F9 ACTOR VINNIE BENNETT ON THE FULFILLING CREATIVE PROCESS OF PLAYING THE YOUNG DOMINIC TORETTO
Kiwi actor Vinnie Bennett is more than ready and geared up to speed through stardom. The innately charming and humble F9: The Fast Saga actor shared to us his experiences in playing the younger self of Vin Diesel’s iconic character Dom Torretto.
Acting is something that comes natural for Bennett. As a child, he would play pranks with his family and impersonate the children from school. As his career progressed, Bennett can be seen on films like The New Romantic, Ghost in the Shell. On TV, Bennett was on Good Grief, The Gulf, The Bad Seed, The Shannara Chronicles, and more.
For Vinnie, discovering our similarities as humans and applying that in portraying the characters that he plays on screen is really important.
In this exclusive interview, the F9 actor dishes on the memorable moments of the film, the sense of family and camaraderie on set, his inspirations, and the story behind the film’s emotionally charged opening scene on a speedway.
Hi Vinnie! How are you? How were you able to survive 2020?
I’m well, thank you! 2020 was a crazy year for me—crazy for everyone, I’m sure. I think what got me through it is the thought that the pandemic was something that affected us all. Literally every human on the planet felt the effects of COVID in some way or another, and in that I feel like it created an even stronger sense of global community and a new appreciation for being able to hug loved ones especially.
Now let’s dive into your character Dom.
How was it to play the young Dom in F9: The Fast Saga?
It was truly an honor. Even saying that feels like I’m understating. Dominic Toretto is one of the most iconic characters of the 21st century. I literally grew up watching the Fast & Furious films as a kid so to have the opportunity to portray “the man himself” (Dom, not God. Though maybe they’re the same person? Lol.) was something I would never have even dreamed of.
What’s the best part about playing his character?
The best part about playing Dom for me was the freedom I had to truly create a strong sense of who this man was before we met him 20 years ago in the first film. What made him become the gruff, stoic family man we all know? What was he like as a teenager? Where did his undying loyalty to family come from? All of those questions I was able to ask myself when creating the younger version of Dom which made it all very fulfilling creative process for me.
How were you able to channel and tap into Dom’s psyche and play the role?
For me, it was more tapping into my own psyche to discover what I (as Vinnie) had in common with Dom as opposed to trying to embody someone else completely—someone who wasn’t me. As human beings I think we can find more similarities between one another than differences and discovering what Dom and I had in common was by far the most helpful tool in portraying him.
Why do you think Dom values family so much?
I think because of the loss of family Dom experienced in his early days caused him to really cherish the loved ones he still had around him. Dom knows blood is thicker than water and he knows that some of the biggest challenges in life can be overcome with the love and support of family.
What drew you to his character?
What drew me to the character of Dom the most was the fact that there’s a lot more to him than most viewers would think. He was once a relatively naive young man who idolized his father more than anything and to have the opportunity to bring that all to life was a really rewarding challenge.
What are the challenges and the highs that you experienced during filming?
I think mainly just the pressure to really nail the character was the biggest challenge for me during filming. I had to keep myself in check often to make sure that I hadn’t strayed too far from how I intended to play the role. The Fast franchise has a lot of diehard fans that would’ve torn me to shreds had I missed the mark even in the slightest, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to really nail the role.
How did you manage to rise above the challenges?
I know it sounds hella cheesy but on set there was a true sense of family, so even though I was some new guy coming in to have a crack at the franchises most iconic characterm I still felt the support from Justin, the crew and fellow cast members on set (and off) which helped me overcome my worries and ease the pressure immensely.
What’s the most memorable moment for you throughout the whole process of making the series/film?
I have to say the day we filmed the opening scene of the film. We were out on the Irwindale Speedway in the blistering California heat while filming the scene where Jack (Dom’s father) is killed on the track which had me running out on to the speedway and trusting Michael Rooker (Buddy) would catch up to me and stop me before I got too close to the real race cars which were zipping past me at a real race car speed all the while I’m trying to forget the danger of it all and stay in the zone that was required for quite an emotional scene. Yep. That day was the most memorable of the shoot for sure.
What is your proudest moment ever from acting?
I think it was the moment after the premiere of F9 in Los Angeles. I was at the after party and Vin pulled me aside to tell me how good of a job he thought I did with Dom. So, to have a “seal of approval” from the only other person to ever play Dominic Toretto was truly a proud moment for me.
Can you walk us through your creative process whenever you film a scene?
I feel like everyone has a particular technique when it comes to acting to get them in the right headspace for a scene but for me I guess I just show up (with my lines learned, of course) and do my absolute best to stay present with whoever I’m sharing a scene with. Most of the work required to build a character as an actor is done long before it’s time to actually shoot so what works for me is simply trusting that all that character work will come through on screen as long as I’m able to stay present.
How did acting start for you? Was it something that you’ve always wanted from a young age?
I remember as I child I would pretend to be dead in the car as we got home so my mum would carry me inside so if you combine that with my relentless need to impersonate other children at my kindergarten, then I guess it is something that I’ve always just done and loved so be able to make a career out of it and keep that inner child alive is something that I’m immensely grateful for every day.
Who and what inspires you?
My mother and her ambition to be the best possible mother to all of her 7 children inspire me. Her and my grandmother really encouraged me to follow my dreams and supported me in that pursuit even when things were looking dire. Both of them are true heroes of mine and the love and support they’ve given (and continue to give) inspires me like nothing else.
If you were a book, what book would you be and why?
Great question. Hard question. But I think I’d be the poetry book ‘Bad Advice For Good People’ by Dominic Hoey. It’s tragically funny, refreshingly honest and takes you on a journey that leaves you thinking “what the heck just happened”—me to a T! Haha.