Meet the rookie guards of “Armored”
Columbus Short (“Whiteout”), Skeet Ulrich (TV’s “Jericho”) and Amaury Nolasco (TV’s “Prison Break”) star as young armored truck guards who, in cahoots with the veteran guards, execute a meticulously planned robbery of their own security firm, in Columbia Pictures’ new action-thriller “Armored.” But when their seemingly foolproof plan unravels, the men turn against each other as they desperately try to save themselves.
At the center of the story is Columbus Short’s character Ty Hackett, a conflicted young man unprepared for the challenges of caring for his brother and keep their modest home together. Initially Ty refuses to even consider robbing his employer, but the threat of losing his house to the bank and his brother to foster care convinces him to join his co-workers, under one condition—no one will get hurt.
Short says once he started reading the script, he couldn’t put it down. “This is a very smart movie and I fought to get the part,” he says. “It juxtaposes drama and action in a believable way. There are plenty of rock ’em, sock ’em, blow ‘em up moments, as well as emotionally intense scenes. And nobody’s really seen the life of these armored truck drivers before. I knew that this would become such an amazing world and an amazing story.”
Skeet Ulrich plays Dobbs who is someone in over his head and unable to find a way out. “When things start to spiral out of control, he’s afraid to do the right thing,” says Ulrich. “It connects to the whole interplay of betrayal and loyalty, the push and pull between doing the right thing and being loyal to those around you.”
According to Ulrich, the chemistry the cast shared is what he will remember best about the experience of making “Armored.” “I don’t know how to explain it. There’s a certain understanding of each person’s position in the story as a whole. It was a pleasure to work with a group of actors who get the work done without a lot of histrionics. Some of the greatest moments I had were just sitting around talking with the guys.”
Completing the roster of security guards is Palmer, played by Amaury Nolasco. “Palmer is a guy who grew up on the wrong side of the law,” says the actor. “He was a problem child, he did his time in prison and after one of his incarcerations, he found God. So he’s born again.”
The shoot was an extremely collaborative experience, says Nolasco. “We all sat down together at the beginning and we brought a lot of ideas to the table. Each of us was able to set his own agenda and develop his own motive. Everybody’s got a different reason to be in this.”
“I struck gold getting to act with this cast,” he continues. “Matt Dillon and Jean Reno and Laurence Fishburne have worked with some of the best directors in the business. And then there’s Skeet, Columbus and myself who are the new pups coming up and it’s like going to school for us. I tried to absorb everything like a sponge. A teacher told me once, ‘Steal from the best and make it your own,’ and that’s pretty much what I did.”
Opening soon across the Philippines , “Armored” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.