What would you do if you met the perfect person in a fairytale meet-cute and then after multiple texts, you realize they have ghosted you? Some people might take it as a sign to simply move on, or you might be Cole Riggan (Chris Evans) and follow that perfect someone all the way across the world only to realize that she is a super spy. Ghosted follows Cole and Sadie (Ana de Armas) as they navigate their burgeoning romance while also trying to save the world from an international disaster. The rom-com masquerading as an action-adventure movie features the likes of Tim Blake Nelson, Amy Sedaris, Burn Gorman, along with a wealth of unexpected cameos. But, the main villain that Cole and Sadie must face off against is none other than Adrien Brody’s Leveque.
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Existing somewhere between Dr. Evil and Bond’s Blofeld, Leveque tosses all manner of opponents at Cole and Sadie as they work to stop him from selling a weapon of mass destruction. We spoke with Brody about his work as Leveque, including injecting some comedy into the film with his character and who he would have liked to work with from the list of cameo actors. We also discussed some of his upcoming roles in Manodrome, Fool’s Paradise (which features as Charlie Day’s directorial debut), and Asteroid City. And finally, Brody talked to us about working specifically with HBO and working on shows like Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and Succession.

THERESE LACSON: So I love this movie, I thought it was such a delight to watch, very entertaining. Your character, Leveque, has got a Bond villain quality to him, even down to his name. Did you draw from any classic spy thriller villains when it came to prepping for this role?

ADRIEN BRODY: That’s really interesting. I didn’t, really. I found a lot more inspiration from real-life people that were quite unique, and from comedic turns by great actors in the past, but not Bond villains. You know, the funny thing is that Dexter [Fletcher] is such a wonderful director, and so playful, and really encouraged a lot of improvisation. So there were always far more comedic versions of Leveque that are not in the film, which were very much a part of the creative process of creating him. And it’s very interesting to me, but he was always intended to have menace and be a foreboding threat. However, there was a lot of fun there that you’re not seeing [laughs].

I definitely got the vibe of the humor there, as well, just by the genre of the film. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a movie like this, a role like this where it’s sort of a rom-com action movie. Is that a genre that you enjoyed working in?

BRODY: It was really fun. Yeah, if you look at the work that I do, I’m pretty experimental and enjoy doing all sorts of things. I loved collaborating with Chris and Ana and Dexter, and it was really lots of fun.

I was curious about working with Chris and Ana, for you specifically. I wouldn’t say this is a true ensemble cast, but there were a lot of surprise cameos. Was there a highlight to that aspect of this film?

BRODY: Yeah, I think, for the most part, Mike Moh and I got to play quite a bit, which was really fun, and I love what he brought to his character. But getting to collaborate – you know, when you make a film that the intent is to bring joy and entertainment through the process, it’s a different criteria. So, there’s still a huge responsibility on the actors, but it’s a different criteria. And the focus that is usually, for me on the many of the roles that I’ve chosen that require a great deal of, I guess, solitude to do my work properly, isn’t quite required, and you can interact and be more playful in the work.

So I guess, as a process for me, I enjoyed that so much. And, you know, Chris has got just a great comedic timing, and as I said, there was so much comedic work that was encouraged by Dexter that we got to play with, that a good portion of our time there was laughing. So, yeah, I really did enjoy it.

Image via Apple TV+

Yeah, I can imagine that sounds like a fun time on set. You guys have this big action sequence that is at the end of the film, and it’s kind of insane. I mean, you guys are spinning around, there’s a whole situation happening there. Can you talk about the prep for filming a scene like that? Was there extensive prep? What was it like being on set for that?

BRODY: I mean, I think it was a great deal of prep for production and the camera department and visual effects, and Dexter, obviously. To incorporate all the elements and make them work seamlessly, there’s a lot of CG in that, but they built this tremendous set, and it is very impressive what they’ve achieved. And, specifically, as far as choreographing things, it wasn’t too rigorous from my part. I know that Chris and Ana had a pretty elaborate fight sequence that was a bit more precise. But no, that was a production hurdle more than anything, and such a pivotal part and sequence for the film. So I think they had the pressure on them.

Yeah, I definitely think they did a great job. It looked amazing, and it was very entertaining to watch. So I’m curious, is there anyone in this film that you wanted to act across that maybe didn’t get to? Because, I mean, Amy Sedaris is in this, Tim Blake Nelson…

BRODY: Yeah, I was gonna say, Tim. Yeah, I mean, they were all great. They were really fun. There were a lot of fun cameos I would have loved to have interacted with. Tim is so great, and Tim and I know each other from many years ago, we worked together on The Thin Red Line, and I’ve known him for a very long time, and he’s a lovely guy, and he’s really fun and talented. So that would have been fun. We tried to see each other for dinner, but we didn’t even have time. Our ships were crossing in the wrong harbor.

I totally understand. I mean, you’ve got a lot coming out this year. You got Manodrome, you’ve got Ghosted, Asteroid City, you’ve got Fool’s Paradise. Do you have a specific film that you’re excited for audiences to see this year? Is there something that you’re particularly excited for people to watch?

BRODY: It’s interesting. Several of these films have been in the works for a long time, so I’m very happy that they’re finally becoming available for people to see. Especially for Charlie, and I know how hard he’s worked on that – Charlie Day. And, you know, that my broader comedic sensibilities were remaining intact, so that’s really exciting in one respect because I do love comedy, and I do revel in those opportunities. And we had a great time and also were able to play around quite a bit in a way that’s very productive.

And then, of course, any chance to collaborate with Wes [Anderson] is a real blessing, and I love him very much and the work that he’s done and that we’ve managed to do over the years. But Manodrome is a really special film, a much heavier, dramatic work. And it was a wonderful role for me, and I’m excited about that. So, you know, something for everyone. [Laughs]

Elaborating a little bit on Fool’s Paradise, because I have spoken to Charlie before, and I’m very excited to see his directorial debut, what was it like being directed by him?

BRODY: You know, Charlie is a wonderful director. He’s very knowledgeable and understands what he wants, and obviously understands performance and timing, and is very collaborative, and it was quite meaningful. I do like him very much.

I’m excited to see the product of it, especially to see more of the comedic side of your acting. I always find that to be very enjoyable. And a general question about Wes Anderson, especially Asteroid City, and having worked with him so much, is there a pitch from him at this point, or does he just call you up and say, “I got a part for you, you’re coming to film this movie”?

BRODY: [Laughs] It’s an underhanded pitch. It’s kind of a, “Hey, what are you doing in May?” And then you say, “Great!” And then he’s like, “I don’t know, how would you like to play this kind of character?” And I say it sounds interesting, and then he’ll send me something, and we’ll chat about it, and the answer is, inevitably, yes.

Image via HBO

I love seeing you in films and in television, I feel like you are one of those actors that blends back and forth very easily. Do you have a preference when it comes to filming? Do you like the process of filming television a little bit better, or film where you’re doing it all at once and you kind of wait for it to happen? Is that a more gratifying experience?

BRODY: You know, it’s a lovely question and, you know, the short answer is that every project, regardless of what the format is, is very different. Sometimes you’re granted incredible creative freedoms, and you’re shooting on film and the writing is impeccable, and that’s a television episodic format. And sometimes you have none of those freedoms, and you’re shooting digitally, and you’re rushed and pressed for time, and you’re on a film. And that does not preclude those experiences from being meaningful, but the challenges inevitably make the process harder.

I really feel very blessed to have been working on [Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty] and Succession, both with HBO, and how they’ve nurtured those programs, and how the productions themselves have been so strong. And what I mean by that is really thoughtfully executed, well-written, character-based, meaningful material. And not just for myself, but for many actors, obviously. And it having a means to an audience, which is challenging in film. And so, you know, it just depends, but it’s been wonderful having meaningful work. That’s all I can say.

Like I said, I try to push the boundaries of my own and others’ expectations of what I am capable of doing and the kind of roles that you might consider me being right for, and I like to go beyond that. It’s been very rewarding in that sense, has provided a lot of growth, and it’s allowed me to remain experimental with my work, and find challenges.

Yeah, definitely. You mentioning Succession, I have to ask, I don’t know if you’ve seen the most recent episode – I won’t ruin it for you if you haven’t, but I would love to see your character return. Is there any possibility of that happening?

BRODY: You just put that out there. I mean, I’m game. [Laughs] I can’t tell you whether I’m in or not, the character is still alive. It’s usually when they kill you off, it’s a slim shot, but, it’s such a great show and I really loved working with all of them, and the writers as well. It was just such a pleasure, and they wrote something really special for me. They promised to, they embellished upon that when I signed up, and it was really lovely, and all those guys were great. Love that show.