Lightning Strykez!
Former Mod On Pension Pay
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Messages
- 32,406
- Reaction score
- 54
- Points
- 73
CS: How do you go from playing these historical characters to playing Reed Richards? How did they approach you for that role?
Gruffudd: No, no. Again, I just auditioned, and I was lucky to get the part. As an actor, you believe you can do anything you want and have as diverse a career as possible and here's the chance to play a) an American icon, which I was very keen to do, to have a go at playing an American character and another leading character again.
CS: What's been involved with the effects in creating the character? Is there ever a point where you're like "I didn't go to acting school for this?"
Gruffudd: You know what, it's interesting you say that, because in fact that's where the training really kicks in, is in a circumstance like doing "Fantastic Four." Doing "Amazing Grace," it's something that you get a lot of satisfaction on a daily basis from, saying those great lines and working with these great actors back and forth. On "Fantastic Four," it's so technical, it's so labor-intensive that you need so much imagination to create this in your mind's eye. Obviously, I can't stretch, so you're imagining everything. You're looking off into the middle distance and imagining I'm picking up a postbox and throwing it, to which you have to open up your mind as a child.
CS: But do you have to wear some sort of green suit the whole time?
Gruffudd: Well, no, there's no real green screen work these days, there was very little in fact. We were able to use the sets in the background.
CS: And they just mess around with your body using CG effects?
Gruffudd: Yeah, messing around with my body, yeah, quite simply. It's amazing what they can do these days.
CS: Did you watch the first movie and think, "Hey, that's not my body in that scene"?
Gruffudd: Absolutely. Even my face sometimes. It's incredible how they can impose one's face onto the face of a stuntman. There's a whole sequence in the movie where I'm fighting with Dr. Doom at the end when he captures me in the first movie, and he throws a bolt of lightning at me and I run and fall out the window. I didn't do that moment from standing there to running and falling out the window. That was a CGI me. That's how extraordinary it is.
CS: Has a lot of time passed for the characters between the first movie and this one coming up?
Gruffudd: I suppose yes. There's two years that's evolved in our lives as actors so I guess yes, time has passed, and we're now established firmly as the Fantastic Four in everybody's consciousness. We can't walk down the street without being followed by paparazzi, so we're really embracing the fact that these guys don't have their anonymity. They live amongst us in New York City, and they start to question that. Do they really want to live this life and have this pressure of being super heroes or would they like to live a life of solitude out in the countryside somewhere? So they grapple with that.
CS: Have the team dynamics changed at all?
Gruffudd: I think I'm probably now truly the leader. He's embraced that sort of responsibility and he's now the leader of the gang, so everybody is looking to him for leadership and guidance.
CS: Have your powers developed at all since the first movie?
Gruffudd: No. I mean, he's still the stretchy guy. What the difficulty of this movie is that every scene that the Silver Surfer is in, every frame that he's in is an effect, so that's an incredibly expensive and labor-intensive process.
CS: Is Doug Jones actually on set wearing the costume the whole time?
Gruffudd: Yes he is. Yes he does. It's brilliant.
CS: Are they trying to set things up for a possible third film?
Gruffudd: I guess they probably know now how successful this one is going to be, but I hope so certainly. It's not sort of open-ended as it was at the end of the first movie, but yeah, I'm definitely signed up for three, so I hope we do.
CS: Have you seen any of the new F4 toys with your likeness on them?
Gruffudd: No, not yet. I think with the last movie there was a certain toy company involved and then with this one, there is a new one. All I get are these images I have to approve. "Yeah, that looks like me," so they can use it.
CS: You haven't been tempted to walk over to the Hasbro showroom and ask to see yourself?
Gruffudd: Well, I've seen the old one, sure. Go over and say "Here I am, can I see myself?" No, I'm sure they'll be incredibly elaborate and fantastic.
CS: No pun intended.
Gruffudd: Exactly, yeah. I'm excited to see what they do with the Fantasti-Car. I'm sure those toys are going to be well sought-after this Christmas.
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=18987
Gruffudd: No, no. Again, I just auditioned, and I was lucky to get the part. As an actor, you believe you can do anything you want and have as diverse a career as possible and here's the chance to play a) an American icon, which I was very keen to do, to have a go at playing an American character and another leading character again.
CS: What's been involved with the effects in creating the character? Is there ever a point where you're like "I didn't go to acting school for this?"
Gruffudd: You know what, it's interesting you say that, because in fact that's where the training really kicks in, is in a circumstance like doing "Fantastic Four." Doing "Amazing Grace," it's something that you get a lot of satisfaction on a daily basis from, saying those great lines and working with these great actors back and forth. On "Fantastic Four," it's so technical, it's so labor-intensive that you need so much imagination to create this in your mind's eye. Obviously, I can't stretch, so you're imagining everything. You're looking off into the middle distance and imagining I'm picking up a postbox and throwing it, to which you have to open up your mind as a child.
CS: But do you have to wear some sort of green suit the whole time?
Gruffudd: Well, no, there's no real green screen work these days, there was very little in fact. We were able to use the sets in the background.
CS: And they just mess around with your body using CG effects?
Gruffudd: Yeah, messing around with my body, yeah, quite simply. It's amazing what they can do these days.
CS: Did you watch the first movie and think, "Hey, that's not my body in that scene"?
Gruffudd: Absolutely. Even my face sometimes. It's incredible how they can impose one's face onto the face of a stuntman. There's a whole sequence in the movie where I'm fighting with Dr. Doom at the end when he captures me in the first movie, and he throws a bolt of lightning at me and I run and fall out the window. I didn't do that moment from standing there to running and falling out the window. That was a CGI me. That's how extraordinary it is.
CS: Has a lot of time passed for the characters between the first movie and this one coming up?
Gruffudd: I suppose yes. There's two years that's evolved in our lives as actors so I guess yes, time has passed, and we're now established firmly as the Fantastic Four in everybody's consciousness. We can't walk down the street without being followed by paparazzi, so we're really embracing the fact that these guys don't have their anonymity. They live amongst us in New York City, and they start to question that. Do they really want to live this life and have this pressure of being super heroes or would they like to live a life of solitude out in the countryside somewhere? So they grapple with that.
CS: Have the team dynamics changed at all?
Gruffudd: I think I'm probably now truly the leader. He's embraced that sort of responsibility and he's now the leader of the gang, so everybody is looking to him for leadership and guidance.
CS: Have your powers developed at all since the first movie?
Gruffudd: No. I mean, he's still the stretchy guy. What the difficulty of this movie is that every scene that the Silver Surfer is in, every frame that he's in is an effect, so that's an incredibly expensive and labor-intensive process.
CS: Is Doug Jones actually on set wearing the costume the whole time?
Gruffudd: Yes he is. Yes he does. It's brilliant.
CS: Are they trying to set things up for a possible third film?
Gruffudd: I guess they probably know now how successful this one is going to be, but I hope so certainly. It's not sort of open-ended as it was at the end of the first movie, but yeah, I'm definitely signed up for three, so I hope we do.
CS: Have you seen any of the new F4 toys with your likeness on them?
Gruffudd: No, not yet. I think with the last movie there was a certain toy company involved and then with this one, there is a new one. All I get are these images I have to approve. "Yeah, that looks like me," so they can use it.
CS: You haven't been tempted to walk over to the Hasbro showroom and ask to see yourself?
Gruffudd: Well, I've seen the old one, sure. Go over and say "Here I am, can I see myself?" No, I'm sure they'll be incredibly elaborate and fantastic.
CS: No pun intended.
Gruffudd: Exactly, yeah. I'm excited to see what they do with the Fantasti-Car. I'm sure those toys are going to be well sought-after this Christmas.
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=18987
*sigh*
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