You’ve seen Frank Grillo somewhere. You know that face.
If you’re a fan of mid-budget indie action fare (as the author certainly is) Grillo is a household name, having shot and punched his way through two Purge movies, and fought off an alien invasion in the delightfully insane Beyond Skyline. He gave Liam Neeson grief in the survival drama The Grey, went toe to toe with Mel Gibson’s vengeful father in Edge of Darkness, and even took on Captain America in The Winter Soldier and Civil War.
He’s kind of a modern-day Charles Bronson or Lee Marvin – the sort of gruff and grizzled actor who may not attract much in the way of critical plaudits, but who excels in bringing real depth and gravitas to a wide array of tough guys, whether hero or villain, lead role or support.
His latest film sees him firmly in leading man heroic mode. In Boss Level, Grillo plays retired special forcers operator Roy Pulver, who finds himself stuck living the same day over and over again. Unlike Bill Murray, he’s not stuck in Punxsutawney; rather he has to fend off a veritable army of heavily armed assassins until one inevitably punches his ticket. How did he get here? Could it have something to do with his scientist ex-wife (Naomi Watts), her boss, the sinister Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson), and the weird Hadron-like machine they’re building? Almost certainly, and it’ll take a lot of violence to figure out exactly how.
It’s a project literally tailor-made for Grillo – he and Carnahan produced the film through their company War Party. Blunt Magazine was lucky enough to get some time with Grillo to talk about the film, his action heroes, and what the future holds.
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