Exclusive Interview: Edwin Hodge on Red Dawn, Working With Chris Hemsworth & More

Edwin Hodge will be defending America in the remake of Red Dawn, which will be in theaters November 21. Hodge will also be seen as Wade on Cougar Town, which now has a home on TBS and will premiere January 8, 2013. Film Equals was able to speak with Hodge about his roles on Red Dawn, Cougar Town and much more.

I’m excited to talk to you about Red Dawn. How would you describe your character Danny?

Edwin Hodge: (laughs) Danny is basically the all-star wide receiver and the way I wanted to portray Danny is very, very confident, very cool in the midst of all the chaos that was going on but also vulnerable in the sense that he doesn’t know what war is like. He doesn’t know what fighting soldiers is like. So I wanted to get that dynamic while still having that confidence that most football players would have as warriors on the field, but play up the vulnerability since he doesn’t know what the heck is going on.

This is a remake or reimagining of the popular ’80s film. In what ways do you think this Red Dawn is different from the original?

Edwin Hodge: Well, as far as technology and money being put into films, it’s a lot bigger. The explosions are bigger, the action is a lot faster…It’s definitely holds up the true idea of what the original was. We just kind of added our own 2012 flair to it (laughs).

What was it like working with this cast?

Edwin Hodge: The cast was definitely amazing. Chris Hemsworth [was] the ultimate gentleman and a lot of fun. We worked out a lot because he was actually trying to bulk up for Thor. So I spent a lot of time in the gym with him. Josh Hutcherson–I spent a lot of time on the golf course with him. He’s like my little brother. Adrienne Palicki and Alyssa Diaz–they’re like my road dogs (laughs). We spent a lot of nights having dinner and drinks and just talking and laughing. And [Josh] Peck, he was the comedian on set, so it was definitely fun working with everybody…and [we] worked well on set as well as off set.

You’ve been a part of several shows, including Cougar Town, which I’m glad to see is coming back. Can you give fans any idea of what to expect from the new season, particularly since it’s on a new network?

Edwin Hodge: It will be a little more risque with [its] jokes…I can clearly tell the difference [of] what it was like to write for a network like ABC and how they’re writing for TBS, so the jokes hit a little bit harder. I’m in an interracial relationship with Busy Phillips’ character on the show, so we play up the racial jokes a little bit and the sexual [jokes], but it’s still the same, wholehearted cast…We’re just a little big more spicier (laughs).

Aside from the jokes, is there anything else that the move to TBS has changed about the show?

Edwin Hodge: I don’t think anything has changed about the show at all. Busy Phillips–she’s still got that quirky, crazy, weird character that she plays on the show and Courtney [Cox] and her [onscreen] relationship with Josh [Hopkins]…like I said, they’re staying true to what was originally laid out, the original blueprint of the show. It’s just…the jokes are a little bit funnier.

I didn’t know this before I looked you up, but I read that brother is Aldis Hodge from Leverage. I was like ‘Wow, that’s cool–another acting family I now know of.” Do you think that one day in the future, you’ll be able to act on a show or film with your brother? Or would you even want to do that?

Edwin Hodge: Oh yeah, I’d love to. We’ve done it in the past–we’ve done Die Hard with a Vengeance together, we’ve done Big Momma’s House together, we were on Broadway together for about a year and a half…so I’ve worked with my brother. It’s always a good time; it’s easy to work with my brother because we know each other. I’ve known him since, well, since he was born. So the chemistry on screen is always natural. It’s always fun…My brother’s very, very talented, very versatile when it comes to any character that he plays…Working with my brother is cool because I have to actually allow myself to open up and be a little bit more adventurous as to how I approach a character. I know he’s going to go for it, so I have to go for it as well.

If you could star in any movie, past or present, which one would it be?

Edwin Hodge: I kind of like movies like I Am Sam and Training Day, Devil in a Blue Dress…That’s a great question. You know what, I’d probably liked to have done Old School. I think that would have been fun to work on.

Since you are on TV, which show would you like to guest star on?

Edwin Hodge: The Newsroom on HBO. I think it’s hands-down one of the best written shows, best performed shows on the air right now. A friend of mine got me into it. I didn’t think I was going to like it and I sat there for three hours straight watching everything. It’s just brilliant. [Aaron] Sorkin just has a way with the pen. He knows how to write a show, he knows how to write characters that people want to be involved [with] and be engrossed in their lives. So if I did have an opportunity to guest star…I’d definitely pick that.

(Photo Credit: Brandon Showers)