May 3rd sees the release of “The Intruder,” starring Michael Ealy, Meagan Goode and Dennis Quaid. For those of you who love to be scared, you are in for a real treat. Not too long ago, Michael, who hails from Silver Spring, MD, was in town to promote the movie and I had the opportunity to speak with him about his experiences in the film, his work with Meagan and what he learned from working with Dennis Quaid.
What was your most memorable experience while filming?
Filming “The Intruder.” One of the most memorable experiences would be…there’s a lot. There was a lot, actually. I think it was the scene where Meagan and I are in the kitchen and I’m in trouble. And I say that because we had this like…we really worked hard on that scene to try and ground the characters and give people a real insight into our backstory. And we worked really hard on that. I love how it came together, but I remember, you know…Meagan is like, the sweetest person ever, and to see her kind of fight back, I love that. I love that fire that she brought, you know? Because people don’t see that in her a lot.
You’ve worked with Meagan Goode in “Think Like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too,” both romantic comedies. What was it like to work with her on a suspense/thriller?
Well, interestingly enough, Meagan and I had this conversation when we signed on to the movie. We never worked together in “Think Like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too.”
Really?
We were in the same movie, but we never worked together. We never had one ounce of dialogue with each other.
(shocked) What?
Yep, we realized that and we were like, “ok so this is going to feel completely fresh,” because we’ve never worked together.
Wow!
Yeah. So we…this is our first time working together. We’ve done press together for “Think,” but we weren’t in the same movie. I mean, we weren’t in the same scene.
Wow!
I know. We didn’t know it til…
Oh, my goodness! So, what was it about “The Intruders” that made you want to work on the film?
So, I had the luxury of reading the script with Meagan already attached and Dennis already attached. So I was the final piece of the puzzle. To work with Meagan was a no-brainer. It was a great couple. I loved the way they read on the page, but the opportunity to kind of work with an iconic American actor like Dennis Quaid and possibly learn a thing or two, and you kind of get a chance to get in the ring with him. I thought that was…that was a big, big draw for me.
Yeah, I saw the fight scene between the two of you, and it looked so real.
Yeah, it was. It was. And he was, again, great to work with and he taught me a couple of things while we were shooting and the kind of experience I can’t…you’re only going to get better if you work with people who raise your game.
What was your reaction when you first shot the deer scene?
The deer scene was our first one. It was our first day on set, and the way it’s cut is a little bit different, and I think it’s for the ratings (laughs). The original version of that was we’re coming down those steps and we’re standing there and he’s coming at us with the gun. He’s coming directly at us with the gun, and we freak out and he runs right past us and shoots the deer. So, I think for ratings they had to cut it differently and see it the way it is. But you get the gist of what happened the way it is now, right? So, we were probably more terrified in that scene because of the way it was originally shot.
But I think it still plays onscreen that we’re pretty terrified. And obviously for me, my character Scott, who takes issue with guns and has a stance on guns has a past with guns, it was a tell-all sign that this was not the right place for him.
Right.
But because of my past with my wife, Meagan’s character Annie, it was something I kind of had to compromise on.
Do you have anything in the works you can talk about with us?
So, I’ve done a second film with Deon Taylor, director of this one called “Fatale.” And “Fatale” is a noir thriller that was shot in LA back in October…September, October with Hilary Swank and Mike Colter. So that’s in the can, and probably going to sell that one real soon. And then I just finished this pilot for ABC called “Stunt Town” with Cobie Smulders. And I have a movie called “Really Love” that I made with Macro, and Kofi. And what else, what else? I’m forgetting something else, I’m sorry.
That’s ok.
I’m a little bit fried. I’m forgetting…there’s one more thing, I’m forgetting what it is.
That’s fine. That’s alright, totally fine.
“The Intruder” is in theaters now, so get ready to have the fright of your life. This is one suspense thriller you are going to want to see. If you want to learn more about Michael, follow him on Twitter @MichaelEaly, Instagram @themichaelealy and his Facebook @MichaelEaly.
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