The same day I sat down to talk to Josh Holloway about his new film “Sabotage” was the day that the PaleyFest 10th reunion panel for “Lost” was held, so it's safe to say Holloway was in a pretty great mood when we spoke.
Here's what I don't get about Hollywood. “Lost” arrives on television and becomes a massive cultural hit, and one of the most charismatic cast members of that show looks and swaggers like an authentic movie star from day one. And here we are, ten years after the premiere of that show, and Holloway still hasn't had that one great movie role that could have pushed him over the top. Why is that? How is he not at the top of the list every time you're casting an action film? How is he not already in London getting ready to steal “Star Wars” out from under the rest of the cast? In what world is this guy not huge?
“Sabotage” is an ensemble affair, and Holloway gets his moments to shine, and each time, he seems to relish the moment. It's a movie where there's a lot of testosterone in play, and some of the cast handles that by going over the top and being super aggro, while Holloway plays it like the big dangerous animal who stays at the edge of things, always ready for the worst to happen, making jokes about it until it does. He shines the entire time he's onscreen, which makes it frustrating, as always, when he doesn't make it to the end of the film.
And, no, don't start yelling at me about spoilers. After all, Holloway is turning into the American Sean Bean. He has a bad habit of showing up in films only to get offed before the thing is over. The one thing about “Mission: Impossible 4” that bugs me is that they kill him so quickly at the top of the film. I finally decided that I had to ask him about this during our chat last week, and his reaction was priceless.
My review of “Sabotage” is coming up this afternoon, and I'll say this much: if you like the cast, you should definitely plan on making time for this one this weekend.
“Sabotage” opens everywhere on Friday.