Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Pierce Brosnan in a seductive modern-day spy thriller feels like all your Christmases have come at once. And in the case of Black Bag, they have, with, potentially, a few Easters thrown in for good measure too.
The movie, directed by Steven Soderbergh, no less, is shot in London and is the latest in a long line of spy flicks which, for some, has 48-year-old Fassbender well up in the betting markets for being the next James Bond.
Whether that materialises or not, Fassbender will always be the owner of a sumptuous back catalog of film, having first appeared in the epic 300, starring Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, and Dominic West (albeit in a supporting character).
It all works for the actor, who is of Irish and German ancestry. And aside from hunkish appeal, Michael Fassbender is also one of the outstanding actors of our time. Just a look at this filmography is like something out of the showbiz elite, from 12 Years a Slave to the X-Men movies, Prometheus to Inglourious Basterds, Assassin's Creed to Alien: Covenant, his list of engagements is as sexy as his status - piercing blue eyes and a disarming smile, albeit officially off the market these days.
Away from the film set, Fassbender enjoys testing his limits, whether it's surfing, karting, biking, or motor racing (he's competed twice in the Le Mans 24-hour race). "I like to take risks," he smiles. "I get anxious if I'm not pushing myself out of my complacency."
Beyond that, there is an irreverent side that matches with a deep underlying sensitivity, and he admits that he can cry easily when things "touch his heart."
Will Black Bag touch ours? Quite possibly.
STRIPLV: Michael, you've worked across both serious drama, big sci-fi studio films, and small independent projects. Do you prefer that kind of balance, and do you have a plan in place? FASSBENDER: No, I don't necessarily have a plan when it comes to that, although when I did the first X-Men, it was the kind of project that helped me get others financed. It still wasn't planned that way, of course, but it did bring me to the attention of a very large public, just as Prometheus did. Sometimes it's just the atmosphere and where you're going to be shooting the film that influences your decision, but I normally look for interesting stories with talented directors - you also have to consider who it is leading the charge. Take 12 Years a Slave and Steve McQueen, for instance - I would always accept any opportunity to work with him because Steve is like a brother to me. He's a brilliant director, and he gave me my shot at working at this level and being able to work the way every actor dreams of. He was the one who was willing to take a chance on me by offering me the lead role in Hunger when I was a total unknown. But generally, my choices usually have very little to do with being the star or not. I like being able to do very intense dramas as well as entertaining films. They draw out different sides of your personality and allow you to experience different approaches to making films. It's all very interesting to me.
STRIPLV: Who else have you found it special to work with? FASSBENDER: Well, Terence Malick on Song to Song was special. It was like going back to school. (Laughs) Relearning everything you know, and leaving it all behind to go on this voyage of enlightenment, in a nutshell [laughs] It's what you work towards as an actor, to maybe someday to be in the same room as him, I wanted to breathe the same air. There's no other artist like him. He's the ultimate rebel filmmaker. The first American auteur. An artist, his work every time I've watched it, I've experience it, has been an emotional journey. You feel, you flow with it like poetry in motion, and his tones and hues. STRIPLV: Was working with him on the bucket list? FASSBENDER: Actually, no, I didn't ever think I'd be so fortunate to be summoned by him. I don't really have a bucket list. STRIPLV: Do you still work out a lot? FASSBENDER: I try to do sports as often as I can. I love boxing and skipping rope. Those are actually incredibly good workouts on their own, and it keeps your body toned. I also do a lot of push-ups and sit-ups, which are essential whenever I have to take off my shirt for a role. STRIPLV: How do you cope these days with your sex symbol status and your appeal to women? FASSBENDER: I'm very cynically aware of that, and it's not something that I pay any amount of time thinking about. As a teenager, I suffered from bad acne and bad hair, and I was anything but a star with girls. It's all rather strange to me that women suddenly started paying attention to me, whereas four or five years previously, I could be sitting at a bar and women would ignore me or turn around after I started talking to them. Anyway, I think that period has passed. I'm married, I have two amazing sons, I'm away from all that. STRIPLV: Black Bag, then. An intriguing movie about spies, secrets, and relationships. What was it like working with Cate Blanchett? FASSBENDER: Cate is amazing. She brings a compelling complexity to Kathryn, George's wife, and the dynamic between our characters was intense and captivating. It was a real buzz to work with her again after what must have been seven years [on Song to Song]. STRIPLV: Tell us about your character, George. FASSBENDER: George, who is a multifaceted, devoted husband and a seasoned spy, and understanding him has been an exhilarating journey for me. The opportunity to delve into the complex world of espionage under the direction of Steven Soderbergh was something I couldn't pass up. He has such a unique storytelling approach and an ability to craft amazing narratives. This comes through with George, who feels a constant tension between personal loyalty and professional duty. He is conflicted, like most of us are in one way or another at some point in our lives. David Koepp's writing is meticulously crafted. It's a story that challenges perceptions, and I love that. STRIPLV: How did you prepare for the movie? FASSBENDER: For this one, I immersed myself in understanding the realities of undercover operations. Engaging with real-life undercover agents provided invaluable insights into the psychological and emotional toll this line of work can take. It was intense research, but something I knew I wanted to do to make the performance realistic from every angle. STRIPLV: In another life, could you have been a spy? FASSBENDER: It's an exciting life, and there is risk everywhere, so in that respect, they are elements that appeal to me, yes. STRIPLV: What's the most challenging scene you've ever had to play in a film? FASSBENDER: There have been a few, but it's hard to compare them. One of the most difficult came in 12 Years a Slave where the rape scene and whipping scenes [where he beats Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) were very hard to watch when you see the film. The only way to really get you through those intense moments is to have the support of your fellow actors and the director. After Lupita and I finished the rape scene, we hugged each other and had a drink afterwards as a way of calming down from and getting it out of our systems. Outside of that, the Shakespeare stuff was pretty difficult. Macbeth was never going to be massive in terms of revenue, but I'm glad it got a positive reception. At the end of the day, trying new things is the only way you can push yourself beyond the limits of what you would otherwise believe you're capable of achieving. Playing Macbeth was a privilege, and I obviously saw it as a great challenge to take on such a classic role in what is generally regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. STRIPLV: Was doing a Shakespeare play one of your career ambitions? FASSBENDER: Not at all. I had done some Shakespeare in drama school, but nothing on this level. I don't consider myself to be a stage actor, and once I started working in films, it never occurred to me that I would one day be taking on something of this scope, something that goes far beyond anything I had done in theatre when I was much younger. The project came to me quite by accident, and of course, when you have the opportunity to play Macbeth, it's impossible to turn it down, even though you know you are going to be judged and compared to all the other actors who have come before you and interpreted the part. But that's where the excitement and thrill comes in when you take up this kind of challenge without knowing whether you can really pull it off or not. You can't be afraid of failure. STRIPLV: Speaking of potential failure, you've admitted to loving speed and risk-taking. Is that why you love cars and motorbikes? FASSBENDER: I like the feeling that comes with speed and the sense of risk involved. I enjoy taking risks. I like to scare myself; that's why I did Shakespeare. I've been able to go out on some race tracks and try to perfect the skills you need to drive at the limit, which is an art in itself. Motorcycles are different. You're exposed to the elements more, and there's this sense of freedom that you have from getting on the bike, and just taking off and travelling. Being on a bike and concentrating while you're going as fast as possible is also a strange form of relaxation; your mind just adapts to what you're doing, and you stop worrying about everything else that's going on in your life. I also enjoy karting, which is an experience that is about as close to being in a Formula 1 race car that you can have without killing yourself. The sensation of speed, the turns, and the G-forces are a real buzz. STRIPLV: Where does that all come from? FASSBENDER: I love driving as a young boy, where I would sit at the wheel of my father's car, and was allowed to drive a little bit behind the back of our house. As I got older, I noticed that I loved to go a lot faster than other people, and I probably took a lot of risks I shouldn't have, but when you're a teenager, you don't worry about death. STRIPLV: Do you still drive too fast?! FASSBENDER: Not these days because I'm responsible, of course, but a few times on a motorbike I've found myself doing 200km/hr or more. I used to blame my heritage - my disciplined German side kept me on the road and my crazy Irish side drew me towards trying crazier and riskier things, but those days are gone now, probably! STRIPLV: As you hint, your father is German, and you were born in Heidelberg before moving to Ireland at age two. How closely do you identify with your German heritage? FASSBENDER: I want to keep my ties to Germany. I still have a few aunts, uncles, and cousins whom I visit fairly regularly near Hildesheim. I visited my grandparents in Germany while they were alive, and that helped me stay in touch with my German roots. My parents did their best to teach me German while I was growing up in Ireland, but it's hard to stay fluent in a language if you're not speaking it on an everyday basis. Still, I find it embarrassing that I'm not more fluent, and although I can speak it, it's nowhere near as good as it should be. I'm able to understand the language when I hear it in a conversation or if I'm watching a German film, but I want to be able to speak more easily and comfortably. STRIPLV: Do you have any favorite things about Germany? FASSBENDER: I love schnitzel with sauerkraut and the German sense of humour. It's different from the Irish or American sense of humour, but it's surprisingly good. I also appreciate that Germans seem to have a relaxed attitude towards sex. (Laughs) STRIPLV: Do we ever see you in another X-Men movie? FASSBENDER: I don't know. We had a great time working on those films, and four is plenty. I imagine there will be talk about doing more, but I haven't heard anything yet, and I'm focused on my family and new projects, rather than renovating old ideas. STRIPLV: You are indeed investing in challenging characters now, and there is a theory that when you're happy in your skin, you are more likely to play complex and sometimes unsympathetic characters. Is that a thing? FASSBENDER: I'm happy in my skin, and I never think about whether my characters are unsympathetic or tormented in terms of wanting to play those kinds of roles. I look at every part as a way of expressing different aspects of their humanity. I have no vanity when it comes to that. That's what I love so much about acting - it's the ability to submerge your emotional self into that of another person. STRIPLV: I've heard you say in the past you'd like to do more Westerns. FASSBENDER: Yes, they've always fascinated me; I'm enchanted by that era. It must have been absolutely magical to be around those places at that time. STRIPLV: Did you always want to be an actor? FASSBENDER: No, as a teenager, I wanted to be a musician. I was into heavy metal, and I wanted to be a lead guitarist in a heavy metal band. I loved Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Metallica. At the time when I was growing up, music kind of defined your group, you know. Nowadays, people just listen to everything, it's great, but back when I was at school, high school, you were a goth or you were into grunge or you were into punk or you were into metal and that kind of defined your style - in what you wore and the groups you hang out with. We grew up in the countryside, so music was a big deal for us – it was a real outlet into the urban world. STRIPLV: To be as successful as you are, you must have a real drive. Do you need to push yourself when it comes to your work? FASSBENDER: I'll admit that I'm very persevering and very demanding with myself. I think of this as the German side I've inherited from my father. I have his typical approach to work. He always told me, 'If you do something, do it well, or don't do it at all.' He was always very picky with me. When I would come home from school with my grades, instead of congratulating me for having received an 8 out of 10 in math, he would scold me for not getting a perfect score of 10. My father gave me this sense of wanting to achieve more than what just comes easily, and I have a strong work ethic. STRIPLV: How do you handle your fame and all the success you've had? FASSBENDER: Fame doesn't interest me at all. Maybe 20 years ago, when I was much more intense about the process, I might have been seduced by being a celebrity and the attention, but now it doesn't mean anything to me, really. I'm only concerned with being able to continue working with the best people in the business and getting to work with great filmmakers. I think the fact success came to me fairly late helped me gain a better perspective one everything. STRIPLV: What's the strangest thing about being famous? FASSBENDER: It's still the dealing with the press. As an actor, you're constantly obliged to talk about yourself, and that can be boring after a while. Some actors might enjoy that process, but I wonder why people are so interested in our lives or what we have to say. STRIPLV: What do you do when you're not working? Do you have a routine? FASSBENDER: I love to travel. I'm a light traveller yet someone who absorbs absolutely everything when I'm there. I give myself over to a place. STRIPLV: Many actors refuse to see their films once they've finished working on them. Do you watch your movies? FASSBENDER: I usually see each of my films twice. The first time is always the most difficult. You see everything from a very technical perspective, and you're constantly noticing certain aspects of your performance that you like, as well as many things you don't like and wish you could redo. Then the second time I see it, I'm able to relax more, and I try to appreciate the film as a whole.
A MIND IN MOTION
Michael Fassbender on philosophy, deep thinking, and the pursuit of meaning.
Michael Fassbender is known for his intense performances, but off-screen, he is equally absorbed in the art of deep thinking. He has long been fascinated by philosophy, often drawing inspiration from the great thinkers. "I think a lot about the nature of identity," he muses. "Are we defined by our choices, our circumstances, or something deeper? The idea of free will has always intrigued me."
For Fassbender, philosophy is not just an abstract pursuit—it's something that informs his acting process. "When you play a character, you're essentially stepping into someone else's reality. It forces you to question your perspectives and biases. That's why I love existentialist thought; it's all about confronting the unknown and embracing it."
His appreciation for philosophy extends beyond his craft. He often spends downtime reading works by Nietzsche, Camus, and Kierkegaard, and he believes that their ideas remain relevant today. "There's this notion that philosophy belongs in dusty old books, but it's everywhere—politics, relationships, even a simple conversation at the pub. We're all searching for meaning in some way."
Despite his reputation for playing driven, sometimes ruthless characters, Fassbender himself takes a more reflective approach to life. "I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I enjoy the questions. Maybe that's enough."