ReelzChannel sat down with Guy Pearce to talk about his role as a federal agent tracking down terrorists in Traitor. We also interviewed with his foil in the movie, Don Cheadle.

I hear you only saw Don Cheadle in the gym.

Guy Pearce: Yeah, or in the foyer of the hotel, or in the production office. It was a couple of times on set that I saw him. It wasn't quite the experience that I -- well, I knew that we weren't going to be in a lot of scenes together. Next time, maybe.

How did the rigor of the shoot compare to others?

Guy Pearce: It was quite intense. But at the same time, there's two-thirds of the film that I'm not in. So I might work on Monday, then not work again until Thursday, and then again on Monday. There were quite a few days that I had free so it wasn't as rigorous as others. Traveling from country to country starts to sort of wear thin after a while, but it's quite fascinating, obviously. It was all right.

How did you prepare for the role?

Guy Pearce: Jeffrey Nachmanoff, the writer and director, had some consultants he had dealt with in the CIA and the FBI, and some governmental people. You know, Jeffrey had actually been brought up in Washington and so he had a lot of contacts that he was able to utilize. I really relied on Jeffrey as a source of research and information. I don't know if you've met him, but he's quite the brain.

Traitor is billed as a spy thriller, but it's so much more.

Guy Pearce: I think it's a very emotional story. Don's character -- there's a guy who's really trying to deal with a lot of personal demons. The situation he got himself into, utilizing his faith to help him deal with that. He creates a bond with Omar, Saïd Taghmaoui's character. There is a lot going on in the film, I think.

And you don't know where loyalties are at. Do you feel your character falls into that?

Guy Pearce: I think you get that sense when I first meet Don in the film -- at the beginning, after he's been arrested. We wanted to create the sense that he feels there's more going on with Don. He can't quite put his finger on it, can't quite tell what that is. I think the investigation for Roy Clayton is not just about work. It's not just about doing his job. It's a personal thing. And he knows he's a man of faith. He even says, "I think he's an opportunist rather then someone who's extreme." He comes up against frustration because he's not getting all this information from the CIA, all that should be shared. It's quite the battle, personally as well. But he's a smart guy and he likes the challenge, I guess.

It definitely makes you think and that's good.

Guy Pearce: I agree.

What is up next for you?

Guy Pearce: I'm actually taking a break now. I did an Adam Sandler film at the start of this year, Bedtime Stories, which is nothing like Traitor at all. It's quite silly and the only connection is that Don and Adam Sandler are good friends. That will come out at Christmas time. I did a little bit for On the Road, which will come out in November, I believe. I have a few things to promote but nothing to shoot.

TRAITOR CLIP
"It's Clear to Me..."
RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2008
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