Blake Cooper – The Maze Runner

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I just finished a pilot for Amazon called “Cocked.” It’s with Sam Trammell  as the lead. It doesn’t have a release day yet, but it should be out by next summer.

Q) What was your audition like for The Maze Runner and what made you want to be a part of the film?

A) I heard about the movie from a friend of mine and my mom and I decided it would be a great project to work on because it’s based off these really cool books. Both of us agreed that I was almost perfect for the role. My mom and I reached out to the casting director, but they kind of turned us away because they had who they wanted for the role in mind. I decided to take to Twitter to see if I could find director Wes Ball’s account. I messaged him that I thought he should consider me for the role of Chuck. He didn’t take notice at first, but fans of the books and the series took notice and started freaking out on Twitter. They were making fan art and were serious about what they were doing. Wes took notice and decided to tell the casting director.

Q) Since the audition process, was there anything you added to the role of Chuck that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I am not trying anything new or taking risks. I’m still new and learning. There were some things where Wes and I would talk about the scene and decide what we would do from there. I wouldn’t improvise because I am not at that skill level yet. Maybe some day!

Q) A lot of the stars are around the same age. Did the chemistry between you all come naturally or did it take some time to develop?

A) The chemistry between all the cast members was instant. We all immediately became best friends. It was just perfect! Everyone was so polite, nice, funny, supportive and easy to work with. It was the best cast ever!

Q) Who did you grow the closest with on set?

A) I bonded equally with pretty much everyone. I think it is really hard to decide, but maybe Dylan [O’Brien] because we had a lot of scenes together and some very serious moments. I think I bonded with him the most.

Q) What was it like working with Dylan?

A) I think he was the oldest of all of us and was kind of the big brother of the group. I think mostly in between takes we would hang out and joke around.

Q) How was getting to consult with the author, James Dashner, about your performance?

A) He is a really cool guy! He’s got really cool stories and he is a really fun, funny guy. We only got to hang out for one day, sadly.

Q) What was your most difficult scene to film?

A) I can’t say too much without giving away spoilers, but I think it would be the last scene. There were other scenes that were physically hard. There is a lot of running and it was very hot! I also did stunts with a harness and had to be hoisted up in the air. That was very tough on my body. Definitely the last scene was very difficult acting.

Q) What part of the character did you relate to the most?

A) Chuck and I are very similar mentally and physically. We have the same traits, you could say. I really liked the book. It was really good and I think I definitely am more similar to Chuck than any other character. Chuck is brave and I’m brave in a “not afraid of rollercoasters” brave. He is a lot more courage than I do, but that doesn’t mean I am a wimp. I don’t think I could face a Griever though without peeing my pants!

Q) Did you feel any pressure to make Chuck as much like he is in the book as possible?

A) I didn’t really have to try because we are already very similar. He came very easy to me. The book and the movie script didn’t change much. It’s very similar to the book. It’s very consistent with the book when it comes to the screenplay. It came very easy to me to play him because we were so similar.

Q) What did you learn from your experience working on The Maze Runner?

A) One thing I learned is that I still have a lot to learn. It was a huge ensemble cast and Wes Ball was an awesome director to work with. This is what I want to do as a career so I still have a lot to learn.

Q) What was your most memorable moment from filming?

A) I think some people may have heard this, but I heard that Dylan and Thomas [Brodie-Sangster] were filming a scene sitting on a log talking face to face. At the end of the scene, they both slowly leaned in towards each other and kissed on camera. Also, there is a prank that was Will’s [Poulter] idea where he kept sneaking love letters into Dexter’s [Darden] pocket offset. He kept finding them and Dex thought he had a secret crush. Will was finally caught and they had a good laugh.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Please support the movie! Also, a big thank you to my fans because I probably wouldn’t be where I am without them helping me on Twitter. So, I owe them a big thank you!