MAX MINGHELLA
2021 Emmy Nominee
Chats with Allie King
about his role in film Spiral
& Hulu Series
The Handmaid’s Tale
Photography Mikayla Miller
Fashion Editor Deborah Ferguson
English actor, director, producer and screenwriter, Max Minghella hits the screen again, but this time in a horror film. When he is not Nick Blaine from “Handmaid’s Tale,” he is consistently taking part in new projects. Now, he brings us Detective William Schenk in the new film “Spiral,” a new take on buddy-cop movies in the world of the thrilling “SAW” franchise.
Jacket, Shirt, Jeans and Shoes: Saint Laurent PF 21
Suit: Martin Asbjorn, Shirt: Saint Laurent PF 21
AK: As things start to reopen, how are you handling the adjustment back to “normal?”
MM: I missed faces. And hugs. So I’m happy.
AK: You grew up around the entertainment industry and have experience in the many different facets of it. What was your original dream as a kid?
MM: I was always obsessed with movies, so I anticipated working in film. Just not specifically as an actor. If you had asked me as a kid I probably would’ve said that I wanted to be a stuntman.
Shirt: D-Squared2
Suit and Shirt: D-Squared2
AK: Now, being deep into your career, how has that dream changed?
MM: I’m lucky enough to work in different capacities and grateful for it. It keeps things interesting. Each job informs the other. I’m not particularly good at finding a work/life balance so that’s something I’m actively working to get better at.
AK: You have the most experience in movies, dating back to even before your time in “Elvis and Annabelle.” What drew you to this format?
MM: My mother worked at the BBFC when I was a kid, which is the British equivalent to the MPAA. She’d watch two or three movies a day and then come home and tell me the plots as bedtime stories. It was magical to eventually see the actual movies and how they contrasted or aligned with the versions I’d pictured in my head. So it probably all stems back to my early childhood and this association between movies and the subconscious.
Suit, Shirt, Tie and Pants : D-Squared2
AK: You have now found yourself as a recurring character on the wildly successful show “The Handmaid’s Tale,” after your first real deep dive into television with “The Mindy Project.” How has the transition been?
MM: I’m very conscious of the fact that it’s insanely lucky to be a part of a show this brilliantly written and made by such kind and talented people. I’m also very lucky to play a character I can identify with and gives me so much to chew on as an actor.
Jacket, Shirt, Jeans and Shoes: Saint Laurent PF 21
AK: Your television roles on “The Mindy Project” and “Handmaid’s Tale” are vastly different. Which character was more difficult for you to get acquainted with?
MM: Doing “The Mindy Project” was surreal because I was a super fan of the show. It was both exciting and intimidating to be on set with so many people I looked up to and enter a world I’d been watching on television. As for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Nick Blaine was clearly articulated on the page but it’s endlessly energizing to be granted the time to explore different facets of who this dude is. That’s such a unique privilege of the medium.
AK: As the release of “Spiral,” your new film has come and gone, how do you feel the industry has changed since the release of “Elvis and Annabelle,” or other earlier films?
MM: The landscape has changed dramatically in obvious ways. Not only in terms of distribution models but the kinds of movies getting made. “Spiral” was a blessing for me because it’s the exact thing I had been craving as an audience member. It’s a character-driven franchise movie and nowadays that strangely feels like a throwback.
Jacket, Shirt, Jeans and Shoes: Saint Laurent PF 21
AK: Detective William Schenk, your character and one of the lead roles in “Spiral,” is a rookie brought on to a big case with Detective Zeke Banks. How do these two detectives handle working together? How would you describe their dynamic?
MM: “Spiral” has “SAW” in its DNA but it’s also influenced by “48 HRS” and other classic buddy cop movies I grew up watching. What’s different about “Spiral” is how quickly Banks & Schenk get along and find a way to work together which provides a more dramatic impact given where the story goes. William changes a lot over the course of the movie and it was fun to map out that evolution from insecure excitement to self-possession.
AK: Can you talk about your experience working alongside Chris Rock?
MM: I’ve always looked up to Chris, not only as an actor but as a filmmaker. So getting to work with him in such proximity — and being able to pick his brain — was a dream come true for me. Hopefully, he wasn’t too annoyed by my endless quoting of “Top Five.”
Suit and Shirt: D-Squared2
AK: The release of “Spiral” was delayed due to COVID-19. What did this time provide you with? How did you feel having to wait it out?
MM: I’m just grateful it was given a theatrical opportunity. It’s one of those movies that is enhanced dramatically by the experience of watching it in the dark and with a crowd of people and it was a real joy to see it with a packed audience on a giant IMAX screen. Especially seeing my sister squirm and cover her eyes.
AK: What are some of your next projects that we can look forward to?
MM: I’m about to start working on [Damien Chazelle’s] “Babylon,” which I’m very excited about. Then I harbor a fantasy of taking a trip with my dog somewhere before we go back to “Handmaid’s.”
Photography
Mikayla Miller
Interview
Allie King
Creative Director/Fashion Editor
Deborah Ferguson
Grooming
Rachel Burney @ The Wall Group
Fashion assistant
Juan Marco Torres
Web Layout
Tori Smith
Thank you
Lede Company & Lionsgate
View the trailers to Spiral and The Handmaid’s Tale here:
