Movie Star Translation June 2008

Huge thanks to Emily for translating this

(Interview by Ileana Young, translated back into English by Emily R.)

"I thought that if I passed up this big of a chance, I’d regret it for the rest of my life”

The 21st of May has finally arrived, when the second film in The Chronicles of Narnia series, “The Horn of Prince Caspian,” opens to the public. The continuation of the epic (worldview) from the previous movie is exciting, but the thing to look out for this time is, of course, Ben Barnes in the role of Prince Caspian. At his arrival the other day Barnes confessed, “Because I still think about fame the same way as everyone else, I get nervous when I meet someone famous.” He explained his yet innocent expectations, “When you become famous and your name becomes known in the industry, you start receiving more scripts than before and it’s possible to play many more different kinds of roles.” Yet when the movie comes out across the globe this month, there is no doubt that the world around him will change. We asked Ben about his state of mind just before the movie premiered.

MS: We just watched a clip from the movie... there was a lot of action and it was very cool.

BB: Really? I also think that I look cooler in the movie than in real life, for which I’m very grateful to the staff (laughs). I can see myself as being much better physically and mentally than at the time of filming.

MS: This has definitely been the biggest work for you so far, but do you have other acting experiences?

BB: Yes, I do. In England I was in a lot of television shows, and I was in a TV pilot in America. I also played a Russian immigrant in a British indie film. Oh, and I had a small role in Michael Vaugh’s “Stardust.” So, I gained a lot of experiences here and there. But of course, playing the lead role in a film as big as “Caspian” was a first for me. Just about everything feels like a new experience.

MS: You’ve done a lot of theater up until now, but in order to appear in “Caspian” you had to break a contract with the National Theater, where you were to play the role of Dakin in “The History Boys,” correct? I imagine that was a hard decision to make, but because of it are you no longer able to enter that theater?

BB: Well to be honest, I wouldn’t really be noticed if I did go, would I? In fact, I’ve recently seen several excellent productions there. But as you said, it was a very difficult decision. Although it was more than a year ago, I still get a weird feeling talking about it. Anyways, because of that decision I know I disappointed a lot of people and it hurts to know I did such a terrible thing. That production actually lasted six months and my stand-in was always there, but he didn’t have a chance to stand on the stage in my place even once. So for the remaining few weeks I though it would be alright to leave it to him. In addition to which I thought that if I passed up a chance as big as “Caspian,” I’d regret it for the rest of my life. If I had refused it, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Of course, I think it’s bad to have broken the contract. The cast was fantastic and I personally think that it was the best production in ten years. But I think it was a decision that any actor might make.

MS: What if in ten years that theater looks at you, who has since become famous, and thinks, “We’d like him to come back,” and asked you to?

BB: What would I do… Well, if after ten years I was contacted and told they want me to come take an audition, I would go without any hesitation. Because working with them has been my dream since long ago. For better or for worse, in the same year two of my dreams came true. There’s just nothing I can do about that.

MS: What was your motivation to start acting?

BB: When I was little I was pretty quiet and loved music. My dad used to take me to see the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney in concert. When I was ten I became the biggest Queen fan and sang them wherever I went. Then, when I was fifteen, the National Youth Music Theater, where Jude Law, Johnnie Lee Miller and Jamie bell had gone, came to my school and I got scouted. I did about six productions with them, and it was legit theater training. After that I did some TV, made some jazz and soul recordings, and while doing my English/Drama major at university I realized again that I wanted to do some acting.

MS: You were in a boy band in the Eurovision Song Contest, right? What was that all about?

BB: Haha, at the time I was drunk… (laughs) No, I’m joking. That was during university, and I thought it would be interesting, just for fun. We didn’t have real rehearsals, just got together and hung out, and then I was told, “There’s this contest coming up in two weeks… how about we enter?” At first I didn’t want to do it at all, but then I thought I would like to stand on that stage… (laughs). We only performed one song and the next moment I quit the band. In other words, my pop career lasted only four and a half minutes!

MS: If you could erase this part of the past, would you?

BB: Probably. Boy band pop music isn’t really my taste, you see, and I don’t want to be misunderstood. I like old Motown, the Beatles, and the recent Arctic Monkeys (a British guitar rock band). I like quite a range of music, but I don’t like pop. At the time I thought that anything having to do with music would be fine, which is why I did it. Isn’t that what everyone’s like when they’re young?

MS: Other than a pop group, have you ever been in other bands?

BB: Yeah, I was in several bands at university. I played drums in a big jazz orchestra and did lead vocals in a normal rock band. Right before graduating university I also was in a Frank Sinatra tribute band, which was pretty fun. In any case, I love playing music and singing. I was actually in a musical once where I was a drummer in a rock band. That was also fun. In my 20’s I went into theater, and I’ve played the piano and sung a bit too (in the new film co-starring Jessica Biel, “Easy Virtue” ** a bit weird, not sure if this is correct or not).

MS: Did you prepare yourself for being a Hollywood star from being in “Caspian?”

BB: Not at all! Actually, when they finished the poster for this movie I was so surprised, and I asked the producers, “Is this some kind of joke?” You see, this character looks like a hero. But as a person, he’s very far from being a hero, and I think he’s more like a child who has no idea what he’s doing. The poster gives a different image. But if that poster does its job well, I’ll hopefully get more offers for different roles—it’s a great opportunity for me. Right now no one knows who I am, so, for example, if I were to go to a party in Hollywood, no one would recognize me.

MS: So at this point in time, what films are you scheduled to make?

BB: The second and third Narnia films, because in the fourth my character is 70 years old, so I don’t know if I’ll be in it at all or not. Though, at the end there is a scene in which he becomes young again, so it would be cool if they could use me even for just that.

MS: I wonder, did you read the books when you were younger?

BB: Yeah, I read them when I was eight. Why do I know it was when I was eight? Well, when it was decided that I would be in this film, I took my old book down from the shelf and read it again, and there were some things I had written inside it. They were from right when I was eight. And there was also the BBC TV series, which I watched and really liked. At university I studied children’s literature and I had to re-read the books again then. I even had a test question once about The Chronicles of Narnia. Pretty coincidental, yeah?

MS: Was it difficult to act in front of a green screen?

BB: No, it wasn’t that bad. The one hard thing was, in the scenes with the mouse, he was just a red ball on a wire. I had thought that the Narnia movies would all be done completely in CGI, but we went to real locations like forests and rivers, had to move through water. The staff actually built that castle.

MS: Some of the filming was in New Zealand, right? Was that the same river where they filmed “Lord of the Rings?”

BB: That was really close by. The part of the river where we filmed was about five minutes away from that one by helicopter.

MS: Isn’t there a bit of romance in the film?

BB: No, not really. You see, it’s a story about friendship and people bringing their forces together to overcome. There’s a bit of budding love between Susan and Caspian, but in the end he marries someone whom he doesn’t know at all, so what you see in the film isn’t really love. In any case the cast members would get older, so the film would have to be a bit different from the book. It’s kind of stupid if you’re twenty in real life but pretending to be a thirteen year-old in a film.

MS: So there’s a small kiss-scene in the film?

BB: Yes. There’s a lot more in the film I’m doing right now with Jessica Biel, so I’m satisfied (laughs).

MS: Do you have a girlfriend?

BB: No, right now I’m single. I wonder as what kind of person I should present myself to the ladies… (laughs).

MS: Why would a wonderful guy such as you be single?

BB: What with this big film coming out this summer, I really haven’t had the time. I’m not an idiot, and I’ve thought about it practically.

MS: So you haven’t met your soulmate?

BB: Soulmate? No… not met her yet. But I’m only 26 so I have no need to panic.

MS: But you could have your pick….

BB: No, no, right now my only fans are twelve years old! (laughs) My fan letters are all from girls that age. Do there’s been no such fateful meeting. Though I’m waiting to see what will happen after the film is released…

MS: Are you worried that you’ll lose your privacy as you become more popular?

BB: Up till now I’ve not really thought about it, but lately I’ve been receiving a lot of warnings from the people around me. Listening to their stories, I’ve become a bit worried. Honestly, I feel like I haven’t prepared myself very well for this. But worry about it while living my life seems so boring, so right now I’m just plunging ahead without thinking about it.

MS: Have the cameras started lining up in front of your house?

BB: No, the film hasn’t been released yet so there’s no such thing. I’m sure I’ll have some complaints for you if we meet again after the film comes out (laughs).

MS: By that time will you have gone into rehab like the rest of your Hollywood friends?

BB: It’s possible, right? I’ll have been married three times, with eighteen children… (laughs)