The veteran character actor breaks down his leading role in Potsy Ponciroli’s rugged Western.
Tim Blake Nelsoncan tell what you’re going to recognize him from based on your location.
“In New York City, it’s probablyHolesorIncredible Hulk,” the actor tells EW.
Tim Blake Nelson in ‘Old Henry’.Shout! Factory
During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the balance shifted.
“I thought that was so funny because people started recognizing me, and I thought, ‘How?
I’m not that famous,'” Nelson says with a laugh.
Tim Blake Nelson in ‘Old Henry’.Shout! Factory
“I mean, that’s ridiculous.
My wife likes to say I’m minorly famous, and I think that’s accurate.”
“I thought,Ah, got it,'” Nelson adds, laughing.
Tim Blake Nelson in ‘Old Henry’.Shout! Factory
Now he’s stepping into the spotlight even more.
But fatherhood is incredibly important to me.
I never wanted boys.
And they do all that, but I love it.
In fact, one of them literally does play guitar, but it’s jazz guitar and classical guitar.
He started out playing electric rock guitar and then moved into classical jazz.
So I love that about the script.
Of course, the answer is you find a balance.
But finding that balance is difficult, and it differs with each kid.
Gavin Lewis plays Henry’s son.
How did you want to find that balance working with him?
I had an immediate affinity with Gavin.
There’s an element of that in the relationship that we had on screen.
So he was on set every day.
He was the on-set dresser, so he was always around.
You’ve acted in the Western genre before, but what was newest or most exciting aboutOld Henry?
Well, every character is something I’ve never done before.
I don’t like to repeat myself.
I don’t ever want to repeat myself.
So this, like any part, was as novel an experience as I can make it.
Since that character is the lead character, the transformation needed to be gradual.
In this movie, it needed to be surprising and slow, gradual.
That was hard to modulate, and a very exciting challenge.
And I had to let the writing lead me.
That can be hard to play, when you’re so internal like that.
[Laughs]
No spoilers, but there’s a third-act gunfight inOld Henrythat is particularly brutal and cathartic.
How did you want to approach the physicality of that?
So I had the luxury of really being able to seep into the character.
So mostly it was just preparation, and that was a blast.
And those inevitable moments, they need to happen while the camera is aimed at you.
If you’re worrying about the other stuff, it’s unlikely they’ll ever happen.
