Bonneville on a bear, ‘Downton,’ the Tardis
“We’ve all been a Paddington at some point in our lives,” Hugh Bonneville says, explaining his decision to return for a sequel after the success of 2014’s “Paddington.”
“We’ve all been strangers in a strange land when we’ve arrived at a new school or a new town. And we’ve relied on the kindness of strangers. I identify with Paddington — and I really love seeing him get into a mess. He always resets the dial to positive. He never does anything out of malice. It’s always about trying to help others out of the spirit of inquiry.”
Bonneville, 54, returns as uptight patriarch Henry Brown in “Paddington 2.” In this one, Henry is slightly more daring, thanks to the kindhearted bear who has joined his family. “The first one was a delight,” the London-born actor notes. “It became a bit of a family on the first one. It was just lovely to be back with the gang, really.”
The actor has come a long way since his start in films like “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” and “Notting Hill” in the ’90s. Bonneville’s role as the loving but stern Lord Grantham in six seasons of “Downton Abbey” helped bring him international visibility, as has his work in “Paddington” and the new sequel. But Bonneville credits it all to good fortune, not some master plan. “I’m incredibly lucky to have avoided the tap on the shoulder for 30 years to go and get a proper job,” he says.
Here Bonneville discusses some of his most seminal roles.
Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (2010-2015). “I wouldn’t be playing with a furry bear if it weren’t for ‘Downton Abbey.’ All of us have benefited hugely from it. But I think the most amazing thing is that after six seasons, we’re all still friends.”
Henry Avery (2011). “It all came about because after a season of ‘Downton,’ where I had to get up every day and shave, I’d usually let myself go completely. I grew a beard and my agent called me up one day and said, ‘Have you still got a beard? Don’t shave it off — they want a pirate.’ So I went and played with them for a couple of weeks down in Bristol and it was great. And I got to go in the Tardis. I mean, I didn’t actually have any scenes in the Tardis, but I got to go and visit it, which was very exciting.”
Bernie (1999). “I got a phone call from (director) Roger Michell saying, ‘Really thrilled that you’re going to do it, but we’ve got a problem and it’s to do with your weight.’ I said, ‘I’ve been on a diet. I’ve been getting fit. I’m really going to work on it.’ He said, ‘No, no. The problem is you’re too thin. The character is meant to be a bit porky.’ ... So they just kept bringing sandwiches my way and reminding me to stick my stomach out.”
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