Around 2012,Vin Dieselsigned on to lead a film adaptation of the TV seriesKojak, about an upbeat but cynical New York detective. A year later, hementionedon Facebook that he wantedAng Leeto direct the project. While that didn’t happen, the two found a way to work together withBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.
During an interview with Collider at the film’s press junket in New York, Diesel explained:
“I have always said that I wanted to work with Ang Lee. Before the hiatus, before the force majeure during theFurious 7process, I was gonna have a huge window to make a movie and I wanted to doKojak, and I wanted Ang Lee to directKojak. This is before I knew he was already working on something, and I think that’s where it started. He knew that I wanted him to directKojakand then he was creating this role.”
InBilly Lynn, Diesel plays Shroom, a character that wasn’t as “fleshed out” in the original book by Ben Fountain. On film, he’s this buddhist commander for Billy’s unit and his lessons ring in the soldier’s mind when he comes home from Iraq for a victory tour across America.
“It was [Lee’s] creative stamp that was referenced in this Shroom character, and so he said to me, “He is a soldier that’s like Rambo meets Buddha, so I feel like your the person to play this role.” And, so, yeah, I guess that’s how it happened.”
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkalso starsKristen Stewart,Garrett Hedlund,Chris Tucker,Steve Martin, and newcomerJoe Alwyn. The film is now playing in limited release and expands in more theaters nationwide on November 18th. Watch our interview with Diesel above, including sometidbitsonGuardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2and Baby Groot.
