http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=14942
Ioan Gruffudd is not only an action star now thanks to Fantastic Four, but he's also a very charitable guy. ComingSoon.net caught up with him and his stunning fiancee Alice Evans, who is also a British actress, at the Vintage Hollywood 2006 charity event in Los Angeles for which all proceeds will go to The Children's Circle, an organization which helps infants and children with HIV.
Gruffudd must have been feeling really generous because not only was he going to bid in the auction at the event, but he gave us an update on what's happening with Fantastic Four 2.
"I paid my ticket and I just wanted to come and support this charity that's all," he told us. "I think the presence of this disease is still enormous around the world and people are suffering with it in our own backyard here even in Hollywood, so I think it's very important that it's still out there and exists."
Stylishly dressed in a Burberry dark blue stripped jacket, a V-neck shirt and jeans, the UK born actor admitted that while he has signed on for the sequel, which begins shooting in Vancouver in late August, he still hasn't seen the script. "I have not seen the script or read it. I don't know exactly what the story line is. I know Jessica Alba has been talking about it quite a bit and I believe that the premise is Silver Surfer is the new character that comes into it."
Although Gruffudd has had some time to adjust to the overwhelming success of the first installment of the "Fantastic Four" series, he still can't believe the film's popularity. "It's fantastic. You know it's beyond our wildest dreams on how it performed in the box office. Obviously personally I'm delighted that we're going back. Hopefully this one will be successful and we'll go back for a third one as well after that."
While he's still in disbelief about the success, he's certain about his character. "I'm sure Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic is very capable of holding onto his woman," he laughed when I asked if he was worried about the competition over Sue (Jessica Alba) and if he thought he could lose her.
Besides Michael Chiklis, Alba and Chris Evans being brought back to reprise their roles, Gruffudd set the record straight on Dr. Doom -- Julian McMahon, who played the character in the first film, will be back too. "I'm sure he'll be just as ambiguous. Is he on our side or isn't he?"
And although the star confesses he hasn't actually read the comic books, he loves the fans and has been well received by them. "They've been very generous... People either recognize immediately or they don't recognize me at all. The fanatical ones are the ones who run up to you and go crazy. A lot of kids try to come up and pull my arms."
"I hadn't read a single comic book when I was younger so I've come to this completely fresh. It's such an amazing world that they've created, you know these Marvel comic book writers. It's just a great fantasy world for us all to go and escape to," he continued.
Gruffudd said he can't wait to see his cast mates again and he's looking forward to stepping back into the role of Mr. Fantastic. "I think when you revisit something for the second time, it's always more comfortable and comforting. It gives you more confidence and more scope to play around."
Fantastic Four 2 is targeted for a release on June 15, 2007. If you can't wait to see Ioan Gruffudd before then, check him out as Burberry's new model for the company's men's cologne.
For more information on The Children's Circle, please visit ChildrensCircle.org.
I am sure he has been told things but the fact still remains...he hasn't read the script so nothing he is saying is set in stone really.
