March 21, 2008 - Ryan Phillippe plays Sgt Brandon King, a soldier ready to leave his days in the military behind when the US government stop-losses his exit from the service, in writer/director Kimberly Peirce’s Stop-Loss. Peirce did extensive research on the subject and interviewed many soldiers who were stop-lossed and who chose, rather than spend any more time in Iraq, to go AWOL. Phillippe was drawn into the project because of Peirce’s script, a screenplay he believed was honest and beautifully written.

“I loved the fact that it was about the soldiers, from the soldiers' perspective,” offered Phillippe during the Los Angeles press day for the film. “It wasn't bogged down by an agenda politically, and it wasn't telling you how to think or feel about the situation we're in as a country. It was more, ‘This is the human plight of the soldier and what they're going through,’ and something that's very relevant because it's happening now. I'm sure last week there were people stop-lossed and next week there [will be]. I think that's also what separates us from some of the other Iraq-themed films that have come before us. Those did seem to have sort of been telling you something - or preaching. I think that's insulting, the idea of Hollywood doing that. I don't think Hollywood needs to tell people how to think or feel about an issue, if you present it and allow the individual to make up their mind. Ours is about the soldier and that's it.”

Phillippe admits he had just a vague idea of what stop-loss was prior to starring in Stop-Loss.

“I'd seen one or two little newspaper, nightly news, Nightline-type thing. I think it's intentionally kept quiet-ish. I don't think it's a very popular policy. I think that's why we don't hear much about it. But I think that's going to change too, not because of the film but because the longer we stay there, the more difficult it's going to be to get people to want to go there.”

Kimberly Peirce traveled the country interviewing soldiers willing to talk about the policy and why they went AWOL. Phillippe also spoke to soldiers to get a feel for his character. “I talked to a soldier's wife, the wife of a stop-lossed soldier,” said Phillippe. “I think more of our time spent with the soldiers was getting to know who they are, what motivates them, what it's like to be over there, and it wasn't really about the procedural stuff of what was going to happen to me in the film. Hopefully I'll get to meet some people as we go with screenings and stuff across the country. I also don't think a lot of those guys are that forthcoming or want to be found out.”

Asked what he related to the most about Brandon, Phillippe replied, “I guess I related to the idea of Brandon as the leader of the soldiers that was not very afraid of very much. I think he's probably a guy who's pretty confident in his abilities to kind of keep a level head through distress and that. I think he's probably a better guy than me in terms of always doing the right thing, kind of having that… I don't know, just very straightforward. And then I think all of that is compromised by the situation he finds himself in. I look less to what I relate to in a character, because then you kind of get into judgments. It's kind of really just figuring out how this person would get through this situation.”

“One of the reasons why it would make sense for me to lead this group of guys is because I’ve been around a little longer, I’m older and I’m a father,” said Phillippe about tackling the leadership role both onscreen and on the set. “I think there are those aspects that I feel fraternal towards these guys. I support them, want to see them do well, know the enormous future ahead of him, can't wait to see it happen. I think Joe Gordon-Levitt is one of the best young actors out there. It's like I am that way by my nature. I am not competitive and want to see the people I care about do as well as they possibly can. I think there is part of a leader of a squad that is like that. You want to protect. You have the fatherly instinct toward those guys and you want to help and see them ascend and achieve, and I think that kind of made some sense. It was sort of a built-in aspect to who I am that I guess could relate to Brandon.”

Phillippe, the father of two young children, has given thought to what he’d do if his kids went into the military. “If it was my child’s choice, you would never want to stand in the way or impose your own views politically or otherwise on whatever path they chose. I think if it was a war akin to WWII and the reasons why we fought that, I would have far less of a problem than I would this kind of war. But I think more than anything it’s just the idea of any harm coming to your children is the most terrible thing you could imagine. I remember my mother would say that she would lock me in the attic if there was a draft, and I think there would be that impulse. If you have a son and if he’s 18 and that’s what he was most motivated to do - I come from a military family - I would support that. But God I hope it doesn’t ever come to that.”

After completing Stop-Loss, Phillippe took on Franklyn, a film he describes as “Batman meets Magnolia.” Phillippe co-stars with Eva Green (Casino Royale) and Sam Riley in the film which Phillippe labels totally weird. “My character kind of is a vigilante or an alternate reality,” offered Phillippe. “It's really crazy. I have all these fight scenes in this Edwardian costume. I did all of my stunts myself and I have like these boots with a hidden heel. I'm doing full on fight scenes on the rooftops in these boots. It's ridiculous.”