heard a quote once that said that Steven Spielberg was like 鈥渢he director of every child鈥檚 imagination.鈥�
The British actor may not have grown up in a moviegoing family, but he was still very aware the Spielberg thing as a ’90s kid. It鈥檚 just in our psyche, O鈥機onnor told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
There were Blockbuster nights, of course, with viewings of 鈥淓.T.鈥� and he鈥檚 since caught up with the classics. But even he was taken aback by just how ingrained those quintessential Spielberg images were on his first day shooting They were on a backlot, he said, and there were dripping pipes and big beams of light and smoke and mist. It was an environment he recognized so vividly. All he could think was, 鈥淲ow, I鈥檓 in a Steven Spielberg movie.鈥�
While very little is known about the plot of 鈥淒isclosure Day,鈥� which opens in theaters on June 12, it’s territory that Spielberg knows well. And it has been suggested by Emily Blunt, and confirmed by O’Connor, that it answers some questions raised by 鈥淐lose Encounters of the Third Kind.鈥� O鈥機onnor plays a cybersecurity expert who has a mysterious connection with Blunt鈥檚 meteorologist. He holds some truths that the men in suits don’t want the world to know.
O鈥機onnor spoke to the AP about the film, the secrecy, the awe of watching it for the first time and having 鈥渢he greatest Steven Spielberg story.鈥� Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: Have you been able to take stock of this whole experience?
O鈥機ONNOR: It鈥檚 sort of still quite surreal. There have been many directors for me where it鈥檚 felt like kind of intensely surreal in the lead up to going and doing a movie with a person and then once you start, it sort of settles down and then the next thing you know you鈥檙e best friends with that director and it鈥檚 all just very normal. I do feel very close to Steven, but it still feels surreal having shot it. And every aspect of making this film was like a pinch-me moment, including seeing it for the first time. It鈥檚 sort of a dream for anyone.
AP: Was he what you expected?
O鈥機ONNOR: He was more than I expected. He鈥檚 got this energy about him. He鈥檚 still so excited. He鈥檚 still like a child. He鈥檚 inquisitive. He is excited about performance. You know, there鈥檚 nothing better in the universe than hearing Steven by a monitor, crying or laughing or shouting with joy. He鈥檚 still, I imagine, that same director he was when he made 鈥淛aws鈥� or 鈥淓.T.鈥� or any of those other classics. So yeah, he鈥檚 still got it. I can confirm he鈥檚 still got it
AP: What can you tell us about your character?
O鈥機ONNOR: Daniel鈥檚 got some special powers. I鈥檓 resistant to saying that because I think it sort of overplays him in some ways. He and Emily鈥檚 character have this special bond between them and they鈥檙e not even aware of it. And the film really is pulling these two characters together. That鈥檚 sort of like the drive for these two, even if they鈥檙e unaware of it for half the movie.
Daniel has never really computed it and that鈥檚 sort of bubbling away underneath Daniel鈥檚 character. But he鈥檚 sort of an unglamorous hero. He鈥檚 your everyday guy and he鈥檚 found himself in this situation and he has to adapt and he is able to adapt, but, you know, he鈥檚 not a natural .
AP: There鈥檚 a lot of secrecy around 鈥淒isclosure Day.鈥� Was it like that on your end too?
O鈥機ONNOR: There was, of course, a level of secrecy. When I received the script I was filming 鈥淜nives Out鈥� and I was in a hotel and a motorbike turned up with the script, and a motorbike turned up to take away the script the next morning. That鈥檚 the first time that鈥檚 happened for me. It鈥檚 a very strange experience but it makes sense. You know, anytime you hear that Steven鈥檚 got a film coming out, everyone, myself included, wants to know what it is, so I totally understand why.
AP: What was the setup for watching it? Did it involve a guy showing up on a motorcycle again?
O鈥機ONNOR: No, actually, not this time. It was just me and Emily and we sat in a screening room. You know, seeing any movie you鈥檙e in for the first time is a nightmare. It鈥檚 impossible to enjoy it fully because all you鈥檙e seeing is like, 鈥淲hy do my ears look so big鈥� or 鈥淲hy do I stand like that I鈥檓 such a freak.鈥� All those things are natural and so there is a little bit of competing with that, but this experience was unlike any other I鈥檝e ever had. Emily and I were just in awe.
AP: You鈥檝e been able to work with such a varied group of filmmakers and in all these different forms in your career.
O鈥機ONNOR: That鈥檚 the thing I鈥檓 most proud of, I think 鈥� Getting to work with diverse artists and people like Alice (Rohrwacher) and Kelly (Reichardt) and Steven and Rian Johnson. They all work in very different ways and make very different films and tell different stories and ultimately that was my dream. I looked up to people like or like who鈥檚 able to make us roar with laughter and then have us in tears. I think that flexibility, that versatility is what I鈥檝e always wanted in my career.
AP: Do you have a favorite Spielberg story?
O鈥機ONNOR: I have the greatest, in my opinion, the greatest Steven Spielberg story. When it happened, I was sort of like punching the air for this very reason, knowing that when it comes to doing press for this film, I can tell the story, which is that I was halfway through the shoot and we had a scene coming up, which is quite an emotional scene and I was struggling with it. I was in my hotel room trying to prep it, as Steven does so brilliantly, and it鈥檚 extraordinary he鈥檚 so available to talk about these things.
I reached out to Steven, we discussed the scene, we talked about the emotion of the scene and how to access that and what we鈥檙e ultimately aiming to show in the story. And I felt quite satisfied, but not completely with it. And then I got a text from him quite late at night, just saying ,鈥淭he door is on the latch, just push.鈥� And it made so much sense. I was like, 鈥渙f course.鈥� The character鈥檚 kind of got all this emotion, it鈥檚 built up and it鈥檚 like a door on the latch and you just push and it all comes out and it鈥檚 an emotional release. I was so thrilled with that note and I came in the next day and said, 鈥淪teven, you totally unlocked it for me that was amazing.鈥� And he was like, 鈥淲hat are you talking about?鈥�
I said, 鈥淭he text about 鈥榯he door on the latch just push鈥� it鈥檚 incredible.鈥� And he laughed and said that that text was supposed to be for his wife. It became a very big joke for all of us. But it did unlock the scene for me, so, fair play.
AP: It鈥檚 so good, I almost don鈥檛 believe it.
O鈥機ONNOR: I know. It鈥檚 ridiculous.
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