Oscar-winning Deaf actor Troy Kotsur (“CODA”) chatted about starring in the new horror film “Primate,” which was released via Paramount Pictures.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke once said: “The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible.” This quote applies to Troy Kotsur.
Aside from Kotsur, “Primate” stars Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, Tienne Simon, and Miguel Torres Umba.
The synopsis is: In “Primate,” a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.
‘Primate’ experience
On starring in “Primate,” Kotsur said, “It has been a roller coaster! It was a really fun film to work on, and it was the first time I had worked on a horror movie.”
“I’m so glad that I am able to check that off my bucket list,” he admitted.
Playing Adam in ‘Primate’
Kotsur was drawn to play Adam for several reasons. “Adam was fun for me to play, especially to try and save my children… and really feel like a hero at some point,” he said.
“I think Adam is a fun character because he is a writer, similar to Stephen King,” he noted. “So, Adam was a lot of fun for me to play.”
Working with the young actors
On working with the young actors in “Primate,” Kotsur shared, “The young actors were great! I especially loved working with Miguel, who plays Ben, who was just amazing at his movements.”
Working with Miguel Torres Umba as the primate ‘Ben’
“We had to figure out a lot of blocking and choreography and work with stunt coordinators as well. You know, when Miguel puts on his mask as Ben, it’s not always pretty to look at. When Miguel takes his mask off, he is really friendly and funny.”
“So, was amazing. Miguel was method chimp, and he really gave a lot of energy,” Kotsur observed.
“We both had a mutual understanding because we both speak different languages. Miguel speaks Spanish, and I speak American Sign Language. So, it was really fun to work with him,” he elaborated.
“We were very lucky to find him,” he admitted.
Working with Johnny Sequoyah
On working with Johnny Sequoyah, Kotsur exclaimed, “Working with Johnny who plays Lucy, my daughter, was great! Johnny really reminded me a lot of my own daughter because they are similar in age.”
“My daughter in real life is a CODA,” he said. “So, it was really easy to build that chemistry and connect with her. Johnny learned her sign language dialogue lines really quickly.”
“It was great working with her on and off set. So, I think both of the actors who played my daughters (Johnny and Gia Hunter) have a very bright future ahead of them,” he added.
Kotsur reveals the filming location of ‘Primate’
When asked what it was like to film in Hawaii, Kotsur responded, “It’s funny because when I first read the script, I thought, ‘oh, wow, we get to shoot in Hawaii.’ I was excited, but we actually shot it in England.”
“The whole thing was shot in London, but it really looks like Hawaii, doesn’t it? The location feels like its own character in the movie,” he noted.
“It’s amazing how the set designers, the greens, and the costume designers and everyone worked together to make it really look and feel like Hawaii,” he added.
Lessons learned from the screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, Kotsur reflected, “When I first read the script, I thought, ‘Why are they offering me the role?’ I’m a Deaf actor working across a chimpanzee. Are we going to have fluent conversations in sign language? I was a little resistant to it at first, to be honest.”
“When I read the whole script, I found that my character’s wife studies animal behavior. She’s an animal behaviorist. I actually really liked the story because you don’t really see too many actors who happen to be Deaf featured in a horror movie,” he elaborated.
“Of course, Deaf actors can play a president, a doctor, a lawyer, a mayor, as well as a father or a writer. So, I really enjoyed playing this role,” Kotsur acknowledged.
Working with Paramount Pictures
On working with Paramount Pictures on this horror project, Kotsur said, “I was really impressed with how the Paramount team set up everything and made everything seamlessly work out inside and outside of the studio, as well as the press campaign.”
“It has really been magic working with them. We felt a lot of mutual respect going through this process together,” he said. “Paramount was very easy to work with. I’ve been a fan of Paramount films my entire life, and I am so happy that they still exist.”
“I used to sit in the audience in a movie theater, and I would see the Paramount logo, where I would wish to someday be in a Paramount movie. Now, I am in a Paramount film,” he added.
Latest chapter of his life
On the current chapter of his life, Kotsur remarked, “Well, in the current chapter of my life, I’m working on a sci-fi series on Apple TV called ‘Foundation.’ I’m very excited to play another character. This story takes place in the future.”
“I’m looking for roles that really help Hollywood think outside of the box, and something that audiences haven’t thought of before. So, I’m looking for those types of roles,” he noted.
“I am really excited to dive into the sci-fi role in about a month,” he added.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be “to make the whole world silent.”
“Then, they would have more of an understanding of Deaf culture. That would also help hearing people sleep at night and be more comfortable,” he added.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Kotsur said, “Well, once you experience so much failure, that helps you learn and then you become successful.”
“Also, I think it’s the match of preparation and luck,” he said. “It’s just that feeling where others can look up to you and say, ‘I can do this too’.”
Message for his fans about ‘Primate’
For fans and viewers, he stated about “Primate,” “I hope that my fans enjoy the experience of coming into those silent moments. Are you ready? Are you ready to experience fear during these silents”
“Chimps are just like cats and dogs but then they can give you a lot of love,” he said. “If you respect them, they’ll respect you back.”
“In this role, I was trying to have the balance of the humanity of the character with the horror,” he noted.
“I’m just a character who happens to be Deaf. I am also simply human and I communicate in a different language,” he said. “So, I often feel like a foreigner in America communicating in his different language. Simply human is a great way to put it.”
Working with Marlee Matlin in ‘CODA’
Kotsur recalled working with fellow Academy Award winner and Deaf actress Marlee Matlin. “I was so honored to work with Marlee in ‘CODA’,” he exclaimed. “We really had to trust each other and we had that mutual understanding of what we had to do as professional actors.”
“So, I’m really hoping to work with Marlee again in the future,” he noted.
Kotsur and Matlin recently had documentaries released that were very personal to them: “To My Father” and “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” respectively. “I’m really glad that we were both able to share our stories,” Kotsur said.
Closing thoughts on American Sign Language (ASL)
For fans and viewers, he expressed about American Sign Language, “If you’re sick or you have a cold, you can use sign language. If you want to tell someone a secret, you can use sign language. So, I really want to encourage folks to learn sign language.”
“I think it’s really fun for people to learn a new language and a new skill,” he admitted. “So, I would just like to encourage people to learn American Sign Language.”
To learn more about Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur, follow him on Instagram.
Many thanks to Troy Kotsur’s ASL interpreter, Justin Maurer, for his exceptional interpretation services and assistance during this interview.
