Text: Kee Chang, Photo: Clement Pascal, Posted: 20 October, 2011 - full article
Michelle Williams accomplishes a near-impossible task in My Week with Marilyn: she portrays Marilyn Monroe as a person and not the caricatured icon we’re all used to seeing. However, perhaps surprisingly, Williams’ chameleonic transformation isn’t the main attraction in the biopic. The talk of the New York Film Festival this year was Eddie Redmayne, a lesser-known 29-year-old British actor who is as handsome (he is also a model) as he is talented (he received a Tony in 2010)...
photo source: eddieredmayne.ru
The main thing with theater is that if you mess up, you can go back and sort it out the next night. In film, if you don’t get a certain thing right on the day of shooting, it’s cemented on celluloid. In that scenario, you don’t get another opportunity to have a do-over. Since I started out in theater, when I came back to doing it after film, it was film that had informed my work on stage much more so than the other way around. Once the camera scrutinizes you—where something looks slightly superfluous, histrionic or weird—you take that back to the stage. They’re always informing each other. Film gives you a very varied life and I really enjoy that.
...Taking My Week with Marilyn as an example, how did the finished film measure up to your first impressions of the screenplay?
When I first read the script, I asked, “Who would have the balls to take this on?” When I found out that Michelle [Williams] was attached to it—I knew she was a pretty formidable actress—I had high hopes. I knew it wouldn’t be a caricature of Marilyn, which was perhaps the most exciting thing to watch unfold. She had this translucency. I also saw that it might be an amazing opportunity to have a window into the world of filmmaking and that excited me. It’s a romantic look at a time in British film history. It’s filled with great characters, both British and non-British. It fulfilled that on so many levels for me. As an actor living and working in England, it was wonderful to share moments with people like Derek Jacobi and Judi Dench.
When I first read the script, I asked, “Who would have the balls to take this on?” When I found out that Michelle [Williams] was attached to it—I knew she was a pretty formidable actress—I had high hopes. I knew it wouldn’t be a caricature of Marilyn, which was perhaps the most exciting thing to watch unfold. She had this translucency. I also saw that it might be an amazing opportunity to have a window into the world of filmmaking and that excited me. It’s a romantic look at a time in British film history. It’s filled with great characters, both British and non-British. It fulfilled that on so many levels for me. As an actor living and working in England, it was wonderful to share moments with people like Derek Jacobi and Judi Dench.
...What did you take away from working on this film, be it personal or strictly as an actor?
I think the most interesting thing was playing someone who has a false sense of confidence given his privileged background and incredible access to these sorts of people. But he also has a truth of heart and wants to make his own way in the world, you know? He has this cockiness and needs an emotional education. I would say that, as an actor, you always learn by being a sponge and watching other people. This, of course, was the most wonderful opportunity in which to witness a lot of the greatest living British actors, not to mention Michelle, one of the greatest actors of our generation. I observed all the different ways of acting. I got to understand what I like about how they work and their behavior on set working with the crew even.
I think the most interesting thing was playing someone who has a false sense of confidence given his privileged background and incredible access to these sorts of people. But he also has a truth of heart and wants to make his own way in the world, you know? He has this cockiness and needs an emotional education. I would say that, as an actor, you always learn by being a sponge and watching other people. This, of course, was the most wonderful opportunity in which to witness a lot of the greatest living British actors, not to mention Michelle, one of the greatest actors of our generation. I observed all the different ways of acting. I got to understand what I like about how they work and their behavior on set working with the crew even.
How do you navigate your career as an actor? Where would you like to end up essentially?
I don’t have a set path in mind. Sometimes you get sent scripts that are interesting. Sometimes you like the actors that are involved in a given project. Maybe I’ll find a character that’s challenging or the material will be challenging. I see career as something that you look back on rather than something you look forward to. I just take it step-by-step.
I don’t have a set path in mind. Sometimes you get sent scripts that are interesting. Sometimes you like the actors that are involved in a given project. Maybe I’ll find a character that’s challenging or the material will be challenging. I see career as something that you look back on rather than something you look forward to. I just take it step-by-step.
London Premiere gifs from newly uploaded youtube videos:
I just love it when journalists include the fact that Eddie is handsome; that is,handsome beyond their expectations. As if they were NOT expecting that he is better looking in person, taller, broader, more friendly, more intelligent, more articulate, more of everything.
ReplyDeleteNot many slashies (actor/model/singer/thespians) are as complete as Eddie seems to be. Sometimes, I even question myself. Can Eddie be really this perfect? Or is that only in my Planet Eddie? Sigh....
I shall mention this in my tumbr page. Thanks Judit,