On the morning of the premiere of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” actors Peter Macon and Ras-Samuel found themselves at the same hotel for breakfast. As they locked eyes across the buffet line, instead of a typical greeting, they embraced their characters and transformed into apes. With their shoulders drooped and a playful shuffle, they hooted and panted in delight at the sight of each other, embodying the camaraderie of their on-screen counterparts.
Macon admitted to Variety during the Los Angeles premiere on Thursday that they might have drawn attention to themselves. However, they firmly believe that their connection was established on a primal level, as apes first and foremost, and that bond will always remain.
As reported by Variety, the cast of “Kingdom” dedicated six weeks to attending “ape school.” During their time there, they mastered the art of walking, speaking, playing, and even riding horses like their primate counterparts. Director Wes Ball was impressed by their strong commitment to the program and recalls how he would often venture downstairs to their training room, only to be greeted by a pack of apes. He admits that the experience was quite intimidating.
“They didn’t just play their characters, they became their characters,” Ball stated. “It’s ingrained in their very being now, so it will take them years to let go of it.”
In “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” we are introduced to Noa, a young chimp (played by Owen Teague). Noa finds himself in a challenging situation as he strives to bring harmony between humans and apes and protect his tribe from the clutches of the malevolent ruler, Proximus Caeser (portrayed by Kevin Durand).
On Durand’s first day on set, Teague wasted no time in setting the tone for off-camera shenanigans. He promptly invited Durand to sneak away from the production and engage in a private conversation, all while staying completely in character.
“We spent 45 minutes running and improvising,” Durand recalled. “During that time, I shared my perspective as Proximus and tried to convince him to see things from my point of view. I wanted to show him that I wasn’t just a villain.”
Eka Darville, who portrays a 400-pound silverback gorilla, expressed that the most exhilarating aspect of the entire experience was the liberation to transcend his own self and surrender to the complete embodiment of his character.
According to Darville, the most transformative experience of his acting career was when he fully immersed himself in the characters and creatures he portrayed. “We spent a lot of time just embodying these beings and these creatures,” Darville explained. “And that was the most transformative thing I’ve ever done as an actor. You really get to be something else. I think we all crave that a little bit as actors.”
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will be hitting theaters on May 8th.
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