Available in Select Theaters, Digital and On Demand on July 11th
by: Paul Salfen
In the sweltering heat of a Texas summer marked by devastating floods in Kerrville and heavy rains across the state, I caught up with the legendary Peter Weller for an exclusive chat with AMFM Magazine. Broadcasting from Austin amid the chaos, Weller—forever etched in pop culture as the cybernetic law enforcer in RoboCop—opened up about his latest role in the pulse-pounding thriller BANG (2025). But our conversation went far beyond the screen, touching on personal journeys, father-son bonds, Renaissance art, and even a nod to Dallas Cowboys legend Drew Pearson. With his signature wit and wisdom, Weller proved why he’s still a force in Hollywood after five decades.
Weller, calling in from the heart of Texas, started with heartfelt condolences for the recent disasters. “I’m from San Antonio, and I’ve got a lot of friends who lost relatives in that particular… disaster there. Kerrville is just got me by the heart because that’s really where I grew up,” he shared. “Send my thoughts, loves, hard… Look at all of the people who live around you and all the people that live around there and Texas itself, man.” It’s a reminder that even icons like Weller remain grounded in their roots, especially in tough times.
The film BANG follows the story of one of the most feared hitmen who, after a near-death experience, begins to question his life of violence. Envisioning a future free from bloodshed, he seeks an exit—only to face fierce resistance from his crime boss. Weller plays the formidable boss, a role that echoes the corporate villainy of his RoboCop days but dives deeper into emotional territory. “It’s a well-written movie. Peter [Linklater] did a superb job of writing. It’s based upon an episode that I directed for him that he wrote… and Wick is a gifted director who executed Peter’s vision,” Weller explained. “They both gave me a lot of room to create stuff. And Jack [the lead]was a pleasure… the cast was just amazing.”
Fans of Weller’s intense performances will spot parallels to RoboCop, where he portrayed a man-machine grappling with humanity. In BANG, the action is high-octane, but Weller highlighted the heart beneath the hits: the father-son dynamic between his character and the hitman. “What I dug about it… is the father-son deal in it. The guy is really not so much about keeping a hit man as he is not losing his son… It’s like Lear and Edgar,” he said, referencing Shakespeare’s King Lear. Scenes like the one where his character implores, “You don’t quit… Seneca didn’t quit Nero,” were particularly memorable for Weller. “That’s what’s the most magical arc in it for me.”
Filming in exotic locations added to the joy, with Weller bringing his family along. “Basically every day because I have my family with me… We went up to Shang, my size of elephants and so forth,” he recalled with a laugh. It’s clear that at 78, Weller still relishes the craft, finding depth in roles that go “a little more deeper than just the bad guy.”
When asked for advice to aspiring actors—drawing from his keynote speech at UCLA’s graduating class—Weller didn’t hold back. “Find out what you really want to do… It’s the first law of prosperity written in stone 5000 years ago,” he urged. Sharing his own story, he recounted switching from music (after a “Whiplash moment” realizing he wouldn’t be the next Miles Davis) to acting, heading to New York with a scholarship and no Plan B. “I knew I was not coming back… The other things are not on the table.”
His path wasn’t easy. Weller’s artistic mother warned him New York would “eat you alive,” while his judge father surprisingly backed him with financial support. “Done. That’s what you want to do… Go do it,” his dad said. It’s a testament to perseverance: “I was told by many people that I didn’t have the talent… But that’s what I am. That’s what I do.”
Tying into sports (a shoutout to my co-host Drew Pearson, the Hail Mary hero), Weller likened career breakthroughs to gridiron miracles. “My Hail Mary moment… It keeps happening,” he said, referencing auditions for RoboCop (five meetings with Paul Verhoeven) and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. Even now, prepping a major film, he views every role as a “play fake down the five-yard line.”
For BANG, Weller’s mindset was laser-focused: “What underneath this plot does this guy really want?… He wants his kid back.” He hopes audiences take away that paternal bond amid the chaos. “In spite of the fact that the action and the shooting… is highly entertaining… If they take anything away from me, I hope it’s like a dad and a kid.”
Weller isn’t just acting these days. His new book, Leon Battista Alberti in Exile: Tracing the Path to Our First Modern Book on Painting (Cambridge University Press), explores the Renaissance polymath who penned the groundbreaking treatise on painting. “It’s got 216 photographs and images… It will walk you through, visually walk you through the Renaissance,” he enthused. The book argues Alberti absorbed influences over years in exile, not in a rushed eight months.
Looking ahead, Weller teased a “secret” project: a film directed by David Fincher, written by Quentin Tarantino. “I’m rehearsing it now… Great cast… I’m very grateful to be part of it.” Shooting starts in August.
No chat with Weller would be complete without Dallas memories, where RoboCop was filmed for its futuristic skyline. “Dallas was the most sophisticated looking urban situation… Had a great crew.” A former Teamster (Local 745), Weller loaded trucks to fund college at North Texas. “Hats off to Dallas and RoboCop in Dallas.”
As we wrapped, Weller’s energy was infectious. From RoboCop to BANG, he’s a master of reinvention, blending action with soul. Catch BANG in theaters soon—it’s a hit you won’t want to miss. And Peter, Texas sends its love right back.
