Garrett Hedlund Talks Working With Ang Lee On ‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’

Hedlund says working with Lee is an ‘honor.’

BackstageOL’s Dave Morales sat down with Garrett Hedlund to chat about his character in the upcoming film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.

Hedlund explained that in order to prepare for his role, it included some intense training. “We did two weeks of boot camp, which the Navy Seals had us go through,” he said. “They put us through the ringer.”

The war drama, directed by Academy Award winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi), stars Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin and Chris Tucker.

When asked what it was like to work with Lee, Hedlund illustrated, “He’s one of the most sensitive, compassionate, loving directors that’s out there… To work with him is an honor.”

Check out the film’s synopsis below:

Two-time Academy Award® winner Ang Lee brings his extraordinary vision to Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel. The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the war with America’s perceptions. The film also stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, with Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin. Lee used new technology, shooting at an ultra-high frame rate for the first time in film history, to create an immersive digital experience helping him dramatize war in a way never seen before. Lee directed and produced the film, from a screenplay by Jean-Christophe Castelli and based on the novel by Ben Fountain. Marc Platt, Rhodri Thomas, and Stephen Cornwell are also producers.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – a film based on Ben Fountain’s novel of the same name – hits theaters this week (November 18th).

Watch the full interview with Hedlund below: