Interview with Director Simon West on Old Guy -

Jeff: Hey Simon, how are you?

Simon West: I’m good, Jeff! How about you?

Jeff: All good, just trying to navigate this new setup. Feels like I’m in a tech battle over here.

Simon West: Yeah, I can see that—your light’s turning on and off, like you’re in some kind of spy thriller!

Jeff: [Laughs] New office setup, still working out the kinks. But speaking of surprises—I find out you’re filming Old Guy right up the road in Belfast, and I didn’t even get a heads-up! What’s up with that?

Simon West: [Laughs] I didn’t know you were in Belfast!

Jeff: Just outside it!

Simon West: Ah, yeah! We didn’t shoot there, but we were in Bangor and around that area. My bad for not looking you up!

Jeff: It’s all good. But seriously, congrats on the movie! What drew you to this script?

Simon West: Well, like any project, it starts with the script. I get a lot of them across my desk, and if I’m struggling to turn the pages, that’s a bad sign. But with this one, I kept reading.

The hitman world? I know it well. We’ve seen a lot of those films. But what grabbed me were the characters. I wouldn’t have gone searching for another hitman movie, but this was different—it’s about a washed-up hitman dealing with losing his edge. That’s what made it fresh for me.

And the humor! I always love a script with humor, even if the subject matter is dark. You want to like the characters you’re spending time with for an hour and a half. Christoph Waltz’s character is stuck in the ’90s—he drives a ’90s car, wears his old leather jacket, still has the same haircut. And then along comes this Gen Z kid, totally different in every way. That contrast was so much fun to play with

Jeff: Yeah, I love how their dynamic plays out. It’s almost like a buddy comedy mixed with an action thriller.

Simon West: Exactly! It’s a bit of a coming-of-age story, but for both of them. They start off clashing—Christoph’s character doesn’t respect the kid, and the kid doesn’t like him either. But over time, they realize they can learn from each other. And in the middle of all this is Lucy Liu, trying to referee the madness!

Jeff: That chemistry really sells the film. How was it shooting in Belfast?

Simon West: Belfast was great. Funny thing—most films that shoot there try to make it look like somewhere else. But we didn’t have to. The setting worked perfectly.

The only challenge? The weather! It was winter, and one day we were filming on a golf course in the rain. Cooper comes up, apologizing for the weather, and Christoph just grins and says, “No, no—this is going to look amazing.” And he was right! It may not have been fun to shoot in, but visually? It worked.

Jeff: And correct me if I’m wrong, but this feels like a step back from the all-out action and explosions you’re known for. It’s more character-driven. Was that intentional?

Simon West: Absolutely. That’s what drew me in—the characters. It wasn’t a $100 million, high-octane rollercoaster, and that was freeing. With a big action film, you’re constantly switching between drama and action. One week you’re doing emotional scenes, the next week, it’s explosions. Here, I got to stay in the drama mindset while still sprinkling in action where it fit naturally.

Jeff: I’d call this your “character-building” film. I mean, you’ve done Con Air, The Expendables—pure, glorious destruction. And now, you’re showing you can do something more intimate while keeping that energy. It’s a cool evolution. Honestly, I’d love to see you reteam with Nic Cage for another hitman-style movie like this.

Simon West: I love that idea! And yeah, people sometimes think I only do big action movies because that’s what they see every few years. But my background is actually in drama—I trained at the BBC, worked on costume dramas, improvisational dramas. Con Air was my first feature, but to me, that was a comedy with action happening in the background!

In between the big action movies, I’ve done comedies, thrillers, TV pilots. But when an action blockbuster drops, that’s what sticks in people’s minds. The truth is, I love doing it all. You never want to be put in a box.

Jeff: Well, I can’t wait for everyone to see Old Guy. I really enjoyed it, and I wish you all the best with it.

Simon West: Thanks, Jeff! Great seeing you again.

Jeff: Likewise! And hey, if The Old Guy 2 happens, hit me up!

Simon West: Fingers crossed—we’ll be back, probably!

Jeff: Let’s hope so! Take care.