Austin Freeman is not a household name.
Yet, the 33-year-old actor has already been seen by tens of millions of sci-fi and adventure fans, playing the beloved tree-like humanoid Groot in “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” (streaming on Disney+) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, now in theaters.
The third film in the hit Marvel/Disney franchise—finding the crew of intergalactic fighters on yet another mission to save the universe from evil—has already raked in over $821 million in theaters.
As a self-described GOTG superfan, Freeman couldn’t be more elated.
“I’ve been a fan since even before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 came out,” says Freeman. “So it’s been a magical experience for me coming in as the new guy and being a part of something that’s affected so many people.”
Like other motion-capture actors before him (most notably Andy Serkis and Doug Jones), Freeman immersed himself in the process of bringing Groot to fruition, approaching it with the same seriousness as previous characters he played on TV series like “Paradise Lost” and “Dopesick” or in films like The Mule and Last Looks.
With guidance from GOTG director James Gunn, Freeman imbued his teenage incarnation of Groot with youthful excitement and innocence.
While in costume, Freeman adopted a specific walk for Groot that embodied his younger frame and gait all while studying his past personality traits to create a whole new character for GOTG 3, alongside longtime cast members Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, and Zoe Saldana.
Freeman spoke more in depth about bringing Groot to the big screen, acting alongside some of the biggest stars of our time, and whether there’s a fourth GOTG film on the horizon.
48 HILLS Take me through your process of embodying the Groot character.
AUSTIN FREEMAN Some of my initial inspiration came from diving into the comics and going back and rewatching the first and second movies because each of those characters in Guardians 1 and 2 had a specific way that they moved.
I refined that once I got some direction from James Gunn, who said that Groot, at this particular point, is a young adult with that energy. So I wanted to ensure that he was separate from the original two creations of Groot. He has some of that energy but is still very protective of his family and the other guardians. So I incorporated that.
Then I created a walk for him. And I knew that this particular version of Groot was much bigger than the others; he’s very muscular. So I kept it in that world, and then we got to refine it from there. But that was my initial process, and it worked well.
48 HILLS What do you like about the Groot character?
AUSTIN FREEMAN I’ve always loved Groot because he’s just pure goodness. He’s arguably the strongest of the group. But he also has this childlike wonder within him. He doesn’t pick up on some of the jokes. But he also doesn’t have any ulterior motives. He protects the people he loves and is earnest. And I appreciated that honesty in the character and being able to play that—and play that young version coming into his power again. I’ve always loved the character for those reasons.
48 HILLS What was it like meeting Vin Diesel at the premiere in LA?
AUSTIN FREEMAN Vin was so nice. He’s got such good energy. You can tell that he lights up the room when he walks in. So we had a brief conversation because it was a busy night. But we got to talk. And he was like, “Hey, man, you did great work. Keep doing what you’re doing.” Then we just got to pose for some pictures together. He was super nice, and I’m always excited to see him put out good work.
48 HILLS This film has made more than $800 million worldwide. How does it feel to be part of such a successful franchise?
AUSTIN FREEMAN I’ve seen the film multiple times and how people react to it. You can see the love they have for this group of heroes and how they’ve gotten so close to these characters and how they’ve meant something to them over the years. Knowing that people around the world are having the same experience and that I got to play my small part in that makes me happy.
One of the reasons why I got into the business is because I love how a story can affect people. It affects me deeply and I believe in it so it’s something that I’ve always had a lot of love for. I’m thankful and proud to be a part of it.
48 HILLS You’ve worked with some of the most famous actors in and out of GOTG. Did any defy your expectations?
AUSTIN FREEMAN I’ve been blessed with the fact that I’ve been able to work with some of the biggest names in history. It’s interesting because I’ve worked with some mega superstars: Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Bradley Cooper, and a bunch of other people, and I was never intimidated by any of them.
It’s partially because many of those actors have been around for so long and have a natural ability to make people comfortable as soon as they meet them because they’re meeting people all the time.
The one time that I had a fanboy moment was when I was working on a TV show in Baton Rouge called “Paradise Lost.” I played the younger version of one of the series regulars on the show. And I’m a big fantasy fan myself. I really love high fantasy stuff like The Lord of the Rings and “Game of Thrones.” So my favorite fantasy series is The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. So right when I finished high school, they made a show based on those books called “Legend of the Seeker.”
And one of the lead actresses, Bridget Regan, is a phenomenal actress. But I had always known her from that show and had a crush on her.
So I remember coming back from one of the soundstages one day and spotting her walking across the parking lot going into the stage. I had a moment where I was like, “That’s her.”
Bridget, when she introduced herself, held my hand and stared deep into my soul. And she was like, “Hi, I’m Bridget.” And I almost melted on the spot. It was the only time I’ve ever had anything like that happen.
48 HILLS What’s coming up next for you?
AUSTIN FREEMAN They Cloned Tyrone comes out on Netflix on July 14th. Then I’m starting a new movie in August in Florida. And this is in the horror genre as well. I’m playing a young priest facing temptations from the devil, and chaos ensues. So it’s going to be interesting.
48 HILLS Is there any word on a future Guardians of the Galaxy movie?
AUSTIN FREEMAN I don’t know anything about that yet. But if they give me a call, I’d definitely be happy to do it again.
