Did you find out things from this film that you didn't know previously?
Yes. Really from page one of the script it was a chapter of history that I didn't really know anything about so it was just a thrill and an honour to be able to contribute and to tell this story. I had never heard before about how the Navajo took part in the war and how they really helped turn things around and helped us win.
Did you pick up any Navajo?
I can say 'yah tay' (phonetic spelling) - which means 'hello'. That's the formal Navajo greeting.
What drew you to the role of Ryan 'Ox' Anderson?
One of the things I really liked about the script, about the character really, was the conflict - the conflict of the war and the conflict between the characters, the position they're in, and the conflict the characters feel in themselves. I really play the opposite side of the coin to Nic's character who's a little bit more war weary, a little bit more beaten up by the war. He begins to notice that he does have an open heart, and find the beauty of the people that he's assigned to protect. He hasn't really lost his faith in humanity. That's what I loved about it. I thought it was important to have this kind of character there for this movie.
Did John Woo really make you all do a week of boot camp?
That was great. I think it helped me to feel more comfortable in the uniform I was wearing. I felt like I owned it. And through that experience we all got to know each other and form a real friendship that helped us once filming started.
