Sam Rockwell is thinking.
The 56-year-old Oscar winner walks into Variety’s office the morning after a For Your Consideration panel for HBO Max’s “The White Lotus,” where he plays Frank, a former associate whose episode five monologue, centered on sex addiction and sexual identity, became a viral moment.
As soon as he sits down, he spots a February 2018 Variety cover featuring Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman promoting “Black Panther.”
“I just saw an interview with him,” Rockwell says, pointing to Coogler. “It was really interesting. I’m from the Bay Area, and he was talking about this experience watching a movie with his dad.”
Naturally, I ask if he’s seen “Sinners,” the box office sensation that’s become an early Oscar contender.
“Yes, I did. I really dug it. And the technology with the twin thing has come a long way since I did a trick like that long ago.”
He’s referring to his acclaimed performance in Duncan Jones’ 2009 film “Moon,” where he plays Sam Bell, a man facing a personal crisis at the end of a three-year solo mission on the far side of the moon. In one memorable scene involving a ping-pong table, two Rockwells appear onscreen — a technical feat at the time.
Our conversation drifts toward our mutual love of 1970s cinema. About 21 minutes into our chat, Rockwell flips the script and asks, “What do you think about the state of movies and what’s happening?”
Some reporters might flinch at being interviewed by their subject. I don’t. Often, that question reveals what they genuinely want to talk about.
“I can’t help but think about ‘Sinners,’” Rockwell says after I respond. “It was encouraging because it was rated R, you know? The sexuality felt palpable. And the fact that it made a bunch of money while mixing all these genres — ‘From Dusk Till Dawn,’ ‘Sounder,’ ‘Devil in a Blue Dress’ — I thought that was encouraging. It’s a big swing. And it made a lot of money, just like ‘Wonder Woman.’ That was a big swing, too. Made by a woman. Did very well.”
He continues, riffing on how unconventional success stories give him hope.
“‘Birdman’ is another one. On paper, you’d think, ‘That movie’s not going to do anything.’ But it was amazing. Same with ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ Everybody turned it down — Gene Hackman, James Caan. But look what happened. So yeah, I’m encouraged by certain things.”
At that exact moment, Rockwell notices a Chucky doll sitting on the shelf behind me, voiced by “Cuckoo’s Nest” Oscar nominee Brad Dourif.
“Is that Chucky? I’d get rid of that thing,” he says, laughing.
Rockwell reflects on being part of what he calls “an incredible generation” of actors: Billy Crudup, Michael Shannon, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. “Phil was our guy,” he says. “He was our Charles Laughton.”
When discussing some of his most recognizable roles — his Oscar-winning turn in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and his nominated portrayal of George W. Bush in “Vice” — he becomes visibly uneasy when asked about the current state of the country.
“It’s a shit show,” he says bluntly. “Man, I don’t even know where to begin. It’s not great.”
Does he still have hope?
“I wouldn’t know where to begin. It’s rough out there. I’m an entertainer. But hopefully, you can speak through your work and provide some kind of catharsis for people through movies and theater.”
When the conversation shifts to his longtime partner, Leslie Bibb, who is also garnering Emmy buzz for “The White Lotus,” Rockwell’s energy brightens.
“I’m so proud of her,” he says with a smile. “This is a real moment for her. I think people are looking at her in a different way. She’s kicking ass. She made a character that could have been really unlikable into someone with a moral compass.”
As for the scene in “The White Lotus” where Frank chases Rick (played by Walton Goggins) while wearing leopard-print underwear — another viral moment of its own — Rockwell clears up an internet rumor on whether it’s women’s underwear.
“It’s not lace,” he laughs. “It’s a white-wall kind of thing. But you know, that was really an homage to Richard Gere in ‘American Gigolo.’ I remember the cheetah pattern. I think I was just being silly. It was kind of funny underwear — very ’80s briefs. I picked them out. There were five choices. That was the best one.”
Rockwell reveals he did extensive preparation for his monologue in “The White Lotus” and credits another recent role with helping him get into the rhythm.
“I did a series of monologues leading up to it,” he says. “In the Verbinski movie, I have a 10-page monologue that opens the film. Before that, I did ‘American Buffalo’ with Darren Criss and Laurence Fishburne. There’s a famous monologue called ‘Fucking Ruthie.’ Pacino and Duvall also performed in ‘American Buffalo.’ So, I was warmed up.”
In moments of creative desperation, Rockwell says he turned to the internet.
“I just Googled ‘great monologues,’ and all these popped up: Kurt Russell in ‘Miracle,’ Jack Nicholson in ‘A Few Good Men,’ Sylvester Stallone in ‘Rocky V.’ It’s amazing what you can access now. The internet is incredible for actors.”
Rockwell has several projects in the works, including “Wild Horse Nine,” directed by frequent collaborator Martin McDonagh and co-starring Parker Posey, Steve Buscemi and John Malkovich.
He’s also excited about “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” directed by Verbinski and starring Zazie Beetz and Juno Temple.
“I’m really proud of that one,” he says. “It’s kind of a Terry Gilliam throwback. I wear this 40-pound suit Gore designed; it’s wild. It’s about a homeless guy from the future trying to go back in time to stop AI from getting out of control.”
That seems timely.
And yes, he’s still hoping the long-gestating Merle Haggard biopic will move forward. “We’ll see what happens,” he says.
As we discuss the Emmy race technicalities, Rockwell reflects on his category placement. Although his appearance in four episodes of “The White Lotus” would make one assume him as guest actor, he was submitted in the supporting drama actor category, even with the finale appearance being less than a minute long.
“I’m between a rock and a hard place,” he admits. “It’s really up to the voters. It’s weird because I’m in the same category with Walt [Goggins], Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola — those guys are really leads going into supporting. And I’m really a guest, going into supporting. It’s not really fair or cool, but it is what it is.”
As our time wraps up, we bond once more over trailers that left lasting impressions, such as the minimalist teaser for Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and the eerie spot for “Magic” featuring Anthony Hopkins.
“I still have nightmares from the trailer,” Rockwell says with a grin. “Just the sound of space and that tagline — ‘In space, no one can hear you scream.’ That’s all it needed.”
As Rockwell prepares to return to the East Coast, we finish our conversation with more love for the movies, and yes, a little more Chucky. With a career built on range, passion and storytelling, he remains one of Hollywood’s most grounded and versatile performers, who still believes the art form will endure.
