Oklahoma Film Icon Paul Sparks rolls with 'The Bikeriders,' Tom Hardy's kicks in new movie

Growing up in Marlow, Paul Sparks played football, baseball and basketball.

But speech was the only class that his dad, Mike, a high school football coach, ever made him take.

"Paula McConnell, who ran the Marlow High School speech team, was the drama teacher ... and she talked me and some other kids into getting involved," Sparks recalled.

"I was supposed to study chemical engineering at Oklahoma State, and before I was going there, Mrs. McConnell said, 'You know, they have a theater scholarship at Oklahoma State, and you could probably get out of a day of school to go up and audition for it. You know a monologue.' So, I went up and did that, and I don't know if anybody else did. But I got a scholarship to go to their theater program. Then, when I got there, it became very clear, very soon that I liked theater people a lot more than I liked being in the chemistry department."

When the Lawton native moved to New York a couple years later to attend NYU, it again became very clear, very soon that he had found a place to build a life as well as a career acting in theater, film and television.

"I immediately thought, 'This is the most magical place that I've ever seen.' And I loved that it was always on. It was always busy," Sparks said. "There's a lot of small-town people that live in New York City ... especially where I live in the East Village."

Paul Sparks builds his acting career on stage and screen

A Primetime Emmy Award nominee for his turn as an ill-fated writer on "House of Cards," Sparks is known for playing his part on acclaimed series like "Boardwalk Empire," "The Girlfriend Experience" and "Physical" as well as for his cinematic roles in movies like "The Greatest Showman," "The Lovebirds" and "Synecdoche, New York."

In spring, the Oklahoma native was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for outstanding lead performer in an Off-Broadway play for his turn opposite his good friend Michael Shannon in last year's production of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot."

Earlier this month, Sparks returned to his home state, along with his wife and fellow actor Annie Parisse and their two children, to be honored as an Oklahoma Film Icon at Oklahoma City's 2024 deadCenter Film Festival.

And he is co-starring opposite Shannon, Tom Hardy, Austin Butler and Jodie Comer in writer-director Jeff Nichols' long-awaited period crime drama "The Bikeriders," which opened June 21 in theaters. After appearing in Nichols' previous films "Mud" and "Midnight Special," Sparks plays the leader of a motorcycle club in his new biker saga.

"He's been talking about this 'Bikeriders' movie for 20 years. As long as I've known him ... he's always had this idea," Sparks told The Oklahoman during his deadCenter Oklahoma Film Icon panel.

"Jeff used to say, 'This movie, it's gonna be really cool.' And I think that's what it is. I think it's a really cool movie. ... Tom Hardy beats me up. That was terrifying."

Oklahoma Film Icon winner talks reading 'The Bikeriders,' getting beaten up by Tom Hardy and working in TV

During his deadCenter Oklahoma Film Icon panel, Sparks chatted with The Oklahoman about getting clobbered by Tom Hardy in "The Bikeriders," taking on the hardest job in TV and more:

Q: What can you tell us about the story of 'The Bikeriders?'

It's pre-Hells Angels. ... I know this script really, really well, and it's really interesting. I don't know exactly how to explain it. It was not what I thought it was going to be. But it's a really interesting story about how something can get away from you. ... Jeff's been fighting for it; it lost its distributor. ... But I look forward to seeing it. I love Jeff Nichols. If you ever can work with him, you should. He's a really good guy.

Q: Even if it means Tom Hardy beating you up?

Yeah, although I did tell him, 'You owe me.' I mean, he (Hardy) kicked me in the chest — and he did not mess around. ... Tom Hardy, he's a really fascinating creature. (chuckles)

Q: Michael Shannon is also in this movie, and you said he's one of your best friends. Do your friendships with other actors make you better?

Mike and I have known each other a long time. ... I love how he works. I love his mind. He can read a script like nobody's business. He cuts right to the chase about stuff, and then when you're on stage with him, he's 100%. available. ... I have built a community of people that I love and respect that I feel is really important to my existence in this business. As we all witnessed during the (Screen Actors Guild) strike and just the world changes, you get reminded in this business, don't take it for granted that there's a job coming, because there may not be. And one of the things that supports you is having a community,

Q: When you're on projects like 'The Bikeriders' and 'Boardwalk Empire,' what's the fine art of making your character stand out in a big cast?

Well, it's hard. I always say, on a television show, the day player's the most difficult job — it's not even close. If you're a regular on a show, yeah, you have to memorize a bunch lines. Yeah, you have to work a lot. But it's much easier; showing up and having two or three lines, it's almost impossible. ... Having a small sliver in a big thing, I think is quite challenging. ...

I like television when I have a good character that goes a long way. You can play the long game. You can make choices that you don't have to tell your whole story in one scene. You can tell it over the course of, sometimes, years. On 'Boardwalk Empire,' I loved being on that show, because I had a small part. But that character was crazy, and I had a plan. What I learned was like, 'Oh, actually, he's quite smart, even though everybody thinks he's stupid. ... He's very bold.' And they let that play out over like five years.

Q: Is becoming a director anything you're interested in?

Nope. No. I don't want to write. I don't like being in charge of a bunch of other people's stuff. I like focusing on just my stuff. I know that sounds narcissistic — and it is. (laughs). Know your lane. That's my advice to me. ... I can't say I would never do it. I'm sure there could be a situation where that would be something. But I like to act. I have a lot of respect for people that can do all of it. But so far, it's never occurred to me that I am one of those people.

Q: Do you have a wish list of things that you haven't gotten to do yet that you would like to do?

I don't have a list of like plays that I want to be in. ... But I want to do lots of plays that are awesome. ... I want to do a movie in Oklahoma. I want to do more stuff with Mike Shannon.

You always want to make stuff that matters. I want some people to see it and go, 'Wow, I've never seen anything like that.' That's what I want: I want people to see themselves (in) and be excited about the work that we do. And I want to surprise people.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Actor Paul Sparks honored as Oklahoma Film Icon, talks 'The Bikeriders'