Don't ever want to get into a familiar groove: Hollywood star Clive Owen

Los Angeles, Oct 15 (PTI) Hollywood star Clive Owen says it is futile to carry burden of past performances, matter how good y are, as re is "safe " for a working actor.

Owen says it is a blessing that his name does t conjure up a particular im in audiences' mind and that has largely to do with his varied filmography that includes critically-acclaimed titles such as "Croupier", "Closer", "Sin City" to "Children of Men".

"I'm just a working actor and I go from part to part, doing best I can. Sometimes actors, y have a big breakthrough in a particular kind of movie and y want to protect that. y think that's where I'm safe and good.

"But I've never wanted to do that. I don't mind turning everything on its head. I think for an actor it's good for people t to feel that y kw exactly what you do. It gives you more freedom to change and do something else," Owen told PTI in an interview.

actor says being unpredictable in his film choices has given him eugh room to do a project with an Italian filmmaker, be a part of a West End play and n star in a big production like "Gemini Man", in which he is paired opposite Will Smith.

Owen credits his training in British atre for teaching him value of variety.

"I never go 'That's clever. That's kind of actor Clive Owen is and I want to keep a hold of that'. My career has always been like that... I don't kw what kind of actor I'm. I don't ever want to get into a groove where I feel like that's kind of actor I am. Because I don't kw what kind of actor I'm," he says.

"Gemini Man", about a retired assassin being hunted down by his younger clone, has Owen playing a morally duplicitous scientist who has a misguided love for his adopted son.

actor liked fact that he was t playing "this mustache twirling sort of evil guy" but someone who "believes in what he's doing".

"re is great love for his son, however misplaced it all really is," he says about his role in Ang Lee-directed movie.

Smith, in a press conference earlier this month, spoke about how Lee sat down and critically reviewed his past performances to digitally recreate character of Junior, his young clone.

Owen, 55, says Lee shared similar tes on his performance too.

"He gave me a couple of tes, which made me go, 'Do I do that as an actor?' He's just very specific. But I love working with directors that challenge you, because when y're smart, and y're good, y can only make you better. So I never mind being challenged."

actor believes Academy award-winning director was perfect to helm a film of this complex nature as he is "very light touch" in his approach.

"Ang is a powerhouse and he has this terribly nice, gentle demeaur. He's very light touch. But he can give you a te that sort of crushes you to core. He is very incisive when he needs to be."

re is a different rhythm to sci-fi films and "Gemini Man", which boasts of first digitally-created human and has been shot in high frame rate, was different but Owen says it did t take him a lot of time to get used to techlogy.

"A lot of my stuff was with young Will, which meant Will acting with this big headgear with a camera. But honestly, all of that stuff disappears quickly. Once you are in scene, actors' instincts are same everywhere. Yes, it is a different rhythm but it all disappears when you're actually doing work."

film also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong.

Distributed exclusively in India by Viacom18, "Gemini Man", a Paramount Pictures movie, released on October 11.