Michael Kelly: JACK RYAN - Actor

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reloaded podcast.

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Jack Ryan, I think plays really well on long format, Jacob.

I can only imagine what's going on in your head right now. So I wasn't ready necessarily to commit to another six year show.

Every day you're under run, you're digging a hole that you may not be able to get out.

Of those two men playing the same character, of course you're going to get similar and it's.

A small group of hard line Russians former Plans Preserve USSR.

Mine November went through a real transition, especially the way we see him in season three.

You're about to cross the line and there may be no going back.

Because I'm trying to do the right thing. Dan, I'm going to say, like dance Monkey.

Hi Michael Kelly, how are you, and welcome to Australia.

I'm very well, Benjaminoris, thank you so much and thanks for having me. And it's incredible here.

Did you decide to come to Australia to launch this new series of Jack Ryan or did John drag you here? Like what's made you come down to Australia?

You know, I'm not sure.

I've heard different things about how this all went down because we were in Brazil, we had to go to the CIA after that, or I'm sorry, we got to go to the CIA after that and then came here. So it's been a bit of crazy travel. But John was here obviously working or working on post production on his film, and I think the way it went was he was speaking without one of our publishers here and said, well, Michael kelly'll come.

I don't come. I was like then, Carlin, I was like, hell, yeah, I'll come.

So as hard as it's been, I was just like, I am not going to pass up the opportunity to see Australia.

I've never been here.

Had you been? So you've never been here before? No?

Wow? So I feel so grateful to have got to come on this trip.

We need to talk about the show. But I feel like, you know all Ozsie's love to give you the suggestion as to where to go. Have you just stayed in Sydney or are you going to try and venture out?

I did already, man, I got to go to the Great Barrier read that's all.

That's all I was going to suggest. That's it. You've done. You finished Australia.

I went to that beautiful little Elliott Island Eco Resort. I cannot say enough about that place is so special. You know, it's nothing like It's not like a crazy fancy resort. It's a you know, self sustaining dirt runway like it was magical and I truly feel more connected to myself and to the earth than I have in a very long time.

I'm glad that you had that opportunity. I did breakfast radio for three years right near the Great Barrier reef and we used to take competition winners to Lady Elliott, you know, just on the weekend, just as you do.

It's not the most insane thing like I just couldn't believe it, man, I couldn't. I couldn't believe it.

Yes, it's funny, right They give you the ear plugs for next year in bed and I was like, why in the world would you need ear plugs in the middle of nowhere? And then you for birds. They don't stop that I stopped, They don't stop, and they just keep going all through the night, all through the morning. But I didn't want the ear plugs, and I didn't. I just left the screen door open and the screen door closed. Sorry, I'm not gonna I'm.

Not that crazy.

Australian spot is the snakes will come and get you, mate.

It was so funny. We went by to a room one night and I went to close my door and something just came flying in. I was like, son, bit, what was that. I just like, I'm not going to find it. I'm not going to find it. Sover a sleeping together tonight.

Well, congratulations, congratulations on this role. You know, I grew up watching and loving the Tom Clancy characters. You know, how well did you know the universe before signing up as Mike November?

I knew, you know, most American men my age were boys during the come up into Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan, So did you live for it? Man?

It was like, who was playing mnaxt?

What was going to be the story and what was going to be the film, and it's a really big deal in our country. I'm not sure about here, but he's an icon and so to get to be a part of that was just an incredible honor.

Man. All I remember was so my stepfather was English and my grandfather Australian, but they loved the books, and so whenever a film came out, right back to the Hunt for Red October, we all got dragged as kids off to see the films, so we didn't miss any of them. And I can still remember Patriot Games. There was a scene on the roof and I was so terrified that my mum had to take me out to get a chopped top. So the series is in my DNA.

And so when you get you know, I was still on House of Cards.

I was finishing the end of that run and I got the you know, would you be interested in coming to join Jack Ryan for a year for one season?

And I was like, oh, hell yeah.

You know, I didn't have to make because typically when you jump onto another show, it's a six year contract. While that sounds good for the actor, it's beneficial of the studio. Only they can keep you for six years, but if you want out, you.

Can't get out.

So I wasn't ready necessarily to commit to another six year show. So they were like, Jack Ryan, one season, you in and out. I was like, sweet, wait, I get to be.

They sent me the first episode in the first season they did, and I was like, oh my god, this looks like a movie like John was so terrific as Jack Ryan. I was like, yeah, guys, I'm in. And then it just thankfully kept going.

So I also love that you had sort of requirements because House of Cards were so iconic, and obviously you were kind of tired and looking for something different. So he said, you know, don't put me in a suit. And then the first day you turned up, they put you in a suit for Jack Ryan, and I just thought that was that was genius.

Totally, because the producers they straight up laden me.

They're like, no, man, maybe like, you know, a couple scenes in a suit and time maybe maybe, like, but hardly at all.

And I was like, all right, cool.

Oh by the way, I don't speak Spanish either, and they were like, no problem, me hardly speaks any Spanish. I was like, okay, cool, I can because if you need someone who speaks Spanish, you guys should probably hire someone else. Even though I really wanted the job, I was just being one hundred percent on it cut to me having to learn interrogation scenes in Spanish and wearing a suit and tie.

I just can't believe how good you are at this. And I honestly thought they'd kill you off in series two. So I was surprised pleasantly but to see you back for season three, and I also noticed that they're getting you to do more things, which made me wonder, did you say, get rid of the ties, get rid of the Spanish, I want to go out and do some more action. Did they write that in for you or were you just pleasantly surprised at that?

I certainly, you know, while we were doing two, and as we got to the end of two, and.

You saw as as Mike turned it, turned his back so to speak, on the CIA because he knew.

It was the right thing to do.

In his heart, he knew Jack was right, and he was like, I'm throwing it on the line. I'm going So as that happened, I think the interesting thing that happened with that was the relationship with Greer and Jack, their relationship grew, there was a familiarity, and it also happened to coincide with me and John and Wendell becoming very tight and very good friends. And so that sense of humor that we have in real life started to started to write some lines or that, and then it's

Challenge as an actor to also get to do that and change.

You know. Well, I have it on good authority that you get along with John very well, because I've been watching a lot of interviews and I spoke to Publicity and they were like, you guys have been having a really good time. What do you think it is about the relationship between the two of you that means you guys have such a good time together.

I think I don't know, really, I mean, I guess we're very similar. People were both family first guys, you know, like that we share the same values. I'm not going to say we share the same sense of humor because he is ten times funnier than I am, but we

We are, you know, And we both see that the same way.

Like we get to a city and it's like we're all, you know, we're gonna go see and do anything and everything there is to do in those places, and so we're adventures.

I guess as well.

I'm always thinking of the outtakes though, because I mean, you know, I think it's super hilarious that you and John have the laugh so much, you know, and you guys have that repertoise. I'm assuming that there's a lot of outtakes that they have when I'm making the show with some banter between the two of you.

I mean, Jesus, we were doing press the other day and I couldn't even get some We had to do a couple things straight your camera and I was just like, nope, can do that. I kept dying laughing, And once we start laughing, you can't stop. So the outtakes from the show. I can't imagine the amount of film wasted.

My dad went out with this woman who was very famous here in Australia and she was morning television was what she did, and they would send all the outtakes of the year as a Christmas present. So as kids we used to watch all the outtakes and there was hundreds, but it was it was the funniest thing in the world. It was, you know, the best. Have they ever been able to send you a tape of outtakes? So maybe that's under lock and key.

I've seen now, I've seen I've seen clips.

Certainly when when the editor comes across a really you know, funny little thing, they'll they'll they'll share with us, or production will or Amazon will, and it's it's fundering live because you can, you know, you can take yourself back to that day.

And I remember one one really funny one that we were funny enough. We were in New York.

We had shot this scene in Budapeshe we shot it again in another country because it wasn't right and it was inside of a tent, right, So it was something we could shoot in various locations. The exterior of that shot in one location, and then the rest of it was we just kept redoing it because it wasn't exactly right. Anyways, were in the third time through it and there rewrote the dialogue and it was very complicated, like you know, here's the pep up.

You know, asset talk and all the CIA talk.

And we had been going for hours and lunch wasn't for another hour, and I was I was dying, and they came by with these Jamaican beef patties for in New York and I was like, and I don't. I typically don't do that, especially when you're in a scene with somebody. And I just housed it, ate it real because they're like, we're ready to go, and I was like, I just jammed the whole thing down. And literally Jack comes into the tent and he comes right up to me.

And it was before we could get one.

That was an infurrency, and I remember the producing director was just sitting back there, going, this is it. Guy, just waste my whole fucking day.

This is great. The whole day. The two of us were like two ten year old kids, just laughing so hard. It was really funny.

That's the will teach you for hoovering it. You know. I was excited to chat with you today because I have this theory and I was wondering whether you did any research and watched this before you, you know, joined John on the show. But do you think he's doing a Harrison Ford impersonation with this character? I mean, is that his inspiration? Because there's some moments in this show where I'm like, who is that active that he sounds like? And he sounds like Harrison Ford?

No, I think I see he does a little bit sound like him, and I could certainly hear that, but not it is certainly John is not one actor to ever do someone like he's. He's his own thing, and I think it's it's something I appreciate so much about his work is that he would never you know, it's always so unique what he does.

It's so him, you know. I think those two guys, those two men playing the same character, of course you're going to get similarities. But no, I can't speak for him, but I'm going to God on a limit.

And say, no, I'm going to say that, Okay, who just shows me with my fan it probably says more about my favorite Jack Ryan to people ask you that as well, who's your favorite Jack Ryan? After we've had so many of them, and then make you obviously, if we take John out of the equation, who is your favorite?

I can't it's isn't it funny?

Like it's hard to remove him from it once you've seen it, right, it's hard to say yeah, because he really is my favorite.

And I think the reason he's my favorite is because I feel, to a.

Certain extent that he did what nobody else did by bringing true heart and humanity to that character, true like just real. It's something that I see a lot in John's work. He has the ability to tap into this too, that thing that's inside of him, that humanity and that heart and that passion and that drive, and it just comes out through not it's not necessarily what he's saying sometimes, but it's just he has that ability to do that.

But I think that's why he just that's what in my head is Jack Ryan is John. Because of that, he.

Kind of has like an every man sense to him. You want to be his friend, you know what I mean, Like he turns this character into something more real. I think it's the that's the word. It's the realist of seeing this character and in real world the most relatable and you're rooting for him the whole way through it. I think he kind of has this every man quality and.

I think, you know, I've heard him say in a couple of interviews he says, you know, this is the neatest thing about playing Jack Ryan. He says, is that And I'm paraphrasing, so don't quote me exactly, but he said, basically, you know that this is as a kid, you're reading those books, you're watching those movies.

It's someone you can become.

He doesn't want to kay, he doesn't fly two lasers out of his eyes. He is just the guy who went to a good school, who went to the CIA, and he could be yourn extra neighbor. You never know because Cee I didn't let you know if there's agents, as like you don't.

Know your next just letting you know living next door to a SI agent, We're just going to blow his cover right now. Good luck with that.

But it makes it that much more believable, right like that. That's and I think that's why it is easy for people to identify with that.

You know, the show's kind of proof that Tave has come such a long way with the quality of stunts and the writing on this show. Yeah, what about for you? Do you like telling stories and long form as opposed to a film where obviously there's the time constraint of you know, getting your beginning in the middle in and out pretty quickly. As an actor, as a character actor, do you enjoy getting more involved?

Yeah, one hundred percent. I mean, you look at look it out. My November doesn't go through what he's gone through from two to three in a short story format, right in a film format, like it would be very difficult to have all those things happen that change that man so much that he does he does right, or it would just be a little bit less believable because you spend those a little bit of time and you see it happen over time.

I think it's far more interesting like that.

I love doing films as well, but there are some stories that are better suited for film, and there are some stories that are better suited for longer format television or streaming or whatever it's called today.

I don't know it. Do you even call it television anymore? But you know what I mean.

Like Jack Ryan, I think plays really well in long format because you can spend the time with these characters. You can understand the decisions more. You know, you understand you watch Mission Impossible, you understand he goes from A to B and it happens like that, and you get it because the stories are very well written. But when you get to see him make those decisions getting from A to B and you see all those things happening, and what forces you down this path and then that

And I love it.

I love that we forget in a way that TV and film and all of that's kind of a companionship. And the more real that you see these people, the more you connect to them. You know, the more you see yourself in the TV shows that you watch, the more relatable it is. So I you know, I can see that. Do you get protective over your characters as time goes on? I mean, you've played some pretty iconic characters, you know, House of Cards would be one of them.

No, I don't.

I am not a not a writer, And funny enough, I was always going to direct the last season als the Car. When it went down the last episodes, they ended up not doing it.

But I'm not creative in that way for my characters.

I always feel that the writers, you know, these are people who spent their lives writing, you know, their lives creating.

Will I occasionally give feedback if asked, what do you think would Doug do this? Or we might do that?

You know, then I can say, well that seems to fit logically, and what what I think of the character?

Sure, but I don't. I'm not protective in that way. I often joke on set. I might just tell me.

Where to stand and tell me what to say, like dance monkey, I'll dance you know likes. That's because I feel like there are people who are better suited for that than I am.

It must be surreal, though, to get to play these characters with so much, you know, interest in them. Do your friends and do your family, do your neighbors try and hit you up for the twists and turns on Jack Ryan or the show.

I'm well, going back to House of Cards, you got to be damn good at it? Like that was that was crazy? I mean, I remember season two. Kate Mar's character was not there for all of season two. Obviously she died, but we had to keep up the you know, we were tweeting pictures of each other during filming of the second season that we had taken them all during season one.

And just you have to be to be a good liar.

But the cool thing is is like my folks, my brother and sisters, they don't even ask because they know I'm not going to tell them, and they don't want me to tell them. Like it's funny because people they want to know, but you know, they don't want to know, so there's no point in out because they want to be surprised. They want to see it for the first time and feel it. And you know, it's like Sixth Sense.

Was that I was in Bali, and I don't know if you've ever been to Bali, but I was in Bali and they was selling those illegal Davy days and this man said to me, uh, this is the Sixth Sense. He's like big movie in America. He said, Bruce Willis is a ghost. And so I watched the whole of Sixth Sense before I was out in the cinemas in Australia, and that was the reason why I bought it. And that's why don't know why I was buying these illegal Davy Days, but I still to this day I never

I remember my buddy, we were working in this instinement shop in Chelsea when I was still working other jobs, and he said to me, he goes, have you seen have you seen Sixth Sense yet? And I was like no, and he's like, dude, you're going after work and I was like, I'll see it and he was like because I was like I see them people. I was like, I don't know.

It doesn't love like a movie for me. And he was like, go see it today after work, and he literally walked with me after work to the theater and I went in to see it.

He had already seen it, so he stayed out. And then I called him later that night and I was like, thank you so much. He was like, now you see why. He's like I just didn't want someone to tell you before you had a chance to see it. So I was very grateful.

And then did you is that the reason why? Because didn't you do Unbreakable, did you work with them not?

That was a golden opportunity, man, I was that one. That was so cool because it was one of my It was very early in my career.

And I remember the casting director, Doug when I were friendly at the time, and it was like, I really want you to.

Meet this director and it's it's not a big role, but it's really it's a cool role.

And I just remember reading and then I remember the trailer coming out and we were playing poker over at my house and all the guys were downstairs in the basement and I was upstairs and they just started screaming, dude. And by the time I got down the stairs, I was still the voiceover for the whole commercial.

And I was like, oh my god.

You know, it was a small role, but it became the voiceover for the whole trailer, you know, and you know, it's just that was that was a great, great honor man, to be a part of m.

Night film is my favorite Unbreakable. I just it's so good. I mean the sixth Sense is kind of a bit of a popcorn film in a way. I mean there is a lot of depth to it as well, and Tony is so good at it, and Bruce is really good at it, Like it's a great it's a great film. But Unbreakable gets me every time you like start to watch it, and it's one of his more it's longer films, but it's absolutely brilliant.

One of my coolest moments that I ever had on a set. So we were reading through that.

Scene and you know, basically I'm talking and the whole time, Bruce was just like, I don't I don't know what happened, and and and m Night was like, hang on, guys, because it was a wonder that whole The whole scene is just him pushing in over the dying body and me and him in the background, right, and then it gets to a two shot of us profile and so it was this long, doing one take, don't function up kind of thing, and he said, guys, can I can we clear the set?

And it was just me and M.

Knight and Bruce and I'm sitting there and I'm just listening to m Night talk and Bruce give feedback, and I'm just sort of like, this is this is the most insane thing ever. Like I said, it's one of my early movies. And I look up across the room and there's Robin Wright just stand there across the room, just watching m Night talk to the two of us. And I was like, holy shit, I'm doing it. I am in fucking Hollywood and I'm doing it.

It was just such a surreal moment.

And then all those years later, and you know, I told Robin the story and she was like, oh, that's so cute.

Did you remember you? Did you remember as And of course she'd remember, but does she remember that moment?

I should say, probably don't remember.

Anyway, it's your life. It seems more potent for.

You exactly, Like she's like, oh, yeah, you were there. That's cool, that's amazing.

I think.

I mean, you've made some brilliant films. When I was going to interview, I was talking to a friend of mine and he was like, name three movies, and the movies that I named was Unbreakable, The Change Link, Man on the Moon and Secret in their Eyes. Honestly, You've You've got a fantastic resume, some fantastic characters. But no matter whether or not it's a small role or a big role, and I always enjoy watching you. I think

I don't know now.

Sometimes not long enough because John likes to rewrite on the day so or that or that morning before he gets to work, so that's kind of a funny thing. He'll come, he'll come to set and he'll be like, hey, dude, all right, so check it out. I got the scene, figured it out now. And he's like, so you're just gonna forget I'll say this, and now you're gonna say that instead of me. And then I'm gonna take this monologue from here and we're gonna put it over here.

For it now brilliant. I love it. That's the best sacred ever. Thanks man, being you're an Australia and enjoyed sheading to the Australian media as well.

You got a buddy. Thank you man, Have a good vie later.