In Oliver Stone’s new ‘Savages’, Aaron Johnson plays Blake Lively’s character O’s other lover and Chon’s reluctant comrade in arms, the peaceable Ben, who is drawn against his will into a violent conflict with the Cartel. Indeed, Johnson was one of the first actors cast in the movie by Oliver Stone…even though neither man was initially sure what role he would play. “Aaron was one of the first actors I met with, in London,” recalls the director. “I thought he was fresh and new. I said, ‘You’re wonderful for this. I don’t know which part I want you to play, but please hold.’ And he did. He passed on a big movie he was very close on, just to stay with us.”

Ben, perhaps more than any of the characters, has to find and accept his inner savage, no easy feat for a self-proclaimed pacifist. “Ben becomes violent,” Stone states. “The irony is that Ben would like to stay out of the muck but he gets in, and once he does he realizes how difficult a dream he had. I guess none of us ever makes it through…we all get pulled into the muck at some point or another.”

Johnson offers that Stone was the reason he accepted whatever role he might ultimately play. When it turned out to be Ben, he was thrilled. “Oliver’s one of my heroes,” the actor shares. “He is a fantastic writer and filmmaker and amazing at putting all the pieces together in original ways. It was incredible to be a part of that puzzle. I’d never played a role close to this, but I had complete trust in Oliver. He is very challenging. He pushes you to do your best, to get to the next level and he always looks out for you. For a part like Ben, where there is a lot of emotional work along with heavy testosterone, Oliver helped me find that balance and strength.”

In addition to his three principals, Stone knew early on during preproduction that he wanted specific actors for the supporting roles. Therefore, he built the rest of the cast around them. They include John Travolta as the corrupt DEA agent Dennis, Academy Award nominee Salma Hayek as the imperious and ruthless Elena, head of the Baja Cartel, and Benicio Del Toro as Elena’s lethal enforcer Lado.

On both sides of the drug war is Dennis, an affable, manipulative DEA operative. A self-admitted opportunist, he plays fast and loose with Ben and Chon, as well as Lado. Two-time Oscar nominee John Travolta was brought on to act the part of the agent who has long eschewed his agency’s mission statement. “John was my first choice for Dennis. I’ve wanted to work with him for a long time,” Stone says. “And he projects a good-natured ambivalence, which fits the role of a DEA agent who’s AC/DC.”

It was as much the story as it was the specific part that attracted Travolta to the production. He says: “I responded to the overall impact of the script. I thought it would be a very cool movie, and I wanted to be involved.” Travolta adds that he found Stone to be very welcoming and an appreciative collaborator. “Oliver loved that I have played lots of different characters. He valued my process. That’s very inviting, especially since in a supporting role like Dennis—who connects all the dots in the piece—it was important to feel comfortable. Plus, Oliver had a vision for this movie. I knew that when I stepped onboard. Savages is quintessential Oliver Stone. It has political messages. It has moral messages. It has complications that are current and relevant.”

With two young daughters and a terminally ill wife, Dennis’ complications inform his choices. Travolta reflects: “It was a matter of what can I do to make him understandable, because he is double-dipping in an underhanded way between the U.S. government and the Cartel. But he finds a way to justify the bad things in his life. Like the other characters, he has a vulnerability and a duality to him. Yes, he was doing bad things but he was a human being and sentient, to some degree.”

The biggest prize Dennis could dream of delivering to his supervisors is Elena Sanchez, head of the Baja Cartel who is “negotiating” with Ben and Chon to take over their operation. Hayek offers that she rarely is considered for a role like Elena, the woman who orders O’s kidnapping before she falls for O’s charms. She says: “I don’t get offered villains that much, so Elena was so much fun to play. She’s strong and lives in a world that is violent and scary, and usually men are in her position. It’s daunting and difficult for men but even tougher for a woman, and she’s able to handle it. There is something intimidating, almost royal about Elena. Her nickname is ‘La Reina,’ which means ‘The Queen’ in Spanish. She has to have that presence; she has to command fear and respect. Otherwise the Cartel would never work.”

The actress offers a glimpse into Elena’s world, one devastated by loss: “She suffers a profound personal dilemma that reveals her one weakness, and there are aspects to her that we can identify with. Her Achilles’ heel is her estranged relationship with her daughter, so when O comes into her life, it is a fragile, emotional time for Elena. O brings new light to her life, even though the circumstances that bring them together are not ideal. She’s not completely divorced from humanity, as strong and bad and as cold as she is. That is great to find in a character. If you add to that the privilege of working with a director like Oliver and a great cast, it was a no-brainer.”

Image Courtesy of  Savages

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