The 66-year-old star of “The Shawshank Redemption” has shifted to streaming for the second season of Apple TV+’s “Silo” series, but he has since expressed concern that the caliber of films that Netflix and other streaming services make may mean that the film business may not survive indefinitely.
“You go on Netflix right now, you see what films are coming out, and you tell me that that’s the future of cinema?” Robbins asked in an interview with The Guardian newspaper. We are in serious danger.
In addition to discussing the negative effects of streaming, Robbins considered the “inhumane” labor methods that are prevalent in Hollywood and took delight in the fact that none of the cast members of “Silo” put in more than ten hours a day.
“Actors have it easy,” he observed.
“They take some time off and work at another job after finishing their current one. Really, what you’re referring to are crews. The end result is that these crews have overworked, worn-out individuals who lack the emotional support necessary to lead well-rounded lives.
Since his previous appearance on screen in the mystery-thriller “Dark Waters” in 2019, in which he costarred with Anne Hathaway and Mark Ruffalo, Robbins has grown more cautious with his undertakings.
The actor stated that he would not create anything that he considered “frivolous” in the future.
He clarified: “At this point in my life, the most important thing for me is that I don’t want to waste my time
“When they finish their job they go to have some time off, do a different job. It is crews really that you’re talking about. What winds up happening is that you have people on these crews that are overworked, exhausted, and don’t have the emotional input that one needs to live a rounded life.”
Robbins has become more careful with his projects, having last been seen on the silver screen in the 2019 mystery-thriller ‘Dark Waters’, in which he starred opposite Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway.
Looking to the future, the actor said he wouldn’t make anything that he deemed “frivolous”.
He explained: “The main thing for me, at this stage of my life, is that I don’t want to waste my time on a set doing something frivolous.
“I don’t want to be there for the sake of being there.”
Robbins’ best-known role is Andy Dufresne in 1994’s ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, where in he starred opposite Morgan Freeman and Clancy Brown as a prisoner who finds solace for his wrongdoings with a fellow inmate.
While the film went on to get nominated for seven Academy Awards – including Best Picture – ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ was deemed a failure at its release after it only pulled in $73 million on a $25 million budget.
Even so, the movie went on to become regarded as one of the best pictures ever made, and Robbins credits its success on VHS and re-runs on Ted Turner’s TV show ‘Turner Classic Movies’ that gave ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ the reputation it has today.
“We’re at 30 years now [on from] ‘Shawshank Redemption,'” the actor remarked. It received positive reviews upon release and was nominated for an Academy Award, yet no one watched it.
That changed when Turner played it on his television station on VHS. It’s a popular film.
It continues to be the most popular film of all time on IMDb. Therefore, I am confident that a high-quality film or television program will endure.
“What people will think of it in 10, 15, and 20 years is more important than whether it’s a hit or not.”
