When a film is an epic of a scale as director Ridley Scott’s version of “Robin Hood,” it could be fairly easy for an actor to become absorbed on a set where elaborate costumes, countless set pieces and props, and hundreds of extras are necessary to create a realistic 13th century England.



Actor Óscar Isaac, however, didn’t allow himself to get lost in the shuffle.



“I thought maybe I would feel like a cog in a big machine, but I didn’t,” said Isaac during an interview with EXTRA. “I felt all my contributions were welcome. I felt a lot of freedom even though it was on such an incredible set with so many people. It was a collaborate effort.”



In “Robin Hood,” Isaac, who was born Óscar Isaac Hernandez, portrays King John, the arrogant ruler of England who imposes a harsh tax across the land. Isaac, who graduated from Julliard School in 2005, earned his first major role the following year when he starred as Joseph in “The Nativity Story.”



During our interview, Isaac, who is of Guatemalan and Cuban descent, talked about how he took on his demanding role as King John, how the character changed during production and what it was like when Russell Crowe taught him how to ride a horse.



EXTRA: How do you tackle a character like King John? On one hand, he’s a real part of history. On another, he has been added into this fictional narrative.

Óscar Isaac: What’s good is that there is a plethora of information out there about him. There is so much written about him and that time period. It was fun to investigate and try to understand why he has the worst reputation ...