Marlon Wayans says he's "desperate" to take on "heavier" roles after starring in trippy horror movie HIM, assuring fans that they "haven't seen the best of [him]" yet despite his almost 40 years in the biz.
In the new flick, Wayans brings Isaiah White, the beloved quarterback of the San Antonio Saviors, to life as the glory-hunting athlete struggles to come to terms with his looming retirement. Isaiah reckons he's still got what it takes to dominate on the field, but sports pundits think differently – much to the dismay of his cult-like devotees. When rising young player Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) gets attacked one night and is forced to dip out of drafting season, Isaiah randomly invites him to his remote compound to train and show off his skills. But Isaiah's insecurities threaten to turn the dreamy deal into a nightmare...
While Isaiah might be paranoid that he's run out of time, Wayans is hopeful for his next chapter. "I'm not done. I have a long career, and y'all haven't seen the best of me. I have not had the opportunity," he tells GamesRadar+ ahead of the Jordan Peele-produced film's UK release. "I'm still like, 'Bro, I'm a leading man'. These are my Denzel years. These are my Tom Cruise. Will Smith… You get that window, and I seen this opportunity, like, 'Let me show you everything that I can do.' What do you do with the guy that can do everything? He does everything. So it's not about these small parts… this, that? No, no, give me something to carry. I need something heavier to carry. Let me show you. I got this whole load and I won't crumble.
"I've spent my lifetime preparing for every moment that's coming my way. I've been having to create those moments. Finally, somebody said, 'Here, here's this moment,'" Wayans adds, praising director Justin Tipping, who co-wrote HIM with Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers. "It was like, 'What? You're giving me this? I don't have to hunt for food?' But nah, I'm still gonna go hunt and bring something to the plate, and I feel like it is a new beginning for me. It was a statement. I wanted to be my best self in this movie, and I looked at it as 'GOAT'. And I was like, 'That's how I want to perform in this film. I want to, I want to go get it in a desperate fashion.'"
In the years since he appeared in Darren Aronofsky's harrowing drug drama Requiem for a Dream, Wayans has predominantly been involved in funny flicks, from White Chicks, Little Man, and A Haunted House, to the Scary Movie series. Having created the parody franchise with his brothers Shawn Wayans and Keenen Wayans, the trio is soon set to reunite original cast members Regina Hall and Anna Faris for a sixth installment, with production kicking off this month.
"Justin let me off the chain. I got to roam and be crazy, and be unpredictable. It was like, 'Hey, here's the lines. Let's throw those out. Say what you want to say. What do you feel? What would Isaiah say to Cam?' 'Oh, you want me to let the writer go with the actor, with the comedian? Okay, with all this character work I've been doing, all right, bet. Let's do it. Let's go," Wayans recalls from the set of HIM. "And it was unpredictable. It was crazy, and we didn't know where [Justin] was going, and then we didn't know where we were going the way, 'cos of the way Tip directed us. We didn't know why he was crawling around with a helmet on, and all that, but then you see the movie and it's like, 'Oh wow'. It's amazing. He's a visionary, bro."
HIM releases is out now in the US, and releases in UK cinemas on October 3. For more, check out our picks of the most exciting upcoming horror movies.
