Jon Donahue – Inferno

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) You reteam with Tom Hanks for the film Inferno. Please tell us the premise of the movie and about your character.

A) It is based on Dan Brown’s book Inferno that is the Robert Langdon series. This time around he wakes up in Europe again and he has a head wound. He isn’t sure what happened and what is going on. He’s in the hospital and is being chased by good guys or bad guys (we don’t know). With the help of Felicity Jones who plays Dr. Sienna Brooks they are running through Italy. I play a character named Richard who works for the World Health Organization. He is an aid to Dr. Sinskey who has been head of the WHO and we are in pursuit of Langdon. Langdon is trying to stop a deadly virus – a plague. He doesn’t have all his faculties and we’re learning things as we go along with him. It’s a race against time. It is a fast paced action thriller that keeps you on your toes the whole time.

Q) How does the film compare and contrast to the book?

A) I have read all of the books, except for this one. I was going to read the book for this one and then I got the script. So, I was like, “I’ll just read the script.” With any film based on a book, there has to be some things altered. I will eventually read the book. I’m hoping that Dan Brown will get on Skype and just read it to me. That would cool. Actually, my character Richard is not in book. It was created to help aid in the story and in my opinion it really makes Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey (played beautifully by a Danish actresses named Sidse Babett Knudsen) seem like such a powerful woman. Being such a powerful woman with having a male aid makes her seem more powerful. She is a powerful woman that is ordering all these guys around. I say watch the movie and then read the book because sometimes they differ, but I’m telling you I don’t think fans are going to be disappointed. I think people who love action movies, thriller movies, Ron Howard movies and Tom Hanks movies are going to be in for a real treat

Q) How was Richard originally described to you and how did he evolve from there?

A) Ron basically said that I am basically Sinsky’s whipping boy. He said that jokingly. She wants things done and she wants them done her way. She is the boss and my job is to carry those out. He’s her right hand man and it was kind of fun doing those things. So, it didn’t differ too much from what was discussed when we shot it. What wasn’t discussed was all the running I had to do. I’m not a runner so I was asking Ron if they could get a double on me or CGI some legs on me. I can’t run and I wish I went to more gym classes. I was spending time in study hall or skipping gym to go to the movies. You don’t think that when you’re young that some day someone is going to be watching you run on film and I run terribly. I hope they cut around a lot of that. It’s very physical to run around and it is a very serious movie. A lot of serious things are going on and twists and turns. So, it was fun playing a character who was just trying to get things done.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming?

A) Most of my scenes took place with Sidse. I was in a scene or two in A Hologram For The King, which of course Tom Hanks was in. A lot of my stuff didn’t end up in the final film, but working with Sidse on that was fun. She is hysterical and absolutely talented. Behind the scenes she is a blast! We would joke around and did improv together. We cracked the crew up and we worked on the scenes. She is just wonderful to work with. I just took a lot away from working with this wonderfully gifted actress. This is our second film together and Tom’s second film with her so we already had that rapport together. So, working with her was some of the best parts. And working with Ron Howard! We would talk about movies. He has so many wonderful and fascinating stories that you will not hear about or read about because they are personal set stories. We would hear them and I would talk to him about Cocoon, which is my favorite movie. I would ask him what it was like working with Jessica Tandy or Hume Cronyn. He’s got all these wonderful stories and I’m a huge movie nerd. My Twitter is all movie quotes and movie stuff. I just love film! I grew up watching movies so getting to work with Ron Howard, Tom Hanks and Sidse…There are so many moments. The whole thing was a blast!

Q) What do you find in common with your vast movie knowledge and your work in film?

A) I remember when we were sitting at Ron Howard’s birthday party. Ron and Tom were trying to figure out the guy who did all of the voices and I said, “Oh! Michael Winslow!” Ron just looked at me and said, “Wow! You really know all of this stuff!” I said, “I have to spit off this information somewhere.” I never thought I would need to use some of the information so I get it out on Twitter, my Facebook page or with my friends. I went to the movies with my dad every weekend. He was divorced from my mother so he would take my sister and I out on the weekends to the movies. I love the movies Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I got to work to on a Steven Spielberg movie. I got to play Agent May in Bridge of Spies. It wasn’t a huge role, but to work on a Steven Spielberg movie – someone I grew up admiring him…Working with Steven Spielberg – I still pinch myself. I come to Orlando every year and I used to work at the Jaws attraction at Universal Studios. So, that was kind of like Spielberg back in the 90’s where I would battle a great white shark and seeking thousands of tourists a day. So, coming back to Orlando every year is fun for me.

Q) What intrigues you and captures you about movies and does that play into any of the movies that you take on?

A) Anybody who wants to hire me is pretty much a role I’m looking for. As an actor, you want to keep working. If I had a choice, I’m an 80’s kid so I pretty much love anything from that era. I have already done one Steven Spielberg movie with a fedora and my dream is to do two Spielberg movies with a man in a fedora – Indiana Jones! I would do anything to be in one of those films! Hopefully, Steven will remember me and have me do a run through. I’ll even run in that movie! I love fantasy movies and horrors. I do comedy and I love them, but I love horror films. I love sci-fi and fantasy. I’m not a huge superhero fan. I think the industry is inundated with them. That’s everything right now. I’m not trying to put down superhero movies. It’s just my opinion. But I’d be happy if they made one a year and got back to telling stories again. It’s not all about flash and CGI special effects. It’s about stories. So, I want there to be more good dramas. We get those around Oscars time, but to do those movies would be fantastic as well. I’ve been trying to get Dan Brown to write a spinoff for my character Richard Savage to do a film with Tom. [laughs] I would really love to do a Western too so hopefully I’ll get to do a Western, too.

Q) Is anything else you want to be sure fans know about Inferno?

A) Working on Inferno was an amazing time in my life. I can’t wait to see the movie with an audience and my family. This is going to be exciting for family and friends and all the fans of the book. Even if you haven’t read the book, it is a great action packed thriller. Working with the cast I felt like when we were running through scenes together – In fact, Tom brought this up. He said, “If this were Star Trek you’d be wearing a red shirt. They’d send you off to get a sensor reading, we’d hear a scream and you’d be dead.” I said, “Thanks.” So, the next day I found a box on my desk in my trailer. I opened it up and it was a red shirt from Star Trek with a note from Tom that said “You are not expendable.” I thought it was very sweet. He’s a great guy!