A few of my favourite things: Matthew Goode – Country Life – 23rd October 2024
By Hetty Lintell
Born in 1978, the British actor grew up in the village of Clyst St Mary, near Exeter in Devon. Famed for his parts in films, such as Brideshead Revisited and The Imitation Game, he appeared as Anthony Armstrong-Jones in Netflix’s The Crown and Henry Talbot in Downton Abbey, as well as in the CBS legal drama The Good Wife. He lives in Surrey with his wife, Sophie, and their three children.
Hackett morning suit
Credit: Ollie Maxwell/Country Life
‘I am incredibly fond of my beautiful morning suit from Hackett. I don’t go to many weddings, but when I put it on it’s like wearing armour. I also love the company’s cashmere jumpers, although I can’t lounge around the house too much because our Romanian rescue dog, Suki (love of my life as she is), is a ruiner of nice items: everything gets covered in her hair.’
Miura golf clubs
Credit: Ollie Maxwell/Country Life
‘I’ve injured my knee, which I won’t bore you with, but I haven’t been able to play golf—a misery for me as it does keep my powder dry somewhat. I have fallen for the KM-700 irons by Miura, a Japanese brand. These are the last that Katsuhira Miura is going to ever design as he has reached a certain age. It took him five years to perfect, apparently. They are divine and I have been looking at them online a lot. They probably won’t improve my game at all, but my God they are beauties.’
S. T. Dupont lighter
Credit: Ollie Maxwell/Country Life
‘My wife, Sophie, gave me an S.T. Dupont lighter that stands as a relic to the days I used to smoke. I’ve never actually used it as I was so scared of losing it and it sits in the bathroom in its beautiful red box, which is a luxury in itself, without what’s inside. It makes a lovely little ping when you open it. I hope to use it in a film one day.’
Hetty Lintell is Country Life’s luxury editor
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ABIGAIL DIRECTORS REVEAL AXED DIALOGUE THAT WOULD’VE MADE LAZAR EVEN MORE OF A VAMPIRIC THREAT – Comic Book.com – 23rd August 2024
Warning contains spoilers!!!
By
We’ve made the argument before. What’s scarier than a lone Xenomorph? An entire horde of Xenomorphs beholden to a much-larger queen. What’s more imposing than an unstoppable android assassin from the future? An unstoppable android assassin from the future that can look like anyone and move through tight spaces. It’s all about giving audiences a new and imposing threat, while organically building off of what came before.
The Radio Silence team kept all of that in mind while making Abigail (now streaming exclusively on Peacock), which presents a novel twist on the vampire genre and, more importantly, the trite Dracula mythos. No one can deny the concept of a bloodsucking ballerina tearing through a group of kidnappers isn’t novel.
Of course, the most famous bloodsucker of them all doesn’t really appear in the movie’s final moments, and even then, we don’t get concrete confirmation on whether Abigail’s father, “Kristof Lazar” (played by Watchmen‘s Matthew Goode), is merely a pseudonym for “Count Dracula,” though the syllable counts certainly do match up. “We were very excited about the idea that we just made a new take on vampires that subverts the vampire thing, and then in the last five minutes this handsome, sexy, charming vampire walks into the movie,” Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who directed the project alongside Tyler Gillet, reveals in the latest issue of Empire.
While the ambiguity surrounding the character works to the story’s benefit, the co-directors did consider making Lazar — already a feared figure in the criminal underworld — even more of a terrifying badass. In other words, they nearly went the “bigger fish” route by having Lazar admit to killing Dracula long before the events of the film. “There was … a version where he said, ‘Oh, I killed that motherf—er 200 years ago. Dracula’s nothing!'” Gillet remembers.
They ultimately resisted the impulse to mention the fanged icon as a way to distinguish their work from every other vampire story that has graced the silver screen since Nosferatu over a century ago. “[We thought], ‘Let’s just make this our vampire movie,” Bettinelli-Olpin explains. “Having Dracula in it overtly took away some of that for us.”
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Matthew Goode: the actor’s essential travels and his must-read books – Life and Style – 12th July 2024 [Translation from original Spanish]
By Ana Estrada
Matthew Goode: the actor’s essential travels and his must-see books
In an interview with Life and Style, the British actor tells us about the places that have left him breathless during his travels and the books that he considers perfect to take with him.
He is seen relaxing on the soft sofa of his home in London after a long day of work, Matthew Goode settles down and begins to talk about his latest travels through Scotland, the books he is passionate about and how unadventurous he considers himself. even though his career has taken him to places he would not have imagined.
In a chat with Life and Style, the actor known for his roles in Watchmen, The Crown and Downton Abby shares a glimpse into his life, family and travels. The perfect pretext for this conversation was his return as an ambassador for Hackett, a brand with which he had worked a decade ago and who recently returned now in the company of Jenson Button, former F1 champion driver (of whom he says he is an admirer and felt “a little bit nervous” about sharing spaces).
Both, as British as can be, traveled to Scotland, where he discovered new places and landscapes he had not been to before. “I haven’t traveled that much,” he confesses and then thinks better of it, “I’ve been to incredible places,” he says, remembering a photo session with elephants.
Goode, kind and good-humored, tells how in his first collaboration with the brand he was surprised that they had called him, “I was starting my career and having a company that is an integral part of the British fashion industry with me was great. and now they’re looking for me again, when I’m starting to go grey and I’ve matured and I think I’m even more excited now.”
Essential Travel with Matthew Goode
We asked the actor to share his three favorite travel destinations where his work has taken him, and for someone who says he hasn’t traveled that much, his choices are as interesting as they are exciting.
Among favorite places, Matthew Goode mentions San Domenico Palace, in Sicily, where Elizabeth Taylor used to stay, “it was a peculiar joy to be put up in that hotel and taken to glorious places to take beautiful photos,” he remembers.
The other places that he highlights with special joy are Sydney, Australia, where Burning Man (2011) was filmed and, of course, all the places in England where he has filmed series and films from different periods.
“Being inside castles or filming in private spaces of these extraordinary houses to which only the owners have access always feels like a privilege, it is something that most people do not get to see, these secret spaces of those places” .
The actor’s essential books
No trip is complete without a good book as a companion, and Goode has his favorites.
The Moon as a Balloon, by writer David Niven, is the actor’s go-to book. Even when he starts talking about it, he gets up from the couch and walks around his house to look for it, “it was the first book they gave me years ago,” he explains while searching through a table full of other titles. “If I’m feeling a little sad or a role isn’t going well, I read it because it talks about Hollywood and how Niven became an actor and is more or less like my hero, it’s very touching and funny.”
Continuing a little with the biographies, at the time of this interview Matthew Goode was reading The Best of A. A. Gill, a book about the life of the famous British journalist Adrian Anthony Gill, “among many other things he was a travel journalist and worked in different newspapers in England and I love their intelligence.”
And finally, one of the books that he has enjoyed the most in recent years is A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara, “I read it on my last trip and it is wonderful, I adored it. That seems perfect to me”.
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FASHION AND WHIMS – ‘Expansion’ – 18th June 2024 [Translation from original Spanish]
Matthew Goode, the English actor who loves Seville (and beer)
By Kino Verdú Pérez
Matthew Goode and Jenson Button appear together in a vintage car at the entrance of an emblematic Seville hotel. What is it? Hackett London’s new Spring-Summer 2024 campaign.
He’s nice. Handsome. Charming. Very English (specifically from Exeter). He exudes a profile suited to star, alongside Formula 1 world champion (British, of course) Jenson Button, in the Spring-Summer campaign of the (British, of course) firm Hackett, renowned for its sartorial (and contemporary) mastery.
How to merge British tailoring with the sunny spirit of the coming months? Well, I’m taking Matthew and Jenson to Seville so that renowned photographer Tom Craig can ‘capture’ them having a good time, messing around, playing croquet, drinking beers, having tapas… which is basically enjoying the Andalusian city (and atmosphere) dressed in Hackett.
We catch good old Goode taking a ferry, he puts his phone close to his mouth and tells us a few things: “I love that city. I love the people. I love the weather. I love the food. I like Spanish beer, especially Alhambra, which is a great beer because it also has 6.5%, and it comes in a bottle without labels, so it’s really easily recyclable. Two Brits in Seville.”
The shoot and photo session (a shoot for wannabes) takes place as a visual diary of the duo sitting in a vintage car outside an iconic Seville hotel, playing croquet, tasting tapas in a local bar, strolling through the Plaza de España… Dressed in tactile fabrics, current looks polished with a classic touch and with a colour palette that travels from classic blues, greens and beige (so Hackett) to tangerine, sea grass, ash pink and Atlantic blue tones.
Yes, Matthew Goode had a blast: “It’s a beautiful city. We didn’t get to see it properly but we really liked it, very easy on the eyes. We loved the food, the tapas. Jenson… he’s just a pleasure to work with because he’s extremely relaxed and really fun and very, very easy-going. And you can spend the day with him very happily. So yeah, that’s always great. I like to play croquet more than anything, so why not? I’m competitive and the sportsman next to me is competitive too.”
The origins of Matthew Goode
“He is the quintessence of Great Britain,” says Matthew Goode, succinctly, about ‘Downton Abbey’, the series that will surely give him a face and body, in the role of racing driver Henry Talbot (he marries Lady Mary). Or perhaps you know him from playing Ozymandias in ‘Watchmen’, or as Jim in ‘A Single Man’.
But we ask him, since Hackett’s campaign has been filmed with an Andalusian soul, about ‘South of Granada’ (2003), in which he got into the skin of Gerald Brenan: “I found it very strange that they chose me for that film. I went to Madrid, I did an audition, in English. I found out that I got the part, I went back to the hotel, then they gave me a script that was in Spanish. At that moment they told me “yes, this is a Spanish film.”
I called my agent to tell him that I think there was a big mistake. And he said, “No, they’ll put someone on you to help you learn.” Why don’t you stay there for a month before you start shooting the movie? That’s what I did. I had a great time. It was wonderful. And I met Veronica Sanchez, who is a fantastic, fantastic Spanish actress. And we had a lot of fun together with Guillermo Toledo and Antonio Resines and Angela Molina, etc. It was great. Jesus, that was a long answer.” Well, Matthew, we’ve read longer ones. He’s still itching to get through his latest shoot, Freud’s Last Session, in which he plays the medievalist writer (and author of The Chronicles of Narnia) C.S. Lewis and shares the set with Anthony Hopkins: “It’s been a dream come true. Working with Hopkins is just… I’ll never forget him. He’s still my God.”
Hackett and Matthew Goode
“I’ve always used Hackett ‘bits’ so I have a lot of the brand’s pieces in my wardrobe. And every time I work with them they give me some free stuff. So there you have it. Just so you know. I really like their shoes and trainers, extremely comfortable and great for summer. My style is quite similar to Hackett’s. And their suits are practically bombproof. I have one that I wear often in the morning and I’ve worn it to many weddings, and it’s still in good condition.”
This is the spirit that the English brand’s Spring-Summer collection, worn by Matthew Goode and Jenson Button in Seville, displays: essential transitional garments, versatile water-resistant technical jackets, soft suede vests, a sophisticated shawl-collar cardigan, elegant blazers with windowpane and herringbone check options made from premium lightweight fabrics such as linen or wool-silk blends, melange herringbone shirts and polos and fine organic cotton.
It’s all very relaxed, the sun is shining, without losing that British refinement. Before we say goodbye to Matthew Goode (the ferry will have reached its destination…), we ask him if he thinks that series are saving cinema: “Yes, they are, but cinema will live on forever. It’s a strange time we’re in, but… We won’t be replaced by artificial intelligence because it has no heart. It can’t really think for itself properly, so we’ll be safe. But right now it’s only big-budget films that are going to cinemas. Still, there’s always the possibility of something surprising coming along. A bit like ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’. I don’t think you would have predicted that those would be the two films that would save cinema last year. But that’s what happened. And who doesn’t love working on a series? Because you get to explore your character for much longer and in much more depth. Over, I hope, several seasons. OK, ciao!”. Ciao Matthew.
https://www.expansion.com/fueradeserie/moda-y-caprichos/2024/06/18/6661976fe5fdeade4f8b45b6.html
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Film Talk: Goode times for new drama, or a Freudian slip-up? – Express and Star – 14th June 2024
Sometimes it’s good to be good, but it’s always good to be Goode.
Yet, of course, there is more to the dashing cad that put the glint in the eye of Henry Talbot, Tony Armstrong-Jones and Charles Ryder than just being a handsome rake.
Succeeding Dan Stevens admirably as a silky second true love for Lady Mary, Goode’s dashing driver set hearts across the land aflutter and his performance was applauded – hearts that continued to beat when the series ended as, thankfully, handsome Henry did not come to the same sticky end as his predecessor, despite his chosen vocation.
FREUD’S LAST SESSION (UK 12A/ROI 12A, 109 mins)
Released: June 14 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas)
In 1939, shortly before his death in Hampstead, London after a painful battle with cancer of the jaw, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud reportedly met with a don from the University of Oxford.
No one knows if that academic was author CS Lewis but playwright Mark St Germain imagined a meeting of these two brilliant minds in his award-winning stage work, Freud’s Last Session.
A stuffy and thoughtful film adaptation, co-written by St Germain and director Matthew Brown, still feels inherently theatrical, unfolding predominantly as conversations about faith, sexuality and human frailty in drawing rooms and offices.
“I’m human. I’m inherently flawed, and I’m deeply damaged,” he notes. “And no doubt, I’m damaging to others.”
Hopkins savours the meaty dialogue and shares each morsel with a movingly understated Matthew Goode as Lewis.
There is plenty here to fire synapses, engage the brain and provoke debate, especially with scenes that depict Freud’s unwillingness to formally acknowledge a relationship between his daughter Anna and Tiffany heiress Dorothy Burlingham.
On September 3, 1939, the day that prime minister Neville Chamberlain formally announces Britain is at war with Germany, 83-year-old Sigmund Freud (Hopkins) invites CS Lewis (Goode) to visit him at home so they might discuss ideas expressed in the latter’s book, The Pilgrim’s Regress.
The novel is an allegorical response to John Bunyan’s 17th-century work The Pilgrim’s Progress and has been published after Lewis converted to Christianity.
The writer travels from his country home in Oxford, which he shares with companion Janie Moore (Orla Brady), into the capital where barrage balloons are already inflated to protect from airborne attacks.
The men’s discussion ebbs and flows between different topics, interrupted by an air raid siren that requires the two men to seek shelter in the basement of a nearby church.
Lewis suffers a panic attack, post-traumatic stress from the Somme, and Freud tenderly eases the situation. “Focus on me,” he soothingly instructs.
Meanwhile, Freud’s 43-year-old daughter Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) abandons her lecturing duties to seek morphine for her father.
Stately production design conveys the return of conflict to Europe and stiff-upper-lipped resolve on British shores. Forays outside of Freud’s inner sanctum allow for welcome directorial flourishes to sporadically distance the film from its stage counterpart.
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Abigail Directors Radio Silence Talk Easter Eggs, Danzig Dances, and More – comic book.com – 9th May 2024 [Extract]
Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin address burning questions about their horror-comedy.
WARNING: Spoilers below for Abigail…
Was there ever a point where, even just on paper, you speculated about some other people who you considered playing Dracula or was he literally the first and only name you went to?
Bettinelli-Olpin: It’s funny, I feel like we went through so many versions of what that character could be because there were so many versions of the script that had different personifications of him and how he came through and how big and small that role was.Matthew [Goode] did not have to audition because we are mega fans, specifically, of his portrayal of Robert Evans in The Offer. It’s like a 10 out of 10, if you haven’t seen it. But when he said he’d do it … Sometimes you’re looking for something and then, at a certain point, it’s like it fits the box and you go, “Oh, my God, there it is. That’s it.” And as soon as he said he was in or was interested or his name came to us, I don’t really remember how that exactly happened, but we immediately went, “Oh, my God, he would be f-cking perfect.” And then in our opinion, he nailed it and is.
Gillett: We needed somebody to … The way that they carry themselves actually to bring a level of mystery and nuance to what that character is instead of this just big, brute force. There’s something very graceful and ethereal and strange about how Matthew looked in the teeth and the costume. And I think it implies so many interesting little pockets of history and story that exist off-screen. I mean, look, I think what being a talent like him is, right? You bring that sense of it, feeling lived in, even if you’re on-screen for a minute and 40 seconds or whatever that scene actually is, it was really wild to watch that come together. It’s such a short amount of time, but so important and so essential to the end of the movie….
Abigail is now available to watch at home exclusively on digital platforms from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Full article here – https://comicbook.com/horror/news/abigail-tyler-gillett-matt-bettinelli-olpin-interview-radio-silence-easter-eggs-danzig/
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Stars of The Crown cast a line on Perthshire fishing trip – The Courier – 29th April 2024 [Extract]
The Crown stars Dominic West, Jim Murray and Matthew Goode joined fellow Hollywood actor pal Burn Gorman for a spot of fishing on the River Ericht.
The famous four were staying at the Meikleour Arms for a few days last week and fished the River Ericht in Blairgowrie.
They were spotted propping up the bar of the hotel one morning while promoting a wild salmon conservation campaign and were said to be “very jolly”, with the prospect of a day of fishing ahead.
Claire Mercer Nairne, whose family owns the Meikleour Arms and who is a member of the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board, said she was “chuffed to bits” when the celebrities offered to do a group photo for a good cause.
Hollywood stars in Perthshire
“Spring salmon fishing attracts anglers from all over the country and from all walks of life – but who would expect four Hollywood stars in April in a tiny Perthshire village!” she said.
“It was a pleasure to see Jim and Burn again – they had both previously opened the Tay salmon fishing season at Meikleour.
“It was lovely of them to treat their friends Dominic and Matthew with some fishing on the beautiful River Ericht.”
Celebrities enjoyed woodland walks
Claire said the friends enjoyed walking through the area’s magnificent woodlands and that Perthshire Big Tree Country “didn’t disappoint”.
While Dominic portrayed Prince Charles – and then King Charles – during the final two seasons of the hit Netflix series, Jim played Prince Andrew in season five.
Matthew, meanwhile, portrayed Antony Armstrong-Jones – Princess Margaret’s playboy husband – in the second season of the biographical drama series.
He also starred as Henry Talbot in Downton Abbey.
Claire said: “I was chuffed to bits when they offered to do a group photo supporting the environmental campaign Off The Table.
“They somehow all ended-up behind our bar to the delight of our team and of our guests who were finishing their breakfast.
“They were so very jolly, as one would expect when about to spend a wonderful day on the river.”
Actors impressed by hotel
Claire said the actors were “delighted” to find a “lovely hotel” that did not serve farmed salmon.
The Meikleour Arms was one of the very first restaurants in the UK to completely remove farmed salmon from their menu and are ambassadors for the Off The Table campaign.
This raises awareness of the environmental, welfare and sustainability issues surrounding the salmon farming industry.
Interview: Matthew Brown on Freud’s Last Session, casting Sir Anthony Hopkins, and staying neutral in opposing conversations – AU Review – 18th April 2024 [Extract]
Peter Gray
…
And offsetting Anthony Hopkins’ casting, you have Matthew Goode. Such an underrated performer. How did he come about for you?
It was COVID, and my now-wife and I were just huddled up and miserable, like everyone else, and we started watching (A Discovery of Witches). I watched every episode, and it was exactly what I needed during COVID. I was like, “This guy’s good!” No matter what material is thrown at him, he’s good. It’s amazing. He elevates everything. And I wished I could work with him, and this was the perfect opportunity. Now I don’t ever want to make a movie that he’s not in.
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Full article – Click here!
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Matt Brown’s Freudian Slip – Film Ink – 17th April 2024 [Extracts]
by Christine Westwood
…
Brown directed a pair of disparate actors, Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons, in The Man Who Knew Infinity, so he has particular experience in balancing two-hander scenes. We asked how that worked with Hopkins and Goode.
“Funnily enough, they are similar in that neither of them want to do more than two takes. They’re those sort of actors. They work fast. So, we would spend part of the day rehearsing it and blocking it out, then the second part would be a mad dash to the end. It helped that we were on a stage set, because we just did not have a lot of time at all.
“I think it was a tribute to Hopkins that the crew were so respectful. You could hear a pin drop on set. There were no producers behind the monitor, none of that. It was a quiet, safe set to experiment in and work through stuff, so that allowed us to do some pretty complicated blocking and work out some pretty fantastic performances. And there was a lot of preparation that went in ahead of time.”
…
“It’s a curious film in that it requires patience, it requires listening. We’re sort of sitting thinking, why doesn’t Lewis fight back or yell at him, but that’s not who he would have been and it’s not what Matthew [Goode] wanted to do and not what I wanted him to do. This is a film about two people who are listening. It’s one of the hardest things to do in life, it’s one of the things society has forgotten how to do.”
…
Without spoilers, Brown described one of his favourite scenes as “the sequence where Freud and Lewis are standing across the desk from each other and they’re doing a play on a shouting scene. I intuitively felt that we’ve had enough yelling, let’s have it as a quiet, scathing take down of each others’ character. I thought there was something really powerful in that. I remember feeling very proud of it because it felt authentic. You don’t have to scream and yell to be powerful and to get a point across.
“I remember we did a Deadline thing in Los Angeles where we showed the audience that scene and their jaw dropped afterward. It was intense on the big screen seeing these two amazing actors take each other down.
“I like the end too, when they say goodbye and Hopkins puts his head into Matthew’s shoulder. I remember him saying to me at the time, ‘Is that too much?’ and I said, ‘No, I think that’s beautiful’. Because that’s what the film was about, that we can have all these disagreements and actually like the person we’re disagreeing with.”
https://www.filmink.com.au/matt-browns-freudian-slip/
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Freud’s Last Session Director Matt Brown Talks Designing a Debate Between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis – The Curb (Australia) 17th April 2024 [Extract]
Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis were trailblazers in their respective fields. Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis, which irreversibly changed how we think about matters such as sexuality, behaviour, and the subconscious. While Lewis’ name has proven eternal as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, along with his other works in Christian theology. The two men made monumental strides in a time of significant change, and their accomplishments have greatly impacted the very nature of faith and self. And although they never met, many were tantalised by what a conversation between the two brilliant, contrasting minds would have looked like.
In Matt Brown’s third feature, Freud’s Last Session, the director brings that prospect to the screen. Based on the stage play of the same name, the film plays out an imagined conversation between Freud and Lewis, with Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode portraying the pair. It is the beginning of World War II, and Lewis meets with Freud in London. As they listen out for updates from Winston Churchill, they analyse their differing stances on God. Lewis has recently embraced Christianity, while the atheist Freud has mortality on his mind, knowing cancer will soon claim him. Like the men it is fictionalising, the film has plenty to say. It is a two-hour game of intellectual tennis, with each volley more provocative than the last.
Before the debate hits our shores, I was given some time to speak with Brown about the ambitious project. We talked about being the impartial party, the nod to an Anthony Hopkins classic, and what went into creating a Freudian fever dream. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
…
Then a phone call came literally half an hour later, saying that Anthony Hopkins wanted to do this movie. I was like, ‘Oh, okay, right now?’ And the person on the phone said, ‘Yes, right now!’ So I shifted gears immediately. I didn’t know that this was going to happen, but then it happened, which is life (laughs).
When Anthony Hopkins tells you he is interested, you’re not passing that up, are you?
MB: No! No! And then when Matthew Goode said yes, I was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It was amazing.
…
Anthony Hopkins previously portrayed C.S. Lewis in Richard Attenborough’s Shadowlands. Did that ever come up in conversation?
MB: It definitely came up. In fact, Matthew Goode wears a sweater as an homage to him in that other film. Matthew and Tony talked about his approach to playing Lewis a little bit. I think he gave Matthew some confidence and some help in finding his own direction with it. So, yeah, that did come up.
Freud and Lewis are iconic figures in their fields, and like Hopkins in Shadowlands, both have been portrayed in films before. Were there any particular qualities that your actors really wanted to imbue in their renditions?
MB: Yes, Matthew and I talked about him being really present and almost Zen. He embraced that side of it because Matthew felt C.S. Lewis would have been very respectful of somebody of Freud’s stature. Also, Freud is so ill and towards the end of his life, so he wasn’t going to blow a fuse and start yelling at him. It’s sort of difficult because you have a conversation that could potentially go real heated this way or that way. But I think he wanted to bring that level of emotional authenticity to it. It allows you to watch the performance on his face in many ways. He’s so emotive. Matthew is such a fast, smart actor. He really had to force himself to slow down with us.
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Edinburgh locals bump into Hollywood actor as he films Netflix show in Portobello – Edinburgh Live – 15th April 2024
Matthew Goode, star of Downton Abbey and numerous big budget Hollywood films, was in the Edinburgh suburb of Portobello filming the new Netflix show Department Q
Matthew Goode delighted Portobello residents by stopping to take pictures
(Image: Sara Maude)
Portobello residents got quite the surprise on Monday morning when they spotted a Hollywood movie star shooting a new project on the promenade.
Matthew Goode, star of movies such as Watchmen, Downton Abbey and The King’s Man, was in town filming for new Netflix TV show Department Q.
The series, which is an adaptation of a Danish crime thriller, has been in production throughout Edinburgh for the last couple of months. Residents of the city’s west end previously watched on in awe as a stunt driver completed a scene in Melville Street.
The famous star was in good spirits and happily stopped to pose for pictures and chat with fans in front of the windswept beach.
One Portobello local, Sara Maude, 45, was brave enough to ask if she could take a snap with the actor, and told Edinburgh Live it was a fantastic experience.
Sara, who helps women meet their true loves, told us: “I had no idea Matthew was in Porty filming. I live in Portobello and had gone for a run down the prom, I saw the cameras and a lot of people milling about.
“I was curious what the buzz was about but I initially just ran by and didn’t pay much attention. On the way back I spotted Matthew Goode and my heart skipped a beat! I absolutely love him and I am a huge fan of Downton Abbey, I’ve even visited Highclere Castle several times. In fact, my close friends and family call me Lady Mary.
“I absolutely had to get a picture with him, and I believe if you don’t ask you don’t get! He was an absolute delight, warm, friendly and down to earth – a true gent. To me, he is a sex god, and I was delighted to share that with him.”
Production on Department Q will continue in Edinburgh, with the show having an expected Q2 2025 release date.
[Edinburgh Live]
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‘Abigail’: Everything We Learned on the Set of Universal’s Monster Movie – Collider – 4th April 2024 [Extracts]
EMMA KIELY
THE BIG PICTURE
- Dracula’s origin story comes full circle in Abigail , a modern retelling of his daughter’s tale.
- Abigail blends genres, starting as a heist film before diving into full-blown horror with a vampire twist.
- Shot mostly in Dublin’s Glenmaroon House, the set screams horror with blood, gore, and Victorian charm.
…
As this is a reimagining of Dracula’s Daughter, you may be wondering: where the hell is Dracula? The identity of the actor playing him and how large a part he’ll have in the film was kept very much under wraps during our set visit. In the film, we know that he is an extremely wealthy underground crime boss, making Abigail the perfect target for a ransom. Via Zoom, Bettinelli-Olpin likened his presence to The Usual Suspects‘ Keyser Söze. “He’s a big part of the story. His presence is like the shadow that kind of just goes over everything that’s happening.” Alisha Weir also teased more details about her character’s relationship with her father, saying that the two have a complicated cast that will unfold over the film’s runtime. Beyond that, Dracula is still kept under lock and key inside a stuffy coffin, and we’ll just have to wait and see. While no one has confirmed the identity of the actor playing the iconic vampire, it’s important to note that Matthew Goode’s name has appeared on the cast list since our set visit…
Full article here – https://collider.com/abigail-set-visit/
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Matthew Goode: “You’re never more naked than when you’re centre stage” – Luxury London – 26th March 2024
By Annie Lewis
FROM HIS FIRST OXFAM SUIT TO BEING THE FACE OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BRANDS ON SAVILE ROW, THE DOWNTON ABBEY ACTOR TALKS JENSON BUTTON, BRITISH TAILORING AND THE BEAUTY OF A TERRIFYING AUDITION
Admittedly, I had some preconceptions about Matthew Goode. Other journalists described him as possessing “something rather naughty beneath his suave exterior” and being “completely, almost ludicrously, charming” – not a bad rap from people who, as Goode insinuates, are often out to find faults. In his words: “You set yourself up for people to criticise you, but you just drink through it darling.” Fair enough.
But despite his CV, the father of three displays a humble side that is, quite clearly, tinged with imposter syndrome. Throughout our interview (Goode dials in while stirring a homemade spag bol in the Edinburgh flat he’s currently filming from), he talks of the great actors he’s worked with – Julianne Moore, Emma Thompson, Matthew Rhys, Nicole Kidman – but hints he should never have been cast alongside them. “I don’t know if I’ve had a job yet [that I would describe as a turning point] but you’re lucky to work, right? I think about people who I was at drama school with who never got the opportunity and were so talented, and it’s so sad,” he tells me. “Every job you have makes you stronger and bolder. It’s a weird beast and I love it to death – we’re always criticised and always afraid.”
It’s a ‘beast’ that affords him opportunities though – such as becoming the face of Savile Row tailor Hackett’s SS24 campaign, shot in Seville alongside F1 star Jenson Button. “I worked with Hackett years ago and I had such a lovely experience with them and I love Jeremy [Hackett]. People think it’s quite a glamorous job but I’m quite shy really; I potter about with our kids at home and lead quite a quiet life, and then suddenly you’re in Seville having photographs taken with Jenson Button. You will not meet a nicer man; I think the word superb sums him up nicely.
“My wife [Sophie Dymoke] is a very good judge of character and has been in rooms with very famous people, and most of the time she will come back to me and say ‘shall we go to the bar, they’re a bit of an ass’. But Jenson is fantastic fun, has great stories and we both love the clothes – [plus] we get to call it work in inverted commas.”
It’s quite the trajectory for a man who happily tells me his first suit came from Oxfam – and makes his appreciation for top-notch craft that bit more sincere. “I’m a small town boy but I’d heard of Savile Row before I got my first suit. These people have been studying for years, they are the best in the business. I feel about tailors the same way I do about directors and photography – I don’t know how it works. It’s a work of art and such a level of skill, and they work so quietly and officially. I know there are brilliant tailors all around the world but I’m telling you, the way they do it in London is the best.”
It helps, of course, that many of his notable roles have required the donning of impeccably tailored suits. “I think The Crown fitting was one of the quickest I’ve ever done. They said they’d love me to wear this and I tried it on and it was perfect I was in and out really quickly. They have such great integrity on that show.” Goode’s appearance in season two opposite Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret resulted in an Emmy nomination. Not that he was that bothered: “I don’t believe in award shows, don’t like them, never have.”
“Any kind of tailoring in an era that you’re not used to is always fun and it transforms you – and that’s what its purpose is.”
MATTHEW GOODE
His thoughts on The Crown now? “It was always going to get complicated when it got more modern. Effectively it’s like a history show, especially in the early days, and then the closer it gets to Diana, it was always going to get a bit hairy.” But working with Kirby was evidently a highlight. “My goodness, it was shangri la to work with someone like Vanessa. I read an interview where she said ‘Matthew and I spent most of our time laughing’ and I totally agree. It wasn’t work; if we could just about squeeze a scene in without laughing on the floor it was a success. She’s world class.”
Kirby is one of many homegrown actors that Goode adores, but it’s not so much the individuals as it is the whole UK film industry. “I’m painfully on the side of British actors; I do think we are pretty good. We should be very proud of our industry and I find it very odd that it’s not funded as it should be. It will be in someone’s political speech: ‘Kate Winslet won an Oscar and that’s good because we’re funding the arts’ – but no, you’re not. One of the reasons the streets are dangerous is because you cut 50,000 police officers and you’re doing something similar to the arts, so shut up.
“I feel for these young actors because due to the pandemic, people are auditioning in their kitchens. Auditions are scary and they always will be; you’re showing someone your work and it’s a fragile place to be because most of the time it’s a no. But the audition is a brilliant thing because you’ve got to perform, and when you get it, it builds a suit of armour. I’m working with people who are coming onto set because they’ve done something in their kitchen really well and they’re fired because they haven’t been in the room with producers and directors. They should bring proper auditioning back, because it’s not necessarily the best thing someone can do from home.”
Back in the costume department, Goode does admit that he can be a bit of a “nightmare” – but perhaps not in the sense you’d automatically assume. “I don’t ever really want to stand out so I’m a nightmare for a costume director because I just want to wear black. I’d want it to be the work [standing out] rather than what I’m wearing.” Still, he’s aware of the importance the costumes bring to a production – especially period pieces. “Any kind of tailoring in an era that you’re not used to is always fun and it transforms you – and that’s what its purpose is.”
So, when he’s not being styled by someone else, what does he like to wear? “I just chuck on whatever is closest to the bed,” he laughs. “When I’m not working, I’m dog walking twice a day and my wife thinks I couldn’t look any more like Ricky Gervais. What am I meant to wear on a dog walk – a suit?” I guess not.
Matthew Goode is the face of the Hackett SS24 campaign. Visit hackett.com.
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AWWG announces the launch of Hackett London’s SS24 campaign embracing the Spanish spirit with Jenson Button and Matthew Goode – Press Release – 14th March 2024
Hackett London, one of the brands of the global fashion group AWWG, embarks on a captivating journey with its Spring-Summer 2024 campaign. This campaign artfully merges the quintessential British essence of the Hackett style with the lively spirit and sun-kissed landscapes of Seville, Spain.
Formula I World Champion Jenson Button rejoins forces with celebrated British actor Matthew Goode for an Andalusian adventure that captures the soul of Hackett London’s latest collection. Curiosity and a love for adventure define the Hackett man, and this campaign reflects those qualities against the picturesque backdrop of Seville, a historic city that boasts three UNESCO World Heritage sites and impeccable style.
Renowned photographer Tom Craig truly captures the essence of Jenson Button and Matthew Goode as they navigate the cultural tapestry of Seville in a campaign artfully orchestrated by the agency Dentsu Creative Spain. The campaign unfolds like a visual diary, portraying the duo making a grand entrance at an iconic Sevillian hotel in a vintage car, engaging in a friendly match of croquet, savouring tapas at a local bar, and leisurely strolling in the breathtaking Plaza de España.
The Spring-Summer 2024 features a wide range of tactile fabrics, timeless hybrid essentials, and imaginative fabric blends that create modern looks polished with classic finesse. It boasts a palette of colours that begins from classic Hackett blues, greens and beige before it transforms to bright mandarin, seagrass, ash pink and Atlantic blue shades as the season progresses.
The season begins with essential transitional outerwear like versatile water-resistant technical jackets, and mid-layers such as a sophisticated shawl collar cardigan, and butter-soft suede gilets. As the days get warmer, lighter fabrics and brighter colours are introduced to carry you through the weather changes with comfort and style. New dashing blazers with options in check, windowpane, and herringbone patterns crafted with premium light fabrics like linen and wool-silk blends will become the centrepiece of any transitional wardrobe. For seasonal essentials that still manage to impress, the collection offers a range of melange herringbone overshirts, shirts and fine organic cotton polos and tees in classic blues and vibrant summery colours. The Spring-Summer collection adds a range of trousers crafted from premium cotton and linen textiles, in fine silhouettes, to offer a relaxed and refined style for any occasion.
Hackett London continues to push boundaries and redefine premium menswear by infusing the brand’s DNA into every aspect of this campaign. The Spring-Summer 2024 collection invites you to embrace the spirit of adventure and embark on a journey of discovery, along the Spanish landscape, where the allure of Seville merges seamlessly with the timeless style of the modern Hackett man.
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‘Leap Year’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Amy Adams, Matthew Goode and More – US Weekly 29th February 2024 [Extracts]
By Caitlyn Somers
A leap year may only happen every four years, but audiences are still watching the 2010 rom-com Leap Year every year.
The film follows a successful real estate stager Anna Brady (Amy Adams) who heads to Ireland to meet her boyfriend on leap day and propose to him. However her plans change after her flight gets diverted due to a storm and Anna enlists an Irish innkeeper (Matthew Goode) to take her to Dublin. The twosome go on a fun journey, which eventually leads to romance.
In January 2010, Adams opened up about getting the opportunity to work with Goode.
“He’s so great and funny and smart,” she said in an interview with SheKnows at the time. “America is just going to love him. He brought so much to this role. He enjoyed playing Declan. I love the character of Declan. He was perfect in it.”
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Credit: Cover Images; Mike Marsland/WireImage
Matthew Goode
The British actor appeared as Adam’s love interest Declan O’Callaghan in Leap Year. Following his role in the rom-com, Goode appeared in several other films, including 2011’s Burning Man, 2013’s Stoker, 2013’s Belle, 2014’s The Imitation Game and 2015’s Self/less. Goode has made a name for himself on television as well starring as Henry Talbot in Downtown Abbey, Finley Polmar in The Good Wife, the 1st Earl of Snowdon on The Crown, Matthew Clairmont in A Discovery of Witches and Robert Evans in The Offer.
Goode tied the knot with Sophie Dymoke in 2014 and welcomed three children: daughters Matilda and Teddie and son Ralph, in 2009, 2013 and 2015, respectively.
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Filming starts in Dirleton and Yellowcraig Beach for new Netflix drama
The detective series is an adaptation of the Nordic crime novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen and will star Matthew Goode of Watchmen, Downton Abbey and The Crown alongside Kelly Macdonald of Trainspotting and Disney’s Brave
Matthew Goode will lead the show. Image: PA (Image: PA)
The show follows a former top-rated detective (Goode) in Edinburgh who is assigned to a new cold case but is wracked with guilt following an attack that left a fellow policeman dead and his partner paralysed.
It is not known how many scenes will be filmed in the county, nor how prominently it will feature.
The show stars Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald (Image: Newsquest)
In a letter informing residents of the filming, the production team said: “We have some planned exterior filming on both nights. This will involve a car driving down Ware Road and up to Lysander House. For this filming we will have lights in the surrounding fields. These may cause attention as the land surrounding is very flat, so I would think these will be seen from quite a way away.
“Access to Yellowcraig Beach and car park will be kept open at all times to the public, but we have made arrangements with East Lothian Council to park some vehicles in the car park.”
It is not yet known when the series will be available on Netflix.
Other confirmed cast members include Chloe Pirrie (Black Mirror), Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones) and Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter franchise).
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Matthew Goode Leads Netflix’s Gritty New Crime Drama ‘Department Q’ – Collider – 6th February 2024
RYAN O’ROURKE
THE BIG PICTURE
- Production has started on a new Netflix crime series, Department Q , with Matthew Goode as the lead detective.
- The show follows former top-rated detective Carl Morck as he tackles cold cases and builds a team of misfit officers.
- Other stars in the cast include Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Kelly Macdonald, and Leah Byrne.
Production is now underway in Edinburgh for a new Netflix crime series, Department Q, hailing from one of the streamer’s favorite creative partners, Scott Frank. The show is an adaptation of the novels of the same name by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen and revolves around former top-rated detective Carl Morck as he tackles a cold case. As cameras begin rolling, Netflix also revealed the full call sheet of stars who will be appearing onscreen, with Watchmen star Matthew Goode headlining the bunch as Morck and reuniting with his The Lookout director Frank.
Described as “brilliant but impossible,” Morck is forever changed by the inciting violent incident of Department Q, which saw the detective’s partner paralyzed and an officer killed. Wracked with guilt, he’s given command of the titular department, a new cold case sector that is little more than a PR stunt to sideline him upon his return to work. He eventually starts to tap back into his detective instincts and turn the basement office space into a well-oiled machine full of misfit officers dedicated to cracking whatever seemingly impossible cases come across their desks. The new series will bring Goode back to television after ending his stint on A Discovery of Witches after three seasons and appearing in The Offer in 2022.
Key among the outcasts joining him in Department Q is Under the Banner of Heaven star Chloe Pirrie as the prosecutor Merrit Lingard who is as ambitious as she is ruthless. Haunted by her troubled childhood and her brother’s severe brain injury, she turned over a new leaf to fight tooth and nail for justice, quickly climbing the ranks until she was at the doorstep of her biggest case yet. However, she opts instead to change things up and crosses paths with Morck, altering the course of her career.
Alongside them is Alexej Manvelov as the former Syrian officer Akram Salim, who flees to Europe and becomes Morck’s oft-underestimated assistant, Kelly Macdonald as the therapist Dr. Rachel Irving, who forms a deeper connection with Morck throughout their sessions and conversations with each other, and Leah Byrne as Rose, a formerly promising police cadet forever marred by the stigma of her mental breakdown who turns to Morck for a second chance.
Rounding out the cast of Department Q are Mark Bonnar, Shirley Henderson, Jamie Sives, and Kate Dickie.
Frank will serve as showrunner for the series and leads the writing team consisting of Chandni Lakhani, Stephen Greenhorn, and Colette Kane. Netflix likely has the utmost trust in Frank to deliver yet again, as he previously helmed one of the streamer’s colossal previous hits — The Queen’s Gambit. Nominated for two Oscars, his fingerprints can also be found on plenty of acclaimed films, including Steven Spielberg‘s Minority Report, James Mangold‘s Logan, and Steven Soderbergh‘s Out of Sight. His most recent work came at AMC with the Monsieur Spade series starring Clive Owen.
Production is currently underway on Department Q, but there’s no indication of when it could hit Netflix. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the Edinburgh-based series as work gets underway.
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Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie Join Cast of Scott Frank’s Netflix ‘Department Q’ Adaptation – Variety – 6th February 2024
By Naman Ramachandran
The cast is led by Matthew Goode (“The King’s Man”), Chloe Pirrie (“The Queen’s Gambit”), Alexej Manvelov (“Jack Ryan”) Kelly Macdonald (“Line of Duty”) and Leah Byrne (“Call The Midwife”). It also includes Mark Bonnar (“Napoleon”), Shirley Henderson (“Harry Potter”), Jamie Sives (“Guilt”) and Kate Dickie (“Inside Man”).
“Department Q” is an adaptation of the novels of the same name from Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. They have spawned a successful Danish film series with more in production.
Merritt plays a ruthless and ambitious prosecutor who has quickly risen the ranks in the Crown Office. Merritt had a troubled childhood, raised by her absent father on the Isle of Mull. But after her brother William suffered a severe brain injury, she turned her life around and dedicated her life to him, whilst striving for justice in her role as prosecutor. However, in the wake of the biggest case of her career, Merritt decides she needs to make a change. As a result, Merritt and Carl’s paths collide.
Manvelov plays a former officer in the Syrian police force who flees to Europe when civil war breaks out. Unable to work as a cop in the U.K., he petitions for work at Edinburgh’s police station, becoming Carl’s assistant. Akram keeps his past life in Syria private, but as the series goes on, Carl realises he’s underestimated his new partner.
Macdonald plays the therapist charged with getting officers back on the front line. She’s smart, and she soon gets the measure of Carl, his trauma and his superiority complex. Intrigued by one another, the two develop a deeper connection across the series.
The series is currently in production in Edinburgh.
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‘Department Q’ Takes Shape: Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Kelly Macdonald Join Netflix Series Adaptation Of Danish Crime Novels – Deadline – 6th February 2024
Department Q has staffed up. Cameras are rolling in Scotland on the upcoming series adaptation of Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s hugely popular crime novels.
Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne and Kelly Macdonald are all on board Netflix‘s English-language series Deadline can reveal.
The project comes from showrunner Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit). It has been written by Frank, Chandni Lakhani, Stephen Greenhorn and Colette Kane. Frank directs the first two of the eight instalments. Filming is taking place in Edinburgh, where the series will be set.
Goode will play DCI Carl Morck. After a violent incident turns Morck’s life upside down, the emotionally scarred detective is charged with setting up cold case unit, Department Q, upon his return to work. At first, the disillusioned cop is happy to waste his days away, but his detective instincts are ultimately reawakened and his new department becomes a magnet for a crew of misfits and mavericks.
The project sees Goode working with Left Bank Pictures and Netflix once more. He played Antony Armstrong Jones in season two of Left Bank’s regal drama The Crown.
Pirrie, whose credits include The Queen’s Gambit, plays ruthless and ambitious prosecutor Merrit Lingard. Fellow Scottish actor Macdonald takes the role of Dr. Rachel Irving, a therapist tasked with getting officers back on the front line.
Manvelov (Jack Ryan) is Syrian cop Akram Salim, who was forced to flee to Europe and ultimately becomes part of the new department. Byrne takes the role of Rose, a star police cadet left shaken by a breakdown and looking for a chance to prove herself in DCI Morck’s team.
The cast also includes Mark Bonnar (Guilt), Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones), Jamie Sives (Crime) and Kate Dickie (Inside Man).
Adler-Olsen’s books have spawned a very successful film franchise. The fourth film based on the novels, The Purity Of Vengeance, became the highest-grossing Danish film at the local box office. New movies are in the works.
Indie filmmaker Matt Brown recently directed Freud’s Last Session, based on the stage play of the same name. It’s a thought-provoking film that envisions an intriguing fictional encounter between two intellectual giants, Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, portrayed by the legendary Sir Anthony Hopkins and the talented Matthew Goode, respectively.
The play itself draws its inspiration from Armand M. Nicholi’s renowned book, The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex and the Meaning of Life, effectively encapsulating the essence of the film’s storyline.
In a candid conversation with Casting Networks, Brown —who previously directed The Man Who Knew Infinity starring Jeremy Irons and Dev Patel— delves into the intricacies of casting his lead actors, collaborating with his trusted casting director and the unique experience of directing one of the greatest living actors in the industry today.
Your film is about two very famous figures in history. How do you begin to assemble actors to play historical figures Freud and C.S. Lewis?
I go with the best actor. Looks matter to a degree but I think it’s trying to find the right actor. Casting the role of Freud, there were a ton of actors we could have considered. You always have that one actor who is your dream casting. Very rarely has it been my experience that that dream comes true.
How did you get Anthony Hopkins for that role?
Anthony Hopkins is a very, very special person, actor, musician and painter. He’s just a genius. We tried to get him. He read the script but was in the midst of shooting The Father and politely passed. Then I did some more work on the script and came back to him about a year and a half later, maybe two years later. For whatever reason, he decided this time to engage. I felt like I won the lottery.
What about Matthew Goode as C.S. Lewis?
I was looking at pictures of C.S. Lewis, which goes back to what you said about looks. C.S. Lewis looked so much different in his late thirties than he did as we know him historically later in life, which was a chubby bald man. But he drank, smoked many cigarettes and had a lot of trauma and PTSD. So, he aged rather poorly. I don’t mean to be offensive to somebody who’s long gone, but he didn’t age well.
In your film, this is C.S. Lewis before the effects of aging.
He was quite dashing and handsome when he was in his twenties and thirties and he actually looked a bit like Matthew. So that was in our favor. But again, it goes back to trying to find the best actor. Matthew’s somebody that I’ve been tracking and following. During the pandemic, I watched his vampire show with my wife, Discovery of Witches —every single episode of it.
That’s where he’s a vampire who teams up with a witch to fend off creatures?
It wasn’t my kind of show necessarily, but I was like, “This guy is so good.” I’d been watching him for years, but I felt like I lived with him through the pandemic. So I was like, “Can we please go to Matthew Goode?” Miracle of miracles, he said yes! I got an incredible twosome with Mathew and Anthony.
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Matthew Goode Talks Channeling C.S. Lewis, Working With Sir Anthony Hopkins in ‘Freud’s Last Session’ – Casting Networks – 24th January 2024
In the historical drama Freud’s Last Session, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode take on two historical titans, psychologist Sigmund Freud and Christian academic and author C.S. Lewis, respectively. The film, co-written and directed by Matt Brown, is based on Mark St. Germain’s play of the same name and revolves around a fictional meeting between Freud and Lewis in 1939 that turns into an impassioned theological debate.
Goode, who has starred in films like The Imitation Game and Match Point and TV shows like Downton Abbey and The Good Wife, had never met Hopkins before co-starring with the legendary actor in Freud.
In an exclusive interview with Casting Networks, Goode recalls the experience of shooting in Ireland alongside the man he calls “a waking deity.” He also delves into his own methodology of channeling historical luminaries like Lewis, best known for writing the Christian-themed book series The Chronicles of Narnia.
How did you come to be involved in Freud’s Last Session?
I was in a brief lull period of not doing anything, which was nice. I’d been away from my family the previous year for six months, so I was reintegrating back into being a dad at home. I’ve got three kids and I’m a homebody and really like being at home with the family. Anyway, my agent had just started [repping] Tony, and he was like, ‘Hey, I got this script. Do you want to read it? It’s a film that Tony’s going to do and I think maybe we could get you in.’ I was like, ‘That sounds marvelous!’
You’ve played numerous real-life characters in film and television projects, including the late film producer and studio executive Robert Evans in The Offerand Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon in Season Two of The Crown. Is the preparation for portraying non-fictional characters the same?
It depends on what part of history they’re in. Obviously, there’s a bit more on YouTube about Bob Evans than there is on C.S. Lewis. With Bob, I spent weeks listening to his voice over and over again because he’s got this tambourine rhythm. Snowden was different. He sounded posher than the royal family, so I knocked his accent back a bit.
One of the joys of playing someone who is well-known is that you can focus on the facts. Like, these are the things that happened to them, the dates, what they achieved, who they married, etc. With a regular, fictional character, you write an extensive backstory to make the character more flesh.
What was your approach to Lewis?
With Lewis, not many people knew what he looked like and people don’t know his voice, but I managed to find a recording.
What made him terribly famous were his books on Narnia, but the way he came to prominence was by speaking during World War One on the radio. He became the voice of a nation, effectively talking about Christianity and other things. But because the commodity of reels was quite expensive at that time, they were rerecorded over. They rerecorded over about five of Lewis’ lectures, but there was still one left, about 10 minutes and it was fascinating!
His voice was quite strange. I think it was partly to do with his body type and partly to do with the fact that it was the 1930s, but it was deeper. I pitched it down a bit and got rhythm from it. Then you combine that with your deeper dive as an actor, reading some of his books on Christian apologetics and his memoir, where he wrote extensively about his childhood.
He said that going to boarding school after his mother died and being sent away to England —he was born in Belfast— was more traumatic than being in the trenches in World War One. That’s fascinating for me as an actor.
What attracted you to playing this role?
It’s a nice conceit, the idea of two of the greatest minds of the 20th century being in a room and duking it out slightly. Freud really goes for Lewis in this. I have long periods of just listening and that’s a great challenge as an actor.
I also thought it’d be fun to watch Tony up close and personal doing all this acting work. It was like a school field trip watching one of the greatest actors of all time up-close doing stuff.
I also really dug (director) Matthew Brown. If you’re going to have someone direct you in this kind of film, it’s thrilling to have someone whose father is actually a psychotherapist, which Matthew’s father is. Also, he’s whip-smart. I feel very uncomfortable when the director isn’t the smartest person on set.
How was the first day of shooting? Who set the tone?
Tony came out and he was like, ‘Hello everyone, I’m Tony. I don’t know if you know, but I’d been here before 55 years ago.’ We’re like, ‘Really?’ He goes, ‘I did a small film here. It was called The Lion in Winter. We went, ‘Small film? It was with Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn!’ He was like, ‘It’s great to be back. Come on guys, let’s do this!’
There was more to it, but it was inspiring and a brilliant way to start the day. We were dancing on air for the rest of the shoot. I couldn’t have had a better experience with him. We had a very, very respectful crew and they were so reverent, as we all are around Tony because he’s like a walking deity as far as cinema goes.
How would you describe your time together?
He’s like me. He’s done all the prep. He’s not Method, so between “action” and “cut,” it’s intense and great. It’s what we’re there to do and what we love to do. Then after “action,” we’re a couple of schoolboys in the corner having a giggle. He’ll be doing Tommy Cooper impressions to me, which is hilarious. You might not know who Tommy Cooper is, but he was a famous comic magician in England in the fifties, sixties, seventies. There was a lot of levity.
It’s just lovely being in orbit with someone like that. He’s one of the last great actors involved in that initial company that Lawrence Olivier set up (National Theater in 1963 in Britain). He’s like a walking, ticking time machine. With all his stories, you’re like, ‘Tell me more about that.’ He’s endlessly fascinating.
You’d never met him before. Were you the least bit nervous meeting him for the first time?
It was a little bit nerve-wracking, but within minutes, he put me completely at ease. When you work with some of the greats, which I’ve had some fortune to do, the great-greats put you at ease in a heartbeat, because otherwise it will affect the job. He did that with me. He took me under his wing and that’s something I’ll take with me to the grave.
What’s something people may be surprised to know about Sir Anthony Hopkins?
I’ll tell you one thing people don’t know about Tony. One day on set, we were in this house in Dublin. I was in the kitchen and I was like, ‘What’s that music?’ This beautiful piano music was coming from upstairs. I went up there and opened a door. Lo and behold, Tony was sitting there playing! I was like, ‘Oh, for goodness sake —you’re also amazing on the piano?!’ It’s depressing! (laughs) He’s brilliant and actually, he wrote some music that’s in the film. He’s got many feathers to his cap!
To viewers he is Sir Anthony, but you call him Tony.
Once you’ve been offered Tony, you take it for sure. By the end of the shoot, I was calling him T-Bone. I love giving people nicknames and he went with it. He loved it.
Do you have a favorite memory from the film?
The onset photographer captured one and I have it now. It’s me and Tony outside the church on the day we were shooting that scene of us walking across the graveyard. In this photo, we are both howling with laughter and have a hand on each other’s shoulder. I can’t remember what we were laughing about because we laughed quite a lot. But I really got him with something because he’s doubled over. I’ll always have that as a memory. I can stick [that photo] on my wall and go, ‘Hey, I worked with him. I worked with one of the greats! And look, he thought I was funny!’
Freud’s last session is currently playing in theaters.