Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Final Kill’s Ed Morrone

Ed Morrone is leading the extraordinary cast of Justin Lee’s action-packed new film, Final Kill. Costarring Billy Zane and Danny Trejo, Final Kill tells the story of Mickey Rome [Morrone], an aging protection specialist, who’s roped into one final job before retirement. Pop Culturalist caught up with Ed to chat about all things Final Kill.

PC: Tell us about Final Kill, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Ed: Final Kill is about a mercenary who’s on the verge of retirement, but he gets drawn in for one last job. I play the character Mickey Rome, and it was his story that really drew me in. He’s this average guy who’s tired of what he’s doing and wants to make a change in his life. He’s doing what he needs to to make that happen, like going to therapy. That’s what attracted me to this role.

PC: Throughout the film, we see the toll that this job has taken on him. How did you prepare to tackle that emotional journey?
Ed: At one point or another, we’re all in a position where we’re fed up with what we’re doing, and we want something more in our lives. We want to do something different. I just happened to be at a point in my life where I felt that way, and I just projected that on screen.

PC: This is an action-packed film. What was the prep work like?
Ed: I’ve had prior experience doing a lot of action-packed films and stunt work, so I just incorporated that into this film. We choreographed a few scenes, which was super helpful. Justin Lee [director-writer] was amazing. When you have such great support, it makes everything a lot easier.

PC: As an actor, are the more emotional or physically demanding scenes more challenging?
Ed: In their own ways, they’re both equally challenging. For the more physical scenes, you need to make sure your body is in the shape it needs to be in. And you need to feel what your character is feeling in those emotional scenes.

PC: Justin Lee wrote and directed the film. What was that collaboration like?
Ed: It was great. He’s an amazing person who knows what he wants and he executes it. When you have someone like Justin Lee on your side who’s willing to listen to you and your ideas and give you a voice, it becomes a lot easier for you to do your performance.

Catch Final Kill in select theaters, On Demand, and on digital.