April 1, 2014 at 12:47 am by greendragon -

With just a week to go until the Home Video release (in the US at least - check our post here for full details of when the Home Video comes out in different countries) of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, TheOneRing.net has recently had the chance to catch up with some of the film’s lead actors. Last week staffer greendragon spoke to Luke Evans about his role as Bard the Bowman, about using his native accent on-screen, and about stepping in to big shoes (or perhaps a big coffin?) to take on the role of Dracula. Here’s what he had to say:

greendragon: How did you start approaching the character of Bard? What did you focus on about him when first preparing the part: his role as an heroic figure, his ancestry, his position as a father…?

Luke Evans: The last was the thing I thought about most – he is a father. He has a huge journey in the story of the films: he goes from being just a lowly bargeman, then we discover that his ancestor was Girion, the man who took a shot at the dragon and failed, so his ancestors have been sort of ostracized, they’ve lost their privileges and their titles… There’s a lot to him. But I think when I first started studying the role and creating and building up Bard’s character, I had to focus on what was there in front of me. At that point of the story when we first meet him, he’s just a dad; he’s a single parent living in a horrible place called Lake-town! He has no money, he’s not able to make any money – and he sees these dwarves who show him some money, and he thinks he can make a little bit of extra money to look after his kids. That’s who he is at that point; and I guess at that point that’s all I wanted to focus on – because we’ve got another movie to think about, and you want to see the development of the character. I guess Peter, myself, Fran and Philippa all wanted to give Bard his due; to give him enough space to allow the audience to travel with him and support him, and to care for his position. So when Bard does these incredible things, the audience are behind him – much more than if you’d just given him the time that he has in the book, where he’s in and out like a shot. He does play such an important and integral role in the journey of The Hobbit, and the course of the history of Middle-earth…

GD: So when your Bard starts out, he doesn’t have in the back of his mind that he might be a hero one day – that’s not something for which he’s keeping the black arrow?

LE: No, absolutely not. In fact, he hides the only relic of his past in the kitchen – he’s got herbs hanging from it! Nobody even knows it’s there. But it’s his son Bain who knows about the story – he’s heard these fables about the history, and whenever he has a chance to talk about his ancestor Girion he does; whereas Bard doesn’t because Bard knows what happened to Dale. He knows the pain and the heartache, the death and carnage that it brought when his ancestor didn’t kill the dragon. So it’s the last thing on Bard’s mind, that he wants to be, or will ever be, a leader. He just wants to survive this horrid world of Lake-town!

GD: You mention your son Bain; they always say you shouldn’t act with children but it seemed to me that John [Bell] and James Nesbitt’s daughters [Peggy and Mary] did a fantastic job as your three. Was it fun working with them?

LE: Yes it was fantastic. We all had a really fun time working together. They were wonderful; that phrase needs to be rewritten, as regards Peggy and Mary and John Bell! They are really special. I tried to make it fun for them; they’re long days, you know, for youngsters to be on the set, and there’s a lot of hanging about. But we all had a lot of fun. I took the girls to see Taylor Swift a couple of weeks ago - it was very nice to see them. I feel slightly like their father in a way – very sweet.

GD: Whose decision was it that Bard and his family would have the Welsh accent? Of course we’ve seen you playing plenty of roles where you haven’t spoken with your native accent… I was delighted to hear it, as it was an accent of the British Isles that we hadn’t heard at all in Middle-earth up to this point.

LE: Well – I did an audition eighteen months before I got any response from them, and they’d taped me doing the audition, but obviously they’d spoken to me before I did the scene. When Peter and Philippa and Fran went back to look over the audition tapes, when they were ready to cast Bard the Bowman, which was almost eighteen months later, they sort of acknowledged my Welsh accent. I think they realized then that it sounded good, and that it could potentially be a valid accent for Bard. So when I did go on tape for the second audition, which was my final audition, I had a long conversation with them on the phone, and they asked me if I would go on tape and actually do the Welsh accent as an option, to see if it worked. It was quite weird for me, I have to say, because I’d never used my Welsh accent like that before, so it was very odd. I think I had to do a couple of takes before my Welsh accent actually sat properly, you know? It’s so weird - because that IS my accent, but I just wasn’t ready for doing it! Anyway we did it, and they loved it - and it became part of Bard’s nature, basically. What I didn’t realize at the time was how much it would then play a role in the film. You know, any descendants of Dale that were still alive in Lake-town, such as Bard and his kids, they all had Welsh accents as well; so we ended up casting quite a lot of Welsh accented people from New Zealand, to speak with Welsh accents, which was really very nice!

GD: That’s great – that’s a lovely extra bit of ‘behind the scenes’ information! So, obviously there are things that you can’t give away, but is there anything you can tell us that you’re particularly looking forward to people seeing in The Hobbit: There and Back Again, when it comes out at the end of the year?

LE: Well - that black arrow…? [dramatic pause] It plays a big role in my story. [laughs] For anyone who hasn’t read the book! Not spoiling it for anyone, but that black arrow – VERY important.

GD: By now you may have been getting used to the huge fan base that Tolkien, The Hobbit and Peter Jackson’s movies have. I see that you’re going to be playing the lead role in the remake of The Crow…

LE: Yes, that’s on the books!

GD: That’s another big cult fan base. Do you think that being in The Hobbit has prepared you for what fan expectations are like with these kinds of movies?

LE: Oh very much so – yes, without a doubt. I mean, I’d spent five years in films, and hadn’t really been spotted on the street; well, some people would say hello, but not many. The Hobbit has really changed that! I look very much like the character, I’m not covered in prosthetics… So yeah, I’ve become sort of visually attached to that role, by people who go to the cinema. So yeah, it’s an interesting one…

GD: But you’re obviously not daunted by stepping into these roles, because you’re also playing Dracula coming up. So you’re clearly quite happy to step into a big role which has a big following.

LE: Well yeah! I mean, we all want to play the challenging roles – well, maybe we all don’t, but I do! I want to do all the great roles! And obviously when Universal approached me to play Dracula, in a new version of the story, retelling the origins of Dracula, my first reaction was, ‘I’m too young!’ [laughs] But then reading the story and the sсript, I realized it was about the [factual] man behind the fictional character as much as it’s about Dracula; it’s about Vlad Tepes, the man who walked this earth in the 1400s. And yeah, these are huge boots I’m filling – I know the kind of actors that have played this role in the past. It’s exciting, it’s daunting – but it’s a brilliant opportunity for me to progress in this world, this industry, and I took the bull by the horns, as it were – or took the vampire by the fangs – and went with it!

GD: Well I can’t wait to see it. I really enjoyed The Great Train Robbery [BBC drama in which Evans played mastermind Bruce Reynolds] last Christmas.

LE: Oh thank you very much. Yeah, I’m really proud of that; I had such a good time watching it, I sort of forgot that it was me, which is always nice!

GD: I wondered if you had any seen similarities between the roles of Bruce Reynolds and Bard, in terms of the role they end up playing in their lives; this kind of walking the line on the wrong side of the law, but perhaps being a kind of ‘freedom fighter’, opposing authority. It intrigued me that there seemed to be some overlap there…

LE: I hadn’t thought about that, to be honest. They are both family men, I know that; as much as he was a criminal, Bruce Reynolds did always look out for his family, and took them away with him when they went on the run. But no, I hadn’t really thought about that; interesting…

GD: I’m hoping that we can maybe persuade you to come to a convention sometime and hang out with some of the fans…

LE: I will definitely do that, definitely. I’m hoping I will be at [San Diego] ComicCon this year, if I can squeeze it in to my schedule. I’m hoping I will get there, because obviously I have two very big films coming out this year [The Hobbit: There and Back Again and Dracula Untold], and I do love the conventions. Honestly it’s just timing – but definitely I will try to make some of the big ones if I can.

GD: Well we know you’re a busy man! And we’re very much looking forward to seeing everything that you have coming up; but particularly of course the final part of The Hobbit, and finding out just what you do with that black arrow…

LE: [laughs] Exactly!

Welsh born star Luke Evans has been busy since making his feature film debut in 2010’s Clash of the Titans – marking up appearances in everything from Immortals to Fast 6, with some Three Musketeers in between.

But the 34 year old’s biggest break to date is probably his part in the massive Hobbit trilogy, taking on the role of Bard in Peter Jackson’s take on the classic fantasy tale. With the second movie about to hit home video, Sophie Moran had the chance to chat to the actor about coming into the Hobbit family, taking on dark roles and his favourite dish!

You started your career in acting on the stage, was it hard to make the transition to the screen?

LE: Well it was quite difficult because I hadn’t really had any formal training it was all theatre. So I was learning on the job really and my first job was Clash of the Titans so it was a moment I’ll never forget because I was working opposite Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. And it was me watching and learning on the spot – I didn’t understand the jargon or anything like that. So I just had to trust my instincts and learn. And I’m still watching and learning today.

CLICK: Do you have a preference – stage or screen?

LE: I don’t have a preferences. I think if you’ve had a career in theatre I don’t think you can ever let it go, it will always be a part of you. I do feel like I’m itching to do something on stage again sooner rather than later. But I don’t think I have a favourite because they’re both so very different and they’re both rewarding in different ways. One is instantaneous and one you have to wait a little longer before you find out whether people like it or not!

CLICK: To talk about The Hobbit - was it frustrating to have the second movie stop right before one of your big moments?

LE: [laughs] No because it means the beginning of the third film, you’re going to see it in all its glory! I think Peter Jackson did a brilliant thing there, what a cliff-hanger – they’re the best when they’re done well and I think that was one of the best I’ve ever seen! I mean you literally are like [gasp] ‘No – don’t stop there!’ But it’s great and I loved that.

CLICK: You’ve got a lot of scenes in the theatrical cut – will you have more in the extended edition?

LE: I have no idea!

CLICK: What was it like to come into the group after they’d already been shooting for awhile?

LE: It wasn’t too bad, they were all really lovely – a nice bunch of lads. They must have been shooting for about 6 months before I arrived in Wellington. And they were all really lovely and were probably glad to see a new face at that point! They were great, they became very good friends.

CLICK: Did you ever think of auditioning for Lord of the Rings way back?

LE: No I didn’t – I was quite young when Lord of the Rings came out. But no I was busy doing theatre at that point.

CLICK: Were you familiar with the book before you were cast?

LE: I was very familiar with it yes – I’d read it as a teenager and then again when I got the film.

CLICK: What did you think of the extra material for the Bard character?

LE: Well I’m very happy with it. We’re still quite loyal and even though we have extra scenes in the film the scenes only embellish the story we already know. And it just helps Bard’s character to have a little more rapport with the audience, so they can understand his journey a bit better than they would if it was just from the book. You get to meet his family – he has a couple more kids in the film. And you see the place where he lives. So when Bard does this thing in the third film I think what we’re doing is allowing the audience to get to like Bard and to understand him more and why he does what he does and the things that trigger him. And it’s mainly that he wants to look after his children and keep them safe. So we’re just giving him some extra time, I think he deserves it!

CLICK: You’re also attached to The Crow – can you tell us anything about that. Is it true to the original or more of a re-imagining?

LE: Well we’re being loyal to the book. There is a wonderful comic book, a graphic novel which we’re being loyal to. So it’s a fabulous story and we’re telling it in its entirety and I’m very excited about it. And I have that going on and three other projects with one almost ready to go, I’m talking about maybe doing a television character for a few episodes. And I’m thinking of directing a short film of my own and then doing the press for Dracula which comes out in October. So yea it’s quite a busy year!

CLICK: With films like The Raven, Dracula and now The Crow you seem to be drawn to darker subject matter. Is that on purpose?

LE: No… I don’t know. I don’t think so. As much as they on paper sound dark and ominous and evil, there’s a lot more to especially Dracula than meets the eye. Because we’re going back to the original story of Dracula, which has never really been told. We’re going back to Vlad Tepes, the historical figure. His story and then we watch his transition and how he becomes this vampire. So it’s not all about the darkness. The Crow is very much about a man heartbroken and seeking revenge for the death of himself and his girlfriend. But there’s a huge amount to it and the thing about The Crow is that it’s not all about revenge, there’s a lot more to him than just the vengeance part. But I’m in discussions about playing a character in a romantic film, coming up in the summer. From a very famous book – so yea there’s a lot going on. It’s Very exciting!

CLICK: You’ve also starred in quite a few action films – Musketeers, Fast 6, Immortals and now The Hobbit, was action something you wanted to do?

LE: No I mean some of them did just land on my lap and others I went for and others I was approached about. It’s weird you just sort of have a plan but sometimes it gets thrown up in the air because you’re presented with something you hadn’t thought about. And you think that might be interesting or I’d like to work with that director. And then your route changes slightly – you’ve got to be quite malleable as an actor I think because also things get delayed all the time. So you have to be flexible and ready to adapt to different things. Sometimes jobs come in and you have to think about it quite quickly because things can change and alter the year. But I like that, I like the variety of it.

CLICK: And those kinds of roles must require some serious training – do you enjoy that aspect?

LE: I love the training, it’s part of my day really. I go to the gym with my training and when we get close to the film we’re doing then we’ll start working with the stunt guys and learn whatever I have to learn. It’s a wonderful part of the job, I love it.

CLICK: Do you do anything action packed in real life?

LE: I go to the gym, I swim, I do a bit of running, and I ride a bike. That’s about it really. When you do it for a living and you do it quite often you don’t need much else!

CLICK: In Fast 6 we find out that your brother is going to be played by Jason Statham – are you flattered by that?

LE: Very flattered! If anyone can sort them out, Statham can! So yea it’s good.

CLICK: Your new film Dracula was filmed in Northern Ireland – what was it like filming in Ireland?

LE: I had the best time. It was a brilliant city [Belfast]. It’s not what I thought it was going to be – it’s a great place, it’s incredibly cultural, fantastic restaurants, loads of history. The people are just great, very warm and welcoming. And Northern Ireland is a stunning place. We used a lot of locations – the Giants Causeway, some beautiful forests and mountains. It was perfect, you can see why people shoot in Ireland because there are so many beautiful locations. I had a fantastic time. It was hard work, working every day of the shoot but it was great. And when I watch the film it’s going to bring back lots of memories.

CLICK: You’ve played Aramis, Bard and Vlad in Dracula – how important for you is it to read the original books for adapted works?

LE: Very much so. If you’ve got a novel to work off its fantastic. It’s great that you can reference the original writer’s idea of who the character is. I think it’s fantastic. But then at some point you have to put the book down and pick the sсript up because it’s often a different interpretation which is sort of what I did on The Hobbit and The Musketeers. And Dracula is different anyway – there’s a lot of information on Vlad from the 1400’s so I read about that and who he was. And why he did the things he did.

CLICK: Do you read a lot for leisure and if so is there anything you’d like to see adapted?

LE: I don’t read a huge amount for pleasure. I have to read an awful lot of scripts which sort of puts you off reading novels. When I’m away on holiday I do read a bit more. There is a book that’s been adapted to a sсript which I’m very excited about pursuing. I’m in talks now to play the role but I can’t talk about it because it’s not greenlit yet. But it’s a beautiful love story and a brilliant book. So fingers crossed that will come together and I’m hoping to shoot it later this year. So yea it is nice when you come across a sсript or a book because at this point I can pursue it and see what happens.

CLICK: Finally, we read that you love to cook – do you have a signature dish.

LE: Yea – it’s Jamie Oliver’s lamb meatballs with chickpeas. It’s very, very good and it takes… well it takes him 15 minutes, it takes me 30 but anyway! That’s still pretty good and it’s tasty!

Голова трещала почти нестерпимо. Надо было принять таблетку в отеле, но Люк понадеялся, что за время поездки в машине все пройдет само собой. Ошибся, конечно.

Блеск уличных огней резал глаза, отдавались в черепе короткими взрывами боли. Надо было собраться, ведь вспышки камер куда ярче. Предстоит несколько часов улыбаться, общаться с людьми, отвечать на вопросы...

— Приятель, у тебя нет никакого средства от головной боли? — без особой надежды поинтересовался Люк.

Водитель понимающе улыбнулся в зеркало заднего вида и стал рыться в бардачке дорогущей машины. Через минуту ошалевший от боли и внезапного счастья Люк уже запивал безликую белую таблетку тепловатым шампанским. Не стоило, конечно, со спиртным, но больше ничего не было под рукой.

Оставшиеся до прибытия минуты он прислушивался к себе, боясь шевелиться и тревожить голову. Ему казалось, что свинцовый шар боли в черепе катается все медленнее, удары его о стенки становятся реже и слабее, а свет фонарей и огни рекламы больше не раздражают глаза. Избавление от тяжести было таким приятным, что Люк даже улыбнулся. Как же хорошо, когда ничего не болит!

Когда дверца машины распахнулась, он готов был бодрым шагом выйти навстречу фанатам и журналистам, но получилось не совсем так. На красную дорожку Люк почти выпорхнул, совершенно не ощущая веса собственного тела и работы мышц. Многоголосье разговоров, стрекот камер, шум музыки с разных сторон и другие звуки города вокруг сплелись в гулкую, прозрачно-голубую дымку, накрывая его плотным колпаком. Людское озеро вокруг волновалось, туман не позволял гадать о погоде. Приходилось грести очень осторожно, вести лодку мимо обломков бывших стен, не натыкаясь на острые углы и скользкие вопросы, округлым бортом расталкивая дрейфующие льдины.

Морщина на лбу у Барда появилась давно, еще когда заботы о детях легли на его плечи, и пришлось скрывать от пронырливых соглядатаев то, что скрывать стоило. Совсем не нужно бургомистру знать, чем на самом деле живет его нелюбимый родственник, достаточно того, что делают за него слухи. Бард тихо ухмылялся сам себе, направляя лодку. Этот путь он знал назубок, словно тот был прочерчен по воде алой линией. Шепот озера и стук тяжелых льдин о дерево совсем не мешали, мысли текли плавно и гладко, как вода за бортом.

Вот уже и пристань впереди, вырисовываются в тумане черные сваи, выступают грузовые журавли и причалы. На ближайшем фигура человека, тот напряженно всматривался вдаль, словно кого-то ждал. Бард потянулся к верному луку и стрелам — друг ли, враг? А если думать будет поздно? Туман был слишком густой и обманчивый, он показывал очертания, но не давал никаких деталей. Человек на причале поймал канат и без всякого страха поспешил к лодке. Он тоже плохо видел в тумане, поэтому замер только когда наконечник стрелы показался в локте от его лица.

— Кого ты боишься, Бард? — спросил встречающий.

Его голос был очень знакомым, он будил в груди нечто, вмиг разгладившее вечную морщину между бровей. Бард выдохнул имя, и понял, что туман сегодня теплый, как если бы весна пришла на несколько месяцев раньше.

— Эванс, я ждал тебя, — прошептал давно знакомый человек, обнимая его за плечи.

Люк тряхнул легкой головой и рассмеялся — не на камеру, искренне. Путь, прочерченный красным, остался позади. Теперь их ждали спасительная темнота и тихий плеск волн чужих голосов за высокими окнами.