Actor Kevin Durand plays Proximus Caesar, the villain in the newest film in the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Durand’s mannerisms might remind you of another guy who is in the news – Elon Musk.
In an interview with the Inside Total Film podcast, Durand admitted his character has a few of the same tics as the tech titan.
“That’s awesome! I mean, even with the bonobo face, they compare me to Elon Musk,” he said. “I get Elon Musk all the time, actually, it’s very funny. People approach me with a look in their eye where I realize they are not meeting an actor that they like, it’s something bigger. But the fact that it comes through even when I’m an ape is fantastic!”
Durand, who has also been in Lost and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, credited Musk as one of his inspirations as he prepared to play the alpha ape.
“I did look at really charismatic speakers — I watched [life coach] Tony Robbins quite a bit, Elon, Arnold Schwarzenegger doing like his governor speeches,” he said. “Just these humans who, without trying, you just have to watch them, as they hold so much power and charisma.”
Like Musk, Proximus Caesar is a disruptor. In the film, electrical power has vanished. Durand’s character rediscovers it and uses it to assert dominance over his fellow apes.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes starts in theaters Friday.
