Forest Whitaker helps end the “Taken” trilogy with a bang.
In “Taken 3” out today, Liam Neeson returns as ex-covert operative Bryan Mills, whose reconciliation with his ex-wife is tragically cut short when she is brutally murdered. Consumed with rage, and framed for the crime, he goes on the run to evade the relentless pursuit of the CIA, FBI and the police. For one last time, Mills must use his “particular set of skills,” to track down the real killers, exact his unique brand of justice, and protect the only thing that matters to him now – his daughter. In the film, Franck Dotzler (Forest Whitaker) is on a mission to capture Mills and make him pay for his “crime.”
How was it working with Forest Whitaker?
Liam: It was terrific. I don’t want to spoil it for your audience that there are not too many scenes that we shared the silver screen with, but it was terrific to have Forest Whitaker in this franchise.
Forest, how was it to join this cast?
Forest: I was excited! I was excited because I loved what they’d done and I loved what Liam had done and I also was excited to get a chance to work with him. He is a really great actor.
Any fun memories from set?
Forest: Wow, it was just a good experience generally coming into this environment with this crew of people who really care, like a family. It’s good memories.
Detective Franck is a pretty complex and interesting character, how did you build the character? What inspired him?
Forest: I think I started to get inspired a little bit around the games and around trying to analyze who this guy was to figure out how I could deal with him. That was kind of a fun thing to try to figure out as the actor like “what were my obsessions, why am I driven to catch him, why do I love the game so much with him.” You know? And those were the things I was figuring out the most.
Is there anything you apply to real life that you learned from Bryan Mills?
Liam: I try and be a little better organized. Bryan Mills is obsessively organized. I am not that way. I try and apply a couple of those skills, but I fail abysmally every day.
If they weren’t at odds, do you think your characters could be friends?
Liam: I think they could be friends, yeah I think so.
Forest: Definitely, I mean I have a lot of respect for him. You know it builds as it goes along. I mean I’m like “who is this man, how is he thinking, how is he figuring this out?” It’s a great respect that goes on and I think in the last part of it you kind of can see that there is somewhat of a relationship that is built through the movie.
So why should fans come and see “Taken 3”?
Liam: It’s a great story, really good story line, the family unit that people loved in the first and second film is very very much there and we introduce Forest Whitaker, terrific character, great actor. But it’s a really good story line. I think it’s nice, it finishes off the franchise in a very very pleasing way.
“Taken 3” is now playing.
