Long Gone Heroes: Mekhi Phifer on Action Thriller’s Resourcefulness

Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: exclusive, frank grillo, interview, John Swab, lionsgate, Long Gone Heroes, Mekhi Phifer

Long Gone Heroes: Mekhi Phifer on Action Thriller's Resourcefulness

Mekhi Phifer (Lights Out) spoke to Bleeding Cool about his latest action thriller in Lionsgate's Long Gone Heroes, Grillo, Swab & more.

Published Fri, 04 Oct 2024 17:32:09 -0500
by Tom Chang
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Article Summary

• Mekhi Phifer discusses his role in Lionsgate's action thriller Long Gone Heroes, exploring new challenges.
• The film's journey overcame financial and scheduling obstacles, finally shot in Puerto Rico and Bogota.
• Phifer shares his excitement about working with Andy Garcia, Frank Grillo, and director John Swab.
• Long Gone Heroes presents a compelling story of intrigue and personal sacrifice set in exotic locations.

Mekhi Phifer is looking for new challenges and opportunities to work with veteran talent through their various projects. The actor has accomplished a lot in his 30+ year career with memorable roles on NBC's ER, Fox's Lie to Me, BBC's Torchwood, The Divergent franchise, The CW's Frequency, and Apple TV+'s Truth Be Told. His latest is the Lionsgate action thriller Long Gone Heroes, which follows Gunner (Frank Grillo), a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat, is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America. As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits way too close to home. Phifer spoke to Bleeding Cool about how he got involved, fulfilling a dream of working with Andy Garcia and director John Swab and filming in Puerto Rico and Bogota, Columbia.

Long Gone Heroes Star Mekhi Phifer on How Lionsgate Action Thriller Became a Reality Despite Financial Issues and Scheduling Conflicts

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Long Gone Heroes?'

A couple of things: One, the script. It's always nice with a good script that gets you excited and motivated to do something. Two were the locations. The ones they picked for filming were great. That always factors in, and since I've been doing this for over 30 years, it's always a fun thing to go places I haven't been before and shoot in places I've never shot. Three was the cast. I got to work with Andy Garcia, who I've always wanted to work with for a long time since the beginning of my career back in 1994. I got to work with Frank Grillo again because we had another film that came out earlier this year called 'Lights Out' (2024); he's a great friend. I also got to work with Josh Hutcherson, an awesome guy, and director John Swab. It's a wonderful pool of talent.

How did you prepare for your role as Moreao?

I tried to get into the mindset of someone who would become a mercenary. What motivates a person who pledged allegiance to a country, in this case, the United States, going through boot camp, have all the patriotic qualities and all the experience of being in the military? What motivates a person like that to go from being a good soldier to a mercenary with his agenda, and not moving as a unit, but almost as a team of one? Those are the thought processes I had when it came to preparing for this role.

What was it like working with John Swab as a director, and how did his writing resonate with you?

I loved working with a great talent like John. He has an open-door policy. It's always about the collaborative spirit with John. I love to collaborate with our writers, directors, and other actors because you get the best out of the performances. You can be candid with the people you rely on to make you look good; I have nothing but love for John.

Is there any scene that stuck out to you that had a harder time filming than the rest?

You must understand that we started shooting the first half of this film in Puerto Rico before some funding fell through. I couldn't stay in Puerto Rico because I committed to another film. I had what they call "a hard out" by a certain time when we were busy, but we didn't finish the movie. Once I went to go see this other film that's out now on Hulu called "All the Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat." I went and shot that and a couple of months later, the rest of the money came together, then we went to Bogota, Colombia to complete the rest of it. That was a great experience in itself, but I was happy we finished the film.

Did it feel dramatically different filming in Puerto Rico compared to Bogota, Columbia?

In certain aspects, both are predominantly Spanish-speaking places and have tropical vibes to them. When we're shooting in the jungles whether it's Puerto Rico or Bogota, you're still dealing with the bugs, reptiles, beetles, all the things that come with it, the heat and humidity. [Both countries] were awesome, great food and people. I'm excited about the work and gracious people. They mimic each other in that way.

Long Gone Heroes, which also stars Josh Hutcherson, Eden Brolin, Beau Knapp, George Carroll, and Melissa Leo, is available in theaters, on-demand, and digital.

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