Billy Burke on His ‘Tasty’ Turn in Drive Angry 3D and the Red Riding Hood/Twilight Connection

Movieline spoke with Burke in Los Angeles about his “tasty” turn as Jonah King, a Satan-worshipper so evil that Nic Cage has to claw his way out of hell just to find him, his experience filming Drive Angry and Breaking Dawn in Louisiana, and his reunion with Catherine Hardwicke for the upcoming Red Riding Hood. And while Burke tried his best to play Movieline’s My Favorite Scene, can you blame him for having trouble picking just one moment from his favorite film of all-time?

It’s fun to see you go from playing a no-nonsense cop dad in The Twilight Saga to this off-the-wall cult leader in Drive Angry 3D. Were you looking for a departure from Charlie Swan?
I wouldn’t say that I was seeking it out, but I can say that when I read it I would have done anything that I could to work my way into the movie in any capacity. [Jonah King] was the character they approached me with, and it had been a long time since I had not only not played Charlie, but… in the first part of my career I did a lot of bad guys, and most of them were not very well-written. This guy was so well-written and so tasty and had so many places to go that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and see what we could create.  

Red Riding Hood is another one of your projects that has links to Twilight — it reunites you with Catherine Hardwicke. How did you come to work with her again?
I can’t speak for her, but she did call me personally and sort of pitch me the idea, and I was immediately down for it. I’ve always had a special affinity for Catherine and the chance to do another completely different project with her was totally cool. I play a lowly woodcutter. [Laughs] It’s set in a Red Riding Hood-type village, you see. I also happen to be Red Riding Hood’s dad. 

Ah. You and dads!
I know, because I’m the dad to all the ingénues in Hollywood now. It’s nuts!

Check out the entire interview here.