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Like many, Michelle Dockery was surprised to see her Flight Risk co-star, Mark Wahlberg, with his bald look in the new Mel Gibson movie.
In the movie, Wahlberg plays a hitman assigned to take out a government informant (played by Topher Grace). He originally poses as a happy-go-lucky, country bumpkin pilot of a small airplane, transporting the informant and a U.S. Marshal (played by Dockery) across Alaska. They soon realize he isn't who he says, and the reveal comes with a new hairstyle from Wahlberg.
The Academy Award-nominated actor opted to shave part of his head for the role. This made it more immersive for the actors, and Dockery said he chose to do it early on in the process.
“Yeah, I remember it was a choice very early on,” Dockery recalled to ClutchPoints. “Just before we started filming, he made that decision, and I think it really added something to that character and just made the character weirder and more terrifying that he was pretending to be somebody else.
“And then when the hat comes off, you realize that he doesn't have hair underneath,” she added.
Despite how freaky he was, Dockery enjoyed working with Mark Wahlberg. She only sang his praises during our conversation. Dockery called it “exciting” to work with the actor and watch him do his thing.
One thing she pointed out is that his Flight Risk character is a change of pace from his other recent roles. Recently, Mark Wahlberg has been taking a lot of family-friendly roles in movies like The Family Plan and Arthur the King. Great minds think alike, as that was the biggest thing that jumped out to me about Flight Risk.
A new role for Michelle Dockery
Her role in Flight Risk was new for Michelle Dockery as well, not just Mark Wahlberg. While she has starred in other airplane thrillers like Non-Stop — a reference Dockery appreciated — and been a badass in Guy Ritchie's movie The Gentlemen, Flight Risk is more hands-on.
“It's just a sort of coincidence, really,” Dockery said of starring in two airplane thrillers. “I guess this one [Flight Risk] is also set on a plane. But there's something about that contained storyline and in a contained place. Those are the type of films that I really love watching — when it's set in this very tight, intense space with very few actors.”
Flight Risk reminded Michelle Dockery of movies like Speed, Con Air, and Flightplan. And the script proved that she was an “integral” part of the story, resulting in her signing on.
It was a “challenge” (a welcomed one at that) and an “unusual” shoot due to the confined space they shot in. While Flight Risk takes place on a plane, they were on a soundstage, resulting in director Mel Gibson having to give directions from outside the aircraft.
“[It was] quite an unusual experience to be in such a tight space for such a small amount of time,” Dockery explained. “I mean, on something like Non-Stop, the plane was huge, and the walls could come out, and the ceiling could come off. Whereas with this, the plane stayed exactly as it as it was.”
Somehow, Dockery stayed immersed in the role despite the soundstage surrounding the actors. She didn't pay it any mind, as being in a tight space “informed” her performance. It was still as “authentic as possible.”
An “incredible” experience
In fact, Dockery went as far as to say that the imagery was “incredible.” The soundstage was designed with mountains and countryside since the characters spend most of Flight Risk in the air.
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Every morning, she would walk onto the set and see where the movie was taking place. Dockery would take in the beauty of the mountains as she re-immersed herself into the role.
This was a change of pace from the norm. Usually, productions for movies like Flight Risk would only use green screens. This would mean actors couldn't see what they were interacting with or their surroundings. New technology — like the StageCraft mechanism used for The Mandalorian — allows the actors to live in the scene.
Dockery didn't specifically name-drop StageCraft, but it sounds like Gibson used something similar for Flight Risk.
“Until recently, it would just be a green screen, so as an actor, you're always having to use your imagination,” she explained. “So, it was so helpful for us [that] we didn't really have to do that. What we would normally imagine [is] what we were seeing.”
Despite how immersive the Flight Risk set was, Michelle Dockery (luckily) didn't relate much to her role. She hasn't had many bad flight experiences that she can recall, at least in the air. Dockery did recall a time her flight was grounded for several hours, which she took on the chin.
“I've been very fortunate, and I haven't had any terrible experiences,” Dockery said of flying. “I don't remember a flight that was particularly bad, but I have been grounded for quite a long time. We were at the airport once, and there [we spent] two or three hours on the tarmac.”
How does Flight Risk compare to The Gentlemen?
Previously, she kicked butt in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen. Still, she finds her Flight Risk role a bigger step up. Unfortunately, she didn't have a lot of time to prep for her Flight Risk role. Dockery said they had “about a week” of preparation before the shoot started.
She did have a real-life U.S. Marshal to communicate with, though. Dockery got advice from him and recalled him being present for the shoot.
Plus, she got to work with a fight coordinator. Dockery did some combat training with the coordinator, which helped ease her into the “physical” role. “There were some great resources to get into the role,” Dockery praised.
In the future, perhaps you can expect to see Dockery, who's known for her role in the peaceful Downton Abbey, in similar ones. She said she “really loves” playing these kinds of characters, saying, “It's a lot of fun when you get to be physical.”
Flight Risk is in theaters.
