We talk to Michael Bay, John Krasinski, James Badge Dale & more for 13 Hours

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

This week, director Michael Bay is tackling a film unlike any other he's done before with 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI. While Bay has done many a film featuring military heroes (and even one that kinda-sorta tackled a real-world event with PEARL HARBOR), this is his fist time adapting a military-themed film based on a factual account. Based on the book written by Mitchell Zuckoff and the Annex Security Team, 13 HOURS stands as a testament to the events that transpired in Benghazi, Libya on September 11th, 2012, focusing on the men and women who were there rather than the men and women who weren't.

For me, it's his most genuine work and feels like the film he's been trying to make for the last two decades. I had the opportunity to speak to Bay and the rest of the cast about the film, which is an emotional and white-knuckle affair that doesn't let go until after the credits roll, never leading you to think one way or another about the politics (that's all up to you), but rather about the real-world heroes that put it all on the line to save the lives of their fellow Americans.

First up is Michael Bay, who discusses why he chose to make the film, his collaborative efforts with the military in his films, the casting choices for the film (along with Jerry Bruckheimer's advice), getting out of his comfort zone, and he takes me to school on shooting with "blue night".

Next up is John Krasinksi, who sheds his Jim Halpert persona completely to immerse himself in the role of Jack Silva, one of the operators on the team. Krasinksi was great and very open about the expectations audiences may have with him tackling a role like this outside his The Office persona, tackling some exceptionally emotional scenes in the film, talking with his real-world counterpart, working with Michael Bay, and how working on a film like this changed his world perspective.

James Badge Dale proves once again that he's one of the most under-utilized actors in Hollywood with this film and we talked about the weight of playing the real life Tyrone "Rone" Woods, how he got into his head, what it was like working with Bay, and how he bonded with the rest of the cast.

Pablo Schrieber and David Denman (another alum from The Office) play both Tanto and Boon, respectively, and add a lot of character to the proceedings. Both discussed what it was like seeing the film for the first time, what it was like meeting their real-world characters, if thier Michael Bay experience lived up to expectation, their favorite Michael Bay film, and more.

Dominic Fumusa and Max Martini play Tig and Oz, respectively, in the film, and talked about taking on the roles, meeting the men they play in the film, working with Michael Bay, and their reaction to seeing the finished film.

On Friday, we'll be debuting my interview with the real heroes of 13 HOURS, including Tig, Tanto, and Oz, which was a true honor to take part in. See you then!

13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI hits theaters this Friday.