Set to be the deadliest wild card in the all-new “Predators” movie, Topher Grace plays Edwin, a disgraced physician thrown in the predators’ planet for a hunting game along with Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne and Alice Braga directed by Nimrod Antal and produced/written by Robert Rodriguez.


Grace came to international prominence via his work in “Spider Man 3” as Venom, he was recently seen in the romantic comedy “Valentin’s Day opposite Anne Hathaway. His other film works include “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton,” “In Good Company” and “Traffic.” He started to be recognized earlier on with his television work in the long-running series “That 70s Show” in the US.

Yet, in the upcoming “Predators” to open July 8 (Thursday) in Philippine cinemas from 20th Century Fox, Grace takes on another challenge by playing duplicitous Edwin, a doctor with a mysterious past amidst a group of stone-cold killers thrown together to serve as preys.

Journeying on to his character’s dark side, Grace shares more of himself and of his role in the following Q&A with Jorge Carreon of L.A. Examiner.com

Q: What’s a nice young man like you doing in a wicked place like this?

A. Robert Rodriguez! I’ve been a huge fan of his work since I was in high school. I saw “El Mariachi “and someone told me he made the film for $30,000 dollars. It was an amazing action film, so I’ve always wanted to be a part of something that he’s a part of. And the story has a big twist, which actors love to play. I was really interested in it being kind of a character piece; there’s more stuff for the actors to do. Then I saw “Kontroll” (director Nimrod Antal’s debut film) and thought, “This guy’s a killer director. “

Q: You've done special effects-driven movies before. What makes “Predators” unique?

A: The great thing about Nim and Robert’s work is that they really made a commitment at the beginning of this film to do as much with special effects as possible, and not with CGI. It’s the real thing, which helps a lot. An actor’s nightmare is standing in front of a green screen and you're looking at a tennis ball that's hanging there or a piece of tape and someone is saying, “It’s trying to kill you.” It’s easier when they have me running at 30 miles an hour away from a dog that's chasing me.

Q: Despite some rather harsh environments and the mayhem of the plot, the cast looks to be a rather solid group of friends .

A: Well, there’s a time where it gets really serious before we start rolling, but it is probably the most fun set I’ve ever been on. Adrien plays a leader in the film and is a great leader. He is really an egoless movie star.

Q: These films pose the question, how far would you go for your own survival?


A: I do not have the ability to do half the things these characters have the power to do. [laughs] I feel like I’d sprain my ankle and die within the first two minutes if I had to live through this story in real life. Edwin at his weakest is stronger than I am. I think what it really asks is, how much do you care about your fellow man? Everyone is out for their own survival, but it also says, “What is the point of being concerned about your own life’s worth when you're not concerned about others?”