411 Movies Interview: Lyriq Bent of Saw IV Posted by Tony Farinella on 10.19.2007
411's Tony Farinella sits down with Saw 4's Lyriq Bent to talk about the new movie!
As I'm sure you all know by now, if it's Halloween, it must be Saw. On October 26th, 2007, we'll be treated to Saw 4. It's hard to believe that we've already had three Saw films. In Saw 4, SWAT Team Commander Rigg (Lyriq Bent) has been put into a deadly game himself, and has only an hour and a half to prevail over a series of twisted, horrifying traps to save an old friend, as well as himself, from a grisly demise. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lyriq Bent to talk about his character in Saw 4, movie critics, the popularity of the Saw franchise, and a whole lot more. I hope you enjoy my interview with Lyriq. He gave me a great compliment at the end of the interview. Honestly, I work very hard on my interviews, and it's always nice when someone gives you props.
TONY: What can we expect from your character in Saw 4? How involved is he in the story?
Lyriq Bent: Detective Rigg has really come into himself. In Saw 2, he was really the strong, silent type that really didn't know what was going on around him. You had a sense that there was something going on with him internally, and I think that sparked a lot of curiosity in the audience. They wanted to know, "Who is this guy, and what's he all about?" In Saw 4, you get to find out who he is, and what he's all about, and how he feels about the situation that he's in, and how he feels about the type of work that he's in and people and all that. And I think he's a character that people are gonna like, because they can relate to him on so many different levels. He's a real person. In Saw 4, you get to go on a journey with him, and it's pretty much an emotional journey. At the end, I only hope that the audience will be as exhausted and worn out as he is, because he becomes this broken man.
TONY: What do you think makes the Saw franchise so popular?
Lyriq Bent: Clever writing and a great sense of storytelling topped off with a bit of gore and visual effects that aren't normally seen in horror films. It's all justified because of the story. The story justifies the gore that you see and the traps that you see these individuals in. It's all well-connected and it's all lined perfectly and flows naturally. And I think that's subconsciously the reason why people watch it, because It's effortless. When you can put together all the elements to make a story into a film and have it come across seamlessly, people will be attracted to it.
TONY: What do you think is the biggest difference between Saw 4 and the other Saw films?
Lyriq Bent: The major difference is that you have an African American, basically, as one of the main leads, and you're getting a sense of a different flavor, if you will, from a character that you followed through from Saw 2 to Saw 4. And the approach in which this character deals with the situation. Like I said, he's taking it from a real personal point of view, as opposed to a well-trained police officer. He's taking it from an emotional point of view, and all the rules go out the window. He's feeling all this emotion and adrenaline.
TONY: How has your life changed since the Saw films? Do you find that more people recognize you?
Lyriq Bent: I don't know. Maybe I'm just a scary guy, and people don't approach me. (laughs) I think a lot of it has to do with how you treat the business that you're in, and sometimes it's not in your control when people come up to you, but I'm a pretty low key guy anyway, so I don't really put myself out there too much to be recognized or seen. I don't think I look like my character as much when I'm walking around on the streets, so maybe people are not really making that connection. But, usually, when the connection is made, it's not from Saw. It's usually from something else that I've done, and it's usually freaky, because it's stuff that I might have done a year ago or a couple of years ago. When they come up to me, I think they're going to say something about Saw, because it's the most recent thing, but they'll pull something out of the hat.
TONY: When you're on set filming Saw, are you blown away by some of the traps? I mean, they put a lot of time and effort into the traps.
Lyriq Bent: Oh, I got so much respect for the art director and the creative people involved, because it's very crafty. And they put a lot of time, thought, and energy into it. And everything that you see in the film is what we see on set. There's very little special effects and CGI, so these are working and functioning types of equipment that you see, and they all work and are functional. It's really incredible how they come up with an idea and make an idea into reality. And that really helps when you're on set and working a scene out, because you're totally embracing your environment. The environment really lends itself to you, and it's really a great set that these guys create.
TONY: When I interviewed Darren Lynn Bousman, I noticed how much he really cares about the Saw franchise and how much it means to him. As actors, how much do you feed off that love?
Lyriq Bent: He sets the stage. From the moment that you step on set, he dictates how the day is going to go. And any good director would do that, because it starts from the creative individual and that discipline as a director who's got a vision, and he's gotta get everybody to see his vision. And Darren is very good at that, because he's naturally energetic, he is full of life, and he's very excited about doing what he does. He loves the fact that he can create or bring his thoughts and imagination to life. It totally translates on film, and it helps a lot, because you know you can go to him and ask him anything, and he'll totally break it down for you, so that you can see it as clear as he does. Once that happens, you then become a story effortlessly and quickly. And that's the experience that I've had with Darren since Saw 2. I saw that in him from Saw 2, which is probably why I get along so well with him, because I totally see and respect the talent that he has.
TONY: I've always found it fascinating how the Saw set seems very loose and very relaxed. As an actor, is it hard to deal with the highs and lows? I mean, during one scene, you have someone crying out for help, and then you guys are laughing after it's over and having a good time. How do you balance that?
Lyriq Bent: It's really simple, and very much needed. You want to be able to laugh and joke around and have fun, because of the nature of the film that you're making. If you don't have that, I think then we would have a lot of problems, because it can get disturbing and emotional. Especially because we have great talent, and especially this time out, working on the project. So, everybody's bringing real skills and ability to it, which is another reason why the films are so successful, because there's pretty good acting as well. When you hear "cut," it's like you have a natural built-in mechanism to steer away from that deep depression state in which one could get in if you continue to allow it to weigh you down for sixteen hours. So, naturally, I think we go into this mode where everybody is just trying to shake it off and forget about the scene that we just did. It's great, because when "action" is called, getting back into that moment is so easy to do, because everything around you looks and feels very real. And if you allow yourself to take you to that place, it's just there waiting for you to embrace it. So, the joking around was very much needed.
TONY: When you're doing these interviews, do you find it hard to talk about the film without giving too much away? I mean, Saw is a puzzle and a mystery, and you want to talk about the film, but is it hard to talk about it without going overboard?
Lyriq Bent: Yeah, it's difficult, because you do want to talk about it in great detail, but you also understand the detail is what's the selling point of the film. And any reporter, such as yourself, would love to get that piece of information or some juicy tidbit and get it out there first, knowing very well that that would actually spoil the film. It's journalism, and you want to have the hottest and the latest news. So, in talking about it, yeah, it's kind of irritating and frustrating trying to talk around what you want to say. But you understand that's a necessary evil in order to keep that mystery and that intrigue present, you gotta do that. You find creative ways to express the experience without spoiling it for the viewers who so badly want to know what it is. It's just so hard for them to wait, because it's like that kid who can't wait to get his hand on that cookie.
TONY: It seems like a lot of critics want to focus on the torture and the gore in the Saw films. Do you think they miss the point of the Saw films and miss all the different messages and themes?
Lyriq Bent: Yeah, they miss the point when they write their paper, but I think when they watch it, they see it, they understand it, and they like it, because they go back every year to watch these films. Not only to write up stories about it, but to also enjoy it like everybody else. If you watch these type of films, no one could ever walk away from these films and say they didn't enjoy them. It doesn't matter if it wasn't as good as the first one or the third one or the second one, they're gonna walk away enjoying it, because it's well-done. All the films have a message, and the message is consistent. The violence, I don't think, is gratuitous, I think, would be too strong a word for the violence. It is a lot of violence and pretty gross violence, but I think it's somewhat justifiable, especially for the people who are watching it. I wouldn't suggest kids of a certain age watching it or any kind of violence. But for the people who are watching these films, I think it's just enough where it's not just for violence sake. And there are people out there who do these films, and they're just for violence, because they're trying to raise the bar. They're trying to reach the bar that Saw has set. So, they have totally lost the full picture of what Saw is all about, and they go for the gore factor. Saw has never been about the gore factor, in my opinion, anyway. It's always been a clever script that's been written, and everything else kind of attaches itself to that story. And it's no different with Saw 4. As a matter of fact, the story was written before any of the traps were even inserted. So, it's a totally different script than a lot of horror films that are out there that are being dubbed as too violent and torture films. These films are not about torture. It's not about an individual in a chair and for 90 minutes you see how many ways you can hurt that person, or how many people you can chase in the woods and hack em' to death. That's now what Saw is all about. Saw is telling you to appreciate your life, and you didn't, so here's the situation that you find yourself in, and these are the choices you need to make in order to save yourself. And if you don't take the time to really listen and understand what is being asked of you, you'll find yourself making the wrong decision.
TONY: Saw 4 features a couple of new actors in the Saw franchise. How did they fit into the Saw family?
Lyriq Bent: They inserted new characters to help tell a better story without neglecting the people, the characters that were in the story from the past. And they bring a lot of new energy and a lot of new insight into the whole franchise. I think people are gonna embrace them real well, because it doesn't disrupt the flow of what people want Saw to be.
TONY: You've worked with both Mark and Donnie Wahlberg on the big screen. What was it like working with the Wahlberg brothers?
Lyriq Bent: They're both good actors, and they're both nice guys. I liked working with both of them. I thought it was pretty cool having the opportunity to work with the talents in which they have. You just try to learn from them and apply it to yourself to become the success that you want to be. It was real cool and real interesting. The approach that they both have towards the work is pretty much the same. They want to do the best, and they want to make sure that the best is being captured. They're really careful in making sure that they full understand what is needed in the scene. It was cool. They pretty much got the same work ethic.
TONY: From talking to you, you seem really humble and really laid back. How important is it to you to keep your humble roots?
Lyriq Bent: Well, it all starts with you as an individual. If you don't know who you are, then nothing else is gonna matter. I don't think about it. It's not an issue of concern for me. I'm in it to win it. In order to do that, I gotta be true to myself and make sure that I keep the ego in check, because we all have one. And I think it only becomes an ego when it gets out of hand. If it's not an ego, then it's only concerns. And that's what I have. I have concerns about what it is that I do, so I'm careful about what I do. I make sure that what I do is what I want to do, and I don't do it for any other reasons and it being something that I feel very passionate about. I like my life. I really do. And I want to keep it, so all that other stuff, it removes you from life and opens you up to a whole nother level of existence that is really interesting to me. I just really love what I do.
TONY: According to IMDB, you got into the movie business as a dare. That said, has acting been what you expected?
Lyriq Bent: Acting is more than what I imagined it to be, because I hadn't imagined myself being an actor. So, the fact that I'm doing it is a little bit overwhelming in itself. With that said, everything else that comes with it is just crazy. I can't believe one lives their life every day, as a career, doing this thing. I think it's fabulous. I love it. I just want to continue doing it, because I had no idea that this is what my life was going to turn out to be. I think I'm somewhat successful at it, so I just want to continue doing it, because I have no idea what I would be doing if I wasn't doing this right now.
TONY: I read that you're really into sports, and you play a lot of different sports in your free time. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Lyriq Bent: I love all kinds of sports, because I grew up playing just about every sport. I always thought I was going to be a basketball player, because that's something that I had great passion for. But you cut your nose off to spite your face, and I guess in this case, it was a good thing for me, because I landed, I think, where I need to be in life. But, yeah, I like basketball, and I like soccer. I don't know about this new L.A team. They're not doing too well. (laughs) But I like tennis. Right now, the only sport that I play three times a week is golf. I love golf. Golf is a thinking man's game on a different level, because it allows you to look into yourself as opposed to a teammate. You have to look into yourself, and you have to focus and concentrate. I liken golf a lot to acting, and I think that's probably why I caught on so quickly with it.
TONY: Thank you so much for your time, Lyriq. I really appreciate it.
Lyriq Bent: I appreciate it as well. Actually, you're one of the better interviewers that I've had.
TONY: Oh, really? Thank you so much. That means a lot to me. I'll see you on the big screen on October 26th!
