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Omari Hardwick Talks New Netflix Zombie Thriller ‘Army of The Dead’ | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
May 29, 2021
Omari Hardwick stars as Vanderohe in Zack Snyder’s new zombie thriller Army of The Dead. After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever.
Hardwick called into Sway In The Morning to talk about the movie and starring along side Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera and more.
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Omari Hardwick Talks New Netflix Zombie Thriller ‘Army of The Dead’ | SWAY’S UNIVERSE https://youtu.be/eeyIfCuKWCg
Sway’s Universe
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0:00
space but you can fly out there is an abandoned rescue helicopter on top of the north tower
0:07
southern if you coordinate and communicate this should be a simple in and out
0:14
there it is right there man army of the dead i watched with my daughter last night i have
0:21
some questions but i also talked to bb about it early on to just get his take on it and uh one of
0:27
the things he mentioned was really appreciating the special effects db are you there yeah i'm here
0:32
i was uh i was actually telling amari uh while i was getting him on the phone that um i'm glad that
0:38
uh he he wasn't the first one to die like you normally see in a lot of these horror films
0:42
the first one to die during the opening credits but um my question was because uh there's a there's
0:49
a point in the film where each character is established i guess you could say by their
0:54
preference of weaponry and in a zombie film whatever you choose is sort of like you know
0:59
you you may last longer than somebody else and your character vanderro has this very particular
1:05
weapon i'll let people see it i don't want to spoil too many details but just humor me on this
1:10
question if a zombie apocalypse broke out today what would be i guess the equipment and and
1:16
weaponry and like what would you choose to take with you to survive a zombie apocalypse
1:20
Oh, I'm just using that mirror, bro You just put that mirror in front of that zombie's face
1:25
And you let them take in the ugliness And how crazy they look, bro They look angry
1:29
And you just put that mirror there And you say, look at yourself
1:34
Look deep at yourself And the zombie will probably run away from his own image
1:38
And therefore run away from my ass And I'd be cool And the black man lives again Ooh
1:43
You gotta go deep with it Let's see if he make it to the end of the movie, though
1:50
um well you know what i'm gonna hit you from a different perspective too amari because i'm
1:56
starting to look at these type of movies army of the dead and movies that's dealing with zombies
2:01
with a little more metaphoric meaning behind it you know like it's something about watching this
2:07
movie that i actually started to sympathize with the zombies there you go and i and i start feeling
2:14
like why am i vilifying the zombie i don't really know their story but i do see that they're angry
2:22
and they want to be heard you know what i mean they're like protests they want to be seen they
2:29
want to be heard these people are constantly taken from them they got inflicted with this virus
2:35
you know and they're just mad they're mad at their conditions and they want to be heard
2:40
is and when i watched this i i didn't see the zombies as villains man i saw them as
2:47
hey man these are oppressed people totally agree is that possible you agree i think it's not only
2:55
possible but it's probable that that for far too long the zombies were being presented as
3:02
the nemesis right the antagonist obviously they don't exist in real life but my kids keep asking
3:08
Obviously, you watched it with your daughter, but when she was a particular age, you wouldn't have let her watch it
3:12
But an eight- and six-year-old at home and being the children of a guy that's playing in the movie
3:18
Matthias, obviously, being my partner in the movie, sort of a movie within the movie
3:24
the Danny Glover-Mel Gibson moment, he equally has young kids. And he said, the worst thing I could do was go to ADR session one day to do my voiceover looping
3:32
And I took my 12-year-old daughter, and now she's got these thoughts and nightmares
3:36
is but what's ironic about it's way as much as that was pushed that the image of the zombie was
3:42
that that we're supposed to be afraid of the zombie the irony is i think the reason i said
3:47
a mirror is because i absolutely would not bring a weapon that would be about harming them because
3:55
i think in a deeper way and here's the genius of jack snyder who's adopted a multitude of children
4:01
So he's, you know, a white man of part German and, you know, probably part Irish descent who is adopted of varying colors of kids
4:11
And he's probably looking at it from me and your perspective, which is they do want to be heard
4:16
They do feel disenfranchised. They do feel disconnected from society. And where we're going, Sway, you know, I have these conversations all the time
4:24
Does that sound that different from the minority group, particularly me and yours? It really doesn sound that different Do people at times try to act like we zombies When you know ronald reagan wife was saying just say no to drugs when we know that ronald reagan was absolutely
4:38
a part of the oligarch that was inserting drugs within certain communities that she was saying
4:43
say no to drugs in we didn't bring the drugs like denzel's characters frank lucas said we didn't
4:49
poppy field or actually it's nino brown shout out to wesley snipe saying we didn't grow there's no
4:54
poppy fields in our backyard. We didn't grow that. So when you think about a drug addict in Harlem in 1965
5:02
they were, what were they called? Uh, look at these like a zombie. Oh, he's like a zombie
5:06
Zombies. So, but I'm, but I didn't look night in the living base heads
5:10
Yup. You're right. But you know what I'm saying? And Heather, we're not
5:14
not treated that way. When you, when you see the cop killing George Floyd in slow motion for eight minutes and
5:21
50 something seconds, is he not? And literally, on his neck what are we doing in the zombie movie we're going for the neck and above like
5:30
bro if you really want to go there that's what i mean wow i think that zach did a brilliant job
5:35
of making us all go to the the museum and you're looking at van gogh all the way to
5:41
the haitian brother and that being john michelle basquiat and you're looking
5:45
and and zach is going but you see the the discontent the pain in in this van gogh and
5:51
and nobody sees it, and they go, no, it's beautiful. And then this group looks at it, and they go, I see it
5:56
And then you go look at the pain and the discontent in this world over here
6:00
with John Michelle Basquiat. And then another group, maybe a white group, looks at hell, Andy Warhol
6:05
looks at John Michelle Basquiat's world and goes, oh, it's stunning. It's pristine
6:09
It's beautiful. So it really is within the eye of the beholder, but not just beauty
6:13
also how we're seeing as it pertains to the insides of us, our anger, our pain
6:20
zombies got pain and zach did a great job of going who really is the army of the undead
6:25
is it my motley crew that i'm sending to get the prize at the end which by the way is just
6:31
something to be going for so they're raising of the stakes is the money but before the money
6:37
what's the process in between we got to get through these zombies but ironically in this movie
6:43
was that brilliantly showed in the eight of his producing partners and writing partners and us as
6:47
a cast and a crew. What he showed was, were they bothering us? They weren't bothering us. Well
6:53
we went and invaded them. So he built their territory. So were we bothering when slaves
7:00
were brought from Africa? We weren't bothering anybody. Some of our own people sold us with two
7:05
people who then took us on a boat, stopped us in the Caribbean islands and different other places
7:12
where those ancestors built the boats that our ancestors just continued on to get to America
7:16
But certain factions of people aren't bothering anybody. And all of a sudden people invade their territory
7:21
So their territory, excuse me. So it does beg the question. These genres of movies that people geek out on
7:28
there's some, the ones who really geek out on it, they're on to something. They know why they're watching it
7:33
It's not just to keep killing and war and zombies. It's deep. It's deep
7:37
Deep in a wrap, kid. Army of the Dead on Netflix. Go ahead, Tracy
7:41
I know you've watched it. Yeah, I certainly did. and hearing you break down we already spoke about this last night omari but we're such a lover of
7:49
layers me and you i'm curious does it ever bother you if someone watches a movie like army of the
7:56
dead and does not see this depiction that you're laying out they only see the surface they're just
8:02
like oh my gosh the visuals dude the gore fest dude and they hear you and they're like huh
8:08
it doesn't bother me tracy um by the way last night on the interview with tracy sway i looked
8:14
at the camera and I shouted you out and I said, Sway, it got good. Oh, she's great, man. She's excellent
8:20
That's why I'm able to take days off. Man, Trace was asking
8:25
And that's what's funny because Trace, when Sway says that, it's the same thing. Like, he knows that you and Heather fit
8:30
his intellectual capacity. Sway's a bright dude and he gets bored. Sway's a guy that gets bored. So to answer
8:36
it, but not sound of pretensionality, the four of us on this
8:42
call talking to our world and our community, but specifically black people, we can't be of pretension
8:50
We are only as far as our lowest common denominator is brought up
8:54
So in reality, again, I told you this, Trace, for me, man, it's community outreach
8:59
Every character I play is no different from somebody creating a foundation or giving homeless people money and food So it doesn bother me that people don see that because Sway might whisper in my ear and say oh if they saw it you out of a job by the way
9:13
Your exclusivity is part of your monetization. You make money because you think different
9:18
You're an athlete meets a poet who gets a script. Imagine that. That's a very different
9:23
I look at things so different. it bothered me more Tracy when someone as big as ghost who was massive when our people don't see
9:32
or realize that the person playing the massive guy called ghost has to probably be drumroll even
9:39
bigger that bothers me I I want our people to go oh only does what he does so that the world
9:46
especially of black young men first and foremost because we're the biggest threat and then black
9:51
women so that they can then go, well, shit, if Oak can do it, I can do it
9:55
That's the only reason I'm doing all this stuff I do. So, no, it doesn't bother me that they don't see what I see right away
10:01
but it does bother me when people are resistant to growth. So now that you see maybe what I'm seeing a bit, hey, am I off
10:10
Can we dive in deeper? It bothers me if people go, no, man, I ain't diving in deeper. Like, we got to go a little bit deeper sometimes
10:16
And by the way, we need to not go deep sometimes. We need both. We need shallow
10:20
We need dumbass movies. We need smart thinking movies that don't really come in a package of what you think they would come in
10:27
You know the deep movies and package, but the zombie movie, you think, oh, it's just going to be whatever
10:32
But sometimes, you know, you know how God works. God be inserting his lessons and all kind of stuff
10:38
Army of the Dead is on Netflix now. I'm going to take two callers. We got Blake on the line
10:42
Blake, you got a question from Amari? Yo. Yeah, Amari. Hey, it's a pleasure to speak with you
10:48
Grand Rising, everybody. Man, the cast set up for Zack Snyder's movie
10:57
I'm so glad Dave Batista took this over Suicide Squad. Oh, man, that's great
11:06
The whole lineup, it was an amazing film to me. And I had a quick question
11:13
When you got saved and thrown in that vault, what, I guess, what was, because we didn't see, what would or what did happen, I guess, after that
11:30
Were you just locked in there or were you able to, did you have your saw with you
11:35
I don't recall if they had the saw outside or were you left with no weapon
11:40
So let me ask my directors And that being When I say directors I mean
11:46
Sway and Heather am I able to answer that Because we have a spoiler right
11:51
Yeah that's a spoiler That was done on purpose Blake So you can have that question
11:56
Right go unanswered I can't say too much I figured that Sway and Heather would say that
12:04
Because we really want people to watch And be able to answer that for themselves
12:07
And watching it Absolutely absolutely well i appreciate you and and i'm gonna continue following you and i look up to you
12:14
and uh i greatly appreciate y'all taking my call absolutely blake good luck with your
12:20
exception here bro hey hey fine and you're a citizen blake i swear in the morning fonda you
12:27
have a quick question from wisconsin fonda's on the line what up fonda yes grand risings you know
12:33
i love i love your show i listen to it every single morning and i just want to say i love y'all
12:38
y'all definitely my family i really just want to commend oh on your brilliance because i have to
12:44
say i have two daughters and at first i was just like oh my gosh you know i'm i don't do scary
12:50
movies but i watched this and to have your brilliance the way you thought outside of the
12:55
box to have this concept in this type of a platform of a movie was nothing but brilliant
13:00
because that led to questions that my daughters had and i was just like you know what let's go
13:06
back to another movie we watched new jack city we watched american gangster and when we watched
13:12
army of the dead it was just like i get it mom i get how they look at our culture as oppressed
13:19
people from all the way back in the day and my daughters are 11 and 14 so to have them have an
13:25
understanding of your movie and be able to relate it to new jack city american gangster and those
13:31
type of movies. Yes. I cannot do anything but say you are a brilliant you have a brilliant mind And I can do nothing but thank you and i love y for everything that y do but i really thank you for this platform and
13:44
being able to reach like children that are my age or people that are like oh my god i don't want to
13:50
watch it but i'm gonna watch it and now they understand your message in this movie what are
13:55
their names what are their names your daughter's names my daughter's names are sadira and samira
14:01
No, they're not twins. I know the names are very close. I feel you
14:05
Let me say this real quick. I know Sway and Heather want to get some other folks on
14:10
So, Darren Samir, I need you all to hear me loud and clear. Don't you ever, ever, ever, I said it three times
14:16
don't you ever let somebody tell you that you can't be what you really think you can be
14:22
what you believe you can be, what you dream of being. Know that when you are that, once you become that and it's executed
14:28
and there's still a lot of work to be done after you execute it but know that once you do
14:33
you are setting not only a mark but you're setting an image that is forever supplanted
14:39
within those who follow you or who you inspire you set an image for them to be able to not even
14:47
argue the point that you've actually created a lane that they can follow behind so for me it's
14:53
always been about and i say this to you guys mother as i talk to her right now it's always
14:58
been about giving the opportunity for our people to come to very different cafeteria tables
15:04
That's a big thing for me, different cafeteria tables. I am okay with my cafeteria table. I've
15:12
always been okay. I love what I am. I love whose I am and that being God. And I love the fact that
15:18
I'm a black American man. The reality of it is because I can love that way myself, then I always
15:24
feel like we can all go to another cafeteria table and give that same love that we have of self
15:30
even though I'm broken, just like the next man and trying to figure life out. Kindergartners
15:33
teach me stuff all the time. I equally know if I can get a character to live and pop
15:41
and he looks like me, and we never saw that character live and pop, let alone looking like
15:46
me while he lives and pops in a genre that we don't really rock in. If I can do that
15:51
then for me, all of us got to come to a new cafeteria table. And guess what
15:55
There's different food there. So it might fill you up differently. And therefore, the whole cafeteria grows
16:00
And we all get to be something that we haven't been able to be before. It's servitude
16:04
Denzel said it best. This business that Sway, Heather and Tracy are in is that of servitude
16:09
We're serving you right now. We're serving you. We're serving your Samara and your Sabir
16:15
We're serving them. And so I just wanted to always have a career where you can look back and go
16:19
yeah but he didn't do a role like that no i want to do every role why not do everything
16:24
hey hey hey find it thank you tell your daughter samira and sadira and along with yourself you are
16:31
all citizens super citizens this way in the morning i love that ogy right there
16:38
cafeteria is most segregated room in the high school cafeteria table hey man we all gotta go to the same bathroom at the end
16:49
why y'all tripping we standing in the same stalls anyway oh man umari i miss you brother yeah i miss you man keep going i was told i was
17:10
hopeful that you was going to come and be the surprise last night when Tracy sat down with me
17:14
But soon come, bro. I hit Big Daddy Kane when I landed yesterday. I said
17:18
yo, Kane, you in New York? He said, nah, I'm in Cackalack. I said, you're in Cackalack? He said
17:22
I'm in Cackalack, but do I need to be in New York? And Sway, that's how you are, bro
17:25
Like, I asked that question, and Kane went, why? Do I need to be there? And I thought, man, that's a
17:30
rider flyer. Come on, man. Come on, man. Anytime you put me
17:33
in the same breath as Big Daddy Kane, mama, I made it. mama i made it made it there it is hey amari great work i can't wait to see what's next
17:46
army of the dead citizens man follow amari at amari heart with official follow that man
17:51
do it thank you thank you have to be thank you brother of course love love you man
18:06
you
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