involved.  I do know that since shooting I’ve been in touch with him much more.  He’s very enthusiastic and I get the impression he was very involved, behind the scenes, all along.  I think he was almost a mentor, I’m guessing, I don’t even know if that is fair to say.  I say that because I think Luc Besson has become quite the mentor for young filmmakers in Paris.  He is the guy that is constantly giving these young guys shots. Have you seen ‘La Femme Nikita’? Olyphant:  Yeah, are you kidding?  I walked around for weeks and it was the only syllables that came out of my mouth.  People would say ‘Hey, what’s up?’ I would say ‘La Femme Nikita’. If this becomes a franchise are you signed for sequels?  Can you see it going on? Olyphant:  I owe them my first born child, Fox studios.  If my wife and I have another kid we are contractually obligated to call him 20th Century.  We could name him Jim, but it would be 20th Century Jim.  20th Century Fred.  ‘We like the name Fredrick.’  ‘Well, it’s 20th Century Fredrick.’ And the middle name will be? Olyphant:  Agent 48. Back quickly to the re-shoots what where they for? Olyphant: We did little inserts here and there. What are you working on next?’ Olyphant:  I’m shooting an independent film right now.  It’s called ‘High Life.’  It’s about 4 morphine addicts, in 1983, who conspired to rob a bank.  If it’s not already obvious, it’s a comedy.  We wrap before the end of the year and then I need a job. How do you find the balance with a film like this? Olyphant:  Whichever one I’ve done last, like if I just finished a studio film, then I can’t wait to get my hands on an independent film. And it goes vice versa as well. I’ve been very lucky to be able to go back and forth.  I’ve just been very lucky. If I look back at the last three or four years, between ‘Deadwood’, ‘Catch and Release’, to ‘Hitman’, and a movie like ‘High Life’, that is a lot of different types of films.  They are different mediums and a really different variety of characters.  I feel very fortunate. It’s great and I hope it doesn’t stop. HITMAN OPENS NOVEMBER 21ST Source: Latino Review Tags: Hitman, Text Interview Comments hitman and others Commented By: mjl on 2009-02-17 22:57:49 I have seen a movie name hitman and few of timothy olyphant shows.I thank he is a good acter and keep up the good work? From MJl from s,c next 2 charlotte.n.c Agent 47 Commented By: Goodness on 2009-05-20 10:04:55 Happy birthday Tim,may God spare u so u can keep us more entertained.I was born May 4th so we share a star maybe thats why i like you so much.Anyway you were supa cool in HITMAN and i intend getting more of your work!!!!!!!!!!!!!