Eric Bana as Erik Kristensen in Friday film Lone Survivor

Eric Bana, the star of films like Hulk, Troy and Munich, plays a SEAL Team commander in the real-life thriller Lone Survior (releases in India on February 7).

What made you say yes to a story like Lone Survivor? To many, its emotionally draining and very impactful.

I was a really big fan of Marcus’s (Luttrell) book (Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10). I’d read it some years ago. And when I heard that they were adapting it, they called me and asked if I’d consider playing Commander Erik Kristensen (SEAL Team 10’s quick reaction force commander). And I said ‘yes’ rightaway, because I’m not only a fan of Marcus’s book, I also have a bit of a fascination with the Special Forces community. They are all amazing people. They perform an amazing function. And not every film has this experience.

We all make different kinds of movies all the time. And I knew going into this that this is one that would feel very different to make and feel very different 10 years from now from the other films we make. That doesn’t come along every day. I think we all felt that there was that sense in this one.

You always wanted to work with director Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom, Battleship). How did this movie finally happen?

It was a couple of things. Pete and I nearly worked together many, many years ago. He had a project in development at Universal... I’m going to say 13 years ago, maybe 14 years ago, before anyone out here knew who I was, and was really keen on me to play the lead, actually. The project never got off the ground. I was a fan of Pete’s work as an actor and really enjoyed meeting with him, and we kept in touch over the years. Then through these various films, I’ve just really enjoyed his work, in particular on The Kingdom... I just thought it was one of the best films I’ve seen for a long time.

I knew he was developing this project. I had already read Marcus’s book, independent of that, and loved it. So when he called me up to see if I would consider playing Commander Kristensen, I jumped at the chance.

We hear that there were real-life NAVY SEALS on the sets. How did that help and feel?

For me, it feels like an acrobat having a safety net. It gave you the confidence to tackle what was put in front of you, knowing that if there was a mistake or something that wasn’t right or inaccurate, it would be picked up. There’s a degree of comfort to that, even though we were shooting very fast. Pete was quick on his feet in terms of interpreting various pieces of information that would come flying in from the guys on the set. Sometimes he would have to ignore it, reinterpret or act on it… it had to be a difficult balance. He did an astounding job at that.

Since the movie is based on real-life incidents, did you feel an added responsibility?

There is, but there is also a danger with it because you can allow that to be a little overwhelming. I always thought that the only way that we were going to be honouring these people was by making a great film, that if all our intentions to honour them were going to amount to a film that was super accurate, but not a great film, then we would have failed. Pete had to strike that balance to be respectful to that memory, but at the same time the film has to work as a movie. It’s not a documentary.

What sort of research went into your role? Did you interact a lot with Marcus and experienced all of this first hand?

Marcus was very involved. I did my research from afar. I was at home in Australia when I got the call, and I did my prep from afar, and arrived at the shoot well and truly halfway into filming. So my job was to really concentrate on what Erik’s role was within the story, and just the processes of the chain of command and ranking and the logistics of the operation. So I concentrated my time into that area. I was unable to meet Erik Kristensen... I was in Australia, so I wasn’t able to meet family and friends, so I did my work from afar, and then off we went.

You have the reputation of always working with some really passionate directors. Will you be influenced by them, like Peter Berg, when you make your own movie?

I’ve been really lucky. You just try to sponge up all of it. Obviously, Pete’s been a huge influence from Day One with Friday Night Lights to Battleship to this, so hopefully I’ll work with him again. I just love the way how he tells stories and with Lone Survivor it’s just exemplified. I think this is his legacy and I think it’s just going to be an amazing thing for him. I’m so proud and pumped for him that I hope I can be a part of something else in his future.

FILM FACTS

Lone Survivor tells the real-life tale of a team of four US Navy SEALS sent on a life-threatening mission to track down Taliban leader Ahmad Shah.

Marcus Luttrell, the man on whose life the film is based, plays a cameo, appearing in the blink-and-you-miss role of a SEAL.

Luttrell and his team fought the Taliban for five days. In the film, Luttrell (played by Mark Wahlberg) is seen battling the Taliban only for three days.

The cast and crew took heavy pay cuts to ensure the film got made within budget ($40 million) and in record time (42 days).

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