Charlie Interview with Emanuellevy.com

Working With Guy Ritchie

Charlie Hunnam: Any time you are going to retell a story that has been told many times before, you have to do something different and make it your own.  And one of the things that Guy had been very eager to do, which I thought was wise, was to make Arthur just an everyman.  You or I or anybody could just be going about their life and then all of a sudden have this grand destiny thrust upon them, and how would we react.  And in the classic hero journey, always this grand destiny is presented, and there’s a reluctance to the call.  And what Guy and I got most excited about in talking about this character, is where that reluctance came from.  And of course if comes down to fear, a sense of inadequacy, or not being able or having the requisite skill set or experience to be able to take on this lofty challenge.  That was something that was really interesting and relatable to everybody, and certainly something that I had spent a lot of time thinking about.  I have always truly believed that anybody is capable of doing anything, if they just cultivate a robust enough sense of self-belief and know that the journey is going to be difficult and there is going to be failure and you just have to endure that.  And rather than build a wall to protect yourself from the pain that comes with that, actually just say listen, I am going to feel the pain, I am going to learn the lesson and just keep on my journey and ultimately I will arrive at the goal.  So that was sort of an interesting and I think exciting reimagining of Arthur, because traditionally he has always been the noble man on a noble journey to become a noble king, which is great, but it is not that relatable and it doesn’t give the journey as much breadth.

In terms of the dialect and stuff, I always feel, if you are going to adhere to the strict rules of period, then you want period speak, but actually people are just people and if you don’t get too labored in trying to be true to a period, then again I think it’s just a bit more accessible.  And it’s also because Arthur is a bit more rough and ready and because Guy had made that choice to make him a regular man, then we needed that to be reflected in the dialect.

Guy is so infectious in his personality and he is so charismatic and I always feel that Guy’s films are deceptively personal and you wouldn’t necessarily think it because it’s not like he is exploring his deepest, innermost fears and sort of bleeding all over the screen in the way that some of those great directors do.

I got the sense, before I had ever met Guy, that I knew the characters in his films.  And then when I got to know him better, I recognized a lot of the traits of those favorite characters in his films had come directly from Guy. I realized in the early weeks of the film that I was actually just doing my best Guy Ritchie impersonation.  He really informs a lot of the sensibility of the characters that he brings to life.

Ritchie’s Personality and Humor

CH: He’s a rascal with a very robust sense of humor.  And that really informs the whole process.  I tend to have a good sense of humor and have a laugh in my real life, but I have had a tendency in the past to be very earnest and serious about my work and I think Guy recognized that.  He said, here’s the mandate for the film, you and I need to have fun everyday together, because this film needs to be fun and if you and I are making each other laugh and having fun, then that is going to reflect in the film and we are going to make the audience laugh and they are going to have fun.  That was liberating for me, and I must say it was wonderful.  I have had much more fun on this film than I have ever had on anything I have done before.  His humor defuses every tense situation on the set, it informs every decision..  Initially, his intention was to do something that was a bit of departure from his prior work, he wanted to be a bit more linear and classic and have a somber quality to this, but as soon as we started rehearsing, his creative truth took over and he realized that we needed more levity than he intended.

Love Triangle

CH: With Guinevere, it’s a love triangle in the purest sense of the phrase.  It’s one of the most dynamic and exciting parts of the Arthurian legend. We hope that if, obviously the audience decides these things, but if there is an appetite for this film, we are certainly very excited about going on and making some more of them. But what is great about that is that Guinevere is the love of Arthur’s life, and he absolutely adores her, but Lancelot is the second love of his life, sort of the brother he never had and in a way maybe, elements of a father he never had.  Obviously the male dynamics to Arthur are very important.  And so these two people that he loves the most, obviously come together and betray him and obviously that presents the opportunity for great drama.

 Fame and How It Changed You?

CH: I was walking the streets with Guy, he, as I sort of anticipated and hoped, has become a very dear friend of mine and we love to hang out and spend time together.  It’s funny, I have been asked this a lot, it seems that there is some perception that this film is going to make me a much bigger star than I am already, but you know, I never ever personally think about my life and my work in that context.  Everybody has a different journey that leads them to becoming an actor and some people, and I have no judgment on this, some people are seeking fame and fortune, and that’s fine, as long as they back it up with a work ethic and also a desire to do the best work that they can do.  I have never cared about fame at all, I have been, my journey was being a lonely, existential kid who grew up in a very economically depressed place, where everybody was in survival mode, and I recognized the tragedy in that, that people didn’t have the opportunity to bring forth the intention that they had, or the hope that they had for their life.  And I always loved film.  And as a very young boy, preoccupied with this idea that time is so precious and that we only have one life and our only responsibility is to live it as full as we can.  And I identified film as the way that I wanted to spend my life.  I just feel incredibly grateful and lucky to be able to work with people like James Gray and Guy Ritchie and I arrived at a place in my career where I have the opportunity to do the type of movies and the caliber of work that I have always dreamed of.

I also have a whole other theory about having to stay humble and pure in the process, because energetically in the world, I feel like the stories that want to be told, and the universe decides who are going to be the vehicles to tell those stories, and if you stay pure and true, then once in a while the universe will say, alright, it’s your turn, you can go tell this story. But I think staying humble within that is very important. I read a book years ago called “The Five Rings” and it was about a samurai in the end of the samurai tradition in Japan, and he talked a lot about the relationship that a samurai had with his sword, and how a samurai had to sacrifice everything in his life through the sword, and in return, in the moments, that five minutes a year that he had to engage in combat, the sword would return all that sacrifice, and save his life and protect him.  There is something about that energetic relationship that you have to your calling in life that I think needs to remain very pure.  This sounds pretentious as fuck and I am sorry, but it’s my belief. Continue reading Charlie Interview with Emanuellevy.com

Charlie Admits He Hates Filming Sex Scenes & More with ELLE Magazine

Charlie Admits He Hates Filming Sex Scenes & More with ELLE Magazine

ELLE: A few stories I read described your dad as a “gangster.” True?

Charlie Hunnam: No, he was a scrap-metal man. If, say, a coal mine or a shipyard goes down, there’s an enormous opportunity to go and strip scrap metal and melt it down. It’s incredibly valuable, completely untraceable, and very desirable to steal. Everybody understands that if you fuck around, there will be serious consequences. That’s where his reputation came into play. He was very well known. Some might say even feared. But he wasn’t into making money illegally, which is my definition of a gangster.

How did the town react when you became the face of a Calvin Klein cologne?

I don’t know, because I left there when I was 12. I go back occasionally to see my dad. I think everybody is seduced by the film business, whether they’re tough, salty, Newcastle dudes or young dudes or whatever.

You’re often shirtless in movies. Has that given you some understanding of what it’s like to be a woman in Hollywood?

I never really thought about it in that context.

Okay, do you ever feel objectified?

Not at all. I don’t view myself that way. I obviously am cognizant of the fact that being handsome gives me greater breadth of opportunity. I’d hope that what I bring to the table far surpasses just being handsome.

Actors often describe sex scenes as awkward. What’s the truth?

I try to be sensitive to the fact that we’re doing something intimate, but also keep a clear boundary. Because I’m in a very committed relationship, and I’m also cognizant that it’s not my girlfriend’s favorite part of my job. It’s a delicate balance to strike—to be emotionally open enough to have an experience that feels honest between two people but also maintain that it’s just for the film. It’s not my favorite thing to do. I’m also a germaphobe.

Wait, seriously?

Yeah. I’ve been profoundly germophobic since I was a young child. I don’t want to kiss anyone but my girlfriend for my whole life.

Do you remember how it started?

When I was maybe eight or nine, there was a parasite from dogs in the north of England that, if you ingested it, could turn you blind. We had a thing in schools to educate the kids about the importance of hygiene, specifically around dogs, because we had a few kids who went blind. That horrified me. The point is, everyone thinks it’s great to be an actor and get to kiss a bunch of beautiful actresses in films, but I actually hate it.

Have you ever used your fame to get out of trouble?

There’s definitely a huge number of L.A. police who seem to like Sons of Anarchy. When the show was on, I’d ride my bike to work a little faster than California law would allow. And I got pulled over my fair share. It didn’t always work, but maybe two or three times I didn’t get a ticket. It was very handy.

You were cast in Fifty Shades of Grey but backed out because of scheduling conflicts. Have you seen the film?

I haven’t. I developed a friendship with [director Sam Taylor-Johnson], but that was a somewhat traumatic experience for me. I didn’t want to open that wound.

King Arthur is a story about destiny. Do you believe in fate?

Yes. I think we can affect our own fates, but there’s also a powerful energy that’s the universe or God or whatever your unconscious recognizes that helps along your way.

Is there a story from your own life that informed that view?

No, but I’ll tell you what Henry David Thoreau said: “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” I think when you live your destiny, you allow yourself to get in touch with your inner essence. What’s difficult in life is the economic and social requirements that distract us from bringing forth our true passion.

Economic requirements! Don’t you have, like, 80 pairs of sneakers?

I did at a period in my life. Not anymore.

What changed?

I grew up. I spent an enormous amount of time sourcing the good shit. I needed really limited edition, blah blah blah. Then I thought, What the fuck am I doing? I took out six or seven pairs that I cared about, and I gave the rest to charity.

Source: Elle.com

Charlie Hunnam Reveals ‘Nervous Breakdown’ Was Real Reason Behind ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Departure

“Sons of Anarchy” star and almost “Fifty Shades of Grey” star Charlie Hunnam has revealed that it was “a nervous breakdown” that really led to his departure from the upcoming adaptation of the best-selling E.L. James novel.

The actor, who would have played Christian Grey opposite Dakota Johnson’s Anastasia Steele, told Moviefone that the Focus Features drama would have been one project too many, since he already committed to shooting Guillermo del Toro‘s “Crimson Peak” during his hiatus from FX series “Sons.”

See video: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Alternate Trailer: The Charlie Hunnam Cut

“I was going to finish ‘Sons’ at like 11 p.m. Friday night, get on the plane Saturday morning to Vancouver for ‘Fifty,’ missing the whole first week of rehearsal and start shooting Monday morning,” Hunnam explained. “And I was going to shoot that film, wrap that on the Wednesday and the following Monday I was going to start shooting ‘Crimson Peak’ in Toronto. I just had like … frankly, something of a nervous breakdown.”

The passionate response from fans and the attention the media was giving “Fifty Shades” also contributed to his decision to back out of the role just weeks after being cast.

“To fail on such a grand scale — because ‘Fifty’s going to be massive, it’s going to be huge. I really didn’t want to fail on such a grand scale and I just couldn’t transition from Jax Teller to Christian Grey in 48 hours,” Hunnam said. “I bit off more than I could chew and it was painful. I loved the character and I wanted to do it.”

Hunnam said in July that the experience was “pretty heartbreaking,” because he was genuinely excited to work with director Sam Taylor-Johnson, and reiterated the same disappointment about the “shit situation” in his latest commentary on his departure.

“I was really, really, sorry to do it,” Hunnam said. “It was one of those damned if you do, damned if you don’t situations.”

Source: thewrap.com

Brad Pitt Approves Of Charlie Hunnam As Christian Grey: ‘He’s A Good Egg!’

Brad Pitt Approves Of Charlie Hunnam As Christian Grey: ‘He’s A Good Egg!’

The news of Charlie Hunnam’s casting as Christian Grey in the upcoming film adaptation of E L James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” continues to have Hollywood – and fans – buzzing.

And while the fan debate rages on, as to whether Charlie – perhaps best known for his role as Jackson “Jax” Teller on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” – is the right choice, at least one fellow big screen leading man is lending Charlie his full support.

“I know Charlie, he’s a great guy!” Brad Pitt beamed to Access Hollywood at the Toronto Film Festival, when asked for his thoughts about the “Fifty Shades” casting news.

“He’s a good egg and one of the guys that are putting story and craft first,” Brad continued of Charlie, who many have said looks a lot like Brad. “I hope good things for him.”

In fact, Brad’s production company Plan B is slated to produce a vampire film “Vlad,” for which Charlie wrote the screenplay.

Source: Access Hollywood

Charlie’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Co-Stars React to ’50 Shades’ Casting

You can check out what the rest of Charlie’s co-stars had to say about his upcoming role as Christian Grey over at Hollywood Reporter!

Creator Kurt Sutter called the actor “fifty shades of fantastic” while introducing his cast at the show’s premiere party on Saturday, receiving big laughs and applause from the audience inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.

While few of Hunnam’s co-stars would cop to having read EL James’ racy novel, all were thrilled to see the star make the leap into big-screen leading-man status.

“I went through a lot of the process with him,” Theo Rossi told The Hollywood Reporter. “I was there every day with him making him answer the texts and the e-mails, going through the process and the chemistry stuff.”

Rossi said that although Hunnam was initially hesitant to sign on for another franchise, the project will allow audiences to see a whole new side of the actor.

“I think he’s been teed up for this his entire career, and I think that he’s going to shock everybody,” Rossi said. “I don’t care if it’s Fifty Shades of Grey or 50 holes on a golf course, he’s gonna be great on it. He’s one of the hardest workers, he’s smart, he’s damn sexy, the guy’s got it going on. He’s an actor’s actor. He’s not one of those half-assed pretty boys; he can act.”

Peter Weller was also among those inside Hunnam’s circle who encouraged the actor to take the role, even after he expressed concern that the script was “pulpy.”

“I said ‘Listen, you go do this. I’m gonna water bomb your house with balloons if you don’t,’ ” he recalled.

Source: Hollywood Reporter