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"Killer Elite" invades Edwards - cast members introduce free showing of action thriller

By Kenji Thuloweit, 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published September 21, 2011

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EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- What was to be a quiet and lazy Sunday turned into a glamorous and exciting spectacle for movie fans at Edwards.

Edwards' Base Exchange sponsored a visit by cast members of the new action film "Killer Elite."

The film's star, Jason Statham, along with Dominic Purcell, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Yvonne Strahovski, dropped by the Public Affairs and Multimedia building late Sunday morning to meet with servicemembers who have been deployed as well as spouses.

About 200 members of Team Edwards had the opportunity to talk to the actors and ask them questions.

One question that spurred a reaction from both the stars and the audience was how they deal with love scenes.

"I was in a [love] scene with this beautiful actress and everything was going well, but after each take she would walk away and go talk to her boyfriend," said Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

For some of the actors, it was a unique experience to visit a military base.

"I feel pretty special," said Yvonne Strahovsky, model and actress who is a regular on the NBC series "Chuck" and plays Anne in "Killer Elite."

"It's a privilege to meet these people because they work so hard; what they do is dangerous. The treat is that we're here to meet them, but I think the treat is for me and that I get to meet them," she said.

Strahovsky said although her father served in the Polish Army, she never had visited a military base before.

"It's not often you have a chance to come to a military base and spend time with people who have a pretty gnarly job at the end of the day."

Dominic Purcell is known for his role in the FOX series "Prison Break" and plays Davies in the movie. He said he jumped at the chance to come to Edwards.

"When the producers asked me to come out here to support the troops and talk about the movie, I said, 'Of course.'"

"The troops are the people who protect us from harm and what they do is one of the most honorable professions in the world," Purcell said. "I really appreciate what the troops do for America's safety."

Purcell said he thinks military members will enjoy the movie, which is full of action.

"It ["Killer Elite"] was a lot of fun. I enjoyed working with Jason (Statham) and Robert De Niro, and it was kind of a dream come true."

After more than hour of meeting in the building's multimedia theatre, the actors moved out to the lobby where a red carpet was set up along with tables and "Killer Elite" posters for the cast members to sign.

They signed autographs for about an hour and a half before they left for the base theater, which was full of movie fans waiting for their arrival.

They went on stage to cheers where they were greeted by Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, Air Force Flight Test Center commander, who turned it over to the cast.

"Although this is an action movie, we're actors," said Statham. "You are the real action heroes."

After the introductions, the packed theater was treated to a free pre-release screening of the movie.

"Killer Elite" is about a retired member of Britain's Elite Special Air Service who is forced into action when his mentor is taken captive. His mission is to kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader.

The film is rated R for mature audiences and premieres in theaters across the nation Sept. 23.