Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” is the middle installment in the “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy. In the second installment, actor Djimon Hounsou plays a villain named “Drago.” His character is intent on trying to mess up the peace that is created at the end of the first movie between the dragons and the vikings.
Hounsou sat down with The Eagle’s Emily Clapp to discuss his role in the film.
E: How do you keep up the adrenaline from all the work that you do; going from interview, to filming, to flying? Do you take caffeine?
DH: It’s part of the work. When you have a great film that you are selling you have to keep it together, uppity. Yeah, I’m always looking for caffeine. I was so tired this morning, so very tired. You make it happen. The motto is that you are no place more than for a few days, week or months because you are making a film. The set and crew becomes your immediate family, so the ones you like and don’t like become your immediate family, so you have all that on a film set. Well have to cope and deal with this creative endeavor that brought it together, the notion. Sleep when you can and keep it moving.
E: How do you prepare to play such a mean character?
DH: You play with the same compassion as a nice and loving character. The approach is very organic and has to be organic no matter how good or bad, and we all have a little window of badness in us. We all have a little nastiness that can get testy at times. Given that we all have a little nastiness, [it] can be embellished in the backstory.
E: Do you sit back and watch your own films?
DH: I wish that I could sit back and enjoy them as a normal audience member with a distant view, but I look for what can be done better and I don’t know if I could ever. This is because you are asked to act normal in a setting that is absolutely not normal and act as if it is truly happening and as if it is organically happening to you right then and there, but we do the best to duplicate and emulate it so when you are watching it all, it plays in your head to be done better.
E: You have worked on big projects like “Gladiatior,” “Blood Diamond” and “How To Train Your Dragon Two.” What would you say is your favorite that you have worked on?
DH: Wow that’s tough, if you would say favorite given social impact I would have to go with “Blood Diamond.” “Guardians of the Galaxy” was also fun… “How to Train Your Dragon 2” has its separate world.
E: How do you choose the next project you want to do? It just seems like you keep going.
DH: Well ultimately I’m just looking for a job to make a living at the same time, so obviously I’m trying to pick great characters in hopefully great films. So you’re at mercy for what’s available then. I’m thankful that I’ve made a few really good pictures that speaks to the volume of social change.
E: When you record your voice can you just show up in a t-shirt and jeans as opposed to when you are actually filming because you have to go through hair and make up?
DH: Yes, that is the part that is very liberating because it’s just you in the booth and there’s no one else to come around to do wardrobe touch ups or anything. You don’t have a whole life going on behind the camera and just for the sake of just shooting this little bit of scene. You don’t have all the drama.
E: Would you go for a role in the third installment of the “How to Train Your Dragon” series?
DH: I would take it if offered in a heartbeat but I’m hoping that I exist in the third; it would be nice.
E: How do you spend time preparing for a film? Do you research?
DH: No. It depends on the film and on the project and the character you’re playing. If it is something like “Blood Diamond” there is no place to go and look for that character. You can’t really research that. You just have to surrender to your imagination and it is in the story. There’s no place to go and look for it.
