The Verge: Rami Malek

So what is that experience like when you watch, say, Snafu chuck pebbles into a corpse's head? Is that a startling image for you, too?

It is, extremely. I remember that I thought, "What brings a man to do this?" and to get to that place was extremely difficult. So I'm watching it, and I remember before and after each take where my mind was. It's difficult, and sometimes other people's reactions make it even harder. It elicits a different response in everybody, and I remember watching that episode with a few people and some people were just in utter astonishment and some people had to laugh to quench whatever feeling they were having at that moment. It's kind of hard to remember what that was like and share it with the company that I was in. It's best to be watching it with the guys [from the miniseries]. Sometimes we get together and watch it, and it's easier in that respect.

What was that shooting experience like? I mean, you want to stay absorbed in your character, but at the same time, you're shooting with dozens of young guys. Was there a whole lot of unexpected humor?

In the beginning, I think we were all on our toes, and it wasn't as fun of an experience as we would have wanted it to be. As it went on, and the brutality and the gruesomeness of it all started, I think we acknowledged this event that we were faced with. We began to realize that the only way to escape was to hammer out some jokes on a daily basis, and we all thought we were comedians. Whether the crew thought we could tell a joke remains to be seen. [Laughs] We were good at making each other laugh, and we had to be. I'm a pretty jovial guy, but there were times I showed up halfway through and people were looking at me like, "What happened to him? He used to be a fun-loving guy." It really starts to wear on you. You're going out there every day and you're seeing dead bodies that have been so well-crafted by the art department. You're put into a battlefield at 4am in the morning.

You're also in the next Tom Hanks film, Larry Crowne. Was that something you had to audition for through normal channels, or did Tom know you well enough by that point to offer you the role?

Tom and I had a very strong relationship. While I was working on [The Pacific], I remember he sent me a note, and it was pretty confidential. I don't even know if I'm allowed to say, but he was very respectful in his words about what I was doing. When I got back [after shooting], I saw him and he gave me a big hug, and that's what it was: He was just very proud and appreciative, and it's stuck with me. Then he called me and asked me to read this script [for Larry Crowne], and before I knew it, I was in the movie. It just shows you what kind of man he is. He knew what we'd been through, and this was his way of acknowledging it. He's a very compassionate guy, and everything the world sees in that man is very true.

Can you tell me anything about your character?

I play a young man by the name of Steve Dibiasi. I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to tell you...[Larry Crowne] goes back to junior college, and I play one of the kids in college who gives everybody a bit of a hard time. He's got a kind of funny side, he's oblivious to things. He's an odd character. I kind of have a hankering for these guys; whether they're odd or not, I kind of make them that way. [Laughs] I take pleasure from it.

You're acting like you're not allowed to tell me much about the movie, and it's been about as oddly low-profile as Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts movie can be. Is Tom just keeping things secret? Is that the way he likes it?

I think so. Everything I've done has been very confidential, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't want to be the one to spill the beans! As far as Tom goes, I think he's very passionate about what he's doing and he wants to keep it close to home. It's a small project and that's the way he wants to keep it. I don't actually know, I'm just speculating. You can call me and I'll open up about it once he does! [Laughs]

You've got an identical twin brother. Is he an actor as well?

He has the very great profession of being a teacher, in Hollywood. It's really great to see him, because he definitely has that creative sensibility as well, maybe even more than I do. To see him teach, he just has great flair, and it's so interesting to watch. He's been very invaluable in making me remember that I'm not just an actor. I have family here, and these are people who don't just respect me but challenge me and keep me from becoming a Hollywood product.

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