Tom Hardy stars as Ivan Locke

Ivan Locke has worked diligently to craft the life he has envisioned, dedicating himself to the job that he loves and the family he adores. On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul. All taking place over the course of one absolutely riveting car ride, LOCKE is an exploration of how one decision can lead to the complete collapse of a life. The movie is about the construction of a building and a demolition of a life.

So you chose a Welsh Accent for this role. I immediately thought you sounded like Richard Burton!

Yes I listened to the audio version of him reading Dylan Thomas. I wanted a gentle, kind, compassionated voice. Sounding like someone you could rely on… Then when I think of Wales – its harsh terrain, a powerful country.

Were there any obstacles shooting this film?

I had this terrible cold. It’s always the way isn’t it when you have to do something last minute. I was given the script 3 days prior. The film was shot in one take with actors in a room calling in to me in the car. You hear everything, sound effects. You also sense he’s navigating all these things from his car that are going terribly wrong.

What was it like shooting an entire film behind the wheel of a car you never get out of?

It’s kind of like being in the dark, like being in a dog kennel. I was driving a car in one direction. It reminded me of the movie Das Boot, when they were in all such close quarters. It could be compared to that.

So how did your theater training help you with this movie?

I have a stage background and this I compared to Harold Pinter on stage or Samuel Beckett springs to mind.

So with this movie, what were you feeling emotionally and why did you do it?

All the characters I play, well you could say I am connected with all of them on a fundamental level. But ultimately it’s because of this script and this director and what he gave me to work with. For me it was about LOCKE and this huge amount of vengeance and aggression in him and there is a compulsion for him to have to drive to London but its containment also.

So this character grabbed you in some way when you read the script a few days prior to shooting?

The deconstruction of this character, where he deconstructs himself without the use of an analyst, he delves into the deconstruction of himself and the rebuild, and I can understand this. It’s fascinating to explore this in a regular human environment but this is a hugely dramatic situation for even an ordinary person. There are lots of cars on the road and this is just one man on the road with his story.

Were there things about him you could find inside you?

Yes and this situation was not so far removed from reality, it hits close to home for many people I know. You don’t have to have huge stunts and gregarious characters to make a good movie. The character is not so far from me. In fact… he’s a man that’s puts out fires, calms people that he angered. He’s organized, he’s a problem solver but he cannot solve this problem so it’s a floodgate of emotions. But ultimately he grounds himself on the journey, so he has a clean sheet by the end of it so whether you like it or not he has the bravery to complete what he set out for himself. He leaves himself open naked almost. He was brave enough to try… know what I mean!

LOCKE starring Tom Hardy is now in select theaters nationwide.