Renowned British actor Scott Adkins found himself feeling mixed emotions when director Chad Stahelski offered him a role in the highly anticipated fourth installment of the John Wick franchise. Adkins had long aspired to appear in a John Wick film, but the character of Killa came with a twist. The role required Adkins to wear a fat suit and facial prosthetics, dramatically altering his appearance from his previous action-packed films.
Despite potential recognition concerns, Adkins eagerly accepted the challenge, relishing the opportunity to disappear into the role and create an intriguing character.
Scott Adkins revealed his initial conversation with John Wick maker
In an interview with GQ, Scott Adkins shared his initial conversation regarding the role. Explaining how after wanting to be a part of the franchise for a long time, the Accident Man actor finally received a call from the maker.
“I am in a fat suit, okay? So you gotta understand, I’ve been bugging the director since John Wick 1, to put me in the movies. Eventually, he gives me a call, says, ‘Right, we’re doing John Wick 4, Scott. I think I’ve got a role for you, do you want to do it?’ I am like ‘Yeah of course I do, mate, come on, what’s the role?’ He says it’s probably not what you think.”
In the film, Adkins’ character, Killa, is a formidable assassin who has let himself go physically but still possesses his deadly skills. There is a palpable animosity between Killa and John Wick due to an undisclosed event. Unsurprisingly, the tension between the characters ultimately leads to a fight.
Scott Atkins discussed the specifics of portraying the complex assassin Killa
Although the thought of potential anonymity in a John Wick film crossed his mind, Adkins’s excitement to create an interesting character took precedence.
The scenes with Adkins and Keanu Reeves in the movie John Wick Chapter 4 were shot in Berlin and while reminiscing about the specific techniques he had to employ, Adkins said,
“But it was important to us to actually sell the weight. We didn’t wanna be doing a load of like jumping spinning kicks, and all the rest of it, so we keep the techniques simple and grounded. And we decided that this guy would probably fight like a kickboxer. He’s got a bit of a Mike Tyson style, bobbing and weaving and throwing hard punches, heavy kicks.”
And the end result was spectacular. With Scott Adkins fully immersed in the John Wick universe, fans eagerly anticipate his portrayal of Killa in the upcoming installments too. Hopefully, adding another layer of intensity to the beloved franchise.
Source: GQ on YouTube