You’re in great shape in Death Race 2. Do you train all the time or just when a role requires it?
I go to the gym to stay fit but I'll do specific training to get the kind of look that's needed for a character. With action movies where I'm playing a role that requires lots of fighting, I normally end up doing martial arts and combat sport training. It's really fun but I'd never want to get in a real fight – I get beaten up enough during fights and stunt scenes!
How does your fitness compare to when you were in Bros?
When the band started I was a skinny 17-year-old who never thought about fitness. I didn't really start thinking about the need to stay in shape until I got into my 30s. Now I need to be fit because some fight scenes take days to shoot and are very demanding. One of the main fight scenes in Death Race 2 took four or five days to shoot – that's four or five days of throwing guys around and being thrown, which means you have to be fit and be prepared to take some serious punishment. I was covered in bumps and bruises after shooting Death Race 2.
You've played some pretty memorable baddies in films such as Blade II. What would be your dream bad guy role?
I'm really interested in playing antiheroes because they have a lot of depth, a lot of layers. I'd love to play Batman and try to bring something new to the character. Having said that, Christian Bale has done an excellent job with him.
Do you think you need to look like an MF cover model to play a Hollywood hero?
Not necessarily. You need to be able to be convincing in the role, to be able to look like you could perform as the character is supposed to. That doesn't always mean you need to be massively ripped.
Which of your two careers, music and acting, have you enjoyed more so far?
The band was big such a long time ago and was around for a relatively short period of time. I've been an actor for the past 15 years so it feels as if this is my career and the band is more of a memory.
Are casting directors aware of your Bros past when you audition?
They know me from film work and they don't tend to be aware of the band because we weren’t that big over here in the States, where I now work and live. I have nothing against people asking about the band but I feel I've forged an identity that's very much based on my acting career, not what I was doing as a teenager. We won't ever reform – both Matt [Luke's brother and fellow band member] and I have moved on from that time.
In some your biggest roles – Prince Nuada in Hellboy II and Nomak in Blade II – you were heavily made up so does that mean you don’t get recognised a lot in Hollywood despite your high-profile roles?
It's hard to say. Loads of people in this town work on movies so seeing actors doesn't cause the reaction it might do elsewhere.
You've done quite a lot of sci-fi. Is it a genre you're particularly into?
While some of my biggest roles have been in the sci-fi/action genre, but I've also been in a fair few dramas, such as Two Days, Nine Lives [a 2001 drama about drug rehabilitation] and I also have a film production company G Productions. I'm getting involved in directing too – I've got a Second World War drama in development that I'll be helming and starring in but I can’t say too much about it at the moment. I’m really excited about it though – it’s a really unique story.
Death Race 2 is out on DVD & Blu-ray on 27th December. We have three copies of Death Race 2 on Blu-ray to give away. For a chance to win one of them, email the answer to the following question to nick_hutchings@dennis.co.uk by 27th January 2011.
What is the name of the character Luke Goss plays in Death Race 2?
