Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang: Interview Rhys Ifans

Interview de Rhys Ifans, pour le film Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.

Q: Susanna the director said she was really impressed with you on set, and that you reminded her of a silent movie star like Buster Keaton

A: “Oh wow, what a compliment. Buster Keaton is one of my heroes so that’s a huge compliment. She’s a great director. We met before we started shooting to discuss the role and she’s very visually adept – she has this magic visual language that is very apparent in this film. She was really open to my suggestions, which were that I didn’t want to play a stock evil, sinister, scary villain. In the real world of the film, what we’re presented with is someone who’s a coward and morally bereft. As well as being frightened or petrified by villains, they also like the luxury of being able to laugh at them. If you can laugh at a bad person, then you recognise why they’re bad. If you’re frightened of them, then you don’t really understand”

Q: They say never work with children or animals…

A: “I loved it. On set, I just work with actors, be it a pig or a kid. It’s a workspace, it’s a factory floor. These kids were exemplary. These kids were fantastic, just a joy to work with. They embraced the world of the film with far more ease than an adult actor does. They just turn up and say, yeah, this is the world I’m in. They play. Kids know how to play. We forget how to”