Actor Topher Grace's favorite part of his job is the opportunity to change it up, so to speak, from one film to the next.
“I remember leaving the set of 'Predators' - in which I played a serial killer – and, with blood still under my nails, I went to the screening of 'Valentines Day,'” Grace explains. “ I probably have less money because of it but I figure that I am relatively young and I like the learning of it. Everything is a learning experience if you are doing different things all of the time.”
In “The Double,” a senator's murder – which bears the earmarks of a presumed-dead Soviet assassin – brings a CIA operative (Richard Gere) out of retirement. Grace plays a young FBI agent with whom Paul is forced to partner. The actor says he took the role because he liked his character. Of course, the chance to shoot a gun and be a chase scene – both of which he had not done in a movie until now – was a bonus.
“Every boy plays secret agent so I feel like I have been in training for a long time,” explains Grace, noting that screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas had found a great way into a genre that he loves, which includes films like “No Way Out,” “The Parallax View” and “Three Days of the Condor.” “I miss that genre. They don't make enough of those any more.”
Stephen Moyer, who plays an imprisoned KGB assassin who may very well hold the key to the case, agrees with Grace's philosophy when it comes to acting. He admits to always looking for stuff that takes him outside of your comfort zone, noting that his character in “The Double” is not only well-written but also quite dark.
“I kind of played with the idea that he had been in solitary confinement for 10 ... years,” says Moyer, who is known best for his role on HBO's “True Blood.” “So when somebody comes and there is an opportunity for him to use his skills, it was a lot of fun. He was an impactful character that I saw I was going to enjoy. Any possibilities to chew the scenery and I will.”
Grace agrees, noting that he is proud of having played both characters who are purely good and those who are just putting it on and end up being the bad guys. However, the actor maintains that his fluid approach is not the best recipe for success in Hollywood – at least in terms of celebrity. Then again, an upcoming film slate that includes “The Wedding,” a comedy starring Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams, is not too shabby.
“The Double” (PG-13 – 98 minutes) opens Friday, Nov. 4 at movie theaters throughout the Valley. Visit FirstLook.com for specific showtimes.
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