Welcome And Meet Thor Nye

Greg Staffa 0:00

You're listening to the Staffa Corner Podcast, a Staffatarian look at entertainment and life with your host, Greg Staffa. My guest this episode is a very interesting one. Usually when I think of gamers, I think of the show Big Bang Theory and Sheldon and his friend Nerds playing games, but this is quite the opposite. My guest this episode has served in NATO and Afghanistan, went to pursue acting in Hollywood, and helped create Heavy Dragon. He's a big gamer, and my guest is Thor Knai, a remarkable journey that has taken him from the mountains of Norway to the world of television. Thank you for joining us today.

Thor 1:02

Hey, thanks, Craig. That was a little bit there that my PR people probably gave you. It's it's it's good.

Greg Staffa 1:12

It's a fascinating tale. I mean, it's not one that you you think is the route that you would take, and yet here you are. And when I say I I think of nerds and I look at your picture, you are by far the farthest thing from a nerd.

Thor 1:28

Um nerd has also been always been an honor, honorific in my in my life. All my friends were nerds. I was a huge nerd. All my friends were nerds in school. We always played a lot of you know D D and all the board games and all the computer games. And I still do. So so this is uh very not that I'm Henry Cavill, but it's very much a Henry Cavill situation where it's like, I'll go do the work, and then we're done with the work and your time off, you're just immediately around the table with your friends playing like Frosthaven or the next cool game on your monster PCs that you've built. You know, I'm definitely that.

Greg Staffa 2:03

And that's as cool about what he does because he'll do it sometimes anonymously. So here you are thinking that you're playing just with some average Joe Blow and it's you know the former Superman.

Thor 2:13

Yeah, I bet his gamer tag isn't the real Henry Cavill.

Growing Up In Norway

Greg Staffa 2:17

Tell us a little bit about growing up you're you're Norwegian. What was that like?

Thor 2:22

Born and raised. I mean, it was lovely. Uh I it was it Norway is a beautiful country to grow up, school's really good, everyone is, you know, the there's there's not there's a lot of it's it's uh it's too much to get into, but the the differences are much more uh real than I originally thought. Because we obviously we grew up with you know American culture on television and film. And thought that was one way. Uh and then over time having been here and having to sort of deal with what children in America have to go through myself indirectly, it's quite stark, as in if when I have children, you know, I might want to move them to Norway kind of thing.

Greg Staffa 3:02

Was coming to America always game plan, or was this just something that over time evolved and becoming a Hollywood actor that was the thing?

Thor 3:13

I think so the the comma thread is storytelling, but yeah, I had I had uh I had a lot of uh I I really wanted to be part of movies and storytelling and and you know, either writing or or acting was was early on was the sort of choice for me that I wanted to do. So straight out of high school, I I knew I wanted to to pursue it. I thought maybe I'd do it in England or in Australia, and then I decided why even why not just go for the for the for the ultimate sort of prize in my head at that time, which of course is Hollywood. So I served my years in the military and and went to Afghanistan, like you, like you read, uh, to make the money I needed to pay for you know acting school in Hollywood. So right like three weeks after I got back from Afghanistan, I was on a plane to to Hollywood and go to go to Naifa at Universal Studios, uh New York Film Academy school they still have there.

NATO Service In Afghanistan

Greg Staffa 4:06

And here in the US, I think it's easy. I think we too often become isolated in our own kind of thinking and drama. And so when here in the US, we think Afghanistan, we think you know US military, and we kind of lose sight that there were other you know groups that were there serving and trying to help in, you know, Afghanistan. What was that like being part of the Norwegian Royal Army and and working for like NATO?

Thor 4:34

Well, I don't know how political you want to get on this podcast, but I'm happy to get as political as as as you'll allow. But no, I mean Afghanistan is is the the only time uh NATO has you know uh invoked Article V, which means if one NATO country is attacked, which was Line 11, we all join in. So of course we did, because that was uh, you know, what one would call, at least sort of legally speaking, uh, because of NATO and Article V, a just war. Uh we did that thinking we were doing the right thing. We did that in support of an ally that was unequivocally had been attacked. And so of course it was part of it was it was something that that that I wanted to be a part of because it it felt like historically significant. It's it felt like a part of the story of our times. And I knew that the only time I'd have in a as a especially as a Norwegian, only chance I'd have to get that kind of experience would be right then. So I decided to to sign up and go and and and sort of get that visceral experience myself. I'm also I've also been a huge history buff, part of my nerdy uh tendencies, right? So men with sticks, as me and my partner call it, which is you know the history of just men beating each other up with more and more sophisticated weapons, is is is something I think a lot about and read a lot about and care a lot about. So it was to me, it was important to be a part of it when it happened to me and not sort of shirk that responsibility uh and go let someone else do it. You know, I was I was I was more than willing to to go and see that for myself.

Greg Staffa 6:09

Did you have a lot of interaction with the US military while you were doing that, or was it kind of separate groups?

Thor 6:14

No, so we did. Uh, and I know like you you were saying, the US kind of forgets that other countries are part of this, and then that's mostly because you go in alone and you do your own thing. But there's usually some support. In this case, uh yeah, the US seemed un like not um I can't put this sort of nicely, but they were by far uh the least uh cooperative, the least friendly, the least sort of I now I won't I wouldn't say professional, but like the the problem with the US troops in Afghanistan was they they are at they are sure that Afghanistan at that point was the war was over, the Northern Alliance had won. We were there as a stabilizing, sort of peacekeeping force, trying to keep, you know, the the the remaining elements to from from disrupting the process. But uh the Americans I met were you know still very much at war uh with everyone, everywhere, all the time. Uh whereas the rest of us are trying to do a little bit of outreach and try to be friendly to the locals and try to show them that there's we're not just another uh invader, uh, which was important there because they had been you know at war for the last 20 some years after the Russian excursion, Soviet Union were there, lost, and then we were there, you know, you could say lost now. Uh at the time it wasn't, but they they just had one occupier after the other. So if you're just the one holding the gun, pointing at someone's face, you win, you don't win, right? So we were doing we we I felt like we had understood that situation and did a lot to try to appear like not the same kind of occupying force. And the Americans would would straight out just point their rifles at people and and including us if we got too close to their convoys, and it which was which was you know absolutely ridiculous. Um but the Americans do good work in the uh out on the actual battlefields and and and and they're effective. So not to disparage the American military in general, but that's what I saw in Afghanistan was was was pretty sad, actually.

Greg Staffa 8:24

Sure, and and the reason I ask is because you mentioned earlier that growing up, you know, there's a lot of American culture that you were aware of, American, you watch American films, and now you had this experience with you know American soldiers. Did that shape your view of I mean, because you're still looking at coming to America to study yourself with that? Did those interactions hinder it at all, or did you realize the context that they were in? How did the growing up child want to come to America and then seeing you know it in the military form, how did that shape kind of your opinion and views? And then once you got here, did that change at all?

Thor 9:04

That's a good point. No, it didn't it didn't affect my my desire to go. And I wasn't going to America to join the military, right? I was going there uh to to tell stories. So so that didn't hurt in that respect, but you it was sort of one of the first looks sort of under the hood, like the America that you see in movies and theaters is not the America that exists. Uh so it was the first sort of time where reality, the American reality didn't fit the American narrative. So that was interesting, and at the time I didn't think any more of it. But of course, as I I've now lived in the States for for about 20 years. And I mean, I love a lot of things about it, and I've had a great time here, and I'm not, you know, I'm not sad that I did that, but there's a there's a couple of things that become apparent about American culture and American, the American experience that just isn't reflected outwardly, right? And I mean it may be even easier to say that now because of in the the current administration and how un-American, like unself-perception of America, even America itself, is to Americans right now. You know, so so of course it's it's that's the ultimate version of it's definitely not what it's projecting outward. It's not you know the bastion of democracy, blah, blah, blah, blah. We're dealing with our own demons, and uh to some apparently proudly so, right? So so that that is definitely a difference. But overall, I I have enjoyed California quite a bit. And a lot there's a lot of lovely people, like like with anything. There's there's you you get the good and the bad in America. So you find some of the best people, some of the best everything, which you also find some of the sort of worst. And so the spectrum is is uh let's call it more well more well populated throughout the spectrum than perhaps I was used to from Norway.

Greg Staffa 10:54

So you

Starting Over As A Hollywood Actor

Greg Staffa 10:55

started studying acting after the dream of yours, uh you know, what was that like seeing your first couple of roles? What was it like? I mean, you're coming to a new country, I assume this was the first time you were in the US when you were an adult then. What was that? Was there a culture shock? Was it what you expected?

Thor 11:13

There was there was there was some of that. There was definitely a culture shock going in. Uh, as far as acting goes, it was uh year here and then had to travel a little bit to get a work permit and then to actually uh come back then and work and then do the things. Uh it it I don't even remember anymore or to some extent what I expected, but you know, it was it's it's the grind. And it would this was back in the day, which now means before COVID, where you know you go on auditions, you meet up or meet in person, you have to get there, you have to drive there, you have to do whatever it is. And I didn't have a car at the time, so I would bicycle all over LA and use public transportation and and that kind of stuff. And then, you know, you go read for the part and and that's it. Like, yes or no, that it not not immediately, but you you go there and you've biked for X miles or taken the bus and you're sweaty or whatever. You go in, you have that one chance to to try to impress people, and then you leave again. Uh so of course that was it was tough to begin with, but I knew that was gonna be the name of the game. Uh but yeah, no, my first part that mattered uh was uh in Bones. They did a I don't know if you watched Bones, but they did a Bones episode about a Norwegian met death metal band that had uh a real skeleton on stage as a stage prop. Oh wow. And I played uh the sort of Norwegian Delta Police, which is our R special, our SWAT basically. Uh the Norwegian Delta Police sort of commander that that goes in and breaks up their death metal concert and like tries to determine whether or not this is a real human they have on stage. So that was cool, and that was one of those where where my military experience served me well, and the fact that I was Norwegian was essential because you know it's we uh we were speaking Norwegian in the scene, uh, and that has been a staple for me uh throughout. And even in this now latest movie, twenty years later, the fact that I am Scandinavian is the is the is been the deciding factor in whether I've actually gotten that part or not. So so that was fun.

Greg Staffa 13:25

You

Booking Roles Through Scandinavian Roots

Greg Staffa 13:26

look like a normal American white guy, right? You you speak English great, but yet you've had, I mean, these two roles that you mentioned, but you've also played other Norwegian historical characters, yeah. Uh like Legends of Tomorrow. Are you looking for roles where you're able to expand on your culture, or is it just by chance these roles are coming up that you're saying, hey, by the way, I am actually Norwegian?

Thor 13:53

So it's a it's it's a mix. I mean, I I go out for a lot of American parts and you know other uh all kinds of parts, a lot of Eastern European, a lot of you know British. Uh uh, but of course, here in LA it's mostly American things. So I do go out for that, and luckily I I could pass as a you know some sort of corn fed Midwestern or something. That's hence the this tiny hinge of an accent uh that might still be present. But uh yeah, whenever there's Norwegian or Scandinavian parts, uh I luckily look the type for that. I look like a guy who could be from Norway. And of course, when I turns out that I am and I speak Norwegian and the Scandinavian languages, that's usually almost like a shoe-in, but I, you know, I have a pretty good chance of booking those roles. Um, and that has helped immensely throughout. I mean, I did Rebel Moon with Zack Snyder. They were looking for Nordic sort of villagers because the village they're defending in that movie is sort of Nordic and Asian inspired. In Wrong Girls, which is the movie that that comes out on August 14th, my latest one, my biggest one, my first sort of theater release one. Uh I play a Danish agent. Uh and then, of course, my first role ever was Bones, where I played Norwegian Delta Police. Uh, and I've, you know, I've had a smattering of other sort of parts like that. And like you mentioned, uh, for DC Legends of Tomorrow, I played a Norwegian historical hero, which of course nerdy me found super cool. Uh, I played Leif Erickson, who you know discovered America in 1030s-ish. Um it wasn't Columbus, it wasn't Columbus. He discovered a different part. I mean the Vikings never went that far south. So, like, we can give him credit for like that little corner, you know, but the continent? No. That was I mean, yeah, that wasn't even us. It was the indigenous people that discovered America.

Greg Staffa 15:39

Is that something that's important to you to kind of keep your heritage in your in your career? Is that something that's in the back of your mind to say, you know, this is still part of who I am? And if I get a role, do you have are you allowed to have input into you know your character and say, you know, this is me growing up, uh, this is what I experienced. You're having me play a character that I'm familiar with. Yeah, here's my thoughts on that.

Thor 16:06

Yeah, I mean, so it's there's a two-part question, really. So, first of all, yes, I I do lean into it. I mean, when you become an actor and you join the Screen Actors Guild, obviously SAG, uh, you have to decide on an official name for you. That's your artist's name now going forward in SAG. Uh, and you know, I could have I I dabbled with do I just take an American name, you know, but uh I decided no, I'm gonna stick with my Norwegian name. Uh Thor obviously being a very Norwegian name, and and Nai is an is an even older Viking name, uh pre-Viking name from from Norway. Uh so so I stuck with those too, because I do care about my cultural heritage and my family history and all that stuff. So I thought that was important for me to represent. Uh and yeah, when whenever uh I'm sort of consult, obviously a lot of these parts uh where I am Scandinavian require me to have the the correct Scandinavian accent or to even speak the language. And in this last one, and this is probably the first time that's really happened, in Wrong Girls, which is a Dylan Myers movie, that's Kristen Stewart's wife. And Kristen Stewart, of course, stars in this movie with Alia Shawkett. We got Kate McKinnon and Gina Davis and Seth Rogen and Kumala Johnny, like all these huge actors. But so but Dylan came to us Danes who were playing Danes. Two of them are actually Danish, and I'm Norwegian playing a Dane. But they she came to us and she said, you know, this it's a supposed to be a funny, crazy movie, uh, and you guys are playing Danes. So if and you're a lot of some of the movie we we speak Danish to each other, because of course we would, you know, instead of with an with a within a Danish accent to each other. So we speak Danish. And she's like, if you have any cultural sort of jokes or anything that's funny culturally to you guys that we don't know about, please, please, please just add that in, or you know, we'll talk about it. So that was the first time we we I've had to I've gotten to have like a real input on what what's the end result gonna be and what's that dialogue between our characters in our native languages um and sort of cultural jokes. So we did do that, and that was that was a lot of fun. So I'll find out the day after tomorrow on the because we have our premiere on the 5th here in here in LA. So I'll I'll find out how many of those jokes actually made it in. And if they did, that'll be it'll be huge to like Norwegians and Danes and and and and sweet and Scandinavians watching this will recognize some of those jokes, which will probably be really funny. If they if they do, that'll be fun because they'll they'll feel you know, seen in a way, where it normally they'll it's it's a little bit of a caricature, but because we got to do it and we got to have input, it's gonna be a real thing that they can relate to that they grew up with. Uh, so that that'll be that'll be fun to see if that plays.

Greg Staffa 18:51

It it's kind of like the movie Hangover with Ken Jung. His wife was going through cancer at the time, and he debated on doing the movie, but there were scenes where his character Chow had to speak a language, and so he incorporated little jokes that only he and his wife would understand in some of the language that he would say. So he was supposed to be speaking in his his language, but he was saying little jokes that she would pick up on that the rest of the audience would be like, Oh, that's either gibberish or he's saying the language, but it's doesn't make any sense. But he's like, That was my love letter to his wife, and so it kind of sounds like he did something similar to kind of convey to the people back home, you know, little jokes that they might understand that maybe we might not, but it was kind of a fun nod to you.

Thor 19:38

Yeah, yeah. No, there's a specifically one that I'm excited about, which is you know, just a joke that was huge a while ago, but it's it's stuck it stuck around for a long time and was recently revived again, uh, just locally in Scandinavia. And I I now have the opportunity to to bring it further, which you know it's it's really fun to be a part of.

Greg Staffa 19:58

So

Gamer Or Actor Heavy Dragon Shift

Greg Staffa 19:59

now let's we'll talk about round girls in a little bit. Sure. Do you consider yourself a gamer who acts or an actor who games?

Thor 20:08

So if you looked at my hours played, it's maybe harder to make that determination. I I I probably for a long time, as based on just how I've spent my time, been a gamer who acts, because that's sort of you know where where my not my focus has been, but it's been, you know, you you have a lot of free time as an actor because you're sort of sitting around, not sitting around, you're going to the gym, you're auditioning, you're going to class, you're doing a lot of stuff. But that's you know, a very finite amount of time. Uh and you don't work that often. So when you work, it's full focus on that. And when you can, you full focus on your career. But of course, there's a lot of dead or the time in between, uh, where I would just game for fun for a long time. And then, of course, I decided uh right around COVID, uh, which was one of those survival scenarios for actors, because obviously there's nothing you can do for you know almost two years. That's true for everybody, but for for us as well. But gaming then became a secondary uh source of income. Like I started professionally uh playing DD. Uh, me and some friends of mine uh started designing an official DD board game. I have I don't really stream PC stuff or whatever. I've kept that sort of a private thing that I do for fun with my friends only. But I have friends who stream who are also actors. Uh but yeah, so for a long time I'd say I was a gamer who acted, but but recently, thanks to Rebel Moon and Wrong Girls and these movies I've done since about 2022, it really changed for me, which was lucky because I was right out of COVID.

Greg Staffa 21:36

And that's when you started Heavy Dragon?

Thor 21:38

Uh no, 2020 is when I started Heavy Dragon and did a couple years of professional gaming. And then in 2022, I booked Rebel Moon, uh Zack Snyder's huge sort of Netflix sci fi thing. So that was two movies back to back. So that that's when I started acting, you know, enough to be like, oh, okay, now we're now we're an actor who games.

Hollywood D And D And Career Crossovers

Greg Staffa 22:00

When you game, you I mean it's a real who's who in Hollywood these days. Yeah. Are the people that you're gaming with? Is there someone that you would love to sit down and play a little DD with?

Thor 22:11

Yeah, I mean, so so so I've I've I've been lucky because yeah, like you mentioned, I I one of the reasons I decided I should probably could go professionally was during COVID. I was I was playing with a lot of those high-profile sort of Hollywood D D people. Those were those were my players in my in my DD group. Uh and you know they were awesome. So getting to see them work and play DD and all that stuff was wonderful. And even now still, I I play DD on Tuesdays when everyone's available, which is these days, you know, almost never because everyone's doing really well. Is Craig Mason, you know, of of of Last of Us and Chernobyl, and who, by the way, is going to be writing, you know, the the the Baldur's Gate show for HBO once he's done with Last of Us. So he's he's the perfect person for that job because he is a fantastic DD player and is has played for so long and has you know finished Baldur's Gate 3 himself on honor mode. And you know, he's he's really hardcore. And one of my he was even before I started playing with him, one of my favorite writers because Chernobyl is one of the best things I've seen on television. I used to listen to his show uh script notes that he does with uh I mean Craig Mason and oh my god. What's the other? I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, Craig. You're gonna kill me. Uh but uh he it's been a while since I listened to that show. But they have a fantastic writers podcast that's like one of the big ones in the in the industry for writers. Uh and they John, it's something is something John. Either way, they are amazing, and I always thought he was really funny. And he mentioned he, you know, he played D D even then on the podcast, and then he ended up playing my game, which was that was one of those stories where like, oh, Craig Mason plays DD. Uh, and then he actually ended up playing in my game, and he and he still does. And he he yeah, he's a he's he's a fantastic player, gamer, writer, all those things combined. So it's definitely the gamer actor or gamer writer, gamer director is definitely something that lends itself uh to itself. Uh it's it's you know, it's it's all about storytelling, really. So if you're really good at storytelling and you when you know and understand what either makes for compelling characters or a compelling story, it's especially D D is then you know a very uh an easy medium to then also be good at.

Greg Staffa 24:31

When you're doing this, is it all focused on the gaming? Are you able to network and kind of you know, hey, I'm looking for this, or I have an open up, you know, opportunity for this, or did you hear about this role? Do you guys mix business and pleasure, or is it all all focused on the game?

Thor 24:46

So so it's impossible sort of not to, right? Because you end up having spending a lot of time in these people and you end up sort of being friends. And if you and of course, in every business and every scenario, if you can choose to work with your friends, and that makes sense, you know. That's not it's not you're not doing it as a favor, it just makes sense, then of course you're gonna sort of do that. So it's been you know, it's it's been a mix uh of of different things that people are having like me, me and my D for like I wouldn't have been able to make my DD game if it wasn't for Kyle Newman, who's one of my players, who's the guy who he's directed a couple movies and he wrote a bunch of DD books, like the Ark Narcana and the Cookbook and stuff, is from Kyle Newman, and he's he's in my Tuesday game. Uh, and you know, because he had connects with wizards, because he'd wrote written those books, that made it easy for him and me and another friend of our Adam to then approach Wizards of the Coast, who you know control Sunge and Dragons and Hasbro, and say, hey, we have an idea for a board game, uh, where they were then you know receptive at all is because you already have those working relationships. And of course, uh, I think uh Vince uh Vaughn and Joe Magnonello uh played have been playing together for years, and then then they just did a Netflix movie together called Nanas. Uh so I'm imagining you know that it maybe that wouldn't have happened, maybe it would have happened anyway, but I I imagine you know part them knowing each other on a personal level makes that movie easier to make uh together. So there's definitely some some mixing of the whoever you're friends with and you game with and whoever you then choose to work with. Pretty sure you know Craig understands that if there's anything remotely appropriate for me to do in the Baldur's Gate show, then obviously I'm million percent interested. But again, it's got it's gotta make sense.

Greg Staffa 26:43

Sure. I was gonna ask, you know, we often you know talk to doctors and say, what do you think about shows like ER and House and and stuff like that? Or so they had uh recently Dungeons Dragons movie came out, and it didn't really remove these relatively successful uh as the D guy. Were you thinking, why the hell wasn't I casting this? And what were your thoughts on it?

Thor 27:08

Uh there was a little bit of uh I of course all of us who or actors who played DD, which isn't a few, that's that's quite a few of us. Uh I'm quite you know, that that's definitely several people, but it would have been fun to be considered for that movie. That's but I think it's shot mostly in England uh and stuff, so they cast locally there and they're looking for that sort of style. Uh at the time I wasn't anyone they knew, and it was you know it was kind of a high profile thing. Uh I would have loved to read for that, of course. I have been lucky enough to read for a ton of those very relevant shows, but I did not read for DD. However, I was involved because uh Wizards of the Coast, uh, I knew those people and they knew me from the game and from the games I run with you know these other people they work with. So they called me in to run a game for Paramount's marketing team so that Paramount, the XX over there, would know what DD was like before they started trying to market it. So they could do that sort of with with some insight. Uh and the movie itself, I think what I think it was really good. I think I think they really kind of nailed the the feeling that that I we often have around the table where you know it's it's a mix of very serious like stuff going on, but then sort of self-deprecating humor or just like crazy situations that are funny end up happening that you kind of lean into. So so that it really did have you know Bradley Cooper playing the the halfling husband of the you know the barbarian uh main character, right? So that was that was in these funny sort of things you do that are against expectation and type or whatever, are definitely things we do a lot in DD. So it it I think it captured the essence. I know that wasn't not everyone around my table loved that take, but I think it was a pretty good sort of realistic representation of what it feels like to play DD.

Greg Staffa 29:02

Well, you also have to aim it for an audience that may not know much about the game itself. So you have to keep keep the the fans happy, but also bring in a new audience. Yeah, I mean you talked about Boulders Gate, you talked about D D, Dungeons and Dragons, uh, you've talked about creating your own dr uh game. Have you thought about writing a screenplay or writing for a series that that incorporates your view of what these games are to create something like that?

Thor 29:32

Uh yeah, so so you know, I would never imagine that uh I have the skill sets to sort of immediately then be able to write something myself. What I could do is probably be useful to someone who would be, uh, indirectly, indirectly, indirectly, indirectly. Like Craig's experience in my game will inevitably, you know, at least to some tiny extent, color what he does with the with the HBO show, right? So, like, so I mean influencing it that way. But I mean, I do I do enjoy writing, and it's another part of storytelling that I'm that I'm really into. And I've written my own scripts, but it's never been uh DD specific. Um of course, the the feeling that you get while playing DD is very common, both in sort of what movies do when there's a group of people trying to solve a problem, uh, etc. So so the influences from DD and stuff come into my own writing, of course. Uh I've leaned more my own writing is leaned more towards psyches my own history and and Vikings and and and that kind of stuff uh so far. But uh it wouldn't be opposed to at least, you know, consult perhaps. But again, it's not I'm not the in any way an authority, I don't feel like in the in the space. Yes, I have you know the experience and have done it for 20 plus years now, but it's like uh there are so many fantastic people who are very well suited to do exactly those things that unless for some reason I was the right person, I I wouldn't expect to be uh involved in that way. But you never know. Like I once if one once I end up wielding some influence, perhaps through some success uh later on slash in two days after Wrong Girls and after the the aftermath of wrong girls, maybe that'll change the trade trajectory for me uh even more, and and you know, we'll sort of be able to do more things that I personally would like to do. And of course, if D D has become sort of more of a entertainment staple in terms of these, like the Bowler Skate show is for HBO. I know there's another one in development as well, so there by the time I'm sort of in that space in a in a time where I might have some influence, those shows might be doing really well, and I might, you know, want to be a part of them. Although writing is you know secondary to to acting for me, but I'd love I'd love to do both.

Greg 32:00

Cool.

Greg Staffa 32:01

So let's

Wrong Girls And Comedy’s Comeback

Greg Staffa 32:02

talk about wrong girls a little bit. What brought you to that role? What was it? I mean, you mentioned that it had a little bit of your your culture and the language and stuff like that. Yeah. Well, what was I mean just that isn't enough. There has to be a good script, there has to be a good, you know, team that you're working with. What was it in addition to the the cultural aspect of it that brought you to that? And tell us a little bit of what you can. Uh you guys have your premiere coming up, but it actually premieres nationwide August 14th, so it's right around the corner here. Tell us a little bit about it.

Thor 32:35

So it's a uh it's kind of a revival of the 90s sort of stoner comedy, like the ridiculousness that was very popular and fun back in the day. Uh the twist here is that it's instead of it being two dudes, which it always was, it's Kristen Stewart and Oliver Shaw Cat. Um, and you know, it's it's it's a crazy sort of comedy with some you know slapstick elements, it's it's et cetera, almost right. Like we got talking cats, we got we got uh crazy experimental drugs, we got we got things like that going on, which you can see in the trailer, so none of those are spoilers. Uh, and of course they're being they're being chased by by these Vikings with guns, as Kristen says in the trailer, uh, which is you know the the the three agents that come after her, which is me and two other Danes uh that chased them sort of throughout throughout the movie for for reasons. Uh so it was first of all, it was a very um it was funny. I really enjoyed seeing it uh done that way. And there's it's it's got a couple cool twists in there that I enjoy. Um it I have always liked Kristen Stewart's work, uh, and of course the other names involved were like you're not me in my position, and get offered that part, and you and you have that lit that cast list and go, no, I'm not I'm not interested. You know, it was it was pretty much a shoe-in for me once I was offered that part. Of course, I was very interested, and it was it was just an honor to work with talent at that level. Uh and it was a very interesting set for many reasons. Well, one of them was that uh, and I didn't know this going in, but like it's it's been it's created by Dylan and Kristen, I think wrote it, and it's Dylan and their third producing friend of Nevermind, the production company that sort of came up with this. Uh, Maggie, who and it's really sort of autobiographical, but then obviously embellished ten times over. Um, so it's a script that really mattered to them, uh, and that they had control over the creative process because she's was directing, Maggie was uh producing, Kristen starring. So it was really their project that they got to do the way they wanted, they envisioned it, which I think is a beautiful thing when you can make a movie that way. Um so that was that was appealing, and and really felt that going it's like shooting it. It's like it's a personal thing that they care a lot about, uh, and that and that's always wonderful when it when it comes to a creative. You're not just some director who was hired to do the job, like this is this is their story, and that makes a difference.

Greg Staffa 35:15

Yeah, I mean it's it's like certain movies you can tell where they, you know, it's like the Spider-Man, you can you can tell that the director loves comics, or you can tell if a director or if you're just if they're assigned to this movie and they're directing it and you don't feel that kind of connection, other times you can feel that this was personal. This was they knew the source material, they knew what they were doing, and as much as they're you know paid to direct, this is something that was passionate for them. And you're saying that's what you felt doing this with the creative. Yeah.

Thor 35:49

Absolutely. That's what I felt here, and I and I trust, I haven't seen it yet, but I I trust that they got the result they wanted, right? Like it's not a movie making by committee, you know, it's not this huge, massive blockbuster level thing that they're you know, that's nine people are trying to have an input in how the final result is. I think they had control, and I and I'm um was happy to see their vision unfold on set, of course, and I can't wait to see the final result. And I think it's I think it hits uh it's hitting at a right time. Like it's it's kind of a you know, we haven't seen a lot of comedies in the theaters uh are having a sort of a revival now. There was a period of time during all the Marvel stuff where they were everything, they were the action movie, they were also the comedy, they were also the drama, you know. And now that they've sort of relinquished some space again, although Spider-Man then went and crushed this weekend, which is great for Tom Holland and everyone involved. Uh but uh, you know, the the we're we're doing some we're we're we're doing a little bit of of a retro uh revival here, uh, which I think will hit because I love going to the theaters and watching, you know, the big the comedy giants of my youth whenever they had their next movie, you know, Wedding Crashers and the you know the the the the Will Farrell stuff. It was it was all great. So now this is kind of in in in a little bit in that vein.

Greg Staffa 37:14

And again, Rong Girls comes out well it premieres uh this week, but comes out everywhere August 14th, so make sure you check out Rong Girls. Yes, please. Wrapping things up, I just have a couple

Viking Epics Spielberg Question And Identity

Greg Staffa 37:25

more questions. I know you gotta get going, and I appreciate your time. With I mean, you've done some cultural stuff, you've done you know historical characters that were important. If Steven Spielberg came to you and said, you know, I want to tell a Norwegian story that you grew up with knowing or hearing about that's important to you. Here's Steven Spielberg's Mooney, what story would you want to tell?

Thor 37:50

Uh, there's a couple that I that I that I have always loved and circled that I think have mass appeal. That's just America or Hollywood has isn't aware of that they uh what the stories they are, but there's specifically one where I wanted to write it myself. Uh which is there have you ever heard of the Viking Saint? Did you know that the Vikings had a saint, a Christian a Catholic saint is a Viking warlord?

Greg Staffa 38:17

So I uh I grew up in Minnesota. I I'm in Minnesota. So you might know. So our Viking mythology and lore surrounding our teams and stuff like that.

Thor 38:28

Yeah.

Greg Staffa 38:28

I am a little bit familiar with that. I don't want to say I know too much about that, but uh Viking culture is something that we kind of cling to, even if we're not fully Norwegian or there's a mirror.

Thor 38:41

It's your ancestry.

Greg Staffa 38:42

Yeah, yeah. So yes, I am aware. I I couldn't tell you much, but I am aware of that.

Thor 38:48

Right. So so that story, uh it's not just the you know pagan, pagan raider Viking thing. This is later in the Viking Age, about uh well, he fell in 1030, big spoiler, but uh and was canonized after that battle. But his story is pretty compelling, and I would I would and it ends super cinematically, right? And and it has value to to Christian culture, which of course is way more prevalent in the West these days. And I think it would be it's an interesting take to see you know the actual Viking thing be turned into what it actually one of these historical things that it really was, which one of them turned out to be, you know, was a saint, quote unquote, based on I mean he was, but uh it depends on how religious you are, whether or not you believe it's true, right? But that's a compelling story, and also one of the absolute hardest men alive in the history, he's you know, the basic, not basically the Alexander the Great of Viking uh history, uh or that kind of huge, heroic, very moviable character is Harold Hardrada, who was sort of the last great Norwegian Viking king who who fell at Stanford Bridge in 1066, uh, who and that officially kind of historically marks the end of the Viking Age. Uh, it was 1066 because the last great heat great heathen army that we weren't heathen, they were Christian at that point. Uh, but the last great Viking invasion of England uh failed at Stanford Bridge, and then William the Conqueror, you know, uh days later conquers Britain uh because he win wins at uh oh my god, I'm gonna forget the name now, but you know, the the there's a lot of historical stuff there going on with three kings battling, and Harold Hardrata himself has an insane story from from from surviving the battle. Like the the Viking saint is his cousin, uh, or half-brother, even. And then he flees that battle, wounded, uh, goes to Ukraine, uh, is raised there, goes to Byzantium, which is you know Constantinople, which is Istanbul, during the Byzantine Empire, leads the Varingian Guard for years and years and years, uh, does all kinds of crazy adventures in the Mediterranean, and then comes back a very wealthy, powerful man to Norway, claims his throne, and then invades England and then falls at Stanford Bridge. And so, like that whole story is so full of absolutely nuts, like read real things that are in the sagas and documented real historical stuff, that you it's it's it makes itself if you have the money. So if Steven Spielberg was like, hey, you have the money, what do you want to make? It would probably be one of those two, and I'd probably lean towards this story of how Harold Hardrada uh himself, they let the last Viking king, basically. That would that would be what I want to make. And I will one day if they unless it's done by the time I have the power, I absolutely will. There you go.

Greg Staffa 41:47

Again, Run Girls comes out August 14th. Uh so look for that in theaters. One final question for you, and I appreciate you coming on. When we say, you know, Thorny, often it comes with uh stuff that the publicist sends us. You know, he's a gamer, he was in the Royal Army, he loves D D, he's an actor, you know. But when you get up in the morning and you go into the bathroom and splash a little water in your face, look in the mirror for the first time, who is it do you see?

Thor 42:22

Uh storyteller. I mean, I I'm an actor primarily. That's why I came here, that's why I'm in the States, that's why I feel like it's important to be in LA. Uh if I wasn't an actor, I would not be here. I would be doing something else somewhere else. But because I'm an actor or a writer or a director, if I was in the if I wasn't in the movie making, television making business, I'd be elsewhere. Um But yeah, I am I'm an actor, but the truth of the story is obviously more complex. So, you know, storyteller is ultimately what it comes down to through the gaming, through the writing, through the acting. That's who I see.

Greg Staffa 42:57

Well, perfect. Again, Thor, Thor and I, thank you for coming on and check out Rum Girls August 14th.

Thor 43:04

Thank you, Staffa. Appreciate being on. I'll I'll see you guys. I'll see you around, probably. Next, there's gonna be more things.