But it’s a strange thing when people judge you because you’re not doing some big Hollywood film. Are you suggesting I should be in ‘The Dukes of Hazzard?’ I mean, hello?
There are a couple of films that I’ve done, where I’ve had to get on a horse and wear a pair of tights, so that helped. But, nothing could have prepared me for the fun of wielding magic like Merlin does, especially in the perverted mind of Chris Chibnall.
I think everything I do is my early work. I can’t wait to get on to the later stuff.
From the age of about five to twelve I was very bad, a hideous little terror who beat people up. I was a member of the Rough Gang – we went around and terrorized all the pupils in school.
I think academics are infuriating. For every expert on Shakespeare there is another one to cancel his theory out. It drives you up the wall. I think the greatest form of finding out the truth is through fantasy.
I love new writing, new blood, modern works by unknown writers.
I’ve got a vendetta to destroy the Net, to make everyone go to the library. I love the organic thing of pen and paper, ink on canvas. I love going down to the library, the feel and smell of books.
There is a bit of me if I’m pushed in one way I might bounce back and go the opposite.
I like the fact that we’re stripping the icons away. They’re the WikiLeaks for the age that we’re revealing, with the transparency of the characters. We’re unearthing the truth beyond or underneath the myth. I love that aspect.
I’ve always believed that you shouldn’t want to mend a broken heart, because that’s someone you don’t want to forget. Scars can be good.
I love life. I’m fascinated by human behavior because that feeds back into my work.
When I was offered the part in Shakespeare In Love a voice in my head said ’not another tights role!
Youth is a predominant factor. We are seeing a young King Arthur, and thereby a young-ish – as I’m into my 40s – Merlin. It was about how to tackle it, from that point view.
I’m a huge admirer of Pope Francis and everything he stands for. I think he’s an incredibly connected spiritual and authentic being.
I wanted to say, “Hey, Pope Francis,” but I cried like a baby. I was reduced to a very humble set of feelings, because it was not about what was said: There’s a presence. That was a blessing for myself and my family and everyone there to be a part of that.
I think religion might throw up a kind of resistance, but I think if one talks about conditioning we can all kind of understand that.
Maybe we need more dialogue in terms of our faith, in terms of those who are believers, or even nonbelievers, about that aspect, and what that might mean if you were interpreting. You don’t have to believe it; maybe you could draw a metaphor from it.
Pretty much all films I’ve seen that depict the life of Christ end with the Crucifixion, almost like the filmmakers don’t know what to do after.
It’s all about human condition, ultimately. That’s what you’re looking at. You’re also looking to have some fun, as well, because that also translates. Maybe wearing tights once in awhile helped. Getting up on a horse a couple of times before might have helped.
I think all experience is, in some way, shape or form, filtered down to help you, in your present moment. With Shakespeare, you’re trying to act with a fairly archaic language, although in certain aspects, it’s deeply modern.
I’ve been such a fool, Vassili. Man will always be a man. There is no new man. We tried so hard to create a society that was equal, where there’d be nothing to envy your neighbour. But there’s always something to envy. A smile, a friendship, something you don’t have and want to appropriate. In this world, even a Soviet one, there will always be rich and poor. Rich in gifts, poor in gifts. Rich in love, poor in love.