'Actor Vincent D'Onofrio steps into, out of neuroses for 'Chained''

EXAMINER

If for no other reason, actor Vincent D'Onofrio agreed to play the antagonist in “Chained” for the opportunity to work with writer/director Jennifer Chambers Lynch.

“Jennifer is a very hands-on director,” D'Onofrio said during a recent interview with Examiner.com. “She is really good at being very close to the set and being very involved in every aspect. There is always a really good vibe on her set. Everything is kept very positive. And everything is kept moving forward. There definitely are not any moments where things are just standing still.”

In “Chained,” which will be available beginning tomorrow on Blu-ray and DVD at rental stores and rental outlets throughout the Valley, Evan Bird plays a boy who is kidnapped, along with his mother (Julia Ormond), by a psychopathic cab driver (Vincent D'Onofrio). His mother is murdered but he is kept as said psychopath's unwilling protégée. Year's later, the now-teenaged boy (Eamon Farren) is pressed to start his own homicidal spree.

Video: Chained (Trailer)

“My character is stuck in some kind of neuroses,” D'Onofrio said. “He is delusional. He is psychotic. He is a narcissist. He has no empathy for other human beings. There is definitely some kind of kink in his way of gratifying himself sexually. It is a long laundry list full of issues that this guy has and he is surviving the only way he can – which is, unfortunately, horrific for everybody else.”

Fortunately for D'Onofrio, he is skilled enough as an actor to not only step into character quite easily but also step out of it – which seems to be an essential component for maintaining one's sanity when faced with a character like the one he portrays in “Chained.” D'Onofrio noted that such smooth transitions were not always the case for him, though.

“When I was younger, I used to carry my characters around with me 24/7,” D'Onofrio explained. “At my age and with the experience that I have had, I can move in and out of character whenever I feel like it and that makes my life much easier and makes my job more fun. I leave my characters at work. I have three kids and a lovely wife so when I am home, I am home.”

Having said that, D'Onofrio appreciated the opportunity to create and play a full-on character – especially seeing as he had not done so during the 10 years he starred on NBC's “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He learned from his experience working on “Chained” that he is still capable of trying to execute such an eccentric character and feeling satisfied doing so.

“It is all method acting,” explained D'Onofrio, who also spoke with Examiner.com last year to promote and discuss his role in the crime drama “Kill the Irishman.” “It is what I was trained to do and still train to do. It is all about getting in the zone and being committed to what you are doing.”