*Michael Ealy noted in a previous interview that his latest film “The Intruder” is a “simple story that has a huge impact on a simple question,” which is: What would you do if you had someone violating your peace of mind?
So when EUR/Electronic Urban Report caught up with co-star Joe Sikora, we asked if he ever had friends or family warn that someone in his life was bad news?
“Yeah… I was in a really destructive relationship with an on and off girlfriend for years that most of my friends and definitely my family were like, “This is a terrible relationship for you. You’re unhappy. It’s no good. Get Out.” And I just couldn’t find how to get out,” he shared during our exclusive interview. “It wasn’t until I finally did get out of it that I could finally see it from the outside in and say, “Okay, that’s bad for me.”
Directed by Deon Taylor, “The Intruder” centers on a young married couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) who buy their dream house in the Napa Valley and they think they have found the perfect home to take their next steps as a family. But when the strangely attached seller (Dennis Quaid) continues to infiltrate their lives, they begin to suspect that he has hidden motivations beyond a quick sale.
Sikora’s character, Mike, tries to warn the couple to sleep with one eye open with Charlie around. Annie (Good) is very trusting of Charlie whereas her husband Scott (Ealy) is not.
“I think we’ve all been there,” Sikora tells us of wanting something so bad, only to get it and realize that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies as you expected.
“There’s times when you’re like, “I want this job,” and then you get the job and you’re like, “But my coworkers suck. These people are terrible. My boss is awful”… There’s a lyric in an Aerosmith song that says “It’s the right key baby, but it’s the wrong keyhole. And sometimes that’s what life gives you.”
In support of the home entertainment release of “The Intruder,” we dished with Sikora about what makes this project so unique and how Mike compares to Tommy on “Power.”
Get into our Q&A below.
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Tell our readers about the character you play in “The Intruder” and how he compares to our other favorite Joe Sikora character, Tommy on “Power.”
JOE: There are so many aspects of Mike that are just skewed from the character of Tommy. But some of those things are they are both cocksure. They both come off like, “Yeah, I know what’s going on.” The difference is in execution. Tommy is able to never promise more than he’s able to deliver, whereas Mike promises a little more than he can deliver. One of the similar qualities they both have is loyalty. They’re both very loyal friends. There’s also a real practicality in Mike that I love. I think with Tommy, you’re used to seeing this kind of fantastic/not quite reality, where with Mike, this is just blunt reality. Mike is the physical barometer for what’s actually happening in this film.
Mike calls out Charlie, played brilliantly by Dennis Quaid. Mike, when he talks to Scott, played by Michael Ealy, he’s always able to tell him, “Hey, man, don’t let your idea of something get in the way of what’s really happening here.” And because Mike is this barometer of truth, he’s gotta go.”
Speaking of loyalty and truth, as a longtime fan of yours, you embody an undeniable authenticity that shines through every character you play. How of much of your own persona is embedded in Mike?
JOE: I always try to implement parts of myself into all of these characters. Obviously there are aspects of me that are very much like Tommy. There are certain aspects of me that are like Mike and some that are not like me. I don’t bolster — Mike is bolstering. He’s got this crazy Audi car and he’s kind of showy, and he’s got a really nice watch and all this stuff to show people. I am not like that at all. So I find the humanity and the reasons why he has all that stuff. What are his shortcomings and what do all of these small things mean. Why would you be showing off this? He finds it easier to kick a line of bullshit around rather than tell the truth. He takes the easy way out sometimes, which ultimately leads to his death. Mike is the kind of guy who’s like, “F*ck it. I’m done. I’m just gonna leave” That doesn’t negate that he is a very loyal friend, because that friend is some of his backbone. He uses Scott in the way that Scott gives him legitimacy in some ways — at work, in his life. That’s another reason why Mike didn’t want to lose Scott to the countryside. “Stay in the city with me. Let’s rent condos and buy really expensive champagne. Let’s talk the talk at work and keep selling our products.” It’s this frat boy idea of them and that’s certainly not where I come from. But it’s fun to discover and make that stuff up and humanize it because we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. I try to celebrate both of these things in every character that I play.
So tell us about the DVD. Any special features or extras included?
Joe: I think the DVD is going to do great. The life of The Intruder is not over. It’s a spectacularly well-done, solid thriller in this classic form. I think the slow burn of this movie is going to continue to burn for quite some time.
And what makes this film so unique compared to other thrillers is the fact that it stars two Black actors and the white guy gets killed first!
JOE: If my character was African-American as well, I think that it would’ve taken away from the movie itself because it would have just been Black against white. But because of Mike’s presence, being white, it evens the playing field in a different kind of way. You still have this aspect of the old white man, you could even say that the house itself represents the establishment and there’s a changing of the guard of it and the old white man doesn’t want to give up this power, and this young couple who have earned this right and this power is being fought against ultimately will win. But it doesn’t become a racial commentary because the character of Mike helps balance that out.
“The Intruder” is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
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