Ben Mendelsohn Is Hollywood’s Favorite Bad Guy

Ben Mendelsohn has played the villain in all manner of high-profile films in just the past few years. Steven Spielberg recruited him as Nolan Sorrento, the evil billionaire hell-bent on crushing Tye Sheridan's VR gamer hero in Ready Player One. He's appeared in the Star Wars universe as a pivotal ally to Darth Vader, and will soon invade the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a member of the Kree race in 2019's Captain Marvel.

Today, he's talking about his newest bad guy, and one of the most famous in history (or, at least, historical myth): The Sheriff of Nottingham, the greedy and treasonous foil to Robin Hood (played by Taron Egerton in this reimagining, which comes out tomorrow). Mendelsohn spoke to GQ about the joys and freedoms of always getting to play the bad guy, that wild, sleek gray leather jacket he wears that definitely wouldn't have been around at the same time as "The Hood," and his earlier work in a hyper-popular Australian soap opera.

GQ: So what's it like getting to be bad as a job?
Ben Mendelsohn: You know what, here's the one thing about playing the bad guy. You really can just do it all for the money. That is the true glory of it.

Does that mean that you don't enjoy it?
I'm gonna reassess that after your response. No, I love it fine, I love it fine. If people are interested in me doing this villain shit than I am more than happy to provide.

The Sheriff of Nottingham is a classic villain. I think I've seen him in films over and over again. What was your way into this role?
It's really the Sheriff as modern political operative, you know? There's plenty of stuff to munch on. But there has been a distinguished line of actors playing the Sheriff. I've said many times that you are never gonna get something more fun and glorious than the [Alan] Rickman Sheriff [from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]. Certainly I wasn't trying to go up against him in those stakes. Our guy's more of a pollie.

Robin Hood is one of those stories that gets told and retold and told again. Why do you think it endures and what do you think makes this version important now?
I think it endures because it's got so many successful elements: It's a buddy story. It's a moral tale. It's an incredible romantic tale. It's "us against the world!"

I think what Otto [Bathurst, the director] has decided to do with this one is give it a lighter side. It's a very visceral, fun action film. And then you've got the bad guy, the forces that he's up against. And most importantly you've got the people. The silent character, if you like, in this film is the pain and the suffering of countless people who have been treated so badly.

I would say it's timely but the rich getting richer and the poor being squeezed is a constant historical reality at this point.
Absolutely. There is a reason we are still telling this story.

About the modern political element, your character holds what are essentially rallies in the film. There's an obvious parallel here.
Yes, but we try not to be too explicit. He is trying to make sure that the state is traveling in the direction that is gonna work for him personally. I don't doubt there is a kernel of conviction in the Sheriff.

That interesting leather coat that the sheriff of Nottingham wears struck me as something they wouldn't have been able to make in the 12th Century.
Absolutely. One thing that is very clear is that we are not attempting a faithful recreation of the 12th Century in any way, shape or form. And you're damn right, there's nothing about that haircut or that suit that would lend you to believe that this is a man in that time. It's also not a Nottingham accent. There's no attempt to be faithful to the deep roots of that.

For me, with Robin Hood, seeing a new version of it is to see the riffs. Like a jazz band. If people are wanting to go and watch a historically faithful, accurate Robin Hood movie, they're shit out of luck.

And we don't even know if it actually happened at all, either.
Of course, and in fact the story has changed so many times. I believe Maid Marian doesn't appear into well down the trail of the original Robin Hood tellings. Please know I'm only going off the Melvyn Bragg In Our Time podcast that I heard several years back. I love that shit.

Without spoiling anything, one of the sadder parts about playing the villain is that you often don't get to stick around for the second film.
You could look at that as the sadder part but there's also a certain clarity and joy in knowing what one's expectations are and what the commitments are. There is a certain delight in having there be a finite notion of that. Things being as they are in films these days, there's no shortage of twins, or events to conspire to resurrect.

And you're a shapeshifter in Captain Marvel so I can imagine there's going to be so many tricks they can pull with that.
Look, that one... That's a beautiful bad guy. To be able to shapeshift ... I can't wait for people to see him.

I saw that you had a small part in Neighbours, which is a show I imagine a lot of Americans don't know about.
Oh no, they have no clue about it but for many decades that was easily my most potent calling card in the Mother Country.

It played nightly in England too which is where I grew up.
It played twice a day, even in the U.K., I think. I'm well aware. I had friends that were doing Neighbours and Home and Away who would come out and do the Panto season and I would see them, I would go and meet up with them in Guildford and whatever. We were recognized all the time in England from the shows. It casts a long shadow.

Were you a bad guy in Neighbours, too?
Yeah, I broke Scott and Charlene up.

[Gasps] Oh no.
Not for long, you'll be glad to know. They did go on to survive another day. I slept on Charlene's caravan floor. I wanted to be in her bed but I only made it to the floor.

You've been in the game a long time. I really loved Taron Egerton's performance as Robin Hood in this movie. Did you feel you had any wisdom to impart, or doesn't he need it?
Oh good god no, I don't have wisdom for Taron. I think Taron's more of a clear example for me than the other way around. He's got wonderful gifts. It feels to me, as a viewer, as someone who doesn't know about Taron, then watches Kingsman, you just go "fuck!" He's got it. He's just got it.

Now, before I let you go, do you remember what your villain's computer password in Ready Player One was?
Yes. It was "BO55MAN69." The "S"es were fives.

Just wanted to get that in somewhere. Thank you.