Armie Hammer has had quite a rise in Hollywood — after small roles in film and television audiences got a double dose of him in The Social Network (he played twins). After a handful of other roles, including opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar, Hammer has been launched into super-stardom in Disney’s Lone Ranger alongside Johnny Depp. He spoke to The Huffington Post about his acting ambitions on the eve of the release of his highest profile movie to date.
When he was eleven years old, Hammer saw Home Alone and decided to become an actor. He explains, “I had a dream that night that I was the kid in the house with the blowtorch and all that stuff and thinking, ‘This is awesome! I love acting! I knew this was for me. It was the only thing I wanted to do.” His parents even supported him dropping out of high school to pursue acting. Despite a rocky start, his current success has allowed him to fulfill his dream. He admits, “It’s like I can’t believe I’ve been this lucky.”
However, Hammer confesses that he doesn’t feel comfortable for the mega-fame that might meet him if the movie proves to be a hit. “Fortunately, though – I’m kind of relying on this – I’m wearing masks in so much of the advertising and stuff, so that it’s probably not like, ‘Hey, that’s the guy.’ I’m not excited about (the fame). I don’t even like talking about it. I feel disgusted with myself if I even just say the term ‘my fans.'” He credits his wife, E! personality Elizabeth Chambers, for keeping him from going off the deep end. He says, “I keep all my original friends. I’m married. I have a life. I have a dog. I don’t get wrapped up in all of this. I’m delightfully ambivalent toward most of it.”
Even though Lone Ranger is his first starring role, Hammer reveals that he ultimately wants to follow the path of Clint Eastwood (who directed Hammer in J. Edgar) and move behind the camera. He explains, “I don’t want to forever just say other people’s words. I don’t forever want to be an actor. I want to be responsible for my own content. Directing is the end game.”
Though his next film is the similarly big budget The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Hammer hopes that like his Lone Ranger co-star Depp he’ll be able to alternate blockbusters with independent films. He says, “I would take any role in any movie if I thought the people I would get a chance to work with had something I could learn. I didn’t go to school. This is my school, and I should be learning every day.”
