- Actor Joel Kinnaman chose to go full method acting for his role in Silent Night and wouldn’t speak to anyone, including his wife, during the two-month shoot.
- Kinnaman’s wife, Kelly Gale, eventually agreed to the plan, but the actor quickly realized that method acting was not for him.
- Kinnaman ultimately abandoned the idea of not speaking after observing others on the production “hanging out” and socializing.
For his role in the action movie Silent Night, directed by John Woo, actor Joel Kinnaman decided he would not speak to anyone for the duration of the two-month shoot – including his wife. Kinnaman portrayed a character who does not speak any dialogue throughout the film, which led him to try method acting. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Kinnaman revealed that his wife, Kelly Gale, was initially unhappy with his decision but eventually agreed to the plan.
Kinnaman admitted that he wasn’t a method actor by trade, but after reading the script for Silent Night, he was inspired to try it for the role. Once he arrived in Mexico City for the shoot, Kinnaman began to feel lonely, so he called his wife and explained he’d wait until reaching the set to start the silent treatment. However, on the first day of shooting, Kinnaman’s method acting plan quickly came to an end when he saw everyone else on set socializing and having a good time.
Realizing method acting was not for him, Kinnaman abandoned the idea of not speaking for the entirety of the shoot. Fallon laughed at Kinnaman’s revelation, noting that the first car ride to the set provided enough quiet time for the actor during the production of Silent Night. The film is set to open in theaters on Friday, December 1.