“American Star” is an introspective British thriller with Ian McShane in the lead role of Wilson, a mysterious hitman of few words. Filmed on location in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, the English actor revels in the fact that his character “goes there and disobeys his first rule, which is, do the job and leave.” But is Wilson a government operative, a black ops soldier, or something else entirely? “There’s a whole other world out there we don’t know about,” McShane theorizes. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

The actor discusses some of Wilson’s quirks, including taking down a flower painting at his hotel and seemingly always wearing black. “In these three days, you get a reflection of what his life is,” McShane says. “He’s missed out on a lot, as exemplified by the people he comes into contact with. I’m not saying he regrets it,...