In GOLD, a film loosely based on real events, Matthew McConaughey plays a desperate gold prospector named Kenny Wells, a man living in the shadow of a family name he can't seem to live up to. A lot of people want the American dream; Kenny can't seem to live without it. He teams up with a geologist named Acosta (Edgar Ramirez) on a gold dig in Indonesia and strikes it rich, changing his entire life and gaining the dream he sought and then some. Naturally, Kenny eventually learns some things are too good to be true.
McConaughey is now known for giving his all when it comes to inhabiting his characters. The role of Kenny Wells is no different. McConaughey packed on a couple dozen pounds, ruined his teeth and made his hair an unflattering mess to play the rough-and-tumble prospector, who clearly cares more for the gold than he did his own health and appearance. I spoke to McConaughey about what drives the character to such extremes, that very particular physical appearance and whether or not he can relate to the intense passion Wells has.
Edgar Ramirez plays Michael Acosta, a geologist who strives just as much for gold as Kenny does, just with a bit more panache and patience. However, when teamed with Wells, Acosta sees his prospects get brighter. The two men make for an unlikely but strong team, but friendships rarely last when there's this much money at stake. While Acosta's character is a bit of a mystery, I spoke to Ramirez about what drives the man, working with McConaughey, and the treacherous elements the film production had to contend with in Thailand.
Bryce Dallas Howard portrays Kenny's longtime, long-suffering girlfriend Kay, who certainly deserves plenty of credit for putting up with as much as she does. While she waits tables, Kenny is off god-knows-where risking whatever little money has has left. What makes her stick around? I tried to get to the bottom of that with Bryce, who also spoke about getting inside the character (who really doesn't look much like Bryce at all) and building a history with Matthew McConaughey. I also snuck in a question about the upcoming JURASSIC WORLD sequel, which Howard is currently prepping.