Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac has his sights set on more independent movie productions instead of big box office acting gigs.
The star is known for a number of high-profile roles in big-budget flicks, including Poe Dameron in the hit science fiction franchise and En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse, but he told Deadline it’s “not really what I set out to do”.
“I enjoyed the challenge of those films and working with a very large group of incredible artists and actors, prop makers, set designers, and all that was really fun,” the 41-year-old shared. “(But) what I set out to do was to make handmade movies, and to work with people that inspire me.”
One of those people is veteran writer-director Paul Schrader, whose new film The Card Counter stars Isaac as a gambler opposite Tiffany Haddish and Tye Sheridan.
“Paul’s movies, the things that he’s made, it’s in my DNA. I’m not alone, obviously,” the star gushed. “(For) every actor of a certain generation, those are the films that made them who they are, so that’s certainly my case. It feels like for me a personal turning point.”
When asked if he’d consider accepting a role in a blockbuster movie, the star quipped: “Probably, but who knows. If I need another house or something.”
Production on Isaac’s movie The Card Counter was put on hold in March with just five days left to shoot when the coronavirus pandemic forced it to shutter. A release date has yet to be announced.