Curtis Jackson
Interview: Curtis Jackson Talks Home of the Brave
"I think, just in general, the experience itself alters the person, period," said Jackson. "I actually had the opportunity to perform for soldiers in Iraq, so I experienced being out there. As soon as we got there, the guys said, 'Hey, not gonna bullsh*t you, you could die today.' We ended up spending an hour and a half on the road, on the airwaves, to take flight in an actual military aircraft, to take us to the base, and then I performed for them, and I ended up having to stay there for five hours after we performed, because they had some activity there, and then they got us out of there. But my whole perspective on things was altered by that, just getting a chance to go out there. I'm sure everyone that I met, they wasn't who their loved ones missed here, because I believe your spirit changes with that much death around you. You come in a platoon of fifty people, and then the platoon has forty seven people, then your platoon has thirty people, and then they bring new people in to fill those beds. So you've got people there writing their death letters. That they feel like tomorrow could be my day. So that's a whole other process."
Like many veterans, Atkins also loses his girlfriend during his time in Iraq, and part of his maladjustment to civilian life is his obsessive pursuit to get her back. "When you do the research, like the guys, when they get there, the girlfriend is everything that's running across their mind, constantly. And then they get their letters, and their phone calls, and they say Jody's got your girl now."
Besides understanding the characters, Home of the Brave required physical training as well. "It was like some boot camp training and stuff like that. It was pretty good, but I was in pretty good shape before that. So they had a tough time, you know, I kind of got through that."
Atkins was originally a smaller role in the film, but director Irwin Winkler wanted to take more advantage of Jackson's performance. "Irwin kept adding scenes. I mean, you're like wow, what did you just say? I prepared to do what we planned. Oh this is great, hold on, you're gonna do this, you're gonna stay, wait, no, stay! Create new scenes for you. I'm like wow. There's actually the scene in the film, I'm at the V.A. hospital, and I'm arguing with the guy out front, because there's no coming back and forth, and there was no dialogue for that scene. I just was in character, and I just went off on him."
Home of the Brave has a limited release this Friday.
Stay tuned for updates.
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