THE HERO
Charles Dance on GOT, Godzilla and The Golden Child.
ABAFTA nom for The Jewel In The Crown, a Bond villain in For Your Eyes Only, roles opposite Ripley in Alien³ and Arnie in Last Action Hero, heading up the Lannister clan in Game Of Thrones… Charles Dance has been there, done it all. Now, the 73-year-old Brit stars as a violent Puritan husband in the mesmerising 17th Century-set Fanny Lye Deliver’d…
Fanny Lye Deliver’d teams you with Brit director Thomas Clay, who took three years to edit the film…
Thomas is an auteur. And you either accept that and accept that it’s gonna be difficult, or you try to fight it. And I think that neither the BFI nor anybody else saw any wisdom in trying to fight it. So Thomas is basically left to get on with it. And all power to his elbow for being able to do that. I mean, the end result, I do think, is a rather remarkable film.
What was the filming like?
It was actually hell to shoot, to be honest. We were up to our knees in mud and cold and the unit base was about half a mile away from the set, and down a very steep muddy slope. It was March in England. It wasn’t the best of
weather and the conditions were pretty shitty. So one hoped that it was going to be a good film. It’d fucking better be after what we went through!
You clearly don’t mind hardship. Wasn’t the shoot for Godzilla: King Of
rough too?
The Monsters
Yes. We were shooting in Atlanta, in summer – murderously hot and humid. But most of the time dressed [for] the Antarctic. Bloody great North Face jackets and all that kind of shit and running about... that was hard work.
You’re next in The King’s Man. Was director Matthew Vaughn as tough as they say?
Matthew is not answerable to anybody. He’s quite a character. He’s got a great energy about him. I’m sure some people think he’s bolshie and arrogant. But I found him rather a likeable guy, actually, with terrific energy. He decides he’s going to do something and he bloody well does it.
What about David Fincher’s new film, What can you tell us?
Mank?
I’m playing William Randolph Hearst. It kind of leads up to [the making of Citizen Kane]. It’s a wonderful evocation of Hollywood at that time. You know, you’ve got Louis B. Mayer, and David Selznick and all those legendary Hollywood characters drifting in and out of the story. And the character of Kane in Citizen Kane was, of course, based on Hearst, the Rupert Murdoch of his day.
You’ve had some amusing Hollywood experiences too, like
The Golden Child… Oh, yes – that’s become a kind of cult movie. I bumped into Eddie Murphy recently. When I was out there doing Mank, there was a big party at Ted Sarandos’ place. All sorts of people were there. And there was Eddie Murphy, and I haven’t seen Eddie since we did The Golden Child. It was great to see him. He’s actually calmed down. Put on some weight!
Is Game Of Thrones what you still get recognised for the most?
Probably now. Yeah, I mean, an actor’s life is swings and roundabouts and ups and downs. You’re flavour of the month one minute and not the next. Television gives one more exposure than feature films, especially a series like Game Of Thrones.
What was it like working with Woody Allen on Scoop?
[Laughs] Listen. I think I spent a day working on that film. I provided my own suit, and I was paid 500 quid. I had one scene with Woody and we were sat opposite each other at the table. And we shot on him first. Over me and on to Woody Allen. And then when it came to turn round, he got up and left, and left me with the script supervisor! I thought, “Thanks, Woody!” JM
ETA | 26 JUNE / FANNY LYE DELIVER’D IS AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL NOW.
‘YOU’RE FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH ONE MINUTE AND NOT THE NEXT’