Armageddonis one of those films that people either love or hate. For some, it’s a mindless action blockbuster that embodies most of what’s wrong withMichael Bay’s filmmaking style, or they foundDeep Impactto be the better “asteroid threatens to destroy the Earth” movie. For others, the fact thatArmageddondoesn’t take itself too seriously makes it a fun popcorn flick. But many can agree thatit boasts a seriously impressive ensemble cast, includingBruce Willis,Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemiand the late, greatMichael Clarke Duncan. That’s already a pretty impressive cast, but there’s one person film fans might have missed:Jason Isaacs. Isaacs had a bit role inArmageddon, and a recent interview revealsthat he wasn’t exactly fond of it.
Jason Isaacs Doesn’t Have Fond Memories of His ‘Armageddon’ Role
Jason Isaacs' role inArmageddonis a small, but pivotal one. As Dr. Roland Quincy, he is the first scientist to realize the threat of the asteroid, utilizing a pretty colorful analogy involving firecrackers. Isaacs recently discussed his time onArmageddonwithBusiness Insider, and said that hewas originally supposed to play one of the crew members who traveled into space to destroy the asteroid. However, he was already working on a film with futureHarry PotteralumDavid Thewlis, meaning he couldn’t commit to a large role. Eventually, his agent managed to convince him to take the part of Dr. Quincy, rationalizing that even with such a small filming window, it could lead to better roles. Isaacs is pretty clear that wasn’t the case:
Michael Bay took a shining to me and said, ‘Oh, that was great. Let’s have you back. We’ll give you a clipboard, we’ll stick you next to Billy Bob. You come in, you’ll be in all the scenes, and we’ll throw you a line here and there.’ At the time, because I’m nicely brought up, I went, ‘Oh, thanks so much,’ thinking, ‘Are you f–king kidding me?’ And then I was there, essentially as an extra, for six months. So it wasn’t my favorite experience, although I did get to go to NASA and meet the people who’d been up in the International Space Station, all the rest of it. But I didn’t like standing on the set for six months with a clipboard, hoping to be thrown a line like a fish on a fish farm.
Armageddonwasn’t the first sci-fi ensemble Issacs was involved with. A year prior, he starred inPaul W.S. Anderson’s intergalactic horror filmEvent Horizonas DJ, the medical officer aboard the titular ship. When theEvent Horizonencounters a portal to what can only be described as Hell, its crew begins to lose their minds as they’re tormented by infernal visions; Dr. William Weir (Sam Neill) ends up being corrupted and cutting DJ apart in a grisly sequence.Event Horizonhasgathered a cult following over the years, and it had a far meatier role for Isaacs.
‘Armageddon’ Remains a Polarizing Film, Even Among the People Who Made It
Jason Isaacs' reaction toArmageddononly cementshow polarizing a film it is. Ben Affleck infamously said during the commentary track that he pointed out it would be easier to train astronauts to drill into an asteroid than to send up oil drillers with little training, to which Michael Bay apparently told him to “shut the f*ck up,"; Affleck recently highlighted this moment asthe best work of his career.Roger Ebertsaid thatArmageddonwasone of his most hated films, calling it “an assault on the eyes, the ears, the brain, common sense and the human desire to be entertained.” On the other hand, whenArmageddonsecured a Criterion release,Jeanine Basinger— who taught Bay at film school — defended it as a work of art.
You Won’t Wanna Close Your Eyes at This ‘Armageddon 2’ Update From Michael Bay
Is another asteroid gonna crash into Earth?
WithArmageddonbeing a mere footnote in his career, Jason Isaacs has gone on to headline other projects, including Season 1 ofStar Trek: Discoveryand the most recent season ofThe White Lotus. He’s also made a name for himself playinga multitude of villainous characters. But even though he’s not a fan of his work onArmageddon, Isaacs did manage to make the most out of an admittedly small role.
Armageddon
