The star of Hellboy II tells POWER why he prefers acting to singing in boy bands
LUKE GOSS LAUNCHED his musical career in 1986 when he teamed up with his twin brother, Matt, and a school friend, Craig Logan, to form the boy band Bros, which went on to record 13 hit singles in the UK. He left the band in the early 1990s and formed Luke Goss and the Band of Thieves, also finding time to pen his autobiography, I Owe You Nothing, which became a bestseller. After performing in stage musicals, Goss moved to films and has since become well-known for his villainous roles, including Jarad Nomak in Blade II (2002), the gangster Charlie Richardson in Charlie(2004), Joey/Kane in The Man(2005), and the most recently, Prince Nuada in Hell Boy II: The Golden Army (2008).
This shoot is based on the Michael Douglas movie Falling Down. People are now losing their jobs, their cars and their homes. Do you find it hard to imagine someone being pushed over the edge and going on a crazed rampage?
I felt that kind of pressure for a bit when I was in the UK. The expense over there is crazy. Claustrophobia is a really unpleasant feeling. If you・re in that environment you want to lash out. It・s a natural response.
How do you see the current economical climate affecting Hollywood?
I think the industry itself will always survive. Inevitably, it will affect the industry negatively because people have to prioritize their disposable income. It・s certainly going to affect people going to the movie theater.
Which setup in our shoot did you enjoy the most?
I think the one I really enjoyed the most is the one with the pigeons flying all over the place. It・s one of my favorite shoots in the last 10 years.
You worked twice with Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro on Blade and Hellboy II.
Guillermo is a really innovative filmmaker, a globally celebrated filmmaker and rightfully so. There・s no hype there with him. He・s very comfortable with being recognized because he has really paid his dues.
You・ve worked with Samuel L Jackson, Donald Sutherland and Omar Sharif. How were they?
One of the most prepared actors I・ve worked with and really enjoyed working with was Donald Sutherland. I think he・s unbelievably gifted. He has a kind of elegance about him.
In Charlie you played the infamous London gangster Charlie Richardson.
I met Charlie in this member・s club in London. I remember he stood up and I shook his hand and put my arm out and gave him a hug. We came out of it still holding hands and he just stared at me and looked at me for five seconds. Then he said, ：You・re real South London, aren・t ya?；
Your next film Tekken puts you in the role of tough guy marine Steve Fox. You often play these very powerful characters. Would you like to play more sensitive roles?
I think sensitivity is lovely, but masculine strength is good. I think vulnerability would be a good thing to play. When you get more successful you get to choose roles. Your roles choose you at first, for sure. It・s only now, today, I am starting to have a choice.
It・s a cliché that every actor wants to be a musician and every musician wants to be an actor. You・ve done both. Do you ever see yourself returning to music?
Not for one minute. I think there are much more talented people out there that should take care of that. I・d only ever be mediocre and I could never accept that.
Which career have you found the most rewarding?
Film. You lose weight, you train yourself, you learn new languages, you study a thousand pages of history. You bring this together and you try your very best to make something come to life. And that・s just one movie!
How do you find living and working in LA?
There・s a definite difference in any city where the sun shines a lot. There・s a spirit people have. I・m not criticizing the UK, but it・s nice to wake up living in a sunny place.
