Sam Rockwell developed a twitch while playing George W. Bush in “Vice.”
While on Thursday’s episode of “Hot Ones,” host Sean Evans asked “The White Lotus” star if mannerisms from characters like the former president lingered after the film wrapped. Rockwell then explained how he dealt with his “Vice” twitch.
“I had a twitch in my chin that wouldn’t go away,” Rockwell said. “And I couldn’t figure it out. It was like twitching right here, and I was taking magnesium, I went to the doctor. I was like ‘what the f–k is this? It’s twitching, you see it’s twitching.’ And it was because I was overworking this muscle because I was talking like this. Everyday I was talking like that and this f–king muscle was getting overworked and that’s what was happening. The day I finished playing George Bush it went away.”
On top of asking about mannerisms, Evans asked Rockwell about his knack for playing drunkards or people under the influence in many roles. The actor admitted that those roles tend to be more fun.
“It is fun,” Rockwell added. “It’s called impediment work so anything where you’ve got a limp or you’ve got a hangover, you’re drunk. Olivia Coleman in ‘The Favorite’ she had a stroke so she had to figure out how to play the stroke, ‘My Left Foot’ probably the hardest impediment acting I’ve ever seen.”
He continued: “Drunk is in that category. I have gotten drunk and taped it and looked at it the next day. Which is useful. But if you don’t record it you’re not going to remember what you did so it’s kind of pointless. You’ve got to watch it and copy it.”
Rockwell was most recently seen playing an off-the-wagon drunk in Season 3 of “The White Lotus” on HBO. The role earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Watch the full “Hot Ones” interview with Rockwell above.
