Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: ben wheatley, jason statham, Jon Turteltaub, meg 2: the trench, Page Kennedy, the meg, Warner Bros

Meg 2: The Trench Star Page Kennedy on Music & Shark Thriller Sequel

Meg 2: The Trench star Page Kennedy talks to Bleeding Cool on reprising his role as DJ from the 2018 film, acting, music & more.

Page Kennedy is a versatile talent with over 20 years of experience on the screen. He expanded himself as a musician, having just released his fourth studio album in, "A Book of Pages." One of the tracks from the album is the remix of his single "Chomp," featured at the credits for his latest film in Warner Bros shark thriller sequel Meg 2: The Trench. He reprises his role as DJ from the 2018 film. The Upshaws and Six Feet Under star spoke to Bleeding Cool before the SAG-AFTRA strike about how he compares working with director Ben Wheatley to Jon Turteltaub, who directed the original, reuniting with cast members Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, and Sophia Cai, physical challenges on set and balancing his acting and music careers. The film follows a research team that encounters multiple threats while exploring the ocean's depths, including a malevolent mining operation.

The Meg 2: Returning for More Shark Carnage

Bleeding Cool: How did it feel to come back for 'The Meg 2: The Trench?'
Kennedy: I was ecstatic about coming back for the second 'Meg' movie. It was wonderful. I was a little concerned when our director [Jon Turteltaub] wasn't returning, but we seem to have been in good hands with Ben Wheatley.

How do you compare Ben's set to Jon's?
Jon's set was a little more fun, that's for sure. That's because he is like a comedian, so everything about him is that way. The first film's tonality had more levity than this one.

How do you explain the growth of your character DJ in this film?
DJ went through a beleaguered experience that indoctrinated him to want to prepare himself, which is what he did. He got prepared for what was to come, and when he came back, he was reluctant initially but came back ready.

When you came back for the sequel, did you fall back into familiar patterns with the original cast?
There were a few that returned: me, Cliff, Jason, and Sophia. I felt we all felt closer in [The Trench] than in the first movie. In the first movie, we didn't know each other, and when we came back from this movie, it felt like we had a stronger bond. Cliff and I got much closer in this film, and that's because, in the first film, we were all together. In this film, the relationships were asunder. I had a lot of time to be with Cliff and me. A lot of DJ's fun stuff that he has in this film is with Cliff. Naturally, we were going to get closer. Sophia and I were super close in the first movie, but we didn't have many dealings with each other in this one. We were close because we stayed close throughout her growing up, even when we weren't filming. We spent a lot of time like offset together, but onset, we didn't have much to do.

Was it harder filming 'Meg 2?' Was there a particular scene or sequence that stood out for you?
In the first movie, getting to the ocean was laborious every time. We had to drive a couple of hours out to some city. Then we had to take a boat out to the ship and take a smaller boat, too. It was a laborious process every time we had to film on the water in the first movie, and we didn't have to film on the water as much in the second film. That is the difference. Something that was difficult for me in the second film was there was a swimming portion, and I was not prepared for how cold the water was, and I wasn't ready for the waves. I didn't train for that [laughs]. I wasn't prepared for that, which posed a little problem for me at a certain point, but that was the only hard part.

Can you break down how you balance your acting and music careers? Does one get in the way of the other? Also, can you talk about your work on the 'Meg 2' soundtrack?
I have creative ADHD, so I constantly try to create and do different things. Since I'm so used to doing them all, I feel like I can do them whatever. I can film a movie or TV show while also creating an album or vice versa. I can also take my time and do each thing at a time. I'm also active on social media when I'm in the groove. As far as the music and acting, it comes once the creative bug is sparked, I just go, and that's the main thing. No matter where I am, if I'm in, it can happen contemporaneously with each other.

What are your so your influences on the acting and music side?
Eminem is a huge influence on me on the rapping side, he and Ice Cube. I'm big on storytelling; that's my strong suit and my favorite thing to do. I learned a lot from those guys. Acting-wise, I love Denzel Washington, and I study actors and acting. I watch everything, try to apply from an amalgamation of different actors, and coalesce everything I learn from them to use myself in my craft, way, and personality. It's an aggregation of people I learn from.

Meg 2: The Trench, which also stars Wu Jing, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, and Skyler Samuels, is currently in theaters.

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