Vincent D’Onofrio is not only a great actor, but he’s one of the most well-respected in the business. He’s worked extensively in film, TV and theater, playing good guys and bad guys, and always giving a memorable performance. His next film, the crime drama Broken Horses from Indian filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, hits theaters on April 10th, and while we’ll run what he had to say about that film closer to its release, we did want to share what he had to say about work on the Marvel and Netflix series Daredevil, as well as his experience on Jurassic World.

During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, Vincent D’Onofrio talked about knowing who the character was but wanting to have discussions with Jeph Loeb from Marvel and showrunner Steven DeKnight before signing on to play Wilson Fisk in Daredevil, the great new take on the material, that it emotionally goes places that no one is going to expect, that the characters’ motivations come from the core of who they are, and that he really doesn’t know what the future places for his version of the character will be. He also talked about being in really good hands with director Colin Trevorrow on Jurassic World, and how cool it was to be on that set.

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Image via Netflix

Collider: Your casting in Daredevil seemed unexpected, but totally perfect. How did you get involved with that show? Was there any sort of casting process that you had to go through, or did they just come to you about the role?

VINCENT D’ONOFRIO: There were discussions. I wasn’t sure about it. I knew who Wilson Fisk was, but I only knew what the Marvel movies were like. The thing about Daredevil is that there are no superpowers. We needed to have a discussion, so Jeph Loeb and I talked about it. That first phone call with Jeph Loeb, and then the second one with Jeph and Steven DeKnight, is when I was convinced that it would be okay to do. And then, I read the first couple of scripts. Wait until you see the series. Whether you’re into that kind of thing or not, it is definitely a Netflix series. It’s Marvel and Netflix coming together with this great new take on things.

How would you describe the tone and feel of the show?

D’ONOFRIO: The series just came out so good. It’s like a 13-hour film. Emotionally, it goes places that I don’t think anybody is going to expect. Unlike the movies, except for maybe what [Robert] Downey does with Iron Man because there’s a lot of emotional stuff with that, this gets truly deep. Everybody’s motivation comes from the core of who they are. There’s not one false moment in the whole thing. They all have very deeply thought-out, emotional lives that drive these people. It’s pretty cool. I’m very proud of it. It was unexpected, and I didn’t know I was going to have the time I had on it, but I ended up having one of the best experiences I’ve had, so far.

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Image via Netflix

Seeing what a great job Marvel has done with all of the films, and considering that Jeph Loeb always says that everything with the TV shows is all connected, are you looking forward to being a part of the bigger Marvel universe?

D’ONOFRIO: They don’t tell you. You never know with them. They have their world, but they don’t like to spoil anything, so nobody knows until it’s set in stone. You don’t know. I actually don’t know what they have in store for Wilson Fisk, or my Wilson Fisk, I should say.

How cool is it to also be a part of something as hugely epic as Jurassic World? Do you enjoy getting to be a part of something that massive, or is it just totally bizarre to be on a set like that?

D’ONOFRIO: It’s both of those things. It feels great because you’re there. It’s a really good script, and Colin Trevorrow, the director, is just a really great guy. He really brought it. I just knew immediately with him. I loved his movie, Safety Not Guaranteed, so I knew I was in really good hands. You’re right, you walk around these sets and you see something from one of the other movies, and you’re like, “Oh, shit!” It’s exactly the way you think it would be. It has this real cool factor to it. It was cool because my 22-year-old and my 15-year-old were able to come and visit set, hang out and see the park. The 7-year-old is too young to get it.

Do your kids think you’re the coolest now, or have they always thought you were a cool dad?

D’ONOFRIO: That’s a good question. I hope they think that I’m cool. They like the fact that I’ve done Daredevil and Jurassic. I think it’s the first time that I’ve ever done movies they can actually see, except for Adventures in Babysitting, but that was a long time ago. Now, my 22-year-old can see everything I’ve done, but my 15-year-old hasn’t been able to see anything, at all. But yeah, I hope I’m a super cool dad.

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