Kingsman: The Golden Circle expands the world of Matthew Vaughn's spy franchise considerably, introducing partner organization Statesman - the whiskey-distilling, Kentucky-based cousins to our British tailors. Two of the key new characters are Ginger Ale and Jack Daniels aka Agent Whiskey, played by Pedro Pascal and Halle Berry respectively. Pascal is best known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Narcos, while Berry is an Oscar-winning actress (with previous involvement in the spy genre care of James Bond).
Screen Rant was lucky enough to sit down with the pair and chat about what it was like joining the franchise - and got to the bottom of why their characters in the film have such a conflicting relationship.
You're two of the key Americans in the film and there's some culture clash in the film with [to Pedro] you and Taron in particular, and then some harmonious [to Halle] like with you and Mark. What was it like on set was it more clash or was it more harmonious?
Pedro Pascal: It was more harmonious. Wasn't it?
Halle Berry: Yeah.
Pascal: There wasn't any clashing on set.
Berry: Not on set. Off set's a different story. [Laughs]
It's a very British film. Even though it's gone to America - we go to Kentucky - it has that British sensibility that made the first one so popular. How did it feels being the Americans in a very British story?
Pedro: It felt like we were guests, of course. I felt like a guest. And then, you know, like typical US Americans we rolled in and took over. We were guests and then we became the bosses.
Neat summary.
Pascal: That's what it is.
There's implied animosity between your two characters in the movie that's not deeply explored, so I wondered if you could elaborate on why your characters have some sort of clash?
Berry: Well it's because - look at these boys. I have to go and wrangle their asses all the time because they're doing some bad boy...
Pascal: What you talking about?
Berry: ...dumb stuff. Because they're really smart and they're really capable but, you know, boys will be boys and sometimes they get a little off-track.
Pascal: I think Agent Whiskey is held - what do you say - held a candle, held a light? A flame?
Hold a candle? [We totally meant torch but didn't know where Pedro was leading]
Pascal: Hold a [torch] to Ginger and she's just not having it. She's the one. The only one who's not having it.
Is this you the actor or the character saying that?
Pascal: It's the character. The character.
At the end, sets up a third one, and maybe more. Without spoilers about involvement and stuff, what would you guys like to see happen, maybe with your characters or just in general with the sequels?
Berry: I would definitely come back.
Pascal: I want to see Ginger throw some knives. She’s been talking about her weapon of choice…
Berry: It would be knives.
So full-on Jinx?
Berry: Jinx 2.0, though.
Read More: Colin Firth and Jeff Bridges Don’t Think CGI De-Aging Works
[Spoiler Alert for Kingsman: The Golden Circle in the next portion of the interview]
I also want to ask, this is a bit spoilery, Pedro you meet a violent, head-smashing end in this.
Pascal: M-E-A-T.
Yes, very much so. A very tasty end, if Julianne Moore had her way. We've seen you have your head crushed in before obviously on Game of Thrones.
Pascal: What do you think's going to be worse?
Well, that's exactly what I'm asking.
Pascal: Well, I don't know - I've got to ask you!
Well, I'd say the Game of Thrones one because the context - it's a bit nastier.
Pascal: Bit nastier, right.
But which was the more interesting to film? Which was the most fun head-death?
Pascal: Well, they're equal, because [on Kingsman] there was definitely a very interesting rig and acrobatic repetitive thing that needed to take place. Which, I suppose, wasn't that fun to do but it was just as difficult as getting my head smushed [on Game of Thrones] was, physically. Landing into the meat grinder was an enormous challenge.
And that's obviously at the end of that very long shot, so...
Pascal: Exactly.
[Spoilers end]
Read More: Taron Egerton Doesn’t Want New Kingsman Characters To Steal The Spotlight
OK, cool. One last question, again for you Pedro. You're obviously really big right now with Narcos and it's interesting that that's come out around the same time as American Made, which also deals with the similar Colombian Drug trade.
Pascal: American Made? The Tom Cruise one about Barry Seal?
Yeah. And I wonder why - we obviously had The Infiltrator last year as well - why do you think the Escobar stuff has proven such a fertile ground for so many movies and TV shows now?
Pascal: I would say it isn't necessarily specific to Escobar - it's a Narco-trafficking story we're telling on the series Narcos anyway, so we're beyond the Escobar chapter. And it's industry and it's the age-old story of struggling for power. And whether it's mountains of coke or mountains of gold or whatever it's all about money and power and seems to fascinate people quite a lot.
