Acclaimed actor Alfred Molina has enjoyed a long and venerable career that extends over a respectable forty years. Making his film debut in the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, Molina has gone on to appear in over 200 productions that include television, film, and stage work, and is slated to reprise his iconic role as Doctor Octopus in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home, scheduled to be released at the end of the year.
Molina now appears in the film The Water Man, alongside a talented cast that includes Lonnie Chavis (This is Us), Rosario Dawson (Luke Cage, The Mandalorian), Amiah Miller (Henry Danger, War for the Planet of the Apes), and David Oyelowo (Selma, Star Wars Rebels), who also directs. Molina took the time to speak with CBR about the role he plays in the film, his iconic entry into the world of acting, and his impression of his thirteen year old co-star.
CBR: What can you tell us about your role in The Water Man?
Alfred Molina: What did you think when you saw the movie?
CBR: I found it to be interesting and intriguing, and I enjoyed your character's interactions with Gunner (Chavis).
Molina: That's the same reaction I had when I read the script. I was really intrigued. The script has very strong undercurrents, with many things being suggested but not quite said. With my character, I felt there was a kind of magic, like some sort of some weird alchemy about him. You first see him staring out through these glass partitions, and he opens the door for Gunner very begrudgingly.
He takes Gunner into the darkest room in the house, and I suddenly thought, this is where he stores his guilt. That was what I saw. And I suddenly had one of those eye opening moments. The reason he tells the story of the Water Man, the reason he tells this urban myth to his young kid is because of the guilt he feels about his father and his own failure. That's what drives him, and that's what and I thought was a really interesting thing to play.
CBR: In this film, you're working alongside the likes Rosario Dawson David Oyelowo, and Lonnie Chavis. What was it like working with such a talented cast?
Molina: Well, it was fantastic. Most of my stuff was with Lonnie in that one scene, and I had a quick little thing with David a bit later in the movie. Sadly, I never got the chance to cross paths creatively with Rosario on this movie, but she was wonderful to watch. I watched her work one day and she was absolutely brilliant.
I was very impressed with Lonnie. I think he's a really bright young man without a lot of experience, but he brought a real sense of understanding and grace to the room. It was like working with someone much older with much more experience. He is very charming and very talented.
CBR: How did you prepare for your role in this film?
Molina: I started looking at the script from the point of view of what this man would feel guilty about. He seems to feel the most guilty about not doing enough for his dad. This really mirrors Gunner's, because he feels like not enough is being done for his mom, which is what is what sets him off on this quest to find this magical thing that might cure her.
CBR: Which aspect of your character do you relate to the most?
Molina: You relate to characters in all sorts of ways. There was a melancholy about my character that I gravitated toward because my mother had that same quality. It's helped me to better understand the role.
CBR: Do you have a favorite onset memory?
Molina: It's not a laugh out loud memory, but it's one that really impressed me about Lonnie. On one of the days, when we were working Lonnie was really sick with a terrible cold. He was feeling really rotten, and I felt for him. But he was such a pro that he just banged on through the day and got through it. He didn't fold in or go easy on himself. He gave it everything he had every time. In between takes he was almost falling asleep. He was so exhausted, and feeling so bad. But he stayed a pro. I was really impressed by that.
CBR: How is this role different or similar to previous roles you've played?
Molina: I've played my share of mysterious people. This role can be added to that.
CBR: Your very first film was Raiders of the Lost Ark. What is it like to be part of a film that became such a pop culture phenomenon?
Molina: Well, to use a phrase I grew up with, it blew my mind. It totally blew me away. I was in my twenties and I'd never done a movie before. I was barely four years into my career, and I had just graduated. That year I turned 22, and I didn't know anything. I was green as cabbage, and thrown into this movie. And there was Harrison Ford! He and Steven Spielberg were stars. And I couldn't believe it, I think my jaw hit the floor every day. It was a wonderful experience for me.
It's also a poignant memory for me, because while while we were shooting the movie, my then partner and I were pregnant with our daughter. Obviously, she's a grown woman now, but the movie is tied to a very important moment in my life. So my memories of the film are very fond and very warm, because it was, it was the year everything changed for me.
CBR: What is your biggest takeaway from this film?
Unknown Speaker
I think I think the biggest takeaway I have is that this is a huge salute to the power of family. This film highlights the power of depending on your family, and being proud to have your family depend on you, which I think is a very powerful statement.
The Water Man is written by Emma Needell and directed by David Oyelowo, who also stars alongside Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina, and Maria Bello. The film is in theatres now.