When John Wick: Chapter 4 debuted in theaters earlier this year, fans of the action franchise were immediately captivated by Killa Harkan. The card-shark braggart is one of John’s adversaries and serves as the head of the German sect of The High Table. The role is played by actor Scott Adkins, who is a world-class martial arts expert.
There is no denying that Adkins makes the part his own, delivering Killa’s sarcastic wit with ease and packing a brutal flurry of punches, while also wielding a revolver the size of a grown man’s head. Recently, PopCulture.com had a chance to chat with Adkins about his work on the film. Among the many conversation topics, the action hero discussed what it was like to work with director Chad Stahelski and how they brought Killa to life on-screen. He also praised working alongside Donnie Yen, whom he referred to as “one of the greats” in action movie history. Scroll down to read more!
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PopCulture.com: Killa is just bonkers. There are so many great aspects to that character, and you really disappear into the role. I was curious what it was like for you, putting on that makeup, putting on that costume, and just being that character. Do you feel like you became a different person?
Adkins: Yeah, definitely. I do like to create a character and it’s easier when you can disappear into it, to be honest. You feel a bit freer in some ways when you hiding behind the mask. But yeah, I guess that’s why Chad thought of me because I’ve done some character work in the past, in action martial arts movies, but character stuff nonetheless. I’m almost like a character actor trapped in an action, what can I say? He wanted to put the old suit on, but it was a great experience, and, it was a great opportunity to create a memorable character, and I’m so happy that it all worked out because probably it could have all gone wrong, I don’t know, it was a risk at the time. But yeah, it all worked.
When it comes to that costume suit, was that something that they already had ready for you or were you part of making that work, providing your input into movement and what that needs to be so that you can pull off those sequences?
It was a difficult process because I was in the States doing another film at the time and Chad wanted me to play that part. So we got to scan his whole body and I couldn’t be in London to do it, so I had to find a place in Atlanta that would scan my body and then they scan my head. I had a big bushy beard, not as bushy as yours, but it was getting there.
We did it and they said, “No, you’ve got to shave the beard off.” Well, I can’t ’cause I’m doing this movie, but I had four weeks off and I couldn’t go back to England because of COVID. So I had to trim the beard down as much as I could and then grow it back as quick as possible, Wolverine style. And so people shouting at me about that, “You got to cut your beard.” “No, you can’t cut your beard, blah, blah, blah, blah.” And then I had my first makeup test in London and it was just the face. It wasn’t until I got to Germany a few weeks later that I actually put the suits on. Then it was a case of just having it and look in the mirror and trying to sell the weight of that character and figure out how to legitimately look fat. Not just be in a fat suit but look like it’s real.
So, there was a lot that went into it and it was a leap of faith really, because bits and pieces were coming together at different times. It wasn’t until close to shooting that the whole thing’s there. And you’re like, “All right, OK, maybe we’re going to be OK. Maybe it’s going to work.”
It’s funny. Maybe it’s just me and I can’t imagine he’ll ever see this, but when I first saw Killa, the demeanor and just the way that he speaks, I thought he reminded me of Steve Coogan a little bit.
Well, yeah, I’m happy about that because I’m a big fan of… It’s Coogan. Yeah, Alan Partridge. Love Alan Partridge. So I’ll take that. I love that film that he did. Alpha Papa, was that the movie? He was so great.
This is a multipart question, but working with Chad Stahelski as a director, have you had opportunities to work with many directors that also were stuntmen in the past? Did that experience differ working with Chad?
I’ve done a lot of films with a guy called Jesse V. Johnson who was a stunt guy in the past. Now I go back a long way with JJ Perry who directed Day Shift and put me in it. When you’re working with those guys… Because sometimes you’re on a film and you’re given everything you’ve got to the action and sequences and you’re getting injured and it’s hard. In the back of your head you’re thinking, “Is this going to be worth it? Because I could take this footage and completely ruin it.” Which happens a lot.
When you’re working with these guys, you know that they’re not going to do that. So you work even harder. Well, I always work hard, but you have that security blanket of knowing that the end product’s really going to be worth it. I feel like that when I do a Hong Kong movie all the time because that’s what I’m really good at. So that’s what’s different when working with other directors. You never know what they’re going to let that editor do. You never know… they can completely butcher it.
The gun that Killa has, his weapon just seems so massive and insane. Was that a real gun? Are you really wielding that? Was that really a big heavy piece?
It was really there in my hand. I don’t know if it could actually really shoot or anything. No. It was just a replica gun, I’m sure. Didn’t need to fire it. Just needed to point out… It was pretty heavy. Yeah, no, it was a nice-looking gun.
Did you learn any card tricks? Did you have to learn any card tricks? Did you do all that yourself?
Not all of it. Closeups are not my fingers. My fingers are much thicker. I did get pretty good and, honestly, they’re trying to get me to do that. I flick that thing and caught it for real. I could do a lot of other stuff but, honestly, I’ve forgotten now all now, trying to get to do that. I can’t even remember how I did it. Completely gone out of my brain. I spent two months just messing with cards and trying to get extras with them.
What was it like getting to be on set with Donnie Yen again? ‘Cause I know that you guys worked together on Ip Man 4 just recently.
Yeah. God, look, I mean, I was watching Donnie on films when I was a teenager. He’s one of the best to ever do it. He’s one of the greatest martial arts action heroes to ever walk the face of Planet Earth. So, it’s nothing but a pleasure to be in his company and to talk to him. He’s a very talkative guy, actually, Donnie.
You really have a good chat with him about all sorts of stuff. Not just martial arts talk about anything. I loved just asking him about the old ’80s, ’90s Hong Kong movies that he did… I like to hear those stories. Nothing but respect for the man who’s one of the greats… He’s so cool.
What he did with SPL and Flashpoint with martial arts choreography was incredible. It’s not easy to rewrite how action should be shot or performed. He did that. There’s not many people that can do that. That’s what’s so special about the John Wick films is they found a new way to present action in a way that’s not been seen before. It’s so hard to reinvent it. Think about Jackie Chan coming up with the Kung Fu comedy. He reinvented it, but it doesn’t often happen.
It is interesting how the John Wick movies, we are where we’re at all from this story about a widower getting revenge on a mafia son for killing his dog. That’s literally where it starts. And we end with where we’re at in Chapter 4 and it’s very much an odyssey.
It definitely evolved. The film’s definitely evolved. The first film is drastically different to John Wick 4, isn’t it? I know it was a low-budget movie. It’s a bit more in the real world, the first one, whereas now we’re completely in an alternative universe really. But it’s great. I love all of them. I think they’re all great.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now available on Digital and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD.
