Congratulations on the film.
Thank you.
To quote Al Pacino, just when you thought you were out
they've pulled back in shall we say?
Pull me back in 30 years later.
a few years later, just the 30.
What's three decades?
What was your experience like?
Because obviously you're well known for so many things, but we see Lady
Chatterley as a big, big part of your your career... repertoire...
Lady Chatterley and 101 Dalmatians, what a weird combination...
Right.
then nipped out, but I don't know.
Anyway, what was the question?
What was it like stepping back into a world that you know,
but from kind of looking at it from a different perspective,
do you know what it was really nice to step back into it.
Sort of strange because obviously I was on the sidelines
looking in, which was actually really nice because
although it was familiar, it was completely different.
And with the passage of time,
obviously being 30 years older, it was really lovely.
You know, when I originally read the script, I was like, This is odd.
Why if they, you know, for me, do they know that... da dah duh...
and then when I read the part of Mrs.
Bolton, I just thought she was so lovely. And,
you know, my my dad was a northerner.
I don't know if, you know, I mean that, but he was film
director who started kitchen sink drama, very much stories based up north.
And that's you know, that's 50% of my DNA.
So in a strange way, getting to actually play
someone who's half of me was was really great.
And it's like this is no me not being disingenuous to D.H.
Lawrence at all.
But obviously in this era of kind of comic books,
you get so many different interpretations of characters.
The power of this book is open to all these interpretations.
Can you see just why people have gone back to kind of remake it?
Because at different points, in different times,
there's more to say and more things.
A much more relevant.
Absolutely.
I think that's a really good question.
And I think with the classics or in its day, the infamous classic,
it was Lady Chatterley, there's always more to say.
And certainly in these times when it's about women's rights,
empowerment, certainly globally, it's very topical.
And there's obviously Jack O'Connell and Emma Corrin at the top of this, both of whom
have had such great careers in such a short amount of time.
What was it like watching them?
Because obviously you've been part of that relationship.
But this one again, it so different obviously I guess feels.
Yeah, similar.
Well, I didn't get to watch them per se.
I mean when we did the read through Jack was sitting to my right
and Emma was sitting just across the table.
So that was the only time because obviously, especially nowadays,
it's very much a closed set,
not just because we've all come through COVID where, you know, no visitors.
In the old days, it was like anyone who wants to visit the set can.
Now it's very much a closed set, especially with the story like this.
But if I was in a scene with them,
then you're sort of less watching because you're in it so immersive
and that it it was wonderful to think that story was going on
and I was indirectly a part of bringing helping the lovers to get together
and I always think that's a nice thing to say to help you see it.
I have seen it. I saw it the night before last.
Was that a strange given your connection to it, was it as strange as it?
Was it quite cathartic to be?
Quite it was neither strange nor cathartic to see it again.
I honestly, it was so long ago and although I have very fresh memories
of like Ken Russell and Sean Bean who I, you know, I absolutely love and adore
it. It was just like seeing a
new film, but knowing this story, you know,
same way when you've read the book and then you see the film.
And I think this is such a new take, you know, it's so although,
you know, it's set in the time that it's set, it's it's also very modern.
It's shot from a modern point of view that's reflected in the costume design.
And obviously, Emma, as a very modern, modern
artist, is
them leading the way, also gives this such a
a beautiful, powerful, fresh slant.
It's ironic that you mentioned the but I completely forgot to
just say that that Ken was your director.
But because I was just talking about him in the press room,
you talk about ironically talking about The Devils.
Of course. Of course.
Of course. I get that a lot.
But there's a link to that as well.
There is a link to that.
You know, I was very fond of Ken
and all his wonderful, you know, anarchic ways.
You know, he was one of our greats.
What was it like working for for Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre?
Because obviously she's come from some amazing work as well,
but she has such a clear
and very distinctive vision different to what you guys
what was it like working with her and seeing her bring that?
Because it seems like it was a bit of a passion for her to bring this again.
I wasn't really party to it.
I mean, I worked with Laure but,
you know, marginally so.
I can't compare the two.
But I think that that she's done a beautiful version.
What was your conversations like with her?
Like before you'd you'd come on?
I didn't really have any conversations with Laure.
It's funny, you sort of get offered a part and then you go to the read through.
You meet everyone. Suddenly you're on set.
And so we we didn't really have any conversations.
And obviously some audiences are not young audience is unfamiliar with this.
And they're going to see this novel as it's going on
Netflix, that it's going to go the world over.
What are you hoping they kind of take away from it?
Because there's so much going on in the book and you say even now in 2022,
there's a lot more of it that people can kind of relate to that
maybe they wouldn't of years ago watching the film, for me
an answer to your question, I just felt really exciting that excited
that this was coming out for a new generation.
I mean, also older generations who've maybe seen other versions
or read the book.
But I but I felt that for young people to see this
and to see a very, you know, wonderful
adaptation or version of it, I thought this is so great.
It's all about bringing the story and the stories brought home.
Yeah, absolutely. There's a lovely story. Thanks so much for your time.
Pleasure so much. Thank you.