Latest / Half the Picture / #21 - MONTY BEN

Transcript

#21 - MONTY BEN · Half the Picture

• 0:00
  Imagine being with Gary old man all the cast and you are on set and you are with them
• 0:04
  I can ask him questions like how is it when you are just an emerging actor or speaking about life. He's so grounded
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  It's a beautiful you coming on set for that a huge show for the first time the first day shooting
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  I felt like oh I know this place all the team around you makes you feel you are a family I want this tournament
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  I got the middle feeling like flying right the moment you put your feet down from a podium you're not anymore that champion
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  so being grounded helps anyone of us there is one point that changed my life going for a summer camp
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  Studying acting thinking I'm gonna become a better actor. I came back a better person
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  Hey everyone I'm Billy and welcome back to Half the Picture
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  I'm so stoked to say that I guess this episode is actor Monty Ben who most recently featured in
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  Slow Horses opposite the amazing Gary Oldman now Monty isn't just an actor he's also a karate world champion
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  so I mean of course I'd spring that up in the interview
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  Monty was such a pleasure to speak to and it was so great hearing about his experience on set
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  I think you're really going to enjoy this chat by the way don't forget to like and subscribe to the
• 1:20
  podcast as it really helps us get more amazing guests like Monty on the show so without further ado
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  let's roll on my conversation with Monty Ben enjoy
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  Hello Monty welcome to Half the Picture how you doing chief
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  Hello I'm good and you
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  I'm doing very well I've never called anyone chief before on his podcast but so you're the first
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  first time for everything I guess thank you thank you it's my honor it's my honor
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  Oh fantastic I mean it's funny though because speaking of I guess chief you know chiefs we've got
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  you want to talk about your your acting work in Slow Horses series five the most recent series
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  which it was fantastic and you play you play the character Farouk who I guess you could say he's
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  kind of the chief of this sort of group of terrorists sort of antagonists so the main characters
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  of Gary Oldman and the Slow Horses themselves and I guess for you so you you've had such a sort of
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  fascinating distinguished career over the course of it you know before you became an actor you were
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  this you know world-class karate champion you do you an expert mixed martial arts you then moved
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  into sports science and then you know came to acting I guess I just wanted to ask as a kickoff
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  what was it about acting that made you let draw you to it and made you want to pursue after
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  doing all that you know having had the career that you've had oh good question if you ask me like
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  maybe 10 years ago if I would I would one day become an actor I I wouldn't not answer you know
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  it's just when I retired from sports you feel like that emptiness after after any career right when
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  you stop you have been doing that for years morning afternoon so you feel like this emptiness and
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  what what's next and many people told me why not theater you know try theater the first day
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  or the first time on stage was just magic and I fell in love with with acting being on stage
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  and trying to I would say discover yourself from many other perspectives then just sports and
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  performance you know and studying yeah that's kind of the journey to uh you know from from
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  mix from mix martial arts championship to uh to Gary Olman and Hagenest I mean I with that change
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  them because obviously there's a performance element to our acting of course but I feel like there's
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  maybe maybe correct if I'm wrong but maybe there's a performance element too to the work you did
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  before when you were you know karate champion and then mix martial arts I mean going from that
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  into acting were there sort of any disciplines that you took from you know yeah yeah I mean of course
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  and I've been doing karate first I didn't mix martial arts at the at the at the end of my career
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  and I still doing that because I love that but I've been like a professional karate player doing any
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  martial arts it changed your life forever who you are so basically doing karate discipline
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  perseverance discovering all these challenges and keep going um and all that things of course
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  is going to help any kind of career that's why many kids they have been done martial arts
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  specially when they were young then they they have like more skills to succeed in life karate was
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  my life and and it brings of course who I am from being serious to what I do having these objectives
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  knowing what you want day to day and having these long term objectives discipline perseverance
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  and having this you know I would say this character that you bring to this skill skills of acting not like
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  I would say yeah karate player would become an actor no I think it's it's helps you to
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  to want I would say it gives you tools to succeed more than the other person that's that's I would
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  yeah yeah yeah I was when I was sort of researching your work in your career that's the impression I got
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  you would you would I met maybe you're talking a lot about how that discipline and that sort of
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  work ethic I guess is part of what you're describing really served you well when it came to
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  breaking into acting and it kind of reminds me of the actor Adam driver um you know from you know
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  Adam driver he's done amazing work obviously like Star Wars and the biggest stuff and also
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  all the independent films he's done I mean he was a he was a marine he was a soldier before he
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  then broke when he was younger and then broke into acting and I think he talks a lot about how
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  that discipline that really rigorous discipline sort of served him so well moving into acting
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  because acting you know especially film acting and television acting that you know is a tough can
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  be a tough gig I mean not just the audition process but also like the shoots you know you never
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  get enough sleep you know it's long hours it's a tough grind but it sounds like I really set you up
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  for that in some ways yeah I mean it's tough you have to be prepared doing sports or or military
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  or any kind of even art before that you know art in general okay um helps you to to develop that
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  toughness the mental toughness because our job is about failure right so you receive more
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  nose than yes and that's where karate every morning you wake up you try new things and you fail
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  and you fail and you fail and you prepare the full for the championship and then you you won't
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  lose that you want to win from the beginning right you have always things to discover and acting
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  I think it's the same science also the same any career you do if you start doing something
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  and you come and you think it's easy then that's the problem nothing nothing is easy I think that's
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  why the new generation they think that okay I'm gonna start now you know because they see maybe
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  Instagram everyone is successful what is the journey behind that how all these people reached
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  there because we we only see that face right the before is hard it's a lot of toughness and how
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  many how many actors they have decided to quit or they said I'm gonna quit but they keep going
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  quit and keep going you know that that's where I think you have to be tough mentally and and keep
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  believing in yourself perseverance is key here and discipline because if there is no discipline
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  then it's gonna be it's gonna be hard so tying that into slow horses then what was the casting
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  process like for you then coming in as for root because I want to say you were did you try out for
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  a few roles and then fruit was the one that you they you can gravitate towards first of all I
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  received the casting for like any any casting role which is you receive from your agent the self-tape
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  you have to do and the chance that casting director is get back to you is very very low and I
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  remember I was driving and my agent just text me you know he's telling me Nina gold loves your
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  tape that moment is key for me when someone like Nina gold and I thank her for that and her team
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  for that is telling me that it's it's unbelievable you know you you know that you start to
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  to progress and getting in a small feed there you know um but then after that we got the callback
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  I didn't cast for only for rook I did the the tape for the three characters which is for rook
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  and and and semi I guess and and I forgot that I'm sorry I said fruit spike fruit soft
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  that buddy right like the yeah the yeah I did it for all of them but there is something in
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  for who that's triggering the most when doing a casting and even in the callback I've done the
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  three of them and later we just received the the cold you're gonna be for rook in in slow horses
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  which is a huge I mean is yeah fantastic man I mean I would wish this for any any any actor
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  man being in in a such show yeah yeah no no you did a fantastic job and and with forook then because
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  you said there like something in forook you would try out for those three parts but something in
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  forook spoke to you and I would curious to ask like what was it about forook that drew you in
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  that spoke to you I mean when you when you read forook on paper you would feel this
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  fearless toughness and you know kind of kind of two-dimensional right but when you really
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  play it the first one you read it you haven't played yet you haven't analyzed yet you haven't
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  do the job yet behind the stage and before during this the tape and then you start to understand
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  who is forook then you have a three-dimensional right that's where it starts to any any kind of
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  papers that to speak and you bring the character to life and when I've done that with the two
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  other parts of course it was lovely it was nice but maybe because forook for me was the most
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  challenging for me to do it to do it Sammy has for example had more more these human being in it he
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  says he says doesn't want to do this but at the same time he wants to do it but forook he is
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  very contaminated it was going to be hard to bring him alive and make him why he's doing that why
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  he's killing this killing that and doing that and see the human behind it that's the thing that
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  challenged me and and spoke to me hmm well there's definitely that in the character and in your
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  performance because as you say the other characters in that unit as you say I'd say Sammy is kind of
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  the most sort of on the on the surface score in decisive and also kind of the most in
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  sometimes the most vulnerable in so on the surface because he's very sort of open with his how he's
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  he's unsure about what they're doing he's got second thoughts and then your friend sort of the
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  heavy is kind of the muscle and he'll kind of go where you're going both with forook there's
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  a stoicism there like he is because you know 100% that he is committed to his mission which is to
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  cause you know it's it's it's an atrovenge essentially for the damage it was unto him but then
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  also there's a vulnerability and I think film acting and cv acting is all about they say it's all
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  about the eyes like like it's less is more and I think when you're performing something that I
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  really found was that like there are scenes of you guys in the car where like Sammy is coming I
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  don't this is not I'm not going to do this but I know you can see the pain of forook as well but
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  there's a stoicism there which is I know he's determined he's not going to stop but he understands
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  on some level and and obviously he's in pain too but he's going to keep going and I think you
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  capture that really well in the subtlest of of details of nuances which so you know yeah see I'm
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  a very happy what why are you saying that but because basically that was that was the deal right to
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  show that pain in the eye behind the performance what he's doing the most incredible thing that could
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  happen a person could do right but understanding that was my my challenge was my mission you bring
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  questions right why he's doing that what is that pain behind his eye and and that's why I think
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  the beauty of the slow horses writing that's why was myth is strong you know show don't tell so
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  what what is being said is completely different what is being in the eye in the behavior and that's
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  lovely I mean when when when you when you play a such role and it's such show you just you have you
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  I mean I'm very grateful for that because and I'm happy because now you you are saying absolutely
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  what what is mean to be done for the car and at the end we understand of course even though we
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  don't say the whole story but we understand why they are doing it the human behind it and bringing
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  more questions and I guess that's the point the most you push people to question I think the
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  better is right I agree yeah totally and it's it complicates things and it makes things more
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  human and I think and I imagine that's a challenge for an actor but also it's a gift but you say
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  you have the opportunity there is a challenge but also you have the opportunity to bring that character
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  to life in a nuanced way with great material to work with great script was with sob see a fantastic
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  writer you know you have all that there's like that's all grist for your mill and I like to dive
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  into will your sort of the work the process it was we're working with all Smith obviously as a writer
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  you know it's fantastic he's worked on stuff like obviously British sort of institutions like the
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  pick of it yeah great comedy shows over here before going into slow horses and then obviously you're
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  working with a director in the saw met stenus who's amazing great team I mean what was that like
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  what was it like working with those two guys will and so they are lovely man I mean first of all you
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  coming on set for that huge show right for the first time okay being on set for Netflix but you
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  know for for such a huge project first of all of course you have all these track and you feel this
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  but it's unbelievable when you just cam on set from preparation to being on set really action and
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  all the team around you makes you feel you are a family you have been always been there that's
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  my feeling to be honest like the first day shooting I felt like oh yeah I know this place I don't
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  know why but the crew they're all lovely all without citing names but about soul and will what's
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  really I loved about it is they are very open-minded I remember we had this conversation about
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  for Rook of course they from the casting from what I've done they understood that they understood
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  the character but we had these conversations and they even listen to some suggestions
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  and they're very happy to incorporate which is what do you want more than that right it's like
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  a collaboration and you're just here a few secure feeling the place where you can bring the
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  all of you in and everyone is happy so imagine being with Gary old man all the cast these are
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  huge names you just even the director everyone I mean even the editor look these these big names
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  right big names you meet with them the casting directors and you are on set and you are with them
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  and yeah it's like a dream to be honest let me tell you also something else which is with the gang
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  with the team okay with Fadi and and the team and Tara it was like a small family and the chemistry
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  between us so this team that put that characters on place and this chemistry and the dynamic between
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  us it wasn't believable we never met before and from the first action this chemistry everyone is
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  on on character and and you see that is suggest you understand that is a big a huge team huge effort
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  behind it yeah for what you're saying I'm getting the sense that like even though you've got all
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  this machinery around all these amazing actors and you've got the you the crew and all these you
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  know it's a big show it's big production Saul and Will were able to make it intimate and sort of
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  impersonal very very very you you you are with with a huge names and from a huge talents on one set
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  and they make you feel part I really love that that experience and hopefully we're gonna repeat it
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  again and again and again it's it's lovely man yeah now I'm sure I'm sure you will I mean because
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  it like say you were so good in the series and you said something earlier where like you where
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  you said that like being an actor and also link that back to your previous career in
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  in karate martial arts there's a sense of like you know you might you might go out there and it
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  did something might go wrong you might make a mistake or someone else might make a mistake but
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  it but that's okay you know because like it's all about sort of making mistakes as much as being
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  as the successes I've heard people say that similar with with acting and like being on set
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  is that like some of the best sets of the ones where you feel like you can it's okay to mess up
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  and like and all in the service of findings something truthful or you know something great
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  that's where communication comes in place I remember the first day on set for the first time
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  I'm meeting Will Smith and Saul we were just talking like life and then when we spoke about
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  Farouk you know with this and this and that and they'd made you feel safe you're not you're not
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  afraid to tell what you think what are your suggestions that you could bring to the card
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  not we are not even on on camera yet right now now just talking yeah once it's once you feel that
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  I mean you feel free and then when you feel free you bring your performance alive and to be
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  honest I haven't worked with with directors previously that haven't made me feel that to be honest
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  even the the D.O.P the light man everyone is making you feel comfortable yeah it's inclusive
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  because there are some directors and like and I don't even I'm not even talking specifically
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  about specific directors but I feel like we're directing because obviously some director directing
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  you have to sort of be aware of so much that's going on both with the actors in front of the camera
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  and the crew and everything and the producers like I think it's quite easy for directors to sometimes
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  slip into being a little neurotic like I've heard people talk about like what you've described
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  there about the sense of being able to be free and open and it's quite a liberated environment
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  created can that can sometimes get a little bit tense because obviously you have to wait I think
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  that takes an effort to make that environment you know it doesn't just happen I feel like and so
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  it's great to I think sometimes an environment can arise on set where it can be a little bit the
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  those creative impulses can be a little bit forwarded because it's not a free and easy
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  atmosphere on set where there's communication so it's great to hear that it was like that on
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  several horses and you get that sense watching it then it's a you know organic talking about that
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  you know sometimes directors would challenge you bring you out of your comfort zone that's also
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  lovely chance and what I mean yeah now I'm not talking about other things which are purely negative
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  I'm talking about people there on set working on the creative side and they're collaborating
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  because everyone has his own duty responsibility to the show to that dream to that family
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  so if that is not there so I don't think we're talking now creatively we're talking on a
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  different perspective that hopefully no one would would feel that any time in his career you know
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  yeah yeah well I think I agree with what you're saying you want to also be pushed you what
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  you want directors to be able to push you to get something challenging yeah exactly without
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  obviously it was keeping it still you know a creative environment and like and you know a good
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  working environment you talk of such enthusiasm about and love for Dr. Sati but for the craft of
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  sort of a film and television you know the crew you talk about this lighting you know he seems to
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  be so I really sort of I imagine were you observing a lot of that where you're on set were you
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  just watching and talking and like sort of trying to find out as much as you could because you
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  come across so much enthusiasm first of all I love what I do and I'm lucky and grateful
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  because I've never done something I don't like in life I love acting not because I want to be
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  on set or I'm going to be on lights no no no the feeling of acting keep working on yourself
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  improving the inner who you are on sets of course you are amazed by these people man
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  from the cameraman to the to the to the to the to the sound guy to any any I mean you have like
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  a hundred people around you right everyone is like doing that from his heart but not only that
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  they are gifted at one of the best in the world so you have something to learn from them right of
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  course I would observe that's sometimes I go just to watch Gary Oldman preparing or sometimes
• 22:27
  scenes are lovely to watch because they set in a different perspective or a challenging way
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  you you would love to see how they have done it I think one of the skills that an actor should
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  have is observation right and listening not only on set in life in general because that's our
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  background that's our mechanism how we can get all these informations for our imaginary world right
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  but when you are on set then you have people that they like you they don't know what you do
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  how they do that you can watch that oh you've done that this way but why wow I could do that maybe
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  and that make you progress you know I've been a world champion I've been on on the podium
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  for the world championship I've I've I've got many things in life being got the best
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  thesis in France you know and but there is one point out of many that changed my life
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  is going for a summer camp for three months in New York studying acting at the Esper's teacher
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  I mean I went there thinking I'm going to become a better actor I came back a better person and then
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  I think that's that's the beauty of acting that's what is nourishing me you know yeah well I think
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  it's all grist for your sort of male I guess that's it you know you have to be you have to be
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  obviously be able to acting is reacting as they say and it's listening and so you mentioned
• 24:04
  something there which I'd like to touch on which is and go deep from which is so obviously there's
• 24:09
  one of the antagonists of the series you're against Gary Oldman and his team of so horses and
• 24:13
  obviously the park with Christen Scott Thomas you know some of the some of the actors that you're
• 24:17
  opposite you know are some of the you know the cut the Britain's finest you know if not the world's
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  finest like Gary and Kristen I think you mentioned it but like so you would go and watch them prepare
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  you would go and watch the work you even know obviously you weren't in scenes together you would go
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  and talk to them yeah I'll great what was that like yeah it's it's slowly man you feel like
• 24:34
  every day confirming that and he was any person who is huge who have done achievements
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  he's so grounded any person and I bet you about that they don't made you feel like oh they're
• 24:48
  no no sometimes they made you feel like even they are less than you I mean it's unbelievable when
• 24:52
  you speak with them it's like you know you are you were talking to a normal people and they
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  hear to help you they hear to share with you I'm trying to use it's a blessing beyond set for
• 25:04
  that show it's not because I've been part of it no no I'm honest I wouldn't have said anything
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  about it if it wasn't the truth but it is the truth yeah and what we have saw your conversations
• 25:14
  with say Gary like so you say you you tried to him and he would did he ever do you talk to you about
• 25:18
  did you talk about acting did you talk about yeah what kind of things did you not only Gary
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  but all the all the actors we speak about the you know I can ask him questions like okay how how
• 25:29
  is it when you are just an emerging actor about about asking about agent about about management
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  or asking about or speaking about life who he can ask or they can ask me but oh oh Monte how could
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  you be more champion and an actor Maltiske's could you tell us about that it's about life
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  like it's we try to share things it's it's beautiful no yeah it's I mean it sounds like such a great
• 25:55
  environment to work in and and going back to Farouk then because you were we talked about how
• 25:59
  that performance you know he and that character he has that stoicism and is very committed obviously
• 26:04
  to what he's doing but also he has that he has that very subtle vulnerability which he catches
• 26:08
  so well and I mean obviously as you say he's doing sort of you know he's committing very sort of
• 26:13
  tough you know yes horrific acts and of your violence and and I and I guess with him and I'm curious
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  to know was it at all challenging on that front bringing into life because I've heard
• 26:24
  out to say playing a character you obviously sort of try and see from that character's point of view
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  and judging the character objectively keep that's where the problem starts like going oh I don't
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  like this person but with you was it just like right okay I'm bringing it into life I need to see
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  from his perspective you know no that that's it I mean was that what was like for you look I don't
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  know why but the majority of my castings or roles are for antagonists okay and I love that because
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  I think it's more interesting to bring the human behind that people wherever it's a killer and
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  serious psychopath you know we give them names but for me they are human and each always a matter
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  of perspective I don't think if you ask anyone that you would judge as a criminal or as you are
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  no no not as you but you as we as people as as a criminal or as a villain or as I don't think
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  they would think for a second that you're right and now when it comes to Farouk or to any character
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  that we prepare the first thing to do no judgment the character is you it's your responsibility
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  the character is there to bring something to the audience to provide a message to and this
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  that's where you bring your experience to the character and then you become one and that's
• 28:02
  Farouk you would see the pain even though even though you don't understand what there is no room
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  for that right you cannot develop that in the show but you can feel it because the preparation
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  and the writing and the the backstory that we build with will and the team is there but if it wasn't
• 28:27
  then it's going to be more difficult to bring that's where I'm telling you any character you see
• 28:32
  on paper is always too dimension it's black and white but then it's up to the the actor to bring
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  to life and make it feel make it a person real anyone could say yeah I believe I believe in
• 28:47
  I believe in I expect someone like him or I understand him yeah and I guess that that's
• 28:54
  the philosophy that totally seems to be to be shared by Saul and and will in the writing and the
• 29:00
  directing like you know these are all you know as much as we can make them free-dimensional people
• 29:04
  and then you bring into life in some ways the antagonist as you say like of Farouk and the others
• 29:08
  they are they have sympathetic qualities like they are being rolled by MI5 in the park in the past
• 29:15
  that is what that is the reason there is a reason for what they're doing I say it's show not tell
• 29:19
  it's like you know because there isn't the time obviously in six five to six episodes to go into
• 29:23
  that will be a whole of a series if you went and saw that but you have to be after that's I guess
• 29:27
  part of the challenges you have to bring that to life with what you've got and what's on the page
• 29:31
  and you do it show not tell that we should like as I say you know you did you did very well so yeah
• 29:36
  I feel like that's that's clearly a philosophy shared by the guys you're working with and you know
• 29:40
  some people they might not know but we were speaking Libyan it's in new language it's like you're
• 29:47
  learning new language but the basics are the same it's not like an accent that you have to learn but
• 29:52
  we had to learn and there is also an in an accent coach that was there for us and I think him by
• 29:59
  the way to become a Libyan speaking like a Libyan that's also was enough journey to do before
• 30:07
  being on set and and prepare for that and with um so talk about your sort of obviously this the
• 30:14
  work you've done in the in the film television industry so far and then obviously your background
• 30:18
  in karate I mean do you feel like your experience not only does do you feel like your experience is
• 30:22
  giving you sort of the discipline and the work ethic and the approach that sort of translates
• 30:26
  well to acting do you feel like it's also giving you because because when I was doing my research I
• 30:31
  heard that you're so you're because you've got a few projects in the pipeline that one of the
• 30:34
  wish you're writing and you've got you've got work that you're obviously very passionate about do
• 30:38
  you find like coming from that background of being such a sort of world-class karate champion and
• 30:42
  like working in sports science the Olympics and mixed martial arts do you find that that gives you
• 30:47
  a bit more I guess clouds in in Hollywood or film TV does it give you a bit more I have muscle
• 30:53
  I think it gives me the tricks maybe and the experience because any career any journey let's go
• 31:00
  like a journey from sports or science or or any any kind of other industry or acting some people
• 31:08
  they think being successful when they reach one goal who could say okay I'm successful today who
• 31:16
  maybe once someone dies they would maybe judge him by being successful right after long journey
• 31:22
  so I think it's about that journey that you're going to try to enjoy and never give up but also
• 31:28
  because you don't have any other choice but succeeding and keeping going that journey so
• 31:38
  failure doesn't exist right if you have that option that you're not gonna do anything in life
• 31:42
  unfortunately so that option doesn't exist you have only one option one goal keep going
• 31:50
  enjoying learning failing rebuilding failing rebuilding and failure is part of the
• 31:56
  that journey right but when I started acting I had this feeling that and that's where experience comes
• 32:06
  when you were a character player either you wait for the opportunities it comes to you
• 32:15
  or you create either I wait and I receive castings for the roles that they have
• 32:23
  them seen see me in it which is fine which is I love many of them I love them or you create
• 32:31
  your own story and you put your own film your your own point of view and you go and you write
• 32:39
  and you produce and I'm writing now and I keep writing producing creating that environment for
• 32:46
  yourself so create opportunities for you hopefully hopefully that's going to lead to something
• 32:53
  and even if it doesn't lead I don't think about that as an end in itself I am enjoying I'm
• 33:00
  building I'm learning because when you write you better than analyzing the characters sometimes
• 33:06
  the dialogue itself maybe it sounds all then you have the skill to maybe to to to to to suggest
• 33:13
  some changes in the dialogue because the character wouldn't be that but if you haven't done that
• 33:18
  exercise at home and played many times so how are you going to succeed so yeah I'm trying to
• 33:25
  to do that again with love and not waiting just keep going that's great to hear Monty because yeah
• 33:32
  like I guess actors are successful actors is that yeah they'll produce their own projects to get
• 33:37
  stuff off the ground because like you know because obviously the audition game I'm not that I've
• 33:41
  had experience of it but like the audition game is such it can be such a grind you go for one
• 33:45
  addition to another as an actor like you by being a self-starter I mean always that's kind of I mean
• 33:48
  it's not the same thing but like with the podcast it's kind of you have to be a self-starter if you're
• 33:52
  making anything you have to be a self-starter don't you so and that's and that and that puts you in
• 33:56
  the driver's seat a bit more and and also you tell your stories you have stories right sure yeah
• 34:02
  you have things you want to say and show to the world again yes you create opportunities but also
• 34:07
  because you have something you want to say hmm there you can show that I feel I have things to say
• 34:14
  so that's why I'm doing it and I have a lot of projects in the the pipeline with with
• 34:20
  big names that they are believing in me and I'm grateful for that because they see
• 34:25
  they're smart right they see that you got something yeah well what can you tell us about some of
• 34:30
  these projects because I'm interested now you've peaked my interest what kind of things can we
• 34:34
  expect coming from you down the line the first project that I'm going to shoot is a project
• 34:38
  that I saw it being developed from from scratch with a director that became a friend after
• 34:46
  an audition after a project that I never seen the lights yet because of the COVID he's he's he's
• 34:54
  from London and and we're going to do it the next year but what is I'm really putting a lot of
• 35:01
  effort is a feature film that I'm writing and I cannot say much about it but with a very well-known
• 35:10
  producer and a script writer and we are collaborating on that on the on the daily basis and hopefully
• 35:19
  one day is going to see the light and it is very personal that's very personal to me I wrote the
• 35:25
  story I wrote even the first draft of the of the of the script but then we we're doing it now
• 35:32
  from scratch because you know you bring these people and they have more experience than you
• 35:36
  and you're learning from them now yeah yeah yeah I mean obviously it sounds like personal
• 35:41
  because you wrote it but also is it what in whatever way is it personal is it drawn from your own
• 35:45
  experience so is it because as you say you you started you wrote the first draft it is it is
• 35:49
  something coming from my grandfather yeah story it's it's inspired by that okay and also it's
• 35:57
  it's about relationship in a very historical setting so yeah it's yeah I think you
• 36:09
  want to give too much away no I can't I can't that's that's the thing I gave you already I think
• 36:15
  you feel right you feel it why it's important why is it very personal sure yeah yeah if it's coming
• 36:21
  from your family then absolutely yeah I mean what could be more personal than many ways yeah so
• 36:24
  well that sounds that sounds really exciting on you know I can't wait to hopefully see it you know
• 36:28
  soon what's so you're producing a writing you're going to be starring in it as well are you going to
• 36:32
  be you know on screen yeah yeah I'm going to be the main the main role in it yeah oh fantastic yeah
• 36:38
  yeah I would be hopefully co-producing it and and and of course I to be honest I write to act
• 36:45
  you're right yourself I write because I love acting and I write for the thing that I really could
• 36:51
  bring at value and you know new story to people something very new I think that's where the creative
• 36:58
  side is is important that's why I would tell you something I've never liked writing but now I love
• 37:05
  it I'm scientist right I am a scientist I am one plus one equal to I write scientific papers but
• 37:16
  it's different from writing scripts but now I'm I mean I'm in I'm in love with that
• 37:23
  that's fantastic because yeah you hear from a lot of writers that it could be like you know
• 37:26
  it's a lot of blood sweat and tears it could be a tough tough difficult process but it's great
• 37:30
  I don't think I'm qualified yet to be a script writer where I could really bring I would still need
• 37:40
  the help with the to go to go to that level right my dream is very high right to go to the Oscar to
• 37:47
  go to all these festivals and to to hit the heart of people around the globe it needs skill and
• 37:56
  some people they have been doing this for 30 years I haven't done that for 30 years so that's
• 38:01
  where people they believe in you in your story they could really help you to do that I'm I wouldn't
• 38:07
  qualify myself as as a script writer I'm still in the process hmm and it sounds fantastic
• 38:12
  yeah I'm on sounds like yeah I mean it sounds like great fun of course but the creative fun but
• 38:16
  also sounds like everything you've talked about how are the challenges of being an actor the
• 38:20
  different you know sharing show not tell how is that informing your writing process because obviously
• 38:24
  you're writing this to one day perform so like are you sort of pushing the character in places
• 38:28
  that you want to take it in terms of like I want I want to try this emotional I want to see if I
• 38:32
  can do this with the characters obviously you're in the driver's seat as the writer you can
• 38:36
  I think that's I think that's where I think my this is my point of view that could be a mistake
• 38:43
  I think you have to think of the character not from an actor point of view
• 38:49
  but from a creation point of view so you wouldn't think oh me as an actor I would like to
• 38:56
  try that but of course as an actor you know what kind of roles you would like to do but then when
• 39:03
  it comes to writing the the characters create their own journey when you are writing them because
• 39:08
  they they're not you unless you are creating something about you I think you need to remove the
• 39:14
  heart of actor and go to write the show not thinking about the space that you're going to do in the
• 39:24
  show or you're going to be the main or the second no no no it's the story how could you inform
• 39:32
  the story the best way how how the actor could be unique in in a way and that's the process once
• 39:39
  is done once we finish we remove the heart of the writer and then we go back to acting best think
• 39:49
  that's great to hear because I think I've got on the impression from certain actors who
• 39:53
  obviously produce and writes that like they're sort of it is they're doing that with their act to
• 39:58
  hat on not with their storyteller hat on and I think what you're saying is that like the important
• 40:02
  thing here is what's important to the story and the characters it's not about what can I do is an
• 40:08
  actor in this role what can I how can I you know coming at it from that point of view it's more
• 40:12
  like no no what's in service in the story and the the characters and and for both for for both
• 40:17
  places as an actor or or I think somehow you need people around you we cannot do this alone
• 40:25
  that's where for example I've worked with the director of Moses is a great director a huge
• 40:32
  Benjamin and I've learned a lot of him and we still friends and we keep talking it's how you
• 40:39
  create this environment for you where it brings and the producer maybe in another show that could
• 40:46
  come oh yeah I like the way you think I like there's something anyone you can bring again I'm
• 40:52
  very grateful to the people I've met since I was young today that's bring today who I am yeah
• 41:02
  and well it's refreshing to hear as well and I think that um you talk you so because what I think
• 41:07
  one thing is you'll talk about um credit for wrong but it's kind of an idea of humility of being
• 41:10
  quite are being sort of grounded and being sort of and having that perspective which you talk about
• 41:15
  like Gary on so horses had and the other actors and the crew it was like it was all about having
• 41:20
  obviously done the incredible things they've done they're still very grounded and very sort of
• 41:24
  objective about what they do which you know it's and yeah it's very it's lovely to hear you know
• 41:29
  I was well I would tell you a personal story okay I was very young and I I want this
• 41:35
  tournament in karate it was very very young and I I got the middle the cabin and I'm getting
• 41:41
  down of the podium I'm feeling like flying right my coach told me something that
• 41:53
  that is still with me all the time you told me yeah you won so what's your feeling I say yeah
• 42:00
  I'm the strongest I am I still young right I am that I'm there you told me the moment you put
• 42:06
  your feet down from a podium you're not anymore that champion you have to again work
• 42:15
  and defend your title and if you feel that you're still there then someone has gonna take that
• 42:23
  place very soon so being grounded and having that dream helps anyone of us to achieve otherwise
• 42:35
  in anything if you feel like okay I achieve with that or I reach it there or I think that's
• 42:41
  the moment you die because you're not you cannot learn you cannot listen if you think you are
• 42:48
  best so what else yeah it's like where else if you're stuck stuck in that mindset it's almost like
• 42:53
  you've cut yourself off because it's like where else is that to go and there's always somewhere else
• 42:57
  to go right there's always something new to learn I mean you can learn from from a kid sometimes
• 43:03
  a kid can tell you something wow what what did you say now and it's a lesson of life that's
• 43:10
  why we live right we keep learning we keep we keep enjoying we keep that process of nourishing
• 43:16
  ourselves from all all point of view trying to to be a better version of ourselves you are in the
• 43:23
  process so I don't think anyone on earth said one day again these people that successful we don't
• 43:30
  talk of other people they just talk for to talk look at these examples Muhammad Ali Klay
• 43:36
  Bruce Lee all these Michael Jackson listen to them they're just striving to learn even before they
• 43:45
  die you mentioned Bruce Lee there of course an icon of martial arts cinema I mean because you
• 43:51
  I hear what you're saying about how you you you're you're so enthusiastic about like the various
• 43:55
  projects you've got on the go and how you know and this project that you're writing it sounds like
• 43:59
  it's a period piece set you know it's in the historic piece I want to say are there any genres
• 44:04
  that you're particularly keen on sort of exploring as an actor or or as a writer I mean like it would
• 44:08
  martial arts be one would that be would you rather go somewhere else like in another direction no no
• 44:13
  I'm I'm very I like that venture we try to open doors but then when the doors are open let's go
• 44:22
  and enjoy the journey I don't I don't think I want to put myself in in a box I am very open to
• 44:30
  any kind of experience that at the end I think is going to be who I am later today I speak this
• 44:39
  way tomorrow I'm going to be a different it's me still me but it's going to be different okay
• 44:44
  hopefully but of course I love the action movies I love and it's it's unbelievable how
• 44:51
  how these movies are are are done because I know it's very action are very tough to short
• 44:58
  and I've done few of them sometimes one scene takes you a day while drama you could shoot maybe
• 45:05
  three four scenes a day but I'm again that background spring who I am yeah I can do action I can do
• 45:12
  drama I can I don't want to be stuck in any any other place as a writer more interested in relationships
• 45:20
  the interpersonal yeah yeah the drama of it yeah the drama of it yeah fantastic I guess one last
• 45:26
  question something that we tell you we ask a lot of I guess I mean because you come across so much
• 45:30
  passion and enthusiasm for what you do I mean and and the people you've worked with as well like
• 45:34
  you know you've been you've spoken so lovingly of the people you've worked with and collaborated with
• 45:38
  I mean is there any sort of particular director or writer or actor out there in the world that
• 45:42
  you're a fan of who you would like love to work if you've got the chance like who's who's kind of
• 45:46
  sparking you your passion these today that like you would love to work with very difficult question
• 45:52
  very difficult question first of all I would love to work with the people that are believing in me
• 45:58
  now the majority of the people that I've I've worked with and some of them they haven't yet
• 46:04
  I'd love to work with that people first because they believe in me they believe in Hoya now
• 46:11
  as an inspiration as a dream as looking high these big names I don't want to also say one name or two
• 46:19
  there are lots who inspires us like from actors to to to show runners to writers to to
• 46:26
  directors there's not only one I don't have like one person I would like to work with I would be
• 46:33
  open to that opportunity and and go and learn and and show who what what I'm capable of
• 46:40
  and see who I am and discover that more and more and again I'm I'm I'm very lucky because
• 46:46
  till now I haven't felt a different so I've been a London last week or an audition I've been in a
• 46:53
  room with a casting director the director that I've never met it's just that 30 or or minutes
• 47:00
  you feel free already you know we today actors we are lucky to have all these people around us
• 47:07
  that they are not only one of the best talented creative but also very human and I would love to
• 47:15
  keep that well that's what makes it all you know I think Ray Bradbury said like art is all about
• 47:20
  the aside it's all about you know I guess like you say what it means to be a person what it means
• 47:23
  to be you know human beings so hopefully we can you know look forward to seeing much more
• 47:28
  and more of that yeah yeah from you you know soon thank you for secondly now thank you for the
• 47:35
  this lovely interview I'm also learning you see this is one of my first in English wow yeah wow
• 47:43
  you did very well so thank you so again even just this simple interview you learn of it and you
• 47:51
  can improve next time or whatever right so thank you for this opportunities thank you for taking
• 47:58
  the time and for this beautiful question and also for this safe place my pleasure Monty I mean like
• 48:05
  like you say I mean like you're you're always learning and I'm always learning like you know I'm
• 48:08
  learning every single one of these I'm learning so and learning how to listen and how to respond
• 48:15
  it you know naturally so no this was so much fun this was such a blast Monty well thank you so
• 48:19
  much for coming on after pitching Monty this was such a pleasure and I can't wait to see what
• 48:22
  you've got coming up next for us in the pipeline thank you so much for you for this nice interview my
• 48:28
  pleasure I'll play this out hey everyone thanks so much for listening to my conversation with Monty
• 48:42
  back remember to like and subscribe to the podcast so you'll have a missing episode and stay
• 48:46
  tuned for more exciting interviews and guests coming soon on half the picture