Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: exclusive, interview, James Cullen Bressack, jean claude van damme, Kristanna Loken, Saban Films

Darkness of Man Star Kristanna Loken on Bringing Heart to Thriller

Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3) spoke to Bleeding Cool about her Saban Films noir thriller Darkness of Man, Jean-Claude Van Damme & more.

Kristanna Loken has had a diverse career across film and television, which has been key to her longevity in the industry. Since her start on the soap As the World Turns, the actress built an impressive filmography on TV with roles on Law & Order, Star Trek: Voyager, Lois & Clark, Just Shoot Me!, and Mortal Kombat: Conquest before landing her biggest in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines as the T-X. Since then, she's also had roles on BloodRayne, The L Word, Painkiller Jane, Lethal Weapon, Repeater, and Burn Notice. She even reprised her role as Jennifer on Boy Meets World's legacy sequel spinoff Girl Meets World. While promoting her latest film, Darkness of Man, for Saban Films, Loken spoke with Bleeding Cool about her creative autonomy in her role as Claire, co-stars, career longevity, and more. Darkness of Man follows the story of Russell Hatch (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a washed-up, former Interpol operative who vowed to protect the son (Emerson Min) of an informant killed years earlier in a raid gone wrong. When merciless street gangs start an all-out turf war, and the kid is caught in the middle, Hatch will stop at nothing to keep him safe and fight anyone who gets in his way.

Darkness of Man: Kristanna Loken on Adding More Nuance to Claire

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Darkness of Man?'
I was impressed with James Cullen Bressack and his body of work at already such a young age. He's a prolific filmmaker, and his vision for the script and the story and his work with Jean-Claude Van Damme is such a legend. After reading the script, I helped James develop the character of Claire and flesh her out, helping her to be the heart of the story that supports Van Damme's character on his journey.

How did the script from James, Alethea [Hnatko-Cho], and Jean-Claude resonate with you?
I liked what they had going. I thought there were ways we could bring Claire to a more helpful aspect in support of Van Damme's character, Russell. It's important when I see a film to feel the characters because if I don't, I feel like I check out. I wanted to make sure that's what we got with the nucleus from my character's perspective, with how she supports Van Damme's character Russell, [Emerson Min's character] Jayden, and this little pseudo-family they create.

How does your presence as an action star help lend credibility to this film?
I guess James probably thought to himself that it would be great for me to be teamed up with Van Damme, given my action background, and I know he's put in other notable action people like Cynthia Rothrock, who's also in the film in a cameo role. We've got the MMA fighter, I believe, making his film debut, Nick Diaz. For him, it was essential to have this action, well-rounded aspect. However, with my character, I don't do any action in this film, but the action is with the internal emotional life, I guess you could say.

How do you break down your career longevity, and how has it been sustained for so long?
It's choosing different types of roles. I've been fortunate enough to do comedy, drama, action, sci-fi, and even horror, so I'm keeping it fresh. As you mature, you want to portray other types of roles as they relate to you and potentially what you're going through. The more life experience I have, the better it is for my career because I have more to draw upon.

Was there a particular scene that was your favorite in 'Darkness of Man?'
A pivotal scene would be between Russell Hatch, Van Damme's character, and myself when she's nursing him back to health in bed. She's conveying some things to him that strike an emotional chord in a way in which he probably hasn't allowed things to land on him before. It's a bonding moment for the two of them when you feel like everything else is stripped away. These two souls crossed paths in life and sought to support one another.

Is there a genre you wish you could do more of in your career?
It'd be fun to do some more comedy. I've certainly done some in the past, and I'd like to do more in the future.

Since your experience with 'Terminator 3', how has it shaped your career?
It was an incredible opportunity. It gave me notoriety on a worldwide stage and an incredible platform from which to stand. From there, people see you do one thing they like and want to see you do it again. I have a dance background, so learning fight choreography was not too dissimilar from learning dance choreography. From there, you can branch off and do what you want. Longevity, like in any business, is up to you. It's what you put into it and how you conduct yourself along the way. I also am a producer and have my own production company. We have a film called 'Vice and Virtue' that is being released shortly, which is a dramedy. It depends on how you are in the business and which types of roles you want to create.

Darkness of Man, which also stars Spencer Breslin, Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones, and Shannen Doherty, is available on digital on May 21st.

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