Hollywood Reporter Oscar Actor's Roundtable 2012

As usual every year, the Oscar's gathers the actors nominated for the top awards at a roundtable to discuss their craft. This year the roundtable includes Best Actor nominees Daniel Day-Lewis (for Lincoln), Denzel Washington (for Flight), Bradley Cooper (for Silver Linings Playbook), Joaquin Phoenix (for The Master), John Hawkes (for the Sessions), and of course our very own Michael Reese Meyers (for The Devil's Double). Here is the link to the full video of the discussion. Below is just a written transcript of some of Meyer's answers to certain questions:

Q: Have you all met before this?

MRM: Well I've worked with Denzel before, on Pelham 123. I worked with Joaquin three times. twice we acted together. In the Village we played brothers and in Ring of Fire he was Johnny Cash I was Elvis. And he directed me in Brotherly Love. And me and Bradley just did Alien: Genesis together. But I have yet to work with Mr. Day-Lewis or Mr. Hawkes.

Q: So do you all feel the right people belong here or has it become too political, as far as who gets nominated and who doesn't?

MRM: Well I think we all are just here as clappers for when Daniel wins. I mean come on, haha. He pretty much has this in the bag.

Q: Do you feel you need to use darkness or pain as your motivation or is that a cliche?

MRM: Oh no for me it is essential. It was always the fuel, maybe too much so. And that's why I feel like I am moving away from acting and trying to be more like this guy (points to Lewis) over here and just act every once in a while. I mean if you look at my future schedule, I'm slowing it down. I'm contracted to do two more Bond films and I am looking at this comedy Seth McFarlane has offered me which is really unique and that is the one genre I haven't tackled yet, comedy. I need to do that. So I'm interested in that. But I am in such a happy place now, with my band, we're gonna tour Europe next summer with Boomkat, I'm in love, I plan on starting a family next year. My relationship with my mom has come a full 180. We are closer than ever. We talk almost everyday. We laugh, we share things. I'm helping her write her book she's doing. We have made so much progress. Super close now. It's great. I mean, I used to have that itch to act as a means to channel my pain and now that things are going so well, that itch doesn't seem to be there and I don't wanna act just to keep acting. But at the same time I love what I do, I love this business, I love being on set. Olivia Wilde and I just started a production company in New York. She and I both want to direct. I've already directed one indie back in 2010. It came out in 2011. And we will produce pictures out of that company as well, with Truth or Die being the first project out the gate for that. So I am definitely looking at that next phase, that next stage of my career. Because I can't always be the angry brooding metrosexual guy forever. And the chameleon thing, which I really love, can only work for so long. I'm running out of different looks to try. Haha.

Q: So you feel that if you are too happy you lose the urge to act?

MRM: For me, yes. I feel I gravitate toward darker roles because they speak to me. A character who is struggling with something. But when I am in a good place I don't want to spend 3 months on set in a dark frame of mind. I wanna be on the beach in Italy with my girlfriend or performing in front of fans on stage with my band. I want to stay in that happy place I don't want to leave it because I feel it's my job. Acting isn't a job to me. It's something I feel compelled to do. I do a role because it speaks to me. That's why I wanna tackle comedy and try happier roles. But the problem is there aren't that many interesting happy role, haha.

Q: What was one piece of advice someone gave you in your life that steered you toward acting or you feel changed you forever?

MRM: It sounds silly but I guess it wasn't advice but as he (Denzel) said a word of encouragement that steered me toward believing in myself, was in junior high I was goofing off in music class and they heard me sing and the teacher said I should try out for the Lion King musical play we were doing. I never had any interest in acting or singing or being in a play. But I had a bad GPA that year and they said if I participated that my grade would go up so I needed that. So I did it. Afterwards a girl in the hall  who NEVER noticed me before said to me "I saw you in the play over the weekend, you did great. Then I went to class, sat down, and all the girls in the class turned to me and for 5 minutes straight kept raving about how good I was, they didn't know I could sing, blah blah blah. It was life changing. I finally found something I was good at."


Q: What's one thing about yourself you would change?

MRM: Umm, I guess I wish I didn't fall so hard so fast for people I don't know well enough yet. I gotta work on that.

Michael Attends AMA's with Gina and Discusses Truth or Die

Last night Michael attended the American Music Awards with girlfriend Gina Rage and while he did not answer any questions about the woman suing him for child support, he did speak about his next film, Truth or Die. He said: "Yea we're still doing it. It's next. Ron Howard has signed on to direct. Paul Steinman who did the original Phone Booth film isn't involved anymore. Me and him spoke about Phone Booth on the set of Pelham 123 back 2009 and I told him how Phone Booth was one of my all time favorite films and it needed a sequel and he agreed so over the years we began working on script ideas but could never settle on anything we both loved and recently he decided to drop the film and he made Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise. I respect his decision. But this film meant too much to me to let it die so we kept it going. Olivia Wilde plays my wife in the film. She and I are executive producers on the project and began to work on the script ourself and got some writers to help us and now Ron is directing. The cast is incredible. Story is great. It takes place once again in New York. I'm a young politician running for U.S. Senate and I'm married to Olivia Wilde's character. Gary Oldman is an older more experienced politician who I am running against. I get a call from the 'caller' once again voiced by Kiefer Sutherland and all hell breaks loose from there. Somehow my character ends up on a ledge of a high rise building and the whole city thinks I am about to jump. I have a fear of heights in real life so doing that was a huge challenge for me. Sean Penn plays the police captain guy who is trying to talk me down. His character has his own issues going on. Keira Knightley plays a mistress I have been having an affair with who gets drawn into the drama at some point as well. It's gonna be very very interesting." He added the film would be shooting entirely in New York City from January 2013 to March 2013 for an October 2013 release.

Chants of Reign fan claims Meyers Impregnated Her

Today a woman named Natalia Martinez filed a paternity test to be taken by Michael Reese Meyers, actor and lead singer of band Chants of Reign since she claims to be several weeks pregnant and believes Meyers to be the father. In her statement she says "Meyers is the only man I have been intimate with in several months and doctors have confirmed with me I am indeed pregnant". Meyers so far has denied the claims according to reps. The Lights and Sounds tour which Chants of Reign have been involved in since September 15th concludes on November 12th in Boston.

Meyers and Gina Rage at Devil's Double NY premiere

Last night Michael took some time off from the Lights & Sounds tour with his band Chants of Reign to attend the NYC premiere of his new film "The Devil's Double" and guess who he took as his date, none of other than Gina Rage. Are the two an item again? Apparently so since they were seen holding hands and kissing. Here's a photo. You can see the rest HERE:

Here it is! Finally a look at the trailer for Michael's latest film "The Devil's Double" where he plays two roles, both as the protagonist and villain. Oliver Stone directs this action thriller in which Meyers portrays the psychotic Uday Hussein, son of Iraqi dictator Saddam, as he forces a soldier named Latif Yahia (also played by Meyers) who has an uncanny resemblance to Uday, to be his body double during a time where assassins are gunning for Hussein. The film opens in select cities October 19th and wide November 2nd.

Meyers Signs on for Two More Bond Films

MI6.com has reported today that Michael Reese Meyers has signed on to do two more James Bond films. That would have him playing the iconic British spy through 2017 (if they make a film every other year as they usually do). He signed a two picture deal back in 2010 worth $20.5 million for films one and two and apparently he will be paid $24.5 million per film for the third and fourth entries. Not bad. Sam Mendes' 'Moneyball' hits theaters next May.

Michael and Ronda Ramsey Together at Tiesto Concert

Michael and Ronda went to a Tiesto concert in New York and seemed to be having a great time. She tweeted this photo of the two saying "Sick time at Tiesto show with my boo Mike #ImYourGirl". Awww!