VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: David Dastmalchian Talks ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp,’ Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly

David Dastmalchian return to his role of Kurt in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which follows Scott Lang as he juggles the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. When later approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang has to take out the Ant-Man suit once again to fight alongside the Wasp. As the duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy, secret revelations from the past come up. 

Dastmalchian’s character in the film, Kurt, is a master of computer hacking and a former criminal who spent time in prison. While in prison, his character forms a bond with several inmates and they later become roommates once they get out. As they all try to get their lives on the right path, they find that it’s hard getting employed with a criminal record, but during the process, Kurt becomes friends with Scott Lang and things begin to lighten up.

Dastmalchian relished his time on set. “I have so many moments that I think back on when I think about filming these films. On the sequel one my favorite moments during Ant-Man and the Wasp is when there’s a scene when we all kind of meet for the first time in the new film, and Paul who plays Scott and Evangeline [Lilly], who plays Hope, and Michael Douglas who plays her father Hank, they all show up at our offices where we’re starting this legitimate business and all of a sudden Scott is getting pulled into a new adventure. When they show up instead of us you know making a big deal about what’s happening were actually arguing about the breakfast food that Luis is keeping in our office because we think he’s being a cheap boss. So that day was one of the first days that all of were back together on set,” he said. “That was a special day for me I’ll never forget that was really fun.”

Special effects played a big role in the production, but was Dastmalchian wasn’t daunted to by all that green screen. “One of the things about working with visual effects or when your playing against green or blue screens and learning how to adapt to that,” he told uInterview. “I’ve always found a lot of gratitude for the training and time that I spent in Chicago as a theater actor. I think that when you are used to acting and having to use your imagination when your looking out at an audience full of people and pretending that they’re not there and having to imagine, oh there’s a city out oh there’s or a jungle out there whatever it is that your imagining in a play. When I started working on film sets and television sets I feel like that’s kind of the same creative muscles that you use. Its a fun challenge for me and obviously I’m working with the best studio in the business when it comes to making that magic work.”

Dastmalchian is known for his performances in Tennessee Williams‘s The Glass Menagerie and Sam Shepard‘s Buried Child at Shattered Globe Theatre. He also starred in roles on CBS’s MacGyver and CW’s The Flash.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is available on Blu-Ray now.

Full interview transcript below:

Q: Who is your character in Ant-Man and The Wasp

A: So Kurt is a master of computer hacking, a former criminal who spent some time in the big house, prison in other words, and during that time formed a bond with different fellas. When they got out,they became roommates and tried to set their lives on the right paths, tried to do the right thing, but found it really tricky to get employed with criminal records and in that process ended up becoming friends with Scott Lang who is the hero that ultimately becomes Ant Man, and what’s really wonderful. What I really love about this character Kurt and about the trio of the entourage as we call them- Kurt and Louis and Dave- is that they’re guys who might’ve had a criminal past, maybe made some mistakes in the past, but they’ve now found this hero they can work with and in the new film in Ant-Man and The Wasp, I love that it starts off with us actually starting a legitimate business; we are forming a legitimate security company called Ex-Con, and we’re gonna help people keep their things and themselves safe.

Q: What was your favorite moment on set?

A: I have so many moments that I think back on when I think of filming these films. On the sequel, one of my favorite moments during Ant-Man and The Wasp was, there’s a scene where we all kinda meet for the first time in the new film and Paul, who plays Scott, and Evangeline who plays Hope, and Michael Douglass who plays her father Hank, they all show up at our offices and we’re starting this legitimate business and all of a sudden Highjinxs has begun and Scott is being pulled into a new adventure. Now remember, he’s supposed to be at home on house arrest. So when they show up, instead of us making a big deal about what’s happening, what’re they doing here, we’re actually arguing about the breakfast foods that Louis is keeping in our office because we think he’s being a cheap boss. So that day was one of the first days that all of us were back together on set, and one of the most magical things about Peyton read directs, and I believe it’s just kind of the magic of the Marvel formula is that we’ve got this scene laid out and we’re doing this hilarious dialogue that’s written for us and then these mastor actors Paul and Evangeline and everyone else can start improvising around the scene and next thing you know, we’re going off the rails talking about oatmeal packets and crumb cakes and a bunch of things that obviously couldn’t make it into the film, but that was a special day for me, I’ll never forget that. It was fun.

Q: What was it like working on a film with so many special effects?

A: One of the things about working with visual effects are when you’re playing against green or blue screens and learning how to adapt to that. I’ve always found a lot of gratitude for the training and the time that I spent in Chicago as a theater actor. I think that when you are used to acting and having to use your imagination when you’re looking out at an audience full of people and pretending that they’re not there and having to imagine “Oh there’s a city out there” or “Oh there’s a jungle out there,” whatever it is that you’re imagining in a play. When i started working on film sets and television sets, I feel like that’s kinda the same creative muscles that you use. So for me, it’s always in my imagination. I’m always trying to picture the things that I would be seeing if they were really happening, so it’s a fun challenge for me, obviously I’m working with the best studio in the business when it comes to making that magic work so they always have these neat tricks and things to blending the green or the blue screen with the surrounding area so that you feel like you’re really there.