Liam McIntyre on Taking Over Wolverine & Paramount+’s Golden Axe

What's up Young Hollywood family? Leslie and Liam hanging in the Young Hollywood lounge. Hey. Welcome back to Young Hollywood, sir.

It's been a little while, it's nice to be back.

You've been quite busy since we last saw you.

It's it's Yeah, it's been a few things going on. It's been a busy week.

Let's talk about your week, Wolverine.

Yeah. It's been big.

And Golden Axe.

I know, all the same like the same two days, it's been wild.

Do you know what day it is or is this all just actually like, it's just happening and it's easy.

It's Yeah, it's easy. It's super easy. You know, it's just another day at the office for me. No big deal. No, yeah, I'm, uh, I'm I'm tired, but I'm trying to show a face of such exuberance and youthfulness. Look at me go.

Did you know this was gonna happen within the span of a few days to

Nope, no. Everything was like like Golden Axe. I wasn't sure where that was gonna sit for for Paramount and and then we sort of firm up dates for Wolverine a while ago. And I was like, okay, that's that's gonna be cool. Does it have to be two days before my wife's birthday? It does. That's Today? Happy birthday. My wife, happy birthday, I love you. Um, and I was like, that's I mean, that's not convenient for me, but it's too it's a very big for It's too much for that. Okay, I didn't get that say.

And your co-star for Golden Axe, uh, excuse me, Matthew Rhys just He's won everything. Two more Emmys. Leave some for the rest of us, mate. Selfish.

No, he I mean I I got I So you don't get to usually work with everyone in in voice over. It's sort of separate. So we had a press day where I got to kind of e-meet him on a Zoom call. And I was like, this is before this all happened. I was like, and he's a delightful human being. Genuinely a wonderful person. I was like, can you not, like you live in LA again, so we can be friends. Um, and and and then he just won everything 'cause he's brilliant.

That helps. Okay. The show is a good time. It's bonkers.

It is in the best way. It is bonkers.

What about the people that are like devoted to the original?

Well, see, there's the thing. We were talking about how we played this game religiously as kids. Yeah, yeah. Gamer. I'm a big nerd. So it's like I like I remember going to my friend's house. He you know, I had the Nintendo. He had the Sega, or Sega in Australia. Yeah. Um, and and we'd go there and he was near to school. So when Mom was working, I'd stop at his house and we'd boot up the the Mega Drive or the the Genesis over here. And um, and and that was one of the one of the big games. So we'd be playing that sort of uh, I think I and I think weirdly enough, I was always Ax Battler. So kind of all these years later, who knew? Kinda. Full circle moment for you. Like I think it's perfect, 'cause it was a fun like We just um, we just had like a a sort of a crew party and they had the machine there. And one of the guys I'd started playing, and one of the guys just finished the game. And people forget like in the game, they like leave the arcade. Like it's a this meta game, like it's this it's they get out of the whole universe and and step into the real world. It's bananas. So it's like it is a fun game. Like it's a it's a cool like Conan the Barbarian-esque adventure game of the day, 'cause that was what, you know, that was what was cool. Um, but then we get to tell a story that is very much a love letter to the game. Like if you've played the game, or you remember the game, there are all these like real deep cuts. There's even like there's there's a a cool section where it plays a really good homage to the game, and I I think it's just hilarious and great, and I think people that played the game will will love that. That's the halfway through. And um, but the um, yeah, but then they sort of I like you don't have to have played the game to love it. It's it's it's a really funny show. So it's like it's fun, it's funny, it has epic combat and fights and stuff. So it's I don't know, it's sort of I feel like it modernizes it in a way that's really really fun to enjoy.

You're very good at combat, fighting, Spartacus, obviously. You didn't have to do as much in the animated version. But like beforehand, you were pretty much unclothed most of the time. That's correct. That body was your work. And now you get to kind of show up to work in sweats eating a cheeseburger. Oh, no. Is this kind of the best evolution of your career?

I get to It's I no, no, it's it's I so good after like all that time eating like chicken and rice. I can firmly say that that not doing that is dope. It's so good. Um, being able to have someone draw abs onto you is is definitely the preferred version. Very happy about it.

Did you get a say in how they drew you?

No, I didn't need to. I they were just like, by the way, you look like this. And I was like, that's the best thing ever. I love it. So it's um, no, the the I just actually met some of the animators that the the uh, the guys that were in charge of that like a few days ago. They were awesome. Just so good, so talented.

Like you're talking about your family if you can't hear the Australian accent. What is it with Aussies and the character of Wolverine? You're stepping into Hugh Jackman territory.

Yeah. They claws to fill here. I know. It's extremely big. He's an absolute It's funny like might have been even here, there was uh back when I was doing Spartacus. They were like, what actors do you look up to? And my number one was Hugh Jackman. So it's wild that all these years later, um, I'm now charged to be our chief, I guess our number one export is being Wolverine. So I I suppose for Australians. So um, so yeah, look, it's it's a great honor. He's he's like a generation, probably like multiple generations Wolverine now. Like I grew up with Cal Dodd who was in the animated series when I was a kid. Yeah. And then like, you know, Steve Blum's done it. And then but Hugh's, you know, I I would defy I'd say most people will soon as you say Wolverine, you think Hugh Jackman. So being able to have my own take on that and and for it to be so well received since it's come out has has been the most amazing. Like it's it's an impossible job like to try and do what Hugh's done so well in my own way has been impossible, but people like it in the world.

Okay. Well, there's never a dull moment in the Young Hollywood lounge. So, right, what's happening? I've brought

Oh, we're gonna connect four. We are going Old school. Love it.

To play connect four, because here's the thing. I'm ready. I wasn't gonna bring an Xbox.

No, that's fine.

Wasn't gonna bring a PlayStation.

I accept it. Okay, here we go. I'm ready. What color are you?

I'm gonna actually do two games. Yep, what do you got? I normally say you go first 'cause you're the guest.

No. But that's too easy.

No, no. Let's do another game to choose who goes first. Okay. I'm ready. How good are you at rock, paper, scissors?

I just tested with my son and took the W. So I feel pretty good about it.

Okay. Ready? Ready. It's uh, best out of three. First to three, what's up?

First to three. Okay, sure, yeah. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Scissors. You won. That's one. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Oh, tie. All right. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Oh, hold on. Yeah, you got that. You got that. No, no, you got that. That's Okay. That's two to one. Rock. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Oh, tie. You still Oh, who's gonna do it? Okay. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Okay, here we go. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Well done. Okay, that just gets me to go first. Spectac. Okay, cool. All right. I'm good. Okay. Go for it. Pick a color. What's your strategy for connect four?

I'm not telling you. What are you crazy? Oh my gosh. Okay. Let's see. Okay. Okay. It's gonna be like that, is it? All right. Um, I don't know if you can make a four out of that. I don't like that. Four. Yeah, sure, why not. Okay. Let's see. Okay, okay, okay. Let's see how we do here. Did you win?

I'm good. Yeah. I didn't actually realize that was Okay. He actually won. I'm sorry about that. Yeah, that was that was my mistake frankly. I was like, I just got to cover this. Oh wait, hang on a second. I thought I was really good at this.

Yeah, you you were. I was actually I was I it was only when you like breathed in that I was like, wait, something going on? Oh my gosh. So hey, good game. Good game. We'll play it. Maybe you can come back.

It's one one, so you mean you won rock, paper, scissors, shoot. And then and then and I won this one. So it's kind of a it's a tie really.

And you won the week. Thank you so much.