G20 is a new film from Amazon Prime Video that imagines an unthinkable attack on the world’s most consequential annual economic summit. Directed by Patricia Riggen, known for her work on projects including The 33 and Under the Same Moon, G20 sees United States President Danielle Sutton trying to defend her family and fellow world leaders after terrorists attack and invade the meeting. Sutton is played by none other than Academy Award winner Viola Davis, who also produced the film.

Across Davis and at the head of the attacking terrorist group is Rutledge, a military veteran played by Antony Starr. Well-known for his gleefully deranged performance as Homelander in The Boys, Starr is practiced at finding the humanity in villainous characters, making them easier to root for even when you know you shouldn’t. For G20, Starr went deep into the pathos of Rutledge and worked closely with director Riggen to flesh out the character.

ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with Starr about his work on G20. Starr explained his path to his performance as Rutledge, which ScreenRant’s G20 review called a highlight of the film, and shared how he collaborated with Patricia Riggen. The actor also shared a fun anecdote about how playing Homelander has affected his life.

Rutledge Was Fleshed Out After Anthony Starr ed G20

“I Would Want To Do X, Y & Z”

Antony Starr’s layered portrayal as Homelander on The Boys suggests the actor is very involved and intentional with his choices. His approach to G20 proves it: “We fleshed [the character of Rutledge] out a lot,” Starr said. “When I first read the script and had a meeting with Patricia, our director, one of the things I said was, ‘Okay, the character, for me, is not quite on the page yet. It's building blocks there. It's sort of paint-by-numbers, [and] I would want do X, Y, [and] Z.’”

Thankfully for Starr, Riggen was game. “We co-created this thing, and I spent a lot of time on my own thinking about what would’ve made this guy who and what he is,” Starr shared. “It’s about creating a three-dimensional character that exists in the real world,” the actor continued, “even though it’s a heightened reality in the movie. There is a life that has been lived that’s led to this moment, and the more specific we get with that, the more little details we can put in.”

This was key for how Starr understood his character’s relationship with Viola Davis’ President Sutton, where “she got everything that I wanted, and I lost everything. That loss and pain is what’s driving him, and she’s become a symbol of his pain. That’s why there’s so much vitriol and it’s got an extra edge.”

Antony Starr Is A Nice, Boring Guy, He Swears

“I Get A Lot Of People That Say, ‘Oh, I Was Really Scared To Meet You’”

Antony Starr is incredibly adept at playing a villain, but he doesn’t want you to think of him as one. When asked about people’s misconceptions, the actor said that “The funny thing is, I get a lot of people that say, ‘Oh, I was really scared to meet you, but you’re normal.’” “Anyone that’s been my housemate or that I’ve lived with might argue,” Starr went on to say, “but I am pretty boring. I’m a pretty boring dude.”

But Starr did it there’s something special about playing the villain: “I think the thing with playing the bad guy is [that] it’s such a safe zone to do that. I think everyone has a light and a dark side, and a lot of people don’t want to it or face that. I don’t mind that so much. I think it’s pretty interesting. I’m interested in humanity across the board, but I think exploring [darkness] on screen … is doable because it’s safe–because it’s not real.”

G20 is streaming on Prime Video now.

Read our other G20 interviews here.

Source: Screen Rant Plus