Lochlyn Munro may not be an immediately recognisable name but the Canadian actor has certainly been a prominent face in mainstream media since his breakout in the late 90s. You’ll know him best for his comedic appearances in A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY, SCARY MOVIE and WHITE CHICKS but the talented star has also featured in 21 Jump Street, Charmed, Smallville, Castle and Arrow.
To celebrate the release of the new crime-thriller BADGE OF HONOR, we were fortunate enough to speak to Munro about the film, his past roles and his brilliantly diverse career.
Lochlyn: Hello, this is Lochlyn.
THN: Hello Lochlyn, this is The Hollywood News. It’s a pleasure to be talking with you, I’m a huge fan!
Lochlyn: Oh well thanks, thanks! It must be a bit late for you out there, huh?
THN: Yes, it’s actually 1 am here but I’m a bit of a night owl! To start off, your latest film BADGE OF HONOR is currently out now. It’s a gritty crime-drama with some intense narrative elements in there. What drew you to the film?
Lochlyn: You know, I think for me…It was because I already liked some of the people that were involved, and I also liked the idea of trying to make the antagonist more of a flawed character. At one point he was probably a hell of a cop, but he got caught up in greed and that was ultimately his demise. So, I like flawed characters, flawed hero-type of characters (not that my character is a flawed hero really), but they are the parts I really enjoy.
Also for me, because my most commercially successful film involves me being comedic, it was nice to be able to step out of that. It allowed me to show people that I did a hell of a lot of dramatic work before I ever did A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY. So, that’s why BADGE OF HONOR interested me so much I think…it was just a great, interesting story.
THN: You’ve already mentioned that your character is a complicated man. He has different intentions and motivations to what others may believe. How do you relate to him? And would you say that you share more in common with your darker, more complicated characters?
Lochlyn: [Laughs] No I wouldn’t say that necessarily. You know, I just sort of played it as far as his [David Miles] back story would allow. He came from a family of cops and I think that he was probably a bit of a golden child, both in his history of sports and as a rookie cop. So, I think the more and more he got caught up in undercover work and homicide, everything just started to spiral out of control. As a result, trying to find his way back has been a really tough journey. So, the darker side of the guy…I wouldn’t say that I share a lot in common with, but I would probably share similarities with him at the beginning of his journey.
I did a lot of research for the role, I actually know people who are undercover police officers and the sort of things they go through trying to infiltrate biker gangs. And in the end, they get caught up in the lifestyle of easy money, and they spiral out of control.
THN: You have worked on quite a range of film and television projects. Does the type of character you are attracted to change?
Lochlyn: I don’t really pick a genre first…As far as movies I enjoy watching, I would say I’m just story-driven. You know, I could sit and be entranced in a movie like SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, then throw on THE BOURNE IDENTITY and enjoy it equally. Sometimes it’s character…sometimes it’s just strictly entertainment for me. But, first and foremost I think it is story for me, before I even delve into a character. So, whether it is science fiction, horror, drama or comedy, I guess I like to look at the broader picture first. I’m not really someone who is only specifically driven towards a certain genre of film, that’s for sure!
THN: When working on BADGE OF HONOR, how did it feel to work with both Martin Sheen and Mena Suvari? Did this enhance the experience for you?
Lochlyn: Well, it’s interesting because one of the first American movies I ever did was a film called CADENCE, which Martin Sheen actually directed. So, I had worked with him about 25 years ago, which I thought was an interesting full circle for my career. It was definitely interesting working with him all the way back then, and also working with him again now. I had known Jesse Bradford a little bit already through events and stuff like that, but I had never met Mena before. She was a great actress to work with though, and Martin is a true gentleman and pro. So, when I knew that they were all attached to the project, it definitely added another shine to the film.
THN: You have, of course, also filmed a couple of superhero-related projects there too, with Smallville in 2006 and Arrow last year in ‘Birds of Prey’.
Lochlyn: Oh yeah that’s right, Arrow. That kind of bummed me out really, because they sort of told me that the character was going to recur and reappear in future episodes. I was told that he would be this rogue cop, who went on a mission to rid to the city of all the masked vigilantes. It didn’t really work out that way…so I kind of feel like I wasted myself doing that part. The show is what it is…it’s a fun show, but it sucks as an actor because sometimes you think something is going to be more than what it actually is. So now I’m wasted and I can’t do that show anymore, unless they bring my character back of course.
THN: So, would you consider making future appearances on either Arrow or The Flash?
Lochlyn: Yeah, I would like to! I thought it would be fun to do that, and that was the whole reason I took the part on Arrow. I mean, there wasn’t much for me to do in that episode, so I had trepidations about doing it in the first place. Then they reassured me by talking about ideas for future appearances…but who knows what could happen in the future I guess?
THN: It would be great to see you return to the show. I mean, Starling City is full of vigilantes now, so I’m sure there would be room…
Lochlyn: Yeah, it would be fun. It would be fun to go rogue.
THN: [Referring to Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor] …Did it feel pretty good to torture one of the most iconic comic villains of all time in Smallville way back in 2006?
Lochlyn: Oh hell yeah, Rosenbaum you mean? The funny thing is I have known [Michael] Rosenbaum for years. I remember when he first shaved his head, and I was like ‘dude, are you playing Luthor in that new TV show?’ I told him he was crazy! Having to shave his head for all those years! [Laughs]. It was fun, it was a fun show though. You know, I started out in Vancouver, so every time I get a chance to work on those sort of shows it feels very nice. I’m so close with the crew; I’ve known them all for twenty years and most of the time I’ve worked with the directors. So, it’s fun for me to work with a cast and crew that I am very familiar with. You know, I actually really enjoyed that part. Because that was another dark character I got to play.
THN: Well it’s one of my favourite episodes and I’m pretty sure that Michael Rosenbaum has publicly stated his frustration for the amount of years he had to shave his head!
Lochlyn: Well, he sure didn’t like laying on that hard gurney that day because I think he threw his back out and he’s still a little pissed at me for that! [Laughs]
THN: I believe he did actually kill your character, so he sort of got you back!
Lochlyn: Exactly yeah…exactly!
[After informing me that he had to pick his son up from school in the next few minutes, he asked if I had any important questions left that I wanted to ask before he had to leave. So, my final question was related to my overall love of B-Movie Slasher productions]
THN: The first film I actually saw you in was FREDDY VS. JASON, way back in 2003. I believe I was about twelve years old…not that I should have been watching it at that age! [Laughs].
Lochlyn: My wife was actually pregnant with our first born when I did that movie.
THN: Well I suppose a belated congratulations are in order from THN! Such a strange coincidence given that you were just talking about picking up your son too.
Lochlyn: Yeah, yeah I know!
THN: I have quite fond memories of that film. Was it particularly interesting to work on a project that combined two such iconic horror franchises, as well as (arguably) marking the end of the classic Slasher era?
Lochlyn: You know, at first it didn’t due to the fact that I didn’t really watch those types of movies. I mean, I knew who Jason Voorhess and Freddy Krueger were, but they weren’t really movies that I gravitated towards, or knew an awful lot about to be honest. It wasn’t until I was filming it and getting to know the whole story, that I came to understand the enamor that people have with those two characters. Of course, once the movie was released I got an idea of how into those two characters people really were. The first three weeks of release of had every twenty year old (and under) coming up to me like “dude! That was the coolest movie ever man!”
Yeah so, it was fun! A friend of mine played the character of Jason [Ken Kirzinger], so that was kind of cool too. Also, again they shot it in Vancouver, so I was able to film where a lot of my wife’s family live.
THN: Lochlyn Munro, congratulations on BADGE OF HONOR and your wonderful career.
Lochlyn: Thanks Ben, I appreciate that and it’s been great to talk to you!
BADGE OF HONOR is available to watch in UK on Amazon Prime Instant Video now. It also stars Martin Sheen, Mena Suvari, Jesse Bradford, Natasha Henstridge and Haylie Duff. Check out the trailer:
