After 1995’sBad Boysput him on the map as a filmmaker, Michael Bay is now one of the most well-known directors working in Hollywood. He followed this action flick up withThe Rockin 1996, with both establishing the director’s unique style and penchant for over-the-top mayhem. Later films likePearl Harbor(2001) andThe Island(2005) further established the filmmaker, but it was the release of the first live-actionTransformersmoviein 2007 that set Bay down a path that would define the next decade of his career.
Bay has now made fiveTransformersmovies in total, departing the franchise as a director withThe Last Knightin 2017, though he remains on board as a producer. Since leaving the world of fighting robots behind, Bay has directed films like6 Underground(2019) andAmbulance(2022), and he currently has several projects in the works, including a film calledRobopocalypse. Though Bay remains best known to many for his work in theTransformersfranchise, there is one late ’90s Bruce Willis collaboration that remains one of his most celebrated films.
Jason Isaacs Thought Michael Bay Was Firing Him On Armageddon
The Harry Potter Franchise Star Thought He Blew It On The First Day
Armageddonactor Jason Isaacs recalls thinking Bay was firing him on his first day of filming. Released in 1998 and marking Bay’s follow-up toThe Rock, the disaster flick stars Willis and Ben Affleck as oil drillers who are recruited for a NASA mission to stop an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.Armageddonwas a hit with audiences, grossing over $553 million worldwide. The film features a stacked cast that includes Owen Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Clarke Duncan, withIsaacs playing a supporting role as Ronald Quincy, a NASA scientist.
During a recent interview onTHR’sAwards Chatterpodcast, Isaacs reveals that his first day of filming onArmageddonincluded a rollercoaster of emotions.The actor recalls getting called out by Bay after doing a scene, with the director asking in front of everyone if Isaacs had gone to theater school. Though Isaacs thought this was a precursor to getting fired, Bay ended up having a very different reaction. Check out Isaacs recollection of the moment below:
“So my very first day, I do the one scene in which I speak, and Michael Bay goes, ‘Hey, what is that? Theater training?’ And I absolutely shat myself, obviously, thinking I’m gonna be fired. I’m clearly declaiming all over the place. I went, ‘Sorry.’ My voice shot up five octaves. And he goes, ‘Is that what they teach you in theater school?’ And I thought,Oh my god. This is my worst nightmare. And I scurry over to him, and I go, ‘Was that terrible?’ He goes, ‘No. It was awesome.’
What This Means For Jason Isaacs
Armageddon Paved The Way For Some Crucial Roles
Though Isaacs was a successful working actor in the UK in the ’90s, he wasn’t really well-known to American audiences. This explains why his role as Quincy inArmageddonwas relatively small. It’s clear, however, thatArmageddonwas an important stepping stone for Isaacs, as it opened the door for a prominent villain role inThe Patriot(2000) opposite Mel Gibson, a supportingrole in Ridley Scott’sBlack Hawk Down(2001), and, crucially, his debut as Lucius Malfoy inHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsin 2002.
OnRotten Tomatoes,Armageddonhas a lackluster critics’ score of 43% but a more positive Popcornmeter score of 73%.
Isaacs is now, of course, most widely known for playing Lucius, a character he would play in almost everyHarry Pottermoviethat followedChamber of Secrets. He’s also recently been in the headlines for his role inThe White Lotusseason 3. Despite Bay being impressed with Isaacs’ acting talents, the two haven’t yet reunited for a movie afterArmageddon, but Isaacs' latest story certainly suggests another collaboration could happen eventually.
