Exclusive: Will Poulter reveals his "life-changing" role in War Machine opposite Brad Pitt

It's the biggest Netflix movie yet.

BY ROSIE FLETCHER
 22 AUGUST 2016

Brit actor Will Poulter is going from strength to strength with his career. 

In January, we saw him in The Revenant opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy; later this week his movie Kids in Love is released, where he stars opposite Cara Delevingne; and next he's starring opposite Brad Pitt in satirical comedy War Machine - a role he says changed his life.

"I play a US marine in the film," he told Digital Spy while chatting to promote the release of Kids in Love.  

"I'm a small part of what I'd supposed you'd say is a big production. Brad Pitt is phenomenal in it, I got the opportunity to do several scenes with him, which was incredible, and to play a US Marine was one of the greatest honours, and most life-changing experiences I've ever had - the training, the research and the practice of that was a massive privilege, it's changed me long term I think."

When we asked what he felt had changed in him particularly, he said:

"I think in terms of my respect for servicemen, the way I view responsibility, the importance of looking after yourself from a physical perspective and the mental strength that's required in the real life scenarios. 

"It makes you realise that as an actor, although your job might be celebrated publicly, it pales in comparison. And certainly in significance to what people who fight for the rights of our country do for a living."

War Machine is based on the non-fiction book The Operators by journalist Michael Hastings, and follows his travels with US military leader General Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan in 2010. Pitt will play McChrystal in the movie produced and distributed by Netflix.

So was it intimidating working with actors of the calibre of DiCaprio and Pitt?

"Yeah, I guess it can be. Initially on paper as a notion, it seems quite surreal. But what's really gratifying about working with Leo and Brad and actors of their nature is that sense of feeling intimidated or irked by who they are to everyone else falls away, because they are so down to earth - before everything else, they're just very regular human beings, which makes it such an enjoyable process."

War Machine is directed by David Michod, who made Australian gangland thriller Animal Kingdom and the dystopian road movie The Rover with Robert Pattinson. But War Machine will be quite a different prospect according to Poulter.

"I'd say it's a satirical movie, that's the best way to describe it. David Michod is a very versatile film director - I'd say Animal Kingdom, The Rover and War Machine are all very different to each other." 

Kids in Love opens in cinemas on August 26. War Machine comes to Netflix in 2017.

not mine.credit and source: DIGITAL SPY