Joel Kinnamandecided that he wasn’t going to talk to his wife for nearly two months. No, he wasn’t upset with her, nor her with him. The questionable decision came when Kinnaman decided to go full method actor for his latest role in director John Woo’sSilent Night. Now, the film is an action movie in which Kinnaman’s character, Godlock, doesn’t speak a single word of dialogue… for the entire film! Fans can already see where this is going, but, thankfully, it wasn’t divorce court. Kinnaman’s mind was made up, and he wouldn’t speak to anyone for the shoot’s two-month duration — his beloved included. And Kinnaman described his wife’s, Kelly Gale, reaction during a recent appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:
“I’m gonna, I’m gonna go full method on this one. So, I talked to Kelly. And I was like, ‘Listen, this is gonna be a tough one for our relationship. I’m not gonna talk for the whole shoot… and not talk with you either. So, we’re like, we’re not gonna have any communication. And she was like, ‘What the hell are you talking about? Like, you’re gonna go off and shoot a movie for two months, and we’re not going to say good night to each other?’”
Fallon stared listlessly at Kinnaman and told the actor that it sounded like a bad idea. But Kinnaman didn’t just cut off speaking with his wife cold turkey. The couple have a relationship coach, which they consulted prior to Kinnaman’s departure to shootSilent Night. Of the three people involved in the discussion, only Kinnaman liked the idea of not speaking with anyone for two months, much to his wife’s chagrin.
Related:Silent Night: Why John Woo’s Upcoming Action Thriller Has No Dialogue, Explained
Joel Kinnaman’s Short-Lived Method
Joel Kinnaman admitted during his appearance onThe Tonight Show, that he wasn’t a method actor by trade. However, after he read the script for John Woo’sSilent Night, Kinnaman made the decision to go “full method on this one.” And while his wife, Kelly Gale, wasn’t thrilled with the idea, she did eventually agree to go through with not speaking to her husband for two months. But Kinnaman began to second guess himself once he got off his flight, which was bound for Mexico City. Kinnaman told Jimmy Fallon in the same interview:
When I land in Mexico City, you know, it’s a big city. And, like, I don’t know anyone there. So, I was feeling a little lonely. So, I called her after I land.
Naturally, Kelly was stunned to hear her husband’s voice, but Kinnaman explained that he’d decided to wait and not start the so-called silent treatment until reaching the actual set. So, the first day of shooting onthe dialogue-freeSilent Nightcomes. And Kinnaman enjoys a quiet ride to the set, which is just perfect for the first-time method actor. But then Kinnaman’s method acting madness quickly meets its end in the makeup trailer.
After observing everyone else from the cast and crew having a good time “hanging out” and “talking" from his makeup chair, Kinnaman immediately realized that method acting wasn’t for him. And he gave up the notion of not speaking for two months right then and there. And Fallon couldn’t help but laugh when Kinnaman said that first car ride to the set provided him with enough hush for the entirety of theSilent Nightshoot.
Silent Nightopens in theaters on Friday, December 1. And fans can check outtheSilent Nighttrailerright now.
