English actor Ben Barnes

Ben Barnes has captured the attention of the public by means of a role in which he exhibits a dashing Spanish accent; he has since shown the world, however, that English is in fact his native language, and his choice of roles serve as a brilliant display of this. Between his turn as Dorian Gray in an upcoming adaptation of the famous novel whose title is derived from the name of his character and his starring role in the current adaptation of the quintissential Noel Coward play Easy Virtue, he is serving proud two of the best writers ever to have contributed to literature in the English language. Besides, what is there not to like about a Kings of Leon fan? Enjoy the interview.

What is your life philosophy?
Well my dad always used to tell me that 'success was the best revenge' and one time in Los Angeles I found a t-shirt with that exact phrase written on it and often wear it. The older I get the more I am aware of the 'carpe diem' philosophy, in terms of wanting to be involved in important, interesting projects and be creative and write and help good causes where I can. I read a lot of Oscar Wilde recently in preparation for [The Picture of] Dorian Gray and I came across the wonderful philosophy that 'nothing that actually occurs is of the smallest importance'.

You’re portraying the title character in The Picture of Dorian Gray. How do you like the book?
I read the book first when I was a teenager; I am aware it is a lot of people's favourite novel and so definitely wanted to be faithful in tone of the book in making the film. The downfall of Dorian is a fascinating downward spiral of morality and the themes seem as relevant today as ever, living as we do, in a youth and celebrity obsessed culture.

How did you prepare for the role?
We did several days of rehearsal with individual members of the cast and I obviously went back to the book again and again! I watched movies with characters who had really experienced life to get ideas to play the 'older' Dorian in the second half of our story.

You’re also in the running for the role of Aro in New Moon.
Actually this was just an internet rumour. I am a fan of children's literature from studying it at university one semester but I am afraid this was entirely conjecture.

Could you talk about Easy Virtue and what led to that project?
The director, Stephan Elliott, literally emailed me and told me I had to play John in Easy Virtue. He is a brash, outspoken and often very rude Aussie who isn’t afraid say it how it is. And he was never going to make a run of the mill, stiff upper-lipped, traditional period film and that was the reason I wanted to be involved. Plus the opportunity to work with Colin [Firth] and Kristin [Scott Thomas].

How was the cast assembled? Although I don’t mean this at all disparagingly, I will say that the casting of Jessica Biel feels unusual.
Well, her casting should feel unusual as she is playing the American fish out of water in the context of the film! She is a terrific actress with a great sense of humour and is willing to try anything and that is why she is so good in the film in my opinion.

Considering you’re also a stage actor, how is the feel of doing a play adaptation?
I think the original play is pretty depressing and sparse and so we really only kept the best 15 lines and the rest is all the work of Stephan and his co-writer… although it does feel very Coward-esque in places. The original Larita is a real piece of work and the character in the film is much more empathetic and rounded. Plus it’s funnier. But it did feel very much like we were shooting a film based on a play, I can’t really explain why… just the way some of the words roll off the tongue, I suppose.

Carrying this further, how do you respond to the feel and challenge of doing theatre? How is it distinct from film work?
I love the immediacy of the reaction of a live audience in the theatre and the way that no two performances are ever the same. I enjoy rehearsing very much and judging the mood of the theatre minute by minute, it’s a real thrill. Film work is more focused and relies on everyone pulling to capture the story tiny moment by tiny moment.

By the way, considering you were in The History Boys when cast in Prince Caspian, could you discuss the role of Dakin, which Dominic Cooper also played?
Dakin is the playboy of the class. He is sleeping with the headmaster's secretary. He is bright and eloquent and discovering his sexuality and is brave about it. He was a fantastic character to be lucky enough to play, and with such a terrific cast of lads too.

In many ways, then, much of your acting career has been built not on originating roles but on reinventing them. What is appealing about this? How is it challenging?
It has been entirely unintentional and actually added a lot of unnecessary pressure for me and I look forward to originating more roles in the future but you have to go with what you’re offered!

Would you like to do more completely original roles? What sorts appeal to you?
I am interested in words and so script is tantamount in considering projects. Then I want to be in the hands of a talented director, so any genre appeals to me from comedy to thriller. I can only go with my gut instinct and the advice of those around me.

Are there any adaptations you would absolutely love to do? What are they?
There are a few adaptations I’d like to do but I’m not telling what cause you might do it first! They’re not well-known ones, actually, just exciting novels I’ve come across.

Do literary works influence the rest of your life as much as they do your career? What is some of your favorite literature?
Well, I did half an English degree so I love all sorts of literature from 18th-century Hardy to Philip Pullman to Shakespeare, Stephen Fry and biographies.

2009 looks to be a brilliant year for film and theatre. What projects are you looking forward to—either yours or others?
I can’t wait for Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man 2, Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus and of course Dorian Gray!

Are you happy? What do you think is a necessary prerequisite for happiness?
Yes I am. I have up and down days but if I’m busy I’m generally happy. That, a cold beer and a Kings of Leon song on the radio!

This concludes our interview but not our excitement regarding the man! The USA release dates for Easy Virtue and Dorian Gray are approaching, so keep your eyes peeled.