This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.
If it’s possible for you to do an interview in person, its usually better to do so.
But interviewing Pete Ploszek over the phone comes with a benefit.
Pete Ploszek plays Leonardo inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows.
I had so many questions.
Whats the most difficult thing about fighting Foot soldiers?
Whats Raphael like in real life?
Do you ever all switch your headbands around to venture to confuse Splinter?
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I honestly dont know why Im allowed to do these interviews.
I had some stuff I really wanted to chat to Pete about.
But I particularly warmed to his version of Leonardo, and the story that comes with it.
None of the other turtles voices were replaced.
Its one I, entirely incorrectly, feelpartially responsible for.
When did you find out you were going to be coming back for a second film?
They announced the sequel opening weekend, I believe, of the first movie.
So we were really excited about that.
So when do you get a script?
When do you find out what youre going to be doing?
No, well, I love that you enjoyed it.
It was a lot of excitement.
All those characters you grew up with and its like being a kid again.
Its like busting out that toy chest and getting to play with all the figures youve got.
Nuts, considering its aNinja Turtlesmovie, right?
But they had this wonderful arc for Leo that I really connected to.
And for a minute you think hes dead.
Of course, he comes back and all is well in the world.
Unfortunately that ended up getting rewritten in the final draft.
I think that comes through.
The main focus of every scene is that its fun, right?
Is that the attitude on set?
Doubling back ever so slightly, you mention that there was originally a slightly different ending for Leo.
How close to the finished film was the first script that you read?
Was it significantly different or was it just small details?
It was really just small details.
They really had a great vision at the outset with this one.
How was it to hear your voice coming out of Leo this time?
(happy laugh) It was great.
So all those scenes are so collaborative amongst us.
We will throw in jokes for each other, well call each other out if somethings not working.
Thats a dream come true.
It was just a great moment.
Im proud of how the film came out and especially how the Turtles come across.
So, you’re free to walk into toy shops and buy a you.
Thats part of just how ridiculous this whole experience is.
Getting to see that.
Its funny, they made talking action figures this time and its hilariously not our voices.
Which was a bit disappointing but its actually quite funny.
A lot of fans had a lot of fun with that one.
Do you do any research for these films?
Because it beingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, research is reading comics and watching cartoons.
I think thats important, just to see how they expand these relationships and build upon it.
Find new elements to bring out.
And as far as Leos concerned, especially in his dynamic with Raph.
Donnie, Raph and Mikey are all very identifiable.
And then you have the leader, and what is a leader?
That means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
So on the set I had to do the same, put some distance between them.
Yeah, it can be a real challenge.
And that melded with all the plates they shot, which were all real.
All that stuff air, land, sea was legit.
When you could meld them all together that makes a pretty awesome sequence.
So, we discussed that on this film the finished movie ended up very close to the original script.
On the first one, how far was the finished film from the first script you read?
The first go around, it took a lot of different shapes.
Ive felt a real connection to Leonardo as Ive gotten to understand the character and develop it.
What is your favourite Jason Statham film?
(laughter) I lovedSpy.
And he can still kick ass even when hes being hilarious.
Pete Ploszek, thank you very much!
