Michael Peña And Jesse Williams Discuss Secret Headquarters And Working With Young Actors

You both have a significant amount of screen time with Owen Wilson. What was it like working with him, and what have been some of your favorite moments with him throughout, both on and off the screen?

Michael Peña: The first time, he made such a big entrance. People ask me, "What is Owen Wilson like?" I'm like, "Exactly the way you think he's like." He comes in, he's got such a distinct voice, and you catch yourself watching him, and you're like, "Wow, that's Owen Wilson doing his thing, dude, and he's really good. Wow, this is amazing." I'm a huge fan [of] "Bottle Rocket," "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums," and those kinds of movies. Going to Topgolf with Owen Wilson, you're like, "What? This is insane. This is awesome."

Jesse Williams: He's a great guy, a really great guy off set, and being able to be on set with him and watch him do his thing, like Michael said, it was one of the "aha" moments: "Oh, wow. We're really doing this — in a cool environment." I wouldn't expect my first time working with Michael Peña or Owen Wilson would be in this style of movie, with this great group of kids where it's such a combo of genres. It all was a pretty, pretty brilliant assembly.

Michael, what was it like going from a superhero sidekick in "Ant-Man" to a full-fledged villain in "Secret Headquarters"? And what are some of the highlights from those gigs?

Peña: It's interesting because it's definitely different. You're still trying to entertain people, but entertain them in a different way. The way he talks to the kids is like if they're annoying you, and they're like, "Stop it, stop it" — that vibe, which is a playful kind of anger. I thought of Martin Shkreli. That's what I thought of. Not necessarily his mannerisms, but the way he comes off. He has a huge button on this self-importance and this complex that you could see. It's clear as day, and justifications come left and right. That's the way that I thought this guy would be.