On his majesty’s secret service...
Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans and The King’s Man cast talk riches, royalty and the reincarnation of Rasputin with DANIELLE DE WOLFE
WE’VE just seen him as M in the latest Bond movie and now Ralph Fiennes is involved in a different sort of secret agency in The King’s Man.
The film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, acts as a prequel to the previous two films (Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle) taking us back to the creation of England’s first independent intelligence agency.
Ralph, 58, stars as Orlando, Duke of Oxford in the action spy film which is set in the early years of the 20th century and explores the formation of the Kingsman group to stand against a gang of rebels who are plotting a war.
Explaining his involvement in the project, the Schindler’s List actor says: “Who wouldn’t want to be? It’s a great franchise, it’s Matthew Vaughn, it’s got a uniquely wacky anarchic, I suppose, British, English-ish thing that’s cool, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“It laughs at itself... is constantly surprising with these famous first action sequences, but Matthew also wants to change it up.
“This is the beginning of the Kingsman, it’s set in the early 20th century with historical figures who are treated a little bit irreverently, in a good way.
“I think it’s a cool mix, there’s an original mind behind it. But it’s not like an old movie. I think it’s got a sort of sexy, modern vibe in it.”
The cast list for the film reads like an A-Z of international acting talent, with The Night Manager’s Baftawinning Tom Hollander, Baftanominated Alienist actor Daniel Bruhl and St Trinian’s star Gemma Arterton all signing up to join in the fun.
The film also sees Bafta-nominated actor Rhys Ifans transformed into a fictionalised version of early 20th-century Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin, complete with a mass of dark, unruly hair and liberal smudges of kohl eyeliner – a role that’s far removed from parts he’s inhabited in films like The Amazing Spider-Man and Notting Hill.
The Welshman says playing a sexual deviant was an opportunity to “unleash the beast” in what he describes as “a safe environment”.
“I think we all have our own inner Rasputin – the forbidden self, that’s what we call it,” he grins mischievously in a near-whisper.
“What’s great about Matthew is he has a very clear idea of what he wants,” adds Rhys of the director.
“Because he’s so confident in what he wants, he’s also able to allow his actors to play and tinker when it might be useful.”
Matthew says that he took inspiration from old-fashioned films which he “fell in love with” when recreating the movie, such as sword-fighting techniques from actor Errol Flynn’s work.
But the director notes that they had to respect the sensitivities of the world wars while making the film, adding: “The main theme of the movie is, be careful who your leaders are because little things can turn into very big problems, and I think the world’s experiencing it now.
“And World War One is a pointless war. No one really won it, everybody lost, a lot of lives went.
“I wanted to just remind the world that mistakes can happen and let’s learn from them and not repeat them again.”
The King’s Man sees Tom, 53, step into the shoes of not one but three interconnected characters – England’s King George, German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm and Russian Tsar Nicholas II.
Described by Tom as “a very good joke”, the casting is a comical nod to the interlinked bloodlines and power-hungry nature of Europe’s ruling elite. “It was sort of an instruction – as things often are in Matthew’s world,” recalls the Bristol-born actor.
“I had played one of the characters before, so I was familiar with the idea that they were all related to
Queen Victoria... two were first cousins.
“The royal families of Europe were all related at that point and so the First World War, if you want to look at it that way, is a disastrous family feud with too few genes spread over too large an area.”
When we meet Ralph’s’ character, he is crippled by grief following the loss of his wife, and the former soldier subsequently makes it his life’s mission to protect his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) from the perils of war.
Supported by Gemma’s character Polly and righthand man Shola (Djimon Hounsou), the trio go on to form the foundation of the Kingsman intelligence agency, hoping to foil the leaders’ plans and avert international conflict.
Gemma, 35, likens Polly to a “rock and roll Mary Poppins”. Combining intelligence and quick wit with a warm and comforting North Yorkshire accent, inspiration for the character came from the countless women who supported the war
effort during the early 20th century.
“In the Second World War, there was the Bletchley circle and these women that were code crackers and absolutely exceptional mathematicians. There were undercover women that were helping with the war effort. [Polly] is kind of inspired by them,” she explains.
The former Bond girl – she played Strawberry Fields alongside Daniel Craig’s Bond in 2008’s Quantum of Solace – recalls an amusing on-set moment involving Rhys’ transformation for The King’s Man.
“I know Rhys as a friend, and he’s the loveliest man – he’s such a gentle soul,” she smiles.
“I was getting ready one day and I hadn’t seen him as Rasputin yet, and there was this guy outside my trailer having a coffee and I was like, ‘Who’s that?!’
“It was Rhys – with this long hair and beard with his eyeliner on – and he just looked so scary.”
I think we all have our own inner Rasputin
Rhys Ifans on his character
The King’s Man arrives in cinemas on Boxing Day