Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: exclusive, frank grillo, interview, John Swab, lionsgate, Long Gone Heroes, Mekhi Phifer

Long Gone Heroes Star Frank Grillo on Action Thriller, Swab & More

Frank Grillo (Creature Commandos) spoke to Bleeding Cool about his action thriller in Lionsgate's Long Gone Heroes, Swab, co-stars & more.

Frank Grillo is one hell of a workhorse as a jack-of-all-trades talent. Whether you need a competent lead, a compelling villain, or a credible physical presence, Grillo fulfills that need as a character actor. He's having the time of his life in indie action films, comic franchises, and TV shows and wouldn't have it any other way. He stars in Lionsgate's action thriller Long Gone Heroes, which follows Gunner (Grillo), a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat, is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America. As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits way too close to home. The season two Peacemaker star spoke to Bleeding Cool about taking the initiative on production, recruiting frequent collaborators, director John Swab, casting, how the director's persistence and resourcefulness provided a second life to production, and if there's any director or actor on his wish list for future projects.

Long Gone Heroes: Frank Grillo on Production's Scrappiness and Heart

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Long Gone Heroes,' and what does John Swab bring out of you as an actor that other creatives have not for you?
Good question. I dug the nuts and bolts of the story and love these types of distraction movies, the little political thriller stuff. There was another director, originally. The guy who wrote the original script was attached. One thing led to another, and I had the opportunity to choose the director, and [John] was my first choice because I'd done four movies with him. I knew this was a bit bigger than he had been used to budget-wise, but I knew he was ready for this. He knows how to execute the action and deal with a cast like this, and he did so beautifully.

What was it like working on set again with Mekhi Phifer and getting the opportunities with Josh Hutcherson, Andy Garcia, and your other castmates?

I reached out to Andy because we had a relationship. I told him to watch some of John's stuff. [The studio] brought in Josh Hutcherson after another actor had left. Beau Knapp is a buddy of mine and John Swab's. Mekhi was the buddy I had previously worked with on 'Lights Out' (2024). It was a collaboration of people we had all worked with, and we knew this would be a running and gunning type of guerilla filmmaking experience. We needed people we could trust. George Carroll, another guy who was in there for a couple of other movies with us, and we needed to form a group that could be teammates. It was tough to make this movie, and it fell apart once, but we returned and finished it in Columbia. John was steadfast. Without John's love for this movie, we would never have been sitting and talking about it.

Did you have a favorite scene or stunt you did in the film?
I loved doing the fight stuff with Mekhi. We had a lot of fun and laughed doing that.

How do you compare the atmosphere filming in Columbia, and did you get an opportunity to enjoy your time there? How does filming there compare to when you initially started in Puerto Rico?

That's a good question. Puerto Rico is a vacation spot, so it affected what we were shooting because it's weird. It's an island where people drink pina coladas and walk around in bathing suits. When we went to Colombia to recreate and finish the film, it was night and day. Colombia felt like Venezuela, and it felt dangerous. We were really in the jungle, whereas we were trying to find a jungle in Puerto Rico. Colombia lends itself to the movie in a way that allows us to make a much better film.

You've been such a great workhorse in your films whether it's action or dramatic roles. Are there any directors or actors you want to work with that you haven't had a chance to yet?

The way my career's gone, I've worked with some great directors, and there are some I want an opportunity to work with before I die. David Fincher comes to mind; he's amazing. I'd also love to work with Paul Thomas Anderson and Martin Scorsese. Who knows? There are a lot of talented men and women out there. It's interesting because I'm not in the studio system, so it's an interesting kind of Hollywood's weird animal. "Never say never," but I focus on what's in front of me with what abilities I have because I don't want to sit at home waiting for shit. There are a lot of talented actors I would love to work with as well, but it is what it is. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'm not bothered.

Long Gone Heroes, which also stars Eden Brolin, Wendy Moniz, and Melissa Leo, is available in theaters, on demand and digital.

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