Actor Theo Rossi of “Sons of Anarchy” chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his three new films “Come with Me,” “Bruton” and “The Saviors.”
‘Come with Me’
In the psychological thriller, Rossie plays working-class man Simon Ward, whose life begins to unravel following a traumatic home invasion and personal loss, leading him to fall under the influence of a radical radio host (played by Ron Perlman).
On the movie “Come with Me,” he remarked, “It’s certainly a film that gives you a lot to think about. It’s heavy, but incredibly relevant. It reminded me of ‘Emily the Criminal,’ another film we covered that felt especially poignant given today’s society. Unfortunately, I suspect both films will remain relevant 10 years from now.”
Playing his ‘Come with Me’ character
Rossi was drawn to his character, Simon, in “Come with Me” for many reasons. “I loved the opportunity to portray someone whose life gradually drifts into the abyss. He starts out as a good person. He is hopeful, he is trying, and he genuinely wants things to work out. Eventually, the world beats him down to the point where he’s completely lost and simply searching for guidance,” he said.
“I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to,” he admitted. “I loved his hopefulness in the beginning, but you watch that hope slowly give way to confusion and chaos.”
Lessons learned from the ‘Come with Me’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from the “Come with Me” script, he reflected, “It taught me the importance of checking on people because you never really know what someone is going through.”4
“We are so good at masking our struggles that sometimes we assume we are the only ones experiencing certain emotions, insecurities, or challenges but the truth is, everybody is going through something. You just never know how deeply someone might be struggling,” he noted.
“In Simon’s case, he was at an extreme point. There’s a saying, ‘Check on your strong friends, and that really resonated with me. We need to remember to check on one another,” he added.
‘Bruton‘
Rossi also played real-life person Bryan Bruton in the film “Bruton.” “That was amazing,” he exclaimed. “Of all the films I’ve done, that one is definitely one of my favorites right now, especially because it’s the project we are currently promoting.”
“Playing someone who is still alive and who recently experienced everything portrayed in the film was an incredible responsibility. I had the opportunity to spend time in his world, understand his life over 13 years, and experience all the hardships, and ups and downs alongside him. It was remarkable to play someone who was right there beside me throughout the process and to learn directly from him as I brought his story to life,” he elaborated.
On the lessons learned from the “Bruton” screenplay, he reflected, “It taught me about hope and the possibility of change. Anyone can change. You can transform your life remarkably quickly if you truly set your mind to it. I don’t believe that you are simply a product of where you come from. It’s not just nature versus nurture. What matters is what you are going to do differently.”
“You can’t allow past experiences, no matter how difficult or painful, to define your future. You can always reinvent yourself,” he added.
‘The Saviors’
On starring in “The Saviors,” Rossi remarked, “That was another fascinating project. What a wild movie! It really speaks to the times we are living in. It’s topical, it’s relevant, and it reminds you that nothing is necessarily as it seems. That’s probably the biggest takeaway: nothing is as it seems.”
“You’re looking at three completely different films. Each film is completely different, and that’s exactly what I love about the work. I have no interest in repeating myself. I’ve always wanted to be known as an artist who takes risks and embraces wildly different characters,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology and social media are so prevalent, Rossi said, “It’s different. I’m an extremely private person, and I prefer to see myself through the characters I play rather than constantly talking about my everyday life.”
“The digital age is almost the complete opposite of how I grew up. Back then, we tried to avoid being seen. We let our actions speak for themselves, moved quietly, and simply existed. Now, everybody is essentially their own movie star. Everyone has a platform and an audience. It’s a very different world,” he noted.
‘Sons of Anarchy’
On being a part of the TV phenom “Sons of Anarchy,” he recalled, “It was the beginning of so much for me. Although I had been acting for a while before it, ‘Sons of Anarchy’ was really the show that launched everything. It defined a huge part of my life. I spent eight years on that show, and that is a significant amount of time.”
“Now, we are getting the opportunity to come back together and revisit it, which is incredibly exciting,” he exclaimed. “We start at the beginning of next year, and we are all looking forward to it. Being able to return to something that shaped so much of my life is going to be incredible.”
Working with Kim Coates
When asked what it was like to work with Kim Coates, Rossi responded, “We absolutely love Kim! He is something else. You can’t create a human being like that. He is truly one of a kind, and I absolutely love him. We love Coatsey! He is just one of a kind.”
Advice for young and emerging actors and filmmakers
For young and aspiring actors and filmmakers, he said, “I think it’s all about finding and embracing your individual voice. You have to come from your own perspective. You can’t simply copy somebody else. We all see the world differently because of our experiences, our upbringing, and the lives we’ve lived.”
“Uniqueness is incredibly valuable right now,” he underscored. The more authentic and original you can be, the better. If you can somehow translate your own existence, your experiences, and your perspective into a screenplay or onto a screen, I think you’ll really stand out.”
“So much of what we see today feels like a carbon copy of something else. Audiences are getting tired of that. They want unique voices and original perspectives,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Relentless.”
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be to “manipulate time.” “Being able to move forward and backward and control time. I think life is all about timing. If I could manipulate time, I could probably figure everything out,” he said.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Rossi said, “Success and peace should essentially be synonymous. For me, success is about having peace within yourself and peace with the people around you. I want the people I love and care about to be at peace, and I want to feel that same peace within myself.”
“I also believe that peace comes from learning what you can live without, rather than focusing on what you can live with,” he said. “You have to understand what you don’t need in your life. I’m at a stage where I don’t need much, and that realization has brought me a tremendous amount of peace.”
Message for his fans
For his fans, Rossi enthused, “I look at my fans as family because they’ve been with me from the very beginning. I started as an extra. I literally started at the bottom. There wasn’t a ladder, a step stool, or anyone pushing me up. It was just me and the people who believed in me.”
“They’ve followed me through all the journeys, trials, tribulations, different roles, and all the crazy characters I’ve had the opportunity to play. So, to me, we’re in this together. We are still just getting started. We’re on the rise,” he added.
Closing thoughts on his three new films
For fans and viewers, Rossi remarked about these three new films, “They are three wildly different films, and that’s exactly what I want audiences to recognize. I’ve always wanted to be known as an artist who takes risks. I want to play characters who challenge me and are completely different from one another.”
“I have no interest in repeating myself. If I can continue bringing audiences these kinds of diverse characters and performances, hopefully I’ll keep them interested and engaged,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Theo Rossi, follow him on Instagram.
