Havoc is the long-awaited return of director Gareth Evans into the world of action thrillers. The director made a name for himself with in 2011 with The Raid: Redemption, which cemented him as a filmmaker with a unique style and a penchant for gritty, visceral storytelling. In Havoc, writer/director Evans tells the story of a detective working to track down the son of a crooked politician after a fateful drug deal gone wrong.

The Havoc cast, led by Tom Hardy as Detective Walker, is one of the movie’s biggest selling points. In addition to the Venom and Mad Max: Fury Road star, the movie features Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker, Jessie Mei Li, and Luis Guzmán. Guzmán’s role as Raul continues his streak as one of America’s most prolific character actors–Guzmán has appeared in over 150 projects including Boogie Nights, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Code Black.

ScreenRant spoke with Luis Guzmán about joining Gareth Evans’ Havoc. The actor revealed the factors that made him want to join the project and shared insights into his character Raul. Guzmán also hyped up Wednesday season 2, in which he will return as Gomez Addams, weighed in on Tom Hardy as James Bond, and reflected on working with Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson on the 2003 comedy Anger Management.

Luis Guzmán Explains Raul’s Place In The World Of Havoc

“He Wasn’t A Bad, Bad Guy”

Luis Guzmán joined Havoc for a few reasons. On top of being a fan of both Gareth Evans and Tom Hardy, Guzmán appreciated “an opportunity to do something a little different,” or at least “something that I’ve never done before at this level.” Guzmán appreciated the character of Raul, however, on a more personal level. “He’s this guy from the neighborhood,” Guzmán said. “He is a hustler, but I believe he had the ability to also know right from wrong, and he also knew how to look out for people.”

In Havoc, Raul is one of the few characters who is purely acting out of care for someone else–in this case, his niece Mia. “That’s one thing that really drew me to Raul,” Guzmán shared, “because he wasn’t a bad, bad guy in that world. Everybody had some kind of dirt on them, but he was [a] guy who had some kind of honor to himself. He protects this girl as much as he can. He’s an uncle who’s like a surrogate dad to somebody who doesn’t have those parents–who doesn’t have the guidance.”

When it came to working with Tom Hardy on the first scene between Raul and Walker–a contentious back-and-forth in which the two men reach an agreement, only for Walker to pull a gun on Raul–Guzmán found the experience very natural. “It all really came together organically,” the actor said, elaborating, “When we sH๏τ that scene, it wasn’t about anticipation. It was moment by moment by moment, like, ‘Wait, who is this guy?’”

Guzmán continued: “That back-and-forth bantering felt so natural, which is something that I absolutely appreciate, because it leads to that element of surprise when he does pull that gun out on me and it’s like, ‘Oh, s***, wait, wait, wait.’ Then the cops come in and it’s like, ‘What just happened?’ That’s how I played it, but I was so thrilled to have that moment of experience working with Tom, and he did a great job.”

Guzmán Weighs In On Tom Hardy’s Chances As James Bond

“Tom Hardy Can Do Anything He Wants To”

There has been something of an internet campaign to get Tom Hardy cast as the next James Bond following Daniel Craig’s retirement from the role. When asked how he thought his co-star would do in the role, Guzmán responded. “Tom Hardy can do anything he wants to.” For an example, Guzmán even referenced a specific project of Hardy’s, the 2008 film Bronson.

“You want to see something intense? See [Bronson,] … when you see that movie, and this movie, and [think about] him being the next James Bond, you’ll understand. He’s done so many great roles, but I promise you, you see Bronson, you’re going to say, ‘Oh s***, why haven’t I seen this before?’ It was my kids that turned me on to that movie–they said, “Yo, you’ve got to watch this Tom Hardy movie,” Guzmán said, before finishing, “He’s [a] very intense, but very giving actor. He’s a damn good actor, man. But he’s also a really good person too.”

Raul’s Gunfight Scene Is A Perfect Example Of The Movie’s Tone

“I [Felt Like] I Did Like 12 SH๏τs Of Espresso”

Not content to leave the protection of Mia up to Walker, Raul goes after her, only to find himself embroiled in a gunfight. Asked how it was to bring that scene to life, Guzmán responded, “It was just like something instinctual. You see all this s*** going around you and you just came in with this kid, and [it’s like,] ‘Oh, no, no, no.’ You just pull the trigger and you got to do what you got to do. It’s that old school saying: ‘Only the strong survive.’ That moment just took me there.”

Guzmán continued, reflecting, “the movie’s all about flow and rapidness … The story moves so freaking fast. After I watched this movie for the first time, I swear to God, I [felt like] I did like 12 sH๏τs of espresso.I was like, ‘Oh man, how do you come down from this?’”

Wednesday Season 2 Will Feature More Addams Family

Guzmán Will Return As Gomez Addams In A Season That Goes “Into A Different Galaxy”

Wednesday season 1 was a smash hit for Netflix, and although it was about its тιтular character and not her parents, the show did introduce its own take on the Addams Family with Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, and Fred Armisen as Fester. When asked if audiences would see more of the Addams family in the second season, Guzmán responded with an emphatic “Oh, absolutely.”

He went on to hype up the entire season, saying, “I thought the first season was amazing, and I’m telling these guys, ‘How are you going to top this?’ They went not into a different orbit or universe–they went into a different galaxy. You know what I’m saying? I tipped my hat to these guys, man, because they create a vision, and [there’s] Tim Burton, and, wow, man. It’s all about the writing, and you have the most incredible, talented, gifted group of actors, and it just all works. That’s all I’m going to say. “

Guzmán Reflects On His 2003 Adam Sandler Comedy

“S***, I Got To Work With Jack Nicholson”

A certain generation of Adam Sandler fans may forever have the sound of Jack Nicholson singing West Side Story’s “I Feel Pretty” burned into their ears thanks to 2003’s Anger Management. It might not be at the top of many lists ranking the best of Sandler’s movies, but Anger Management has one of the best Sandler movie casts, hands down. In addition to Sandler and Nicholson, Anger Management features John Turturro, Woody Harrelson, January Jones, Kevin Nealon, Marisa Tomei, John C. Reilly, and–of course–Guzmán.

“I was so honored to do that movie, bro,” Guzmán said of his experience. “It was great. It was like, ‘S***, I got to work with Jack Nicholson.’ I love Adam Sandler and John Turturro and everybody else that was involved, but s***, when you get to sit next to Jack Nicholson, that’s not bad.”

Also check out our Havoc interview with Tom Hardy.