‘Suicide Squad’ Cast Forced To Rehash Deepest Emotional Issues In Director David Ayer’s Uncomfortable Acting Process

The cast of "Suicide Squad" has their own unique takes when it comes to tapping into their characters' disturbed psyches. Aside from that, the ensemble also got a taste of director David Ayer's unconventional acting process before filming for the highly anticipated anti-hero flick began.

Ayer, 48, engages in an odd acting process with his actors during the pre-production period. According to the "Suicide Squad" director, that protocol is a combination of physical training and another that involves tapping into the actors' deepest emotional issues, Entertainment Weekly reported.

Finding Parallels And Connections On "Suicide Squad" Set

Will Smith, who portrays Deadshot in "Suicide Squad," said Ayer's unconventional acting process was one of the reasons why he joined the movie. The actor shared that Ayer's process were "technically rehearsals," but the director upgraded that by "going through everyone's lives" and connecting and matching their life experiences to the characters' journeys.

Smith said that during "Suicide Squad" acting process, Ayer is "grabbing all of your deepest emotional issues so he can throw them back in your face on set," EW further reported. Ayer first used this acting process in the film "Harsh Times." Since then, he helmed other movies such as "Fury," "End of Watch," and "Sabotage."

Uncomfortable Positions

"Suicide Squad" actress Margot Robbie, meanwhile, revealed that she didn't like Ayer's acting process because it forced the cast to rehash their "personal history and your relationships and your childhood," the news outlet added. Robbie said that you wouldn't feel comfortable sharing those things with a stranger and it leaves you vulnerable.

The "Suicide Squad" director, for his part, is proud of his unconventional acting process. Acting is a lonely craft, and for Ayer, pushing actors to open up about their personal experiences would give them a sense of connection and family while on set and will help create support and trust. He believes that these factors would contribute to a great acting performance in the film.

Now, it seems like Ayer's exercises paid off and established a rapport among the "Suicide Squad" cast. They have put matching tattoos on each other, JoBlo reported. The latest reshoots was a chance to bond with each other more, while Smith and his family vacationed in Sweden last month with Joel Kinnaman, who portrays Rick Flag in the film.

"Suicide Squad" also stars Jared Leto (The Joker), Jay Hernandez (Diablo), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Cara Delevingne (Enchantress), Karen Fukuhara (Katana), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Croc), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), and Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman). The film is slated for release in U.S. theaters on August 5.