The "I Origins" star dissects scientists, spirituality, and software.

Actor Michael Pitt is best known for playing a gangster on "Boardwalk Empire," a murderous psychopath in "Funny Games," and a drugged-out grunge rocker in "Last Days." With "I Origins," he demonstrates range with his credible portrayal of Dr. Ian Gray, a molecular biologist studying the evolution of the eye, who makes a discovery that challenges all his deep-held scientific theories and spiritual beliefs.

Weird scientist: Michael Pitt plays Dr. Ian Gray in I Origins.

This role seems like a definite departure from your previous work. What drew you to playing a scientist? Maybe that. One of the things I was really interested in was that people have never seen me play a character like this. That's interesting for me, and I hope that's interesting for my fans.

What interests you about scientists? Their quest for unlocking the mysteries of the universe. That's a very noble thing to be passionate about, and I draw a parallel between scientists and artists.

Do actors function in the same way? I think any good actor is trying to understand and break apart and contemplate the human condition, so I think that can be similar.

In the movie, you play a molecular biologist, who is obsessed with eyes. When you meet someone for the first time, do their eyes stand out to you? Absolutely. But I would be really curious to hear that someone doesn't notice the eyes, or the eyes don't speak to them. There's an intuitive sense that people gain about another person, and I think it usually comes -- at least for me -- when you look into their eyes.

She blinded him with science: Dr. Ian Gray fixates on Sofi's eyes in I Origins.

You filmed part of the movie in India. Had you been there before? No.

How did India treat you? It was an amazing experience, going to India. It's India. I would have loved to stay even longer than we did. We would shoot in this very low-income area. It wasn't that uncommon to see the kids playing in mounds of garbage. Then we'd go back to the hotel that was this billion-dollar estate. Having that intense experience and the big contrast between those two worlds was just amazing. Also, working with the young actors was amazing.

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Star Apps: Michael Pitt