InCleaner, a tense, thought-provoking thriller from director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), former special forces soldier Joey Locke’s (Daisy Ridley) typical day working as a high-rise window cleaner takes a dramatic turn when a radical eco-activist group takes hundreds of hostages from a corporate gala to expose the company’s environmental corruption.
The film weaves political commentary, psychological depth, and explosive action into a gripping narrative about ideology and extremism in a world that feels all too familiar. Joining Star Wars star Ridley are Clive Owen as the leader of the Earth Revolution group, Marcus Blake, and One Piece actor Taz Skylar as Noah Santos, a man whose warped sense of justice and extremist views soon escalate an already tense situation into a deadly standoff.
In this exclusive conversation with Outtake Magazine, Taz Skylar takes us behind the scenes of his transformative performance, sharing how he built the character from the inside out, from protest research and physical adaptations to stealing all of Martin Campbell’s snacks during their five-hour script read.
How did your casting for the film come about, and what initially drew you to the project?
Taz Skylar: It actually happened in a very random way. I was on set shooting another film near London Bridge when Callum, the producer—who I’ve known for a long time—called me and said I needed to meet Martin [the director] that day. I told him I couldn’t because I was at work, but he sent a car with the script in it anyway and said when I finished shooting, I should get in the car and read the script on the way. When I finished shooting, I got in this blacked-out car with a big, burly, suited-up man at the steering wheel, with the script placed on the seat.
By the time I arrived an hour-and-a-half later, I realised the character was really cool, and I’d be really blessed to play him. Meeting Martin was an uphill battle—I don’t think I looked, sounded, or acted like what he expected. But we read the script together for about five hours, even though he had to briefly step out for a Zoom call with Sylvester Stallone. By the time he came back, I’d eaten all of his Naked bars… but I won him over at some point, because by the end, he stood up, patted me on the back and said, “Well done, my boy,” and that was it. We were doing the movie.
That sounds like something out of a Mission: Impossible film—a mysterious document delivered in a blacked-out car.
Taz Skylar: Right? I thought the same thing, like, is this how Martin Campbell rolls? I even told my agent, “I don’t know what this is or if it’s good,” and they said we could wait, and I didn’t have to do it today. But something about the spontaneity of it felt right. I told my agent Will, “The test is the doing of it right now, today, this way.” It had to be that way to keep the magic and to keep it as cool.
The character is quite complex—a figure who wants to see humanity wiped out. How do you approach creating empathy or at least understanding for a character like that?
Taz Skylar: I never try to make people like a character. That’s not the goal for me. I care more that they understand him, that his actions make logical sense. We shaped him as someone whose soul died by a thousand cuts—someone who ended up this way because of deep, accumulated pain, and the only relief he could foresee would come with wiping humanity off the face of the earth.
Every detail was intentional. For example, I really didn’t want to shave my head, but then I saw a video of a protester being dragged by their hair. I showed the video to the team, and we agreed that shaving his head could be a preventative, practical act. Every tattoo had a story. One tattoo references someone mentioned in the film who died during the protests. He even wears a chain with their initial. You piece enough of those things together, and you arrive at a human who deeply resents others. I think humans can be the most amazing thing about the world, and the most horrible thing at the same time.
Do you find that physically building the character, through costume, appearance, etc., helps you get into the role?
Taz Skylar: Definitely. I’m very instinctual with acting. I didn’t train in a traditional way, so I rely on immersion. If a script references something I don’t understand, I read about it. If the character has a skill, I try to learn it. My trailer looked like a deranged art gallery, filled with images, books, and objects that reflected Noah’s world. At some point, it starts to shape your thinking—you begin to see why the character says what he says.
Any specific inspirations—real or fictional—that helped you build the character?
Taz Skylar: Yeah, three main things stand out. First, I had loads of clown photos in my trailer. Clowns are scary because their facial proportions are distorted in a way that unsettles us. That duality felt relevant to Noah—he has a childish, nervous side (like biting his nails), and a terrifying, intentional side, like someone who has disfigured himself on purpose.
Second, Bodhi from Point Break—he’s charismatic, and you understand him, maybe even root for him. I didn’t want people to side with the authorities—I wanted Noah to be unforgettable, someone you might not agree with, but you could never write off as dumb.
Lastly, John Travolta in The Taking of Pelham 123. There’s just something about his energy—you can’t help but kind of want him to succeed, even though you know he shouldn’t.
There’s been a rise in the number of morally complex, nihilistic villains, like Joker, with whom audiences connect. Do you see your character fitting into that broader cultural trend?
Taz Skylar: Totally. I think we’re living in a time where people are more willing to acknowledge the darker sides of themselves, and even embrace it a little. There’s a kinship with these kinds of characters now. They represent something honest about how people feel—and that honesty can be oddly comforting.
The Cleaner premieres in on Sky Cinema in the UK on May 2nd, 2025.