Marlon Wayans Looks Back On Requiem For A Dream

by Helen Earnshaw | 25 October 2011

Marlon Wayans has enjoyed a career that has so far spanned over twenty years and seen him work in TV as well as on the big screen.

One of his greatest performances remains Requiem For A Dream, which has just been released on Blu-Ray for the very first time.

I caught up with the actor to look back on his experience on the movie as well as what he has in store over the coming months.

- Requiem For A Dream has come to Blu-Ray for the very first time this month so can you just remind us what the film is about?

The film is about addiction and it also about the emotional reason that we all go to addiction, because it all stars with the lack of something; everyone had a reason and everyone has a drug of choice. Sometimes you go ‘what is that guy on drugs?’

And usually something tragic has happened in your life, or you are missing something, or you want that feeling of euphoria; some kind of escapism.

This movie is a great PSA to not try or touch drugs especially now, it was kind of ahead of it’s time, because prescription drugs is the big one right now - everyone is overdosing on prescription drugs.

- The film over ten years old so why do you think this movie is still so popular and so well regarded?

First of all I think Darren Aronofsky is a great director everything he does, well three out of four things, is Oscar nominated. He is just a visionary and he is one of the greats of our generation he is a throwback to the days when they made movies with people who had their own rhythm and own way of telling the story and can do various styles within his own style.

And Darren cares about everything in the frame from the actor to the lighting and the set - every one of the little shots of the drugs and the eye that he was shooting he really knew what he wanted.

And, for me, it was the process that we went through before the acting - he had me come out to New York in February and we rehearsed for two of three months before I shot.

I had to walk around New York in February freezing cold - and he was like ‘I want you to know what the New York cold feels like I want you to remember this because you will be filming this winter scene in summer’ and I said ‘Hey bro I am fro New York.’ (Laughs)

It was little rituals like that - we found five thing that I love to do; I love sugar, sex, masturbating and he was like ‘you can’t do any of those’ and I was like ‘why?’ and he said ‘I want you to know what it is like to go without something that you love’.

- You took on the role of Tyrone C.Love in the film so what was it about the character and the script that drew you to the project?

When I first read the script I was confused and I was like ‘What the hell? Why is this brother talking like he is from the seventies?’ I was like this is another stereotypical brother role - here the white man has gone and done is again.

I didn’t get it so I read the Hubert Selby novel, three times, and then I watched Pi. And I no longer cared what the dialogue was I just wanted to work with that director and I know he is going to create this world where this kind of dialogue would make sense.

I just wanted to work with Darren and then I got the script and it all sort of locked in for me. It was not easy Darren, the bastard, made me audition five times and I when I auditioned I wouldn’t sleep for two or three days, I wouldn’t wash and I just went back to performing arts high school mode I was like ‘I want this’.

- The movie was so different to anything that you had done in your career up to that point so how did you find the shoot?

I loved it. Drama is what I do; comedy is what I work at. Drama, dare I say, is a lot easier than comedy because we all have pain and to get in touch with that pain it’s a scary place to got to, but taking that pain and making people laugh with it that is the genius of comedy - and that’s not to dog drama because drama is an art; it’s subtly tapping in.

Comedians are usually good at comedy because we are fools everyday, but a fool is humble and a fool allows himself to feel and to be fearless; and I think that those are the elements that you need for drama.

For me I am a performing arts high school trained actor an everyone is like ’man you should do more drama’ and I’m like ’man Hollywood should write some’ (laughs). They don’t write too many great dramas but when I see one I go for it and Requiem was a great one.

- You said that after you watched Pi you really wanted to work with Darren Aronofsky did he live up to what you were expecting from him as a filmmaker?

More. Mind you he was young; it was only his second movie. It was one of the greatest experiences that I have had and I have fifteen-twenty movies, maybe more, but working with Darren is one of the greatest experiences I have had - because I trusted him.

There was nothing that he asked me for that I didn’t give him and we didn’t leave much out. I have so much respect for Darren and I am so proud to say that I was in Requiem For A Dream.

- And everyone has their opinion on what the movie is about, drugs addiction, search for happiness, self destruction so what did you get from the movie when you watched it the first time?

That the movie is about love and that it’s about some of the things that we do not considering out loved ones. Drugs is a selfish journey - you may think that you are the one hurting but in reality you are hurting everybody else; self destruction doesn’t just effect one person it effects everyone in your life.

This movie is the rollercoaster from hell it goes up, it goes round, it twists sideways and then it drops down - just when you think that you are going to get saved it keeps on crashing to the floor.

The audience is left with the elixir we get what the movie is about - I picked up the phone and I called my mom and I said ‘Mom I love you’ because it affected me in that way; am I taking my Mom for granted? Does my Mom know that she is loved?

We all have out addictions - my mom was addicted to sugar so much so that she now has diabetes. I have a brother who was addicted to crack - everyone has their drug of choice.

- You kicked off you career in the late eighties so how has the way that you select roles changed over the course of that time?

I pretty much write them now. I find directors that I want to work with but the chances to work with them are very few and far between - it’s difficult for black actors as there is not much work out there.

I am just focusing my energy on writing and creating until those opportunities come up, which are few and far between, but in between that I am on the road doing my stand up and I’m writing a lot - for me creating instead of waiting always fulfils me.

- You have also done a lot of writing in recent years so how much does what goes on behind the camera interest you? Is directing an option for you?

I definitely want to direct it is just a matter of time for me - I think I am going to direct in the next couple of years. It is something that I have always wanted to do.

As a writer you always write the vision and you know the way that you want it to play out directing is about the execution of that - you have to work with the writer and the editor in you has to come out and you have to figure out what you need and what you don’t need; and you have to figure that out before you shoot it.

So I am looking forward to the challenge but I am also looking forward to solidifying the complete vision.

- Your last movie role was Marmaduke so what have you been up to since then?

Writing. I have created a show for myself for ABC, a buddy action comedy, And then I have been on the road doing stand up preparing for Richard Prior, I have never done stand up before so when I got the role of Richard Prior I thought to play the greatest comedian ever I need to get my ass on stage. So I have been on stage for the last year and a half I have been touring the US and I will probably go overseas eventually.

I have been growing as an artist and writing and I have sold a couple of projects to television and I have just finished writing a movie, which I plan to do, just doing what I call grinding.

Everyone has their journey and my journey I have embraced - it is never going to be the easy road the harder the road for me is the easy road so I am just going to embrace my journey.

- As you say you have been on tour so how have you found going up in front of a live audience?

Talk about a drug adrenaline is the greatest - God gave us a natural high; two of them orgasms and adrenaline. And when I do stand up I get both - making people laugh is orgasmic to me.

I was so tired last night but I made go out and get on stage - I wrote all day - but when I get to perform there is nothing greater. I use to get ancy when I wasn’t doing a movie role now I don’t because I know that I can go and do stand up somewhere or I can go and write; this is allowing me to be more selective with what I chose to do.

I have got a gig this week in in upstate California, I am staring to play theatres and casinos and colleges - I love this journey because I stared out in coffee houses and open mics and worked my way up and hopefully one day it will be arenas.

- 2011 is drawing to a close so what movies and performances have you been enjoying so far this year?

I have been so busy writing I really haven’t seen that many movies. But my daughter tells me that The Help is great - she has seen it four times.

- Finally what's next for you?

I am creating a show for ABC right now for me to star in and then it’s stand-up, stand-up, stand-up. I have just finished writing a movie and I am hoping to have that out sometime next year.