Ian McShane Reveals Winston’s John Wick Backstory | Ballerina Interview | rssama.com

ComingSoon’s Jonathan Sim precocious sat down pinch character Ian McShane (John Wick, Kung Fu Panda, Coraline) to talk his domiciled arsenic Winston Scott successful nan caller movie From nan World of John Wick: Ballerina. He talked astir his domiciled successful nan long-running action franchise, moving pinch nan precocious Lance Reddick, reflects connected his bequest arsenic nan villainous Tai Lung successful nan Kung Fu Panda series, and reacts to Jack Black’s caller “chicken jockey” meme.

“Taking spot betwixt nan events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, Eve Macarro, a ballerina-assassin, originates to train successful nan assassin traditions of nan Ruska Roma and sets retired to nonstop revenge for her father’s death,” sounds a synopsis of nan film.

Ballerina arrives successful theaters connected June 6, 2025.

Jonathan Sim: So you’ve been successful everything complete nan past mates years, I consciousness like, and I really emotion each of your activity successful nan John Wick movies. Is location a dream domiciled that you’ve ever wanted to play that you haven’t played yet?

Ian McShane: You know, I’ve ne'er had that benignant of for illustration cognition astir saying, “I must play Hamlet.” Actors go, “I must play Hamlet.” Why? If it comes along, it comes along. No, I’ve been very fortunate successful my profession and John Wick, an illustration of that characteristic when, I mean, we were each lured successful nan first one, but it was an independent movie. All I cognize is it was a very bully script. Otherwise, Mikael Nyqvist and Willem Dafoe wouldn’t person been portion of nan original. It was a very tight, independent script. Keanu seemed cleanable for that part. And truthful everybody progressive pinch it. I retrieve it was for illustration Thanksgiving 2013 astatine nan first, nan first 1 we did, we each went to New York. They gave america a awesome benignant of Thanksgiving successful awesome hotels. That’s really they seduced america to get there, you know, isolated from nan paycheck.

And we had a awesome clip successful New York for for illustration 5 weeks and look, I was location a week, but I’m successful nan film, it looked astir 5 weeks. And past I retrieve a twelvemonth later, I was filming successful Atlanta and it opened and I snuck successful for nan first greeting to spot nan 11:30 show. I wasn’t filming till precocious successful nan afternoon. And I thought, “oh yeah, did a bully job.” It was Chad [Stahelski] and David [Leitch], but Chad did astir of nan directing connected it connected nan first one. And past it seemed a earthy progression, number 2 came out. Then location was ne'er a panic astir it. It ever benignant of happened, and you’d hold for nan call, you know, you’d say, “Oh look, we’re doing John Wick 2. John Wick 3. And past abruptly you’re up to number four, and then, you know, abruptly you’re successful Ballerina pinch Ana de Armas, you know, and she’s lovely. And past we did nan shoots for that. And it’s like, she’s nan babe Yaga, John Wick’s nan Baba Yaga. You know, and she’s seamlessly fitted into this, I think. And past Keanu appears and it’s portion of nan John Wick show. I dream group emotion it arsenic overmuch arsenic they emotion nan remainder of them.

I’ve decidedly loved it arsenic overmuch arsenic nan remainder of ’em. Yeah, absolutely. And so, complete nan years you’ve gotten to activity pinch nan precocious awesome Lance Reddick connected these movies?

Oh, Lance. He’d beryllium present now. We’d beryllium doing it together.

What was your first belief of him and really did your narration moving pinch him germinate arsenic you guys made much and much John Wick movies?

You know, bully actors, you conscionable benignant of fresh in? I retrieve he came, I was filming successful Central Park, and he stopped his car. He conscionable said, “I wanted to opportunity hello, Ian. I cognize you’re here”. And we, I said, “Hello darling, really are you? Nice to meet you, Lance.” And past we started doing our scene. It was seamless. I mean, it was like, we invented our backstory successful a consciousness for illustration that these group person known each different for like, you know, 30, 40 years earlier this started. I ever thought he was for illustration ex-CIA and I was MI6.

That’s what I thought nan characters were. They met successful immoderate cognition successful Africa, whatever, aliases connected thing typical aliases whatever. And he’d been brought across. Then erstwhile they retired from authorities jobs, they naturally, arsenic a batch of group do, they spell into nan backstage business of assassination aliases whatever? Because what other do they know? I mean, it’s nan truth nan world seems to disregard wherever do each these group spell erstwhile they decorativeness their soiled ops aliases psych ops, you know, they spell private, you know? This is really this is developed.

Now I besides wanna stock pinch you thing because erstwhile I first sewage into movies, I was 5 years old. I watched Kung Fu Panda successful theaters. And I retrieve reasoning this sound character for Tai Lung, he’s bringing truthful overmuch menace to this role. And I’m wondering to this day, do children still spell up to you? Do they perceive your voice? Do they admit you arsenic Tai Lung?

I retrieve I had grandkids astatine nan time, truthful it was really, they loved it. I mean, we had a premiere successful London. I retrieve seeing a image nan different time erstwhile they were each little, now they’re each nan assemblage and they’re increasing up. But past we each went to nan premier together successful London. I mean, it was funny, Tai Lung. And oh, we did nan past 1 too. Tai Lung came backmost past year.

It was awesome to spot you successful number 4.

Kung Fu Panda 4. Which is very funny. Yeah. No, I mean, kids now, I don’t know. Wow, that’s been for illustration 18 years aliases thing since nan first one. You were 5 years old?!

I was 5 years old.

It’s for illustration 2008 aliases something, isn’t it?

Yeah, 2008. That’s erstwhile that movie came out. Yeah. I’m graduating assemblage tomorrow.

It’s a bully movie. And Jack’s still, what was his look now he’s travel retired with, he’s sewage different one. Chicken…?

Chicken jockey!

Chicken [laughs].

Have you heard astir nan chickenhearted jockey?

No. I ne'er cognize what it was, but I cognize he’s a funny guy, Jack.

Thank you to Ian McShane for discussing From nan World of John Wick: Ballerina.