What is it about westerns that are special to you?
I think we need them. Maybe that sounds a little presumptuous but this country grew up with that kind of movie behind us. Some may think we don’t connect with them, but I look at my grandfather’s popularity.
I was lucky enough to be born John Wayne’s grandson. He hasn’t been out of the Top Ten Harris pole in popularity since its inception. In this past poll he was in the Top Three in a demographic of 15 to 35-year-olds. That blew my mind. That tells me there’s something transcendent not only about what he did, but about the stories he told and the way he told them. So for me, doing this film was about bringing back something from that day. Cowboys & Aliens has some scare in it, and it’s a darn good western. You want to bring your tweenager and above to it. It has some substance, values and it’s fun.
I did an interview with Joe Sewell who was on the set with your grandfather in the 1930 The Big Trail and he shared some things about your dad that I thought were great.
Wow I didn’t know anyone was still around from that film. That’s amazing. My grandfather took a big chance on that film, and they took a big change on him doing that film.
What’s your character arc in Cowboys & Aliens?
I play a deputy who is aligned to Sheriff Taggart, and played by Keith Carradine, who is such a great actor. We have to go out on the trail to get our people back. And I’m there for his grandson Emmett (Noah Ringer) as well. I’m kind of a guardian; that’s my deputy profile, but also a simple townsperson who does the right thing – like my grandfather would (in his films). Good or bad, the deputy is there at the moment you need him.
What was it like to work with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford?
As cool as you think it is. You hope that the people you idolize or look up to when you’re growing up live up to what you’ve based those decisions on and they’ve exceeded that. It was tremendous to watch Harrison. He knew what needed to be done and understood his character and other peoples characters too, so he was so valuable in that sense. And he understands filmmaking and the genre well because he’s a part of the generation that had westerns. And Daniel was very keen on doing a western and having the challenge of doing a classic American role. It was great to be around them, and I was proud to watch them perform.
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