00:00Like, you know the whole actor's hat and glasses thing?
00:02It's not a disguise, it's more like a shop-clothes sign,
00:05like people approach you differently
00:06when you're wearing the hat and glasses.
00:08So like, it's not an undercover thing,
00:09but you do kind of go like,
00:10I'm not at work today, you know?
00:14The stars of Black Bag are sharing their best tips
00:17for going undercover.
00:18The Steven Soderbergh film is a gripping spy drama
00:21that follows two married intelligence agents,
00:24George and Catherine,
00:25played by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett,
00:27who seemingly have the perfect work-life balance,
00:30until Catherine is suspected of betraying the nation
00:33and George faces the ultimate test,
00:35loyalty to his marriage or his country.
00:38The rest of the cast of intelligence operatives
00:40are rounded out by Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page,
00:43Industries' Marisa Ebella,
00:44Moonlight's Naomi Harris,
00:46Furiosa's Tom Burke,
00:47and Pierce Brosnan.
00:48Ahead of the film,
00:49the cast chatted with the Hollywood reporter
00:51on Soderbergh's unique take on the spy world
00:53and the do's and don'ts of being a good spy.
00:56What I'm inspired by with him
00:58is that he's always setting himself a challenge.
01:01So he's always setting himself in a possible task.
01:04And when you're working with a director at his level,
01:06who is still continuing to stretch himself
01:08and to risk falling on his face,
01:11it sort of makes it on an on-set environment
01:14where everyone feels they're going to do the same.
01:17They want to bring it for him, I think.
01:19You know, he's a very unique filmmaker.
01:21He's one of the masters.
01:22He's got an incredible brain.
01:24The fact that he's lighting the room,
01:27he's operating the camera himself,
01:29he's directing,
01:30and he's editing,
01:31you know, later that day when we shoot a scene,
01:33he edits that night.
01:35Steven, would he make a good spy?
01:37Oh.
01:37Probably, yeah.
01:38Yeah.
01:38The cast also shared whether they had what it takes
01:41to be a good spy in real life.
01:43If you had something to hide,
01:45do you think you could actually pass a polygraph test?
01:48Are all of you good liars?
01:49What I would try and do
01:50is just have it go all over the place on the truth.
01:53Yeah.
01:54So just have my heart and sweat going nonstop.
01:57Yeah.
01:57Well, they're like,
01:57what is your name, Michael Vassbender?
01:59You're like,
01:59you can't even know.
02:00So everything's a lie.
02:01I'm a terrible liar.
02:03And even when I'm actually telling the truth,
02:05I start to feel guilty.
02:07I do try and think about it in a very fairer way.
02:10I'm like, how do I kind of, you know,
02:12slow the pulse, drop the temperature?
02:14But apparently all you need to do is clench your suitor.
02:17See, the movie isn't a piece of education
02:20for those who want to sit polygraph tests.
02:22If any of you had a moment
02:24where you successfully went undercover
02:27and went unnoticed,
02:29whether it was to avoid paparazzi
02:31or whatever the case may be.
02:33I don't think I need to.
02:34I don't.
02:35I don't think I can.
02:36I'm fine.
02:37People in London especially,
02:39maybe this is just me,
02:41don't care that much.
02:42You know what I mean?
02:43You're like on the tube
02:44and everyone's like, whatever.
02:45Unless you're like Justin Bieber or something.
02:47I guess, of course.
02:48Recently, where I was sort of going in
02:49and the person was like,
02:51oh, that was Michael Vassbender.
02:52And the other person was like,
02:53who's that?
02:55They were running down the street
02:57after you the other day
02:58when we came out of,
02:59was it Sirius?
03:00Yeah.
03:00Yeah.
03:00Sirius was a little intense.
03:02You think that's more of an intense place
03:04where you will find
03:05that your fan base will catch you?
03:06Radiant.
03:07Well, it's once people know where you are.
03:09I find that, like,
03:09you know the whole actor's
03:11like hat and glasses thing?
03:12It's not a disguise.
03:13It's more like a shop clothes sign
03:14where people approach you differently
03:16when you're wearing the hat and glasses.
03:17So, like, it's not an undercover thing.
03:18You do kind of go like,
03:20I'm going to work today.
03:21You know?
03:21Who in the cast would you say
03:23would make the worst spy?
03:25I think Naomi would probably
03:27make the best spy.
03:28The best, yeah.
03:28A spy told Naomi
03:29that she'd be a good spy.
03:31He's like,
03:32and we don't believe it.
03:33What she says.
03:36I went out with some undercover agents
03:38once in Miami
03:39and we did, like,
03:42we had to surround a drug dealer
03:44in our cars
03:46and, like, take him down.
03:48And unfortunately,
03:48we got the wrong person.
03:50So it was quite a dramatic
03:52undercover moment.
03:53A pivotal moment in the film
03:55happens during a certain
03:56dinner party scene
03:57where each of the film's characters
03:58shares a resolution for the others.
04:01People keep on asking,
04:02like, did we ad-lib?
04:03But really,
04:04there's only about two lines.
04:06I came up with,
04:07that's the most boring thing
04:09you've ever done.
04:10And that's even added,
04:11hands down.
04:12A game of poison darts.
04:14Because I think there's a relish
04:15and almost like a
04:17bring it on quality
04:19to what do you got?
04:21You think you've got some stuff on me?
04:22Well, I've got some stuff on you.
04:24While we don't share spoilers
04:25on how that turned out,
04:27the cast did play along
04:28sharing their own resolutions
04:29for each of their castmates.
04:31I will not drink
04:33French martinis
04:35the night before
04:36doing a junket.
04:40I resolve tonight
04:42to sneak in the word,
04:47um,
04:48what's the word?
04:49Platypus.
04:50Platypus.
04:51Into at least one interview
04:53on the red carpet.
04:54Excellent.
04:55I resolve to
04:57spend less time
04:58in the interview suites
04:59discussing my vowels.
05:02It's going to be tricky.
05:04Have you got a longing
05:05for a pet?
05:06Do you,
05:07you don't have a pet?
05:08Oh my gosh.
05:09I have a cat.
05:10Does the cat need
05:11another cat friend?
05:11It does.
05:12That's what I really feel.
05:14Yeah,
05:14you actually genuinely felt that.
05:16Because that's what I feel
05:16for Nala.
05:17my resolution
05:19would be to switch up
05:21the cold baths
05:22that she's currently doing
05:23with some warm
05:24flotation tanks.
05:26Quit the resolution
05:27to never get a tattoo
05:29and get mine
05:31and Stephen's names
05:32on one on each cheek.
05:35Don't you say
05:35quit acting?
05:37Quit,
05:38quit what you're saying?
05:39No,
05:41that's my resolution
05:42to quit acting.
05:44Although we do share that.
05:46Yes.
05:46It's a very dangerous
05:47line of work.
05:48I'll say.
05:51Black Bag hits theaters
05:53March 14th.
05:54For more on this interview
05:55head to THR.com
05:57and for the latest
05:58entertainment news
05:59and updates
05:59keep watching
06:00The Hollywood Reporter News.
06:01The Hollywood Reporter News.
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