Donnie Wahlberg of Saw II

www.ugo.com

Interview by Daniel Robert Epstein, contributing editor

Donnie Wahlberg is one of the most underrated actors working today, completely transforming himself in films like The Sixth Sense and Dreamcatcher. Donnie plays Eric Mason, a detective who is drawn into the game of Saw II when his son is kidnapped.

UGO: What made you want to be in Saw II?

DONNIE: I was a fan of the first. I knew there was a danger in doing the sequel because there is such a core audience for the Saw movies. The fans of the movie actually demanded a sequel. They wanted it and on the one hand that's good, because you know there's an audience. But on the other hand, they want it to be done right. They don't want it to be a piece of crap and I don't want to be the face that's out there in the front destroying this franchise and making all the core fans mad. I read the script and I knew they were trying to make this better.

UGO: Are you a horror film fan?

DONNIE: In doses, I like all different kinds of movies. I like any movie that can take me somewhere and make me feel something. If it's happy, if it's sad, if it's angry - Liar Liar made me laugh so hard and Crash and Hustle and Flow really affected me. Horror movies, if they're done well, can make you feel nasty or scared or relieved. Saw makes you think, squirm and wonder. At the core of these movies, is a very real situation. I play a dad whose last words to his son were, "Go to hell." These movies make you imagine what you would do in these situations. Would I cut off my foot? Would I be able to sit and talk with someone who's got my son? Would I lose control?

UGO: After 20 years, this is the most film time Tobin Bell has had on screen...

DONNIE: It was great. Tobin wasn't obligated to do the second film but he wanted to. I think they brought me into this film because there's a first time director and my reputation is one of an actor who's there for the betterment of the project. I'm not there to better myself. I'm there to bring all my resources to the project to make it as good as it can be. In the end, that makes everyone look good. Tobin was just like that. We had serious concerns about the plausibility about these two guys sitting around a table talking to each other, knowing what was going on in this other place. The way it was written at first, we just didn't buy it so we wanted to make it one of the strongest points of the movie. We would shoot all day and write all night and re-write and experiment and do the scenes in different ways. We would improvise whole passes. It's not an Academy Award level film, but we just worked as hard we could to make it plausible.

UGO: I read that the details of your character interested you, down to the tie he wore. Why do the details interest you?

DONNIE: That may read more heavy than it actually is. I was more concerned that they put a few mustard stains on the tie. This is the kind of guy who doesn't have the time to deal with that stuff. He doesn't care. With acting, it's all about internalizing the character and doing all the preparation you can. So the day you first step into your wardrobe, you can walk like the person. That's really the moment where the light bulb goes on. Every actor is nervous, that's why actors are so neurotic. We doubt up until the last minute that we can be this person. So the more work you do gets you in touch with who the character is. If they bring me a Versace suit, and I'm supposed to be some cop who doesn't care anymore, then you better stain up that Versace suit pretty good. You can't have me looking like I just left the Sean Jean warehouse when I'm supposed to be this guy who hasn't seen the dry cleaner for six months. Details become important when you get really engaged.

UGO: Initially the audience has sympathy, but as the film progresses, we see another side of your character that's repulsive.

DONNIE: You can't dictate if a character's going to come off as sympathetic to an audience. I just tried to play it as honest as possible. A lot of times, I tried to make the choice that I think most parents would make and that most people could relate to. In terms of the bad stuff, I think most of the bad things this guy did are in his past. We don't see it. We don't see him be a corrupt cop or unethical person. We see him do whatever he has to do to get back the person he cares about. I didn't worry about the other stuff. There are certain choices you can make that would suggest that he's unethical, but I played it as a parent first and a bad guy second. I hope it come out the right way.

UGO: What can fans of the first Saw expect in the sequel?

DONNIE: I think it really picks up where the other film left off. A lot of times, sequels get overblown for the sake of doing it. It's bigger, it's crazier, there are more twists, but it's still true to the groundbreaking format that they conceived in the first film. It's smart; it makes you think because it's all connected. It's not just random stuff for no reason. It's not a dude with an ice pick just chopping people up. It's all connected and ultimately centers around one person who made a mistake, doesn't care anymore and is forced to re-evaluate where he stands in life.

UGO: What's the best music concert you ever went to?

DONNIE: Stevie Wonder in 1986.