Actor Theo Rossi, best known for starring in Sons of Anarchy and Luke Cage, has been very busy lately, with three projects currently making the festival rounds and slated for release. He stars as a father facing many years behind bars in Bruton, making its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. In Come with Me, he plays a disillusioned man whose mind is slowly poisoned by a right-wing radio host. And in The Saviors, which debuted at SXSW and will be released in theaters next March, he’s one half of a suspicious couple who rents a guest house, raising considerable concern from the owners about their true motives.
Awards Buzz had a chance to speak with Rossi in-depth about all three projects (though keeping spoilers and twists under wraps for The Saviors). He described what draws him to roles and how he approaches each of them:
“Who is this person? What are they trying to accomplish? And how do I make it as wildly different than who I am? And then, is there any part of the puzzle that needs a piece of me, Theo? Usually the answer is no, but maybe. Maybe there’s something in some past performances. When I’m doing Juice in SOA, it’s like, oh, the dad thing, okay let’s put a little of me in there. You find things. In Luke Cage, I did used to hustle on the streets, so let’s put a little of me in Shades. I think that your goal – well, my goal, I don’t know if anybody else feels like this today – but my goal is, how can I be wildly different? How can I make it where you don’t see me? That’s, like I said earlier, probably why I’m not great at social media or even things like this because the more they know, the more the audience knows, the less they believe you. Every role is a magic trick. Every role, you have to go in going, that’s Simon. That’s Brian. You have to go in thinking it’s someone else and so, with any of them, it’s, what’s their economic background? How did they eat? What’s their education? How do they walk? What kind of shape are they in? Is there any physical pain? All the external plays into the internal, and that’s why I’m so glad to do all three of those back-to-back. I got to really play in like completely different sandboxes on all three.”
Watch the full video to hear his true passion for these parts and for the past projects that haven’t been as celebrated but he still holds close to his heart.
Bruton makes its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Come with Me will be released soon and The Saviors will be released in March 2027.
