Legendary rapper, Wu Tang Clan’s Method Man, has been making amazing music for the past 20 years, and after releasing countless albums, Method decided to conquer the world of acting.
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Method Man has transitioned into the world of acting quite nicely, and he’s recently taken a step back from the big budget Hollywood movies to experience the creativity of independent films.
Method Man is the star of the independent film The Mortician, which follows the life of a man who lost his mother as a child.
GlobalGrind spoke with Meth about his acting career, his new movie The Mortician, which is currently out on DVD, his favorite things, and of course the silly incomparable comparisons of Wu-Tang to Odd Future.
Check out the exclusive interview below!
What made you decide to go ahead and take part in The Mortician?
My man from The Wire had did a few independent movies — you get way more freedom to act when you’re in a independent movie as opposed to being in a well-known television series, where they make you actually stick to the script. So when I actually got my chance at a independent, it was the experience that I wanted, didn’t matter what the part was.
What do you think is the most difficult part about acting?
Jesus, I don’t know. I mean there are different things at different times, depending on the role that you take. The most challenging thing is translating what’s on paper into film. If you don’t have a full understanding of a character, you’re going to fail every time. I try my best to get a full understanding and put myself in a character’s shoes, so to speak. Doesn’t always work, but I do my best.
Did you go visit a funeral home or anything like that to prepare for this film?
No. No, I didn’t. The director actually did, but no. I didn’t go that far.
This film is a heavy film, so how did you translate and use all of this energy and just put it out on film and make it deep?
The director knew exactly how he saw the character and he would give me tips here and there of what that scene should look like. We did two week prep before I even got in front of the character, which was cool for me. I love more prep, the better I think the product comes out. I won’t say it was easy, because it’s always a challenge, but it was fairly easy when someone is giving you the blueprint, right there in front of your face.
In the movie, your character the mortician he loses his mom as a child, right?
Right. And based off of that, no one ever gave him his moment to grieve. So he held that pain inside all these years. You could only imagine what kind of person he grew into, being that he had this traumatic experience as a child. I reflected on that when they yelled action. But like I said, such a complex character, the best analogy that the director gave me was ‘this guy is just cold. He’s so cold he has a ice block around his heart.’ That’s the reason why he walks like he does because it feels like the weight of that cold heart holds him down.
So besides acting, Wu-Tang is getting back together for the Paid Dues tour, right?
The what tour?
Paid Dues?
I didn’t know that.
You didn’t? Are you not on the roster?
I’m probably am, but I’m always the last to know about these things.
They got Wu-Tang and Odd Future headlining. Well, Wu-Tang headlining and Odd Future coming up underneath ya’ll.
Odd Future, huh. Wow.
People like to compare the two because you guys are both hip-hop collectives, but clearly, there’s no comparison.
Only idiots do. (laughs) … I think it just makes it easier for people to comprehend if they can compare it to something else.
Besides your brothers from Wu-Tang, who have been your favorite collaborations?
I always wanted to collaborate with Busta, so that’s like my all-time favorite right there. You know, Redman, he’s considered a brother so I’m not going to even put him in the category. I don’t know. I guess Mary.
“All I Need” was a classic, obviously.
Yeah, she showed the kid love. She definitely did.
Are you in the studio working on any music?
Right now, I’m working on my mix CD and my album. I don’t know what label it’s going to be on. I think me and Def Jam — I don’t know what they doing over there. I don’t know what’s going on. Your guess is as good as mine. But I am working.
What is your favorite thing to do besides make music?
My favorite thing besides music is probably bowling.
Bowling?
Yeah, I like to bowl.
What are you averaging on a good night?
I wish I could but I’m so addicted to that curve. Do you know what I’m talking about?
Yeah, you’re the one who spins it real fast, and it comes out to the edge and comes back into the middle, right?
Exactly. And it’s hard for me to pick up spares, but I think I’m a buck 40 average.
Do you have your own personal bowling ball?
And shoes.
If I sent you to a deserted island and you can only bring three albums with you, what three albums would you bring?
Why would I bring albums to a deserted album, first of all? (laughs)
You’re going to need music!
Nah, what I’m going to need—I’m gonna need a companion and I’m gonna need me some goddamn food. And a TV.
Well, if you could only bring albums—music with you—to get you through, what three albums would you bring?
One of them would be the sound of waves crashing (laughs). The first album would probably be, I don’t know, Michael Jackson The Greatest Hits. Then I would have to get, sh*t, R. Kelly’s greatest hits. And end it up with some Wu-Tang.
Can you tell us something most people don’t know about you? Something that maybe only your friends know.
Jeez. I can play the conga drums. And I do magic tricks.
What kind of tricks?
Card tricks.
What can’t Method Man live without?
My PS3. No, my iPad.
Your iPad?
My iPhone.
Who are a couple of your musical inspirations?
I got so many, man. I can tell you where I get my showmanship from, what expires my showmanship on stage. Ralph Tresvant from New Edition. Great showman. Busta Rhymes. The Rock, from WWE. The way he used to cut promos—dude was like the truth when he cut promos, man. Nobody can take that away from him. A lot of my stuff I get from WWE—a lot of my inspiration. Even though people know all the moves aren’t real and sh*t, it’s the way they sell them that makes it official. That’s how I feel about my sh*t; if I can sell it, then no matter what I say, it’s going to sound hot.
Do you remember what your last dream was about?
I was back on the block selling drugs. That sh*t was a nightmare.
How did it end?
I woke up. Yeah, that’s a reoccurring dream right there, though. I don’t like that one at all.
