Exclusive Interview: Alex Roe Talks ‘Hazard,’ the Realities of Addiction, and Fully Immersing Himself in the Role

Alex Roe delivers a career-best performance in Hazard, fully transforming into the role of Will, a man caught in the devastating grip of the opioid crisis. Known for his standout roles in Billy the Kid, The 5th Wave, Hot Summer Nights, and Siren, Roe takes on his most demanding and immersive character yet. His portrayal is raw and unflinching, capturing both the physical toll of withdrawal and the emotional burden of a man fighting to protect his family while being pulled deeper into addiction’s grip.

Directed by Eddie Mensore, Hazard offers a harrowing look at a mining town ravaged by opioids, where Will, a reluctant drug dealer, struggles to shield his loved ones from the very thing destroying their community. With every choice, he teeters on the edge—desperate to break free yet unable to escape the forces keeping him trapped. Co-starring Sosie Bacon, the film is a gripping exploration of survival, sacrifice, and the impossible dilemmas addiction inflicts on those caught in its cycle.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Alex Roe about his transformative work in Hazard, the intense preparation behind portraying Will, and the deeply personal nature of the film’s story. He opened up about immersing himself in the community, the challenges and benefits of filming on a tight indie schedule, and the responsibility of bringing authenticity to such a powerful subject.

PC: Not only are you starring in Hazard, but you also produced it. What was it about Eddie’s script that resonated with you and inspired you to take on dual roles? How did your work behind the scenes influence your performance on screen?
Alex: My role as a producer was fairly minimal—it was more about helping the project come together because, with indie filmmaking, things can easily fall apart. I was involved in casting and similar aspects. It was my first foray into that side of things, and I also had a bit more input in the editing process. It was a great learning experience, and I was lucky that Eddie wanted my help. On set, since we didn’t have a big budget, we all had to band together to make it happen. I kind of fell into the role rather than actively seeking it out.

PC: There’s so much commitment that you brought to this performance, immersing yourself in the community prior to filming. How did those experiences help you tap into this character and bring authenticity to your portrayal—insight you might not have otherwise gained just from reading the script or collaborating with Eddie?
Alex: I’m from England. This isn’t my life story in any capacity, and ultimately, that’s just acting. But it was important for me to go there, spend a good amount of time in the community, and attend NA meetings. I didn’t even have a full plan—I just knew I wanted to be there and take things in by osmosis. I was so lucky that the community really welcomed me. I was able to attend a few NA meetings and have in-depth discussions about the script, the journey of these characters, and the nuances that might not be apparent on the surface—especially with addiction. There’s a real darkness that exists beneath behaviors an actor might instinctively excuse. You might think, “He’s just trying to help his dad—that’s why he’s getting a prescription, to keep him from getting sick.” But after speaking to those in recovery, I learned that’s not what it is. One person has access to one prescription, another has access to another, and they rely on each other in this dangerous way just to avoid withdrawal. It was insights like that that really deepened my understanding.

Luckily, I haven’t had firsthand experience with heroin or opioid addiction, though I have friends who have. But being able to talk through and truly understand what nodding out feels like, what withdrawal feels like—that was invaluable. I was incredibly fortunate that members of the community opened up to me and shared those experiences. They explained that they’re not chasing a high; they’re just trying not to be sick. Towards the end of the film, when Will tries to get clean, some might think my portrayal—being hunched over—was over the top. But every movement is painful. Through those conversations, I was given the freedom and guidance to understand that, no, when you’re really sick, every inch of your insides is in agony. I wanted to portray that as truthfully as I could.

PC: As someone who’s seen your work in the past, I don’t think you’ve ever been better. It’s also interesting because I feel like you made a lot of subtle creative choices—like the tremors in Will’s hands when he’s driving—that added so much nuance to his withdrawal. There’s also such an empathetic quality to your performance. As you said, it really allows audiences to fully immerse themselves in this character’s shoes. Will’s decisions may not always be agreeable, but at the root of them is his love, his fight for survival, and his desire to protect the people around him from suffering. How did you create the space for yourself to explore the duality of this character and his vulnerabilities? And how did the performances of your co-stars feed into your own? It feels like such an intricate dance, where you’re all bringing so much rawness to the realities of this crisis.
Alex: First, thank you so much for having such a nuanced perspective—I really appreciate how closely you watched it. The relationships were there on the page. You always try to approach characters with empathy, and that was a big reason why I wanted to take on this role. Will is the kind of character people can make assumptions about and easily push aside. I really wanted to step into his shoes and understand him. His love for the people in his life came through naturally.

Sosie Bacon plays Sara, and what struck me so much when I read the script was her journey. Without giving away spoilers, when you enter Will’s world, things just start to go wrong. But I think it’s impossible to say that all of it is intentional. He’s not moving through life trying to ruin people’s lives—it’s not deliberate. The love was always there in the script; it was just about feeling it and making it as real as possible.

At its core, it’s a complicated romance between two people at different stages of recovery. That’s often the reality—people don’t get clean at the same time. There’s a reason they say you shouldn’t go through recovery while in a relationship, because if one person relapses while the other is trying to stay clean, they might pull each other back in. But at the end of the day, this guy loves his kid and his girlfriend. He wants to win them back in some way. He’s just trapped in this addiction that’s tearing his life apart and destroying his relationships with the people he loves most.

As for the rest of the ensemble, we were all committed to making this as natural and impactful as possible. Sosie is an incredible actress. Dave [Davis] is an amazing actor. We were all shooting in this small town in the middle of Kentucky, fully immersed in our characters, each with a strong point of view. That’s so important. Eddie helped guide us, and the research we did really informed our performances. Everyone knew exactly what film we were making, which isn’t always the case. Sometimes, especially when actors are cast without auditioning, you’ll have one person who thinks they’re in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, while someone else thinks they’re in a completely different kind of film. But we all understood the story we were telling, and that made all the difference.

PC: That’s also one of the benefits of indie filmmaking—everyone is there for the right reasons. And that’s such an interesting point about how it’s easy to judge Will’s actions from an outsider’s perspective, but when you put yourself in his shoes, you realize he’s watching a loved one suffer. All he wants to do is provide relief. Time is never a luxury when making a film, especially an indie. You all shot this in just fifteen days. How did those time constraints push you to trust your instincts as an actor?
Alex: That’s all you’ve got. You do your prep—I was lucky to be there for a month beforehand—but once filming starts, you have to be ready to shoot at any moment. All three of us had to rely on our instincts. When you’re shooting a TV show over the course of nine months, you can’t fully commit to a character every single day without driving yourself insane. But when you only have two or three weeks to shoot a film like this, you can throw yourself into it completely.

I stayed in the accent the entire time I was there—my poor family wasn’t talking to me on the phone, they were talking to Will. We also shot this right at the tail end of a COVID scare, and the movie almost didn’t get made multiple times. That’s another reality of indie filmmaking—it always feels like it’s on the brink of not happening. But everyone just pulls up their pants and goes for it.

PC: That’s also why you signed on as a producer, right? To help get this film across the finish line. This might be a strange question, but did you shoot this chronologically? I’m thinking about those scenes that are intentionally difficult to watch—how do you get into that mindset to tap into those darker places?
Alex: That’s such an interesting question. No, we didn’t shoot this chronologically. Because of that, I had to keep track of where Will was in his withdrawals at any given moment. I essentially assigned him a number to indicate whether he was well, unwell, or deep in withdrawal. He’s been addicted for years, so he’s either stable, starting to get sick, or getting progressively worse. Not shooting in order made it challenging to track the severity of his symptoms and ensure that his withdrawals felt authentic and consistent. It was tough, but I think we pulled it off.

PC: You definitely did. Credit to the rest of the ensemble as well, because they start at one point and evolve into something completely different by the end. To not shoot this chronologically is a testament to the passion you all brought to the project. This is such a deeply personal story for Eddie, who wrote and directed it. How different is that filming experience when the person who created these characters and this world is also at the helm directing? What was it like collaborating with him?
Alex: That was a big reason why I wanted to do the film. It’s such a sensitive subject, and it needed to be told authentically by someone from that area who has experienced it firsthand. The opioid crisis has become a major topic in the news, but most people only have an outside perspective. What made this story so compelling was that it was grounded in the perspective of the town itself.

Earlier versions of the script were a bit more focused on the business and pharma side of things, but it eventually evolved into a story about this specific town and these individual characters. We don’t really explore anyone who isn’t from the town, and that feels valuable—it keeps the focus on the people directly impacted.

Eddie was someone we could go to with any question, and he always had firsthand answers. Being able to shoot in a place that has been dealing with these struggles for over twenty years also helped us make the film as authentic as possible. Eddie was a huge reason why I wanted to be part of this project.

PC: Those ending credits with the community are so impactful. One of the most powerful things about filmmaking is its ability to start conversations and make people feel seen, and this project does exactly that. You’ve had the chance to experience it with a live audience—what has it been like to witness those discussions in such an intimate setting and see how your work has resonated with people?
Alex: It’s been really cool. We’ve done screenings in and around towns that have been directly affected by the opioid epidemic. It’s a tough subject, and we were prepared for the possibility that some people might not respond well to it. But instead, what we’ve seen is that almost everyone finds a character they relate to.

You have cops from these towns who connect with Dave’s character—he’s just a guy trying to figure out what’s going on, how all these pills are getting into the community in the first place. Without getting into the politics of it, these drugs were initially marketed as non-addictive. They flooded these towns as a supposed solution to pain, and then suddenly, everyone was hooked.

Then there are people who relate to Sara and Will. Sara’s the one who has gotten clean—she’s the hero. She has the most heroic beginning in the film, and you have complete faith that she’s going to be okay. And then there are families who have lived through this and truly understand the survival aspect of it, the love that still exists despite the struggle. We’ve been incredibly moved by how deeply the film has affected people.

To keep up with Alex, follow him on Instagram.