LOS ANGELES _ John Noble's latest film, "Silencio," has all the familiar trappings of a science fiction tale. He plays a scientist who discovers in Mexico's mysterious Zone of Silence a rock with mystical powers that can be used to save someone from death. Noble's a big supporter of the sci-fi genre _ even lamenting how TV programs with a science fiction theme get ignored by Emmy voters _ but when he talks about the film set to open Friday, he is more passionate about the movie's down-to-Earth elements.
"In my opinion this is foremost a family film," Noble says during an interview at the Culver Hotel, the same facility where actors who played the Munchkins stayed while filming "The Wizard of Oz" almost 80 years ago. "The strength of this movie comes from the bond that the grandfather has with his granddaughter.
"It's the same as when I did 'Fringe' where there was the father and son relationship. That's what people talk to me about when they talk about 'Fringe' and not about all the universes. The family moments are needed in 'Silencio' because without them, it's like not taking a breath."
Noble stresses that it doesn't matter whether the role he's playing is part of some grand fantasy such as portraying Denethor in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" or a more grounded character like the father of Sherlock Holmes in "Elementary." It all comes down to finding and playing the truth of the character. Noble stresses that good science fiction is always a precursor to science reality and the things we were doing even seven or eight years ago that people thought were science fiction, we are doing now.
The two truths for "Silencio" are that Noble portrays James who is a scientist and a grandfather. The worlds collide when James uses the mysterious stone to save his granddaughter but immediately realizes the universe has a way of staying in balance and for every life that's saved using the stone, another is lost. He hides the stone in a place where even he can't find it but he changes his thinking when a family member's life is put in jeopardy.
Writer/director Lorena Villarreal was inspired to make "Silencio" by all the mythology surrounding the area. Over the years, Noble has done numerous other projects that were built on strong strands of myths and legends including "Fringe," "Sleepy Hollow," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" and his current work on "Salvation."
Noble recognizes that "Silencio" and "Fringe" are very similar in design when it comes to science fiction and fantasy but that's not the stuff that primarily interests the 70-year-old Australian actor.
"What gets me going is the character. I never _ as an actor _ make a judgment of whether a character is good or bad. I never judge whether a plotline is feasible or not," Noble says. "I look at the character and if there is a complex journey there than that is the role I want to play. When I am offered a role, I study the man to decide what it was that brought him to this point. That's the way I would approach any role.
"If someone came in and asked me to play the Joker in a Batman movie, I would do it because it would be a great acting role."
Noble's approach to acting was in perfect synch with Villarreal because he found that she has a great respect for actors. She was very open to having conversations with Noble when he was having difficulties dealing with a scene or a line. Working on "Silencio" proved to be as much of a joy for Noble as his work on "Fringe" because Villarreal gave him the kind of freedom he had on the network series to play and have fun with the work.
Since "Fringe" ended in 2013, Noble has appeared in a variety of different television shows but not as one of the key players as he did for so many years while portraying Dr. Walter Bishop. Noble tells everyone that he has one more television series left in him especially with the way programs are being made now.
When Noble starred on "Fringe," there were 22 episodes produced every year. The average series now _ when you factor in all of the cable and streaming services _ is closer to 13 episodes per season. That's the kind of commitment Noble's certain he would enjoy.
"I am not going to retire but the demands of a series are brutal. For an actor, a natural arch is 10-13 episodes and after that, you have to reset. Now, the schedule of 13 would be a cakewalk," Noble says.
