B.L. So you are one busy guy! Since I last spoke to you, what have you made, five films since then?
R.R. It feels like it, yeah. I don’t think so, I don’t know (laughs).

B.L. Let’s talk about your new film Foolproof, can you set up the premise for me?
R.R. There are three friends; the leader is Kevin and that’s who I play. He basically heads this group and they start doing an exercise they call Foolproof, which is kind of an academic exercise picking high-security, high-stake companies or institutions that have gold or jewels or bonds or cash or whatever, and they find ways to hack their system, break in and get out without them ever knowing they were there. They don’t ever actually go through with any of this – they just sort of simulate it in their own space, a place they call the Electronic Dungeon. So essentially we meet a sub-gangster type of guy from England named Leo Gillette, who’s played by David Suchet, and he kind of gets a whiff of us; what we’re up to and what we do, and inevitably blackmails us into doing a massive heist for real. And the movie chronicles the psychological aspects that these three guys go through in trying to keep their friendship alive but at the same time, their differing views and opinions on this. You know, on some level, they’re liking it as well, because they want to see if they can get away with it. It’s a strange hybrid of a psychological, heady kind of film, but at the same time there’s this glossy, action, suspense vibe as well.

B.L. So when you first read it, what made it different from other things you’ve played?
R.R. Well, the first thing was that I would be working with the director, Bill Phillips, who just knew exactly what he wanted. There’s something so attractive about that with a director, because I’ve worked with a lot of directors, particularly in comedy, where I feel I’ve got to carry the thing on my back. They’re looking at me, saying, "Well, what do you think? What do you think?" I was anxious to do something where I felt I had to rise up to the material and rise up to the director and Bill Phillips offered me the opportunity. I loved the fact that it was a character that could, in moments, be light and funny, but at the same time he has a deep-seated, darker side, something else going on; something less superficial. It was just a great opportunity.

B.L. So, lots of layers – a bit of a challenge?
R.R. Yeah. It was incredible to do a film where we were discussing what was going on in the mind of a character six scenes previous to the one we were shooting. So it was fun to put that puzzle together on a daily basis and I think the thing that attracts me the most in acting and comedy in particular is the problem solving. So I got to do that in a movie that wasn’t necessarily just comedy, it was everything.

B.L. It’s great that you’re getting to do these opportunities. When you were doing mainly comedies, did you ever worry that you would get pigeon-holed?
R.R. Yeah, when you’re 18 and you haven’t yet moved to L.A., you can only hope that you get pigeon-holed in something. So I definitely keep that in mind when I’m doing it, but I’ve been fortunate enough to be a little bit scared of that huge machine of Hollywood that I’ve never really put myself in that position until right now. I’m doing Blade III for New Line Cinema. It’s a huge new character for this trilogy and I feel the pressure of it all of a sudden. So it’s just facing those new challenges and whatever you’re ready for, I think, and that’s kind of what I’m ready for right now.

B.L. Well good for you, that’s awesome. So for Foolproof, first of all, I’ve never really heard of the term, is that something that really goes on?
R.R. No. I certainly hope not.

B.L. Yeah, I hope not too! But when you were doing your research, did you do anything that would prepare you to become a master thief?
R.R.Yeah, there are definitely people that test hack systems, like if you have a Bank of America, that company will hire a security team to say, "Look, can you get in? Can you make it in and out without us ever knowing you were here?" So I guess in a sense, there are teams that do that, but they are teams that are obviously paid to do that. We’re doing it sort of under the radar, and I’m sure if those companies knew, they would surely freak out. So I love that notion of these three people who can break into anything, anywhere, anytime. However, they don’t do it.

B.L. Did you learn how to pick a lock for this film?
R.R. Yeah, I learned all sorts of fun stuff (laughs). I definitely learned how to pick a lock. I don’t think I could like, get through your standard Medco lock, but I could definitely pick a hacky, shitty lock.

B.L. Wow. Like credit card kind, or bobby pin?
R.R. No, pins. I know how to do it with all the pins. I could probably pick a really hardcore lock but it would take me hours. What I loved is that Bill, he’s the sweetest guy on the planet, he used a take in which I actually picked the lock. And I was so happy that I didn’t actually just do a back flip with my pants down because I picked the lock.

B.L. Which we’ve actually seen you do before (laughs).
R.R. Yeah, yeah.

B.L. Been there, done that.
R.R. Bring in the ass double. He comes with me everywhere; bars, clubs…

B.L. Now what’s the appeal, now that you’ve done both – the big budget films, the smaller films, is it fun to go back and forth? What’s the difference for you?
R.R. I think, like doing this film [Foolproof] as opposed to the American films? I think it’s all what you’re ready for. When I first moved to L.A., like any actor, I thought, "I’ll do anything, I just want to see if I can do it." So slowly the challenges become greater and greater and more, and it’s funny the path we choose. Because I so easily could have been on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for eight years and I would never have been able to do any of this stuff. So I was just ready for something new. And I talked to my agent and said, "There are so many great Canadian movies, but do they hate me up there? I don’t understand why I never get to hear about them." And the feedback I got was ’cause a lot of people think I would never be interested in doing them. And I thought, "that’s the dumbest thing I ever heard of in my entire life." I would give the last remaining marrow in my body to do some Canadian films, because it’s so great. There’s a giant misconception that Canadian films are all based on half-assed haikus. And that’s so not true. We have some of the greatest filmmakers on the planet.

B.L. For sure. Well, I guess they do get that feeling from certain actors, like, "Once I’ve made it, why would I want to come home?" And I think it’s great that you’re out there letting people know. Good scripts? Who cares who finances it?
R.R. Yeah, that’s an awfully high horse to get carried away on and I would hope to never have that happen to me. I would be so full of shit if I didn’t tell you that I didn’t love doing these huge American movies. They offer opportunities monetarily and comedically for me that I can’t seem to do in Canada and it’s always been a frustration of mine that Canada has, I think, the funniest people on the planet yet we don’t do a lot of comedies here. When I was in the States, directors ask me, "Why are Canadians so funny?" And I just chalk it up to the fact that they’re ironic. They have a self-deprecating handle on irony. And it’s interesting because America is not bombarded with Canadianism; Canada is bombarded with Americanism so we have this objective perspective that most don’t have.

B.L. Right. So, good cast, you get to work with David Suchet again, who you worked with on The In-Laws. That’s kind of neat how that worked out, and both were shot in Toronto.
R.R. I know. We got to experience Toronto when it was 190 degrees, and we got to Toronto when it was minus 190, holding each other with our frozen tears. It was just such an honor to work with him, I’ve been a fan of Poirot, and when he came on board The In-Laws, we were just doing a table read in L.A. with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks and we wanted someone to fill in for the villain and David Suchet agreed to do it because he happened to be in Los Angeles at the time. So after the reading, he left and we all looked over at Andy Fleming (the director) and said, "You’re going to cast him, right?" So he did, and then when I met with Bill Phillips up in Toronto, he said, "I’m trying to figure out who I’m going to cast for the villain, and I’m thinking, maybe like a Terrence Stamp," and I said, "Oh! Jesus! If you’re going to go for the stodgy British, go for David Suchet, he’s the greatest." So he checked him out, and within about three hours David Suchet replied with an "Absolutely yes."

B.L. Wow. But in this one, in Foolproof, it’s more intense obviously.
R.R. Yeah, definitely. And I was attracted to the fact that it looks like an American big glossy movie, but it also incorporates this psychological aspect.

B.L. I know there’s a lot of backing behind this movie, Alliance Atlantis is really pushing it. It must be a nice feeling; you’ve got this big giant company in Canada pushing it like this.
R.R. Yeah, I agree. I think it goes to show what the final product is, as well. When they started seeing dailies, they went, "Holy shit. We’re going to have to put some serious effort into promoting this so people get to see it."

B.L. I also understand that you did some of your own stunts for this movie.
R.R. Yes, I did.

B.L. So, you didn’t kill yourself or anything.
R.R. No, I’m definitely still alive.

B.L. Good (laughs). But give me a little handle on what you did, and how much you pushed it.
R.R. There was mostly testicular trauma, with respect to harnesses.

B.L. Oh God (laughs).
R.R. Yeah, and I’ve got a patent on that coin phrase, by the way.

B.L. Yeah, that’s a good phrase.
R.R. Yes, in fact, I’m still waiting for them to descend from my throat. It was just unbelievable the amount of crazy harness work that we were doing. It was truly horrifying at times, and truly fun at times. I did a lot of stuff that looks incredibly violent on your body but actually wasn’t as bad as it looked. Yeah, falling down elevator shafts and pyrotechnics, it was just exciting.

B.L. The three of you spent a lot of time together. How did you guys develop your bond?
R.R. It was great. We were very much like a family. I have to say I’ve never gotten along so well with a cast and crew as when I did that movie. I could have done it forever. I really developed a close bond with Bill Phillips as well. I consider him to be one of my closest friends.

B.L. So have you seen the final product?
R.R. I’ve not seen the final version. I’ve seen rough cuts though.

B.L. Were you happy with what you saw?
R.R. I was blown away by the rough cuts. I kept saying, "how do you make this any better? This is a rough cut and it looks incredible." Everything about it was just flabbergasting. I couldn’t believe that this was a product of Canada.

B.L. Wow, I’m so excited to see it. I’ve only heard good things about it. Now, Foolproof is something that takes a lot of time in these people’s lives. They get really obsessed with it. Has there ever been anything that you got hooked on that took up so much of your time that you would tell everyone to drop dead, like Pac-Man, or I don’t know, anything?
R.R. I’m like a big ball of obsessiveness. I wash my hands a lot.

B.L. That’s okay, that’s a good thing.
R.R. What else have I fixated on over the years? I’m sure there’s so many, yet none are coming to mind.

B.L. That’s okay. You were talking a lot about Bill Phillips and what a great director he is, but how advantageous is it for you as an actor to have somebody who’s also written the script?
R.R. It’s great. It’s amazing for two reasons. One, is that Bill Phillips is not particularly precious about every last syllable being uttered on film the way like a David Mamet would be. It’s just great to collaborate with someone who’s that close to it. He’s just such a gifted person.