From the great mind of Riley Stearns is the sci-fi thrillerDual, starringKaren Gillan,Aaron Paul, and Beulah Koale. The movie quickly introduces viewers to Sarah, a young woman who was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. In this cynical future, people are able to undergo a cloning procedure to relieve their loved ones from experiencing grief or loss - and with Sarah’s severe lack of hope, she opts into it. However, as time passes, she is cured of the disease and is left with a clone of herself that offers a favorable burst of new energy to her withdrawn partner, Peter, and her family. The only option to get out of the situation is for Sarah and her clone to dual to the death. Sounds totally reasonable, right?
Actor Beulah Koale expanded his horizons by stepping into the role of Peter. He shared with us that he has never ventured into thecomedy or sci-fi sphere, and initially felt as though it was a challenge. With the guidance and support of director, writer, and producer Stearns, Koale was able to step up to the plate and learn new skills to enhance his craft. Previously, the New Zealand-born actor starred inThank You for Your Service,Shadow in the Cloud, and in the CBS reboot ofHawaii Five-0.Game Rantspoke with Koale about working with Karen Gillan, Peter’s journey throughout the movie, and whether or not he’d survive a duel against his own clone.
Related:Dual Review
Game Rant: What initially drew you to this project?
Beulah Koale:It was mainly my fear of comedy, especially the type of comedy Riley [director] does. I’m not comfortable in the comedy and sci-fi world, I’ve never tried it. I’m always up for a challenge and I’m always looking for ways to upskill myself. When I watched Riley’s work, I just wanted to work with him. I was like, “Oh, I’ll do anything to work with that guy,” because I watchedTheArt of Self-Defenseand I remember seeing the way he uses his shots and cuts together his scenes and the flat tone of his actors as they delivered their lines. I was always interested in that because it was something that I wasn’t used to.
GR: Did you face any challenges while filming this project? Did you find it challenging to tap into your comedic side?
Koale:I struggled a lot. Riley Stearns is very particular with how he makes his movies. He knows exactly how it looks in his head. Pretty much what you see on the script is what you see in the film. I remember during the first couple of takes during this scene, he walked over to me and said, “Just say the words, man. Don’t put anything on it. Don’t act.” It is a challenge because it left us in a vulnerable state as actors because you’re used to hiding behind your tricks. This film had no place to hide. We just had to be open to whatever was coming in.
GR: What lessons did you learn while filmingDual?
Koale:Out of all my projects, this has probably been the toughest one, acting-wise. That’s exactly what I was looking for. Now, I am confident enough that I can jump into the comedy and sci-fi worlds and strip back everything. As actors, you learn bad habits. You learn a couple of tricks and you get away with everything else. I loved not hiding behind my tricks. Those are some of the great lessons that I’ll take away from Riley’s style. Also, later on down the line when I want to become a director, I’ll have a great plan. Riley was a very planned-out individual, and he made everybody feel safe on set because he always knew what he was doing.
GR: How would you describe Peter’s journey throughout the movie?
Koale:You find Peter and Sarah at a pretty boring time in their life. When you first fall in love with someone, it’s all fun. It’s great. But then you catch Peter and Sarah like three or four years down the track and things aren’t going too great, but they’ve decided to stay together. Then Sarah’s double comes in and revitalizes his life. He finds that spark again. Knowing what will happen down the road, he tries to push them in the way he wants the relationship to go.
GR: What was your experience acting alongside Karen Gillan in two roles?
Koale:It was fun. It was fun for me. I got to act with two different people. It was cool to be an observer. Karen really had to do the work. She had to pre-plan how she was going to react to herself while talking to her double. She knew, on her side, what she was going to do. I remember just sitting there watching and thinking, “It’s a logistical nightmare for an actor.”
GR: Would you survive a dual against your own clone?
Koale:I definitely would. I would go pretty crazy. I would ask the referees, no weapons. It’s just us in the field and the best man wins.
GR: What are you most excited for viewers to see?
Koale:I’m excited for people to see Riley’s writing. He’s very tricky and subtle. There’s this scene where Aaron was standing there with his dog, and he asks Karen’s character to do something to his dog. It puts the audience in a weird state. Also, there’s a greatmusical montagethat I think will go viral.
Dualpremieres in theaters on April 15, and will be available on digital, on-demand, and streaming on AMC+ on May 20.
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