Kingdom Of The Planet Of Apes: Owen Teague Reveals He Went To ‘Ape School’ For His Role

Owen Teague learned ape behaviour to play the character of a chimpanzee with perfection. The actor will be essaying the role of Noa, an intelligent chimpanzee with a soft heart, in the upcoming Wes Ball directorial Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. It is the fourth instalment of the popular Planet Of Apes film franchise. Owen Teague, who is gearing up for the film’s release, revealed that he spent six long weeks at a Florida ape sanctuary where he observed the behaviour of primates closely to enhance his on-screen performance.

In an interaction with Variety, Owen Teague revealed while he got close to chimpanzees, but maintained his distance from orangutans. “Man, they smell terrible," he added.

During the same conversation, Owen Teague added that he went to great lengths to adapt the characteristics for his role, under the guidance of a movement teacher.

Offering a few insights on what he learned, Owen Teague shared, “There’s something very soft about the way that chimps move. Their hands are just super loose. You don’t see them sit down and then shift around to get comfy. They plant themselves in the exact right place and stay there. They’re so physically present."

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Owen Teague added that the makers of the film gave the cast “sawed-off crutches" to portray chimpanzees walking on their knuckles.

Although he admitted that they were initially very painful and he had to battle elbow pain, once the designers tweaked the prototype by adding more springs, he got comfortable with using them.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes revolves around a post-apocalyptic future where humans are dominated and oppressed by powerful apes. Under the tyrannical rule of Proximus Caesar, humans are being hunted and preyed upon. However, coming to the rescue is Noa, who wishes to put a stop to the war. The chimpanzee along with his human friend Mae (Freya Allen) team up to decide the ultimate fate of apes and humans.

Also starring Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman, William H. Macy, and Peter Macon in crucial roles, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is slated to premiere theatrically on May 10.