As ex-Secret Service agent Dave Forbes, journeyman actor Dylan McDermott is on a warpath in Olympus Has Fallen – Antoine Fuqua’s epic action flick out this Friday, March 22nd. His character in the film has his own motivations for helping storm the White House and hold it under siege, though it’s not hard to imagine McDermott seeking retribution for past crimes. The actor’s come full-circle in many ways, playing doomed Secret Service agent Al D’Andrea in In the Line of Fire only to return a full 20 years later to take revenge in another life.
McDermott takes it all in stride as I prod him about that theory but, ulterior motives or not, the man’s resume is not to be trifled with. Debuting in 1987 with Hamburger Hill, McDermott’s found success both on screen and off, appearing in hits like The Practice and The Perks of Being a Wallflower while also managing dramatic turns in theatre. McDermott may walk away unscathed from Olympus Has Fallen, but co-star Gerard Butler wasn’t so lucky. In our talk together, I ask Mr. McDermott about the punishment he inflicted on set and whether he thinks he could take Butler in a fair fight:
A genuine debt of gratitude to Mr. McDermott for taking the time to speak with me. Olympus Has Fallen, a legitimate contender for my favorite action movie of the year, storms into theatres Friday, March 22nd.