Pierson Fodé made a badass entrance in 'The Man From Toronto' as The Man from Miami. The actor spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Pierson about going toe-to-toe with Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson.
For Pierson Fodé, the function of The Man From Miami was a no-holds-barred journey into the world of a villain. Initially, Pierson’s function in The Man From Toronto was a lot smaller within the authentic script, however the character was expanded upon within the revised imaginative and prescient. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Pierson about why he was all-in with The Man From Miami.
“He’s form of just like the Terminator. He simply saved going,” Pierson informed HollywoodLife. “Once I initially learn the script, his half was a lot smaller. He had a really cool entrance, and he had his three-piece swimsuit on and was able to rock and roll. However after I noticed the revised script after I booked the mission, he simply acquired much more badass. I simply couldn’t assist however actually dive into it. I feel one of many issues that was most enjoyable was, truthfully, the motion and diving into a personality that's form of like American Psycho in plenty of methods.”
After reserving The Man From Toronto, Pierson was put in a coaching routine and commenced working with Phil Silvera, who did all of the stunt choreography and was a second unit director. He ended up coaching for 4 months.
“So for a month, we skilled for anyplace from 4 to eight hours a day doing stunts and choreography and struggle choreography. However then he additionally introduced in an Military Ranger by the title of Jack Nevils, who’s an actual American hero. I performed the dangerous model of him within the film,” Pierson revealed. “He’s the actual man that will exit to literal terrorists and get rid of targets and defend America and the world and among the issues he can’t discuss. It’s actually superb all of the issues that he did. However between that coaching, all of the weapons coaching, studying the way to kill individuals in 450 alternative ways, and the way to make it look cool on display and guarantee that the digital camera caught all of the actions, I skilled for 4 months. From actually a month earlier than we began taking pictures to the final day of taking pictures, we have been doing struggle choreography.”
When The Man From Miami makes his grand entrance within the movie, Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson are additionally within the scene. Pierson by accident acquired punched within the face by Woody throughout one of many closing takes of the scene.
“On the final takes, your strikes begin to get just a little sloppy, and Woody is available in with a tough proper hook over one among these moments and simply completely clocks me within the face,” Pierson admitted. “We’re nonetheless within the second. My eyes simply water instantly, and we’re ending all the sequence since you don’t need to break. You’ve acquired hundreds of thousands of dollars taking place proper now. They lastly known as minimize, and I’m like seeing just a little little bit of stars second. He simply actually laid it in there. He was like, ‘Dude, you okay?'”
In the direction of the top of the movie, The Man From Miami additionally has a brutal struggle scene with Teddy the place he beats Teddy with a golf membership. Whereas filming the wild scene, Pierson revealed that Kevin informed him to not maintain again in any respect.
“He got here out like a trooper,” Pierson stated about Kevin. “I feel it was like, one or two levels that day in Toronto. We have been in a small city. I’d carried out most of my stuff with the stunt group, however then when he got here out to ship his traces and get his protection, he was like, ‘Man, simply go for it. Let’s simply get it in. Don’t be afraid to put a pair on me if it occurs.’ He was superior. He was an animal.”
Pierson famous that he admits Woody and Kevin’s work ethic. “I feel the general theme that I acquired from it was these guys present as much as set day by day they usually give it 110 p.c identical to all of us have been,” Pierson informed HollywoodLife. “And I noticed, too, they simply need to have enjoyable. We’re all on this business as a result of we like it. We admire it and need to inform tales that individuals get pleasure from watching, whether or not it modifications their life or it’s only a good popcorn film that individuals can watch and veg out for just a little bit. That’s what we talked about very often, the way to make profession modifications and technique modifications. Finally, it was like, that is the good job within the frickin’ world.”
Subsequent up, Pierson will star within the movie Dope Queens, which the actor stated was “among the finest scripts” he’s learn in a very long time. Much like The Man From Toronto, Pierson underwent a significant bodily transformation for his function in Dope Queens. “I went from 215 kilos to 167 kilos, roughly talking. I ended maintaining observe by the top of the shoot as a result of he was addicted to hurry and heroin and every little thing on the road that you just get hooked on,” Pierson stated.
He continued, “I feel 6 months after Man from Toronto, and I used to be simply coming off the top of one other film. Midway by means of that film so I didn’t change an excessive amount of of my character’s aesthetic, I began lowering my calorie consumption and doing intermittent fasting. I had a couple of month and a half to lose all that weight. So I actually simply stopped consuming for a couple of week and went straight to the total water-only quick and was doing two hours of cardio within the morning and two hours of cardio at evening. As I used to be working on the cardio machine, I used to be watching a documentary YouTube video known as Tender White Underbelly, which was interviewing homeless individuals on the streets that have been hooked on various kinds of every little thing.”