Avatar’s Stephen Lang on Tough-Guy Roles: “I Left the Man Club Some Years Ago”
Stephen Lang has spent decades playing some of Hollywood’s toughest characters, from Quaritch in the Avatar films to the Blind Man in Don’t Breathe. But the 73-year-old actor says his personal view of masculinity has changed a lot over the years.
Speaking at Disney’s Manhattan offices, Lang explained that he no longer subscribes to the traditional “alpha male” image that some of his early co-stars like Jon Bernthal or Frank Grillo might project. “I left the man club some years ago,” he said.
“My sons are beautiful guys, and my daughters are extremely amazing humans, as is my wife. I have no interest in promoting some idea of masculinity that is either aggressive or more important than anyone else. I play it. I love playing it. I enjoy it. But I, I don’t want to ever be thought of as some lunkhead male who’s promoting some form of alpha masculinity ’cause that’s not who I am and not what I want to do.”
Even his tough-guy characters, like Quaritch, are more complex than they seem at first. “He acknowledges the power of the women in his life, acknowledges Mrs. Sully as one tough cookie,” Lang said.
“His former partner, who is the mother of Spider [Jack Champion], she was a tough cookie. If I’m getting typed in some way, I don’t mind it because the roles are good. But as I’m, in a way, segueing into older roles, for obvious reasons — and I like that too! I don’t mind getting old. I just want to stay old for a really long time.”
Lang finds ways to add depth to archetypal roles, making them more interesting. “Quaritch is far more interesting because there’s so many good qualities to Quaritch. And yet, there is this streak — more than a streak — of brutality and of callousness and of cruelty,” he said.
He compares his approach to a Walt Whitman quote: “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.” Lang explained, “As humans, we do contradict ourselves all the time. Our behavior is not consistent. Our loves, our hates, everything like that, they can change. So I just like to stay on my emotional toes with the character to see where it goes.”
Lang has had a long career in tough roles but chooses projects carefully. He only returns for sequels when he feels there is more to explore, like his ongoing portrayal of Quaritch in the Avatar films. Other roles, like Charles Winstead in Public Enemies or Shrike in Mortal Engines, are characters he still thinks about fondly for the depth they offered.
For Lang, the key to playing these strong, masculine characters is finding the humanity in them. “If I can’t love them, nobody will,” he said, showing that even the toughest roles can carry emotion and nuance.
Stephen Lang’s thoughts remind us that masculinity doesn’t have to be loud or aggressive to be compelling on screen. His approach brings depth to action heroes and villains alike, showing that strength can coexist with respect, empathy, and emotional complexity.
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