Hi, Jim. How are you? Hi, Stefan.
Very good.
I really love the mood.
Intense and has this infectious kind of outlook on life
that really kind of rubs off on the viewer
I just wondering if a character like that rubs off on you, the acts,
and even just across your career, do you find sometimes even subconsciously,
you kind of adopt certain traits and sensibilities
from some of the characters that you portray?
Inevitably, I suppose.
But I
hope hopefully it happens with the charming characters
and benevolent characters rather than some of the more dodgy ones.
But they never came to know
the delighted if some of Compton's
goodwill towards his fellow man was rubbed off on me.
This is a very interesting and engaging character to play.
Certainly, and I, I did.
I, I hope I identified with him to a degree.
So I watched and funnily enough I watched the weekend
last week as well, which obviously yourself the brilliant Lindsay Duncan.
When it comes to sparring partners
on the screen, you've been blessed to have such wonderful onscreen spouses.
Helen Mirren being another fine example of that.
How, how much easier does it get your job when you're collaborating
with talented performers like that?
Absolutely.
It's it's
hugely easier
when Roger [Michell] was that I mean, the whole film, the both films
really that Roger was a master of
all his other many talents.
He was particularly brilliant at casting
and and certainly in the Duke.
Across the board, every every character is perfectly cast.
And they know the people who come from the council or the police or each.
Each one is an individual character who you really believe in.
And and it was working with Helen was
just a joy, you know, and
Roger was so good at directing that it never felt like we had to work.
Never felt difficult.
The whole process seemed organic.
And easy, and we didn't have to question it and work out how to do it.
It just flowed.
It was a and that was down to Roger's
skill and his preparation and his casting really and real.
And we had a little bit of rehearsal for a few days before we started filming
where we'd just go through the scenes and discuss them and things,
make sure we were on the same page.
And it was it was one of the great things
about Roger that he it didn't seem like work.
And right through the whole process, there was no stress
and anxiety, no arguments, no nothing.
It was a just a joy.
He was a joy to work with Yeah.
He was a joy to interview. I was lucky enough to interview him
a few times for the weekend, in fact, actually.
And I mean, he he's
obviously a director and leaves behind such a remarkable canon of great films.
You must be so thrilled that you have had the opportunity to star and
collaborate with him.
I was very lucky.
And no, no, I think we had a good working relationship,
but I was looking forward to the other jobs we might do.
Nothing specific.
But now I hope.
Well, I hope Roger comes up with something else soon.
I mean, and I think everyone who worked with him
felt the same, and not just actors, but, you know, designers
and the makeup of everyone and the cinematographers.
Everyone just loved working with him.
So the loss is immense
across the across the business completely.
Of course, it's so sad to know he won't be here to to see the release of the film.
But having said that, I mean,
because the film has been around for some time,
you must still be quite pleased
it has been held back for theatrical release
because over the last two years,
so many films have had to kind of been released on different sort of platforms
in different formats.
But this film, The Duke, really feels like one that ought to be seen with a bigger
crowd as possible and on the big screen as well.
I hope I hope the people, the audiences will come back.
I think I mean, there's been it's I think because it's been delayed,
there's been a knock on effect that it hasn't been
in the consideration for the BAFTAs
and the Oscars as it might have done if it had been earlier,
may not have been considered anyway.
But I think there is a it's a bit of a shame that,
particularly for the film, from Roger's point of view, that it hasn't been
acknowledged in that way, which I think if it did open
normally and had a good view of people who been aware of it,
and it would have got more of a reaction Yeah, I do think this is a film.
It was definitely it would have been in the conversation for awards is is great.
Well, thank you so much for time today, Jim,
and best of luck with the release of the film.
And I'm sure we'll speak speak again.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Bye bye.