'Ozark' actor Trevor Long was ‘more scared to play Marcus’ in supernatural film 'Seeds' than any role he’d ever undertaken
You may know Trevor Long as Cade Langmore, the evil brainbox in 'Ozark', who was gunned down in a shower of bullets at the end of season two. The actor's role may have been chopped off in the crime drama series but he is now all set to star in the movie 'Seeds' directed by his brother Owen Long.
The film is centered around a distraught man, Marcus, who has very inappropriate desires towards his niece Lily (Andrea Chen) and dives into his psyche as things take a deadly turn.
The trailer of 'Seeds' is two shades darker and creepier than what one would imagine a horror film to be. Shedding light on the spooky storyline, Trevor told MEA World Wide (MEAWW) in an exclusive interview: "It is a very unsettling film, in more of a cerebral way. I’m sure, however, most will be in for a fairly uncomfortable ride."
The 42-year-old also talked about the outline of the film, his reaction on his character from 'Ozark' being cut off and the contrast between his relationship with his niece in 'Seeds' and daughter in 'Ozark'.
The official summary of 'Seeds' reads that your character Marcus is haunted by his darkest fears and deepest desires. Could you at all relate to him and if not, how did you try to bring about the relatability factor for the viewers?
Marcus is very different from me. It was a fairly dark place I had to enter. I couldn’t relate to his actions, but I related to his pain and struggle as a human being. What makes him relatable for viewers is the love he feels for his niece and nephew. I spent a lot of time imagining what it would feel like if something bad were to happen to one of my nephews. It took me to some pretty dark places which I felt were necessary for Marcus to be in.
Were you always the first choice to be cast in the film? What attracted you the most about the story and plot?
According to my brother, I was the only choice. It was special that he created the role with me in mind, but I also felt a lot of pressure to get this guy right. With not much dialogue on the page, I had to find a very real and rich inner life.
I was drawn to my brother's story because it was so unique and incredibly challenging. We spent a lot of time together collaborating and hashing stuff out. I was more scared to play Marcus than any role I’ve ever undertaken.
One obvious reason is he really carries the film. He is in almost every frame. I had never taken on a role with that much weight in my career prior to 'Seeds'. My brother had to walk me off that ledge more than once.
How was it to be directed by your brother Owen Long? Did you help bounce off ideas while he was writing and preparing the screenplay?
It was truly great to be directed by him. I had concerns about it initially, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did too. These kinds of situations where siblings are working together, especially in a creative field, can prove disastrous. We bounced a lot of ideas with each other. I found we were remarkably open to each other’s ideas and feelings. That process pretty much continued throughout the whole shoot.
Shockingly, Cade Langmore had an untimely death in the 'Ozark'. Did you know about it and does it mean a full exit from the show? Is there even a slight chance to see you in season 3, in flashbacks, perhaps?
Yes, Cade had an untimely death, and of course I was sad about that. However, he lasted a bit longer than I thought he would. The so-called bad guys don't usually have a very long life span. I was given a very nice call from our showrunner Chris Mundy telling me that Cade would die in the final episode before shooting started. I’m grateful that I knew that. You never know if Cade will come back with flashback scenes or not. It’s possible. I would welcome that opportunity if it did.
Cade Langmore killed policeman Roy Petty and we've still got to solve Cade Langmore's murder plot, with a whole host of possible suspects. How do you think will it complicate the plot for Ruth and Marty?
I’m not really sure how it will complicate things. I can guess, however, that it will cause some problems with the FBI. Perhaps more feds will come in to investigate. And of course, I’m sure it will cause problems for the Byrdes, if and when Ruth finds out the truth about her daddy’s death. The cool thing is I’ll get to watch it as a fan and see it all unfold.
In 'Ozark', your character shares a complicated relationship with his daughter Ruth and in 'Seeds', there seems to be a similar connection with your character's niece Lily. Were the two equations similar in any way and is it easy to bring out the fatherly care and protection on screen?
Let me set the record straight with Cade. His relationship with his daughter was not in any way sexual. The writers did a great job in making that ambiguous and open to interpretation. Marcus has desires for his niece in different ways than Cade.
Marcus struggled tremendously with his feelings for his niece while Cade had no remorse in how he expressed his love for his daughter Ruth, even if it moved into violence. I feel and made sure both men felt a strong love albeit in very different ways.
I have a 10-year-old son, so connecting to paternal love with a fierce vulnerability to protect was my way into both characters. I think both characters, hopefully, exhibit that layer in what they do and feel.
What's on your mind for the future? Tell us about the new projects lined up.
Right now I’m prepping for a new show called 'FBI’s Most Wanted'. Get to take on a biker gang leader. It should be fun to be bad again.
Produced by Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment, the movie rolls out on September 13 in theatres.
