Exclusive 1:1 interviews with Melissa Leo and Paul Dano from Prisoners

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Interviewing Paul Dano and Melissa Leo turned out to be one of the tougher assignments I had at this year’s TIFF. It’s not that they weren’t perfectly charming (both Leo and Dano were exceptionally nice), but the issue is that in the movie PRISONERS, they play the two characters without delving too deeply into the movie’s plot, which is a no-no for a film like this.

As such, I had to tread rather lightly in my interview. Luckily Dano and Leo both seemed game, although I only had a brief amount of time with them to discuss their respective roles. Dano plays Alex Jones, a mentally handicapped man who Hugh Jackman‘s character is convinced is behind the abduction of his daughter, which Leo plays his guardian Holly. Part of me wishes I could re-interview them a few weeks after the film opens and everyone sees it to better elaborate on their parts.

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.