Icy roles packed with thrills, chills
BY CINDY PEARLMAN January 29, 2012 8:48PM
In this film image released by Open Road Films, from left, Dallas Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Liam Neeson, and Nonso Anozie are shown in a scene from "The Grey." (AP Photo/Open Road Films, Kimberley French)
Weekend
box office
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. theaters (in millions):
1. The Grey $20
2. Underworld: Awakening $12.5
3. One for the Money $11.8
4. Red Tails $10.4
5. Man on a Ledge $8.3
6. Extremely Loud & ... $7.1
7. The Descendants $6.6
8. Contraband $6.5
9. Beauty and the Beast $5.3
10. Haywire $4
Hollywood.com
Updated: March 1, 2012 8:38AM
LOS ANGELES — Forget about lions, tigers and bears. Northwestern grad Dermot Mulroney’s life lately has been a case of wolves, whales and other creatures of the wild.
He stars opposite Liam Neeson in “The Grey,” the weekend’s No. 1 movie, and this Friday has a role in “Big Miracle.”
While working with wolves on “The Grey,” he says, “I was encouraged to walk by their pen to study wolf behavior, but was told, ‘Whatever you do never make eye contact with the wolves.’ I was like, ‘Whatever you say,’ I’m going to do that on my next movie call sheet. I will write, ‘Don’t make eye contact with Dermot. It’s not safe.’ ”
Q. Was it tough to run in the snow and look so scared of the wolves?
A. We really were out in the wild, but the only wolves were for observation. Obviously, they weren’t chasing us. We did have hand puppets with weird eyes to look at for wolf inspiration. What really got me is that they would play real wolf hunting cries on the set. Blood-chilling!
Q. Then there was the day your director wanted you to eat stew made of wolf meat.
A. It didn’t taste good at all because it was tough, strand-y meat. A few of the guys tossed their cookies. Mine went down fine and my stomach behaved itself.
Q. Tell us about “Big Miracle.”
A. Drew Barrymore is in it, which is great. I play a member of the Alaskan International Guard. He’s a real character in this true-to-life story about saving whales who are trapped in thick ice. My character has a big piece of equipment that can save them. I’m desperately trying to get to the site. It’s a movie done with such incredible grace and love for these animals. But again, I had to shoot in Anchorage, Alaska, where it was 10 degrees. A summer day in Chicago!
Big Picture News Inc.
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