So first of all, this film, you're very good in it and you're very good at being bad.
Was that a lot of fun?
It was a lot of fun yeah, I mean he's, he's a bit of bad, he's a bit of good, he's a bit
of a villain, he's a bit of an anti-hero, bit of a, you know, he's got a lot of things
going on so it was fun. There's a huge spectrum of things that I get to play with him in this
character so yeah, it was great.
Yeah because he's like a romantic hero, he's an action hero, he's also kind of a baddie.
How did you get into character for this because it's quite complex?
Well, you know, it's all in order, so you just got to start with the family man and
the hero and the leader of his people, who also did have a very dark past, so you have
to remember that as well, and then you slowly allow this man to unfold his story and yeah,
but it's the human story so you know I'm a human so that was easy. I could just relate
to this man. I saw his journey. I could see his pain and I could also understand the dilemma of
wanting to protect your loved ones and also your people and not having any options a part from what
might be up this mountain in this dark cave, you know, it's like what would you do. So,
it was yeah, it was so, so much fun. Incredibly exhausting and physically draining, you know because
you're trying to portray a man who's basically addicted, he's has an addiction. Once he's
drunk that blood of that master vampire he has this fever that takes over him and he's
having to contain that while trying to wrangle these powers to his advantage.
Good use of wrangle, I like that.
Wrangle.
You also made that sound like you'd had to go up a mountain at some point yourself.
Oh, believe me, they made me climb a vertical wall of rock at one point on cables with a
giant wind machine and a massive cape so believe me I felt like I'd climbed a couple of mountains
by the time I finished that shot.
Like a terrible Maria Carey video.
The worst.
Wind machines...Obviously this is a classic tale revamped, what did you want to bring
to it in particular when you first got hold of it?
Well I wanted, I was excited about telling the untold story of the origins of the most
famous vampire. That was it basically. It's about the man, it's about this historical
figure that people probably don't know that much about and we are telling a story and
a fresh story, treading new ground about what people might not know, which is always good.
Showing something to somebody who didn't expect it.
I found watching it quite emotional. It was sort of a bit like an extended father for
justice campaign, with also like this terrible like romantic issue. What is quite emotional
filming it?
Ar, it was traumatic, yeah there were moments of real tragedy and heartbreak and yeah, there
were days where I just couldn't talk to anybody. I'd finish the day and just go and sit in
my trailer for an hour and just try and regroup. It's you know, it's exhausting and emotionally
it was, for my character it's such a huge journey for him, you know. There are moments,
he losing his wife, you know. Everything he was doing was for her so it's a beautiful,
tragic, heartbreaking story about sacrifice and love and revenge and all of, you know
sweeping emotions that you know draw you in from the second the film begins, it presents
you with this, this love he has for this woman and his child and the respect he has for his
people. Yeah, there's a lot going on.
I was trying not to cry because it was just me and Susanna Reid, who I don't know.
I was like don't cry, she's gonna think you're weird.
Who's Susanna Reid?
Oh, she presents Good Morning Britain.
Oh right, yes!
-She's quite famous!
-That's right, I was on TV the other day wasn't I? Yeah, she didn't know who I was either so, ha!
Take that Susanna Reid!
I just though I can't sit next to her and cry because I don't know her, it's too weird.
You mean she didn't cry?
No, she didn't! Well I don't think she did.
She's hard as nail that girl. I hate to say it!
Speaking of which, what's it like working with Charles Dance because he's quite an enigma
isn't he?
He is, isn't he? Yeah, I mean he's a statuesque man too. I think he's taller than me and in
that getup was incredible scary, The whole set felt like you were walking into a cave.
It was really dark. It was brilliantly made and he just delivered such a sinister, dark,
threatening, desperate creature that wants to get out, you know. It was brilliant.
It was four days of real enjoyment, if not slightly scary moments.
Did you come out of it more or less scared of him?
Oh, as soon as we said cut, he's back to himself, you know he's Charlie, so that's not so bad.
And very quickly, I like the story of you climbing the gigantic mountain - was there
any other part of filming that you think was quite challenging or might surprise fans?
Well the, you know the plummeting to Earth, trying to catch my wife, which is a tragic
moment, that was a very clever piece of rigging where I was, they molded the front of my body
and they put it horizontally and I sat in it and then there was this huge fan and the
camera was in front so I was actually horizontal and then I was on this sort of seesaw, weighted
seesaw so they could make me move around and tilt me, yeah so I wasn't flying downwards
but that's how they did it. It's very cleber.
They didn't throw you off a mountain?
They didn't throw me off a mountain, no. I think Gary might of wanted to throw me off
a couple of times but we had to finish the movie.
Well, it's a fantastic film, well done! And lovely to speak to you again.
Nice to see you too.
You too.- -Take Care!