It’s hardly as if I have the time or the influence to go tracking down Jamie Bell. This is a syndicated effort; my questions would have been
far less relevant. Here he chats about his latest role (in
Dear Wendy), Lars von Trier, and the forthcoming Peter Jackson remake of
King Kong.
******
Jamie Bell will remember 2005, for it is the year he escaped from the shadow of playing the dance-crazed miner’s son in
Billy Elliot. Now 19, the Billingham-born lad is about to show the world that there’s more to him than ballet steps. Already seen as the elder brother in David Gordon Green’s
Undertow, Bell makes a huge impression in the lead in Thomas Vinterberg’s
Dear Wendy. Working from a script written by Lars von Trier, Bell plays Dick, a young loner living in an American mining town who happens upon a handgun. Strangely drawn to the piece, despite his pacifist views, he soon forms a club with other outcasts called The Dandies. The result is yet another provocative examination of the United States by Vinterberg and Von Trier. As for Bell, he will follow it with appearances in US indie
The Chumscrubber and Peter Jackson’s much-anticipated remake of
King Kong, in which he will play ship’s look-out Jimmy.
Q: Did you know much about the work of Thomas Vinterberg or Lars von Trier before you signed on for Dear Wendy?
A: I knew of him. I hadn’t seen
Festen at this point, before I joined the group to make the film. I had seen a lot of Lars’ work, like
Breaking the Waves and
Dancer in the Dark. And I knew about Dogme, because I’d seen
The Idiots as well. After I read the script, and before I met with Thomas, I managed to get hold of a copy [of
Festen]. I had seen Lars’ work before I even knew there was a script of his circulating around. At the time, when I got the script, I was working on
Undertow, a David Gordon Green film that I did, and I actually watched
Festen out in America, when I was out there.
Q: Von Trier has said your character is a version of him…
A: I can understand why. I can see that now you mention it. Dick is a messed-up character really. When I saw it back in Sundance, when I first saw it, I thought to myself I must’ve been absolutely crazy when I was making the film because he’s a completely absurd character. He’s colourful and he goes through many different arcs in the film, and he’s got a lot of layers to him, and what’s going on on the outside isn’t necessarily what’s going on on the inside. But, yeah, it was just crazy. While I was making it, I never realised how mad and manic he is inside, and how obsessive he is with things and getting things right – which I guess I am, as I’ve just said as you came in, which is great!
[image=right] http://www.alternativenation.net/gallery/files/1/Dandiesgroup.jpg[/image] Q: What did you make of Von Trier?
A: Lars, I think, always seems to be having problems communicating what he’s thinking at any given time. He likes to make people feel uncomfortable as well. That’s the way he is, that’s his nature. I love that as well. It’s a different vibe. It’s electric when he does that to you. But I find him incredibly innovative. He’s changed cinema and he tells stories that people don’t dare to tell. I think he should be celebrated because of that. I love his work and it was an honour portraying this character that he wrote so beautifully.
Q: As an actor, what is your relationship to guns?
A: I’m terrified of them. Being British, guns are illegal and it’s completely illegal to own handguns at home, so the idea of guns is very foreign to me. It was something I never really considered. I’m terrified of guns and I’m a complete pacifist. Before I did the film, I hated the guns. I detested them. I was never allowed toy guns as a child. Guns were something that were in films and on the news. So actually holding a gun for the first time was absolutely terrifying. I was shaking my arse off; I couldn’t hold it properly. I was worried about the kickback. We actually shot some live ammunition on a shooting range in Denmark. Once you get over that fear element, you suddenly feel yourself change. You’re holding something that can do the ultimate thing, of take someone’s life. That’s a big feeling. It’s scary as well. Once you learn to control the fear of it, it becomes exciting. You can feel more relaxed and take people on, confront them and look them in the eye. You can be very forward. But then also, putting a gun on the table and isolating it – especially the guns we were using – it’s actually a beautiful piece of machinery. It’s designed for one thing and one thing only, but the intricacy of all the pieces that fit together so perfectly, and the designs on the grips can be sometimes very beautiful. The history of gun making goes back for centuries, and some are very elegant. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Q: Is there anything you are obsessed with in the way Dick is obsessed by his gun?
A: The only thing that comes close is my iPod! I’ve never had an obsession with something to that extent. In my childhood, I was mostly in dancing classes, so I was just training and practising. So I guess I was obsessed with that, in a sense.
[image=left] http://www.alternativenation.net/gallery/files/1/Dandiesguns.jpg[/image] Q: Did you ever form a club like Dick does?
A: I couldn’t because I was always at tap class and ballet class. I mean, a lot of my friends did and were in little clubs they created. They were in Scouts or something like that, and were in a group, but I was never in anything like that.
Q: Do you think Dear Wendy is anti-American?
A: It’s not directly anti-American. Lars is fascinated with America. He makes films about America all the time. I don’t know why people get upset about him making films about America when he’s never been there. Be proud of it – that someone who has changed cinema, who is interested in your culture, keeps on making films about it. He’s fascinated by America and so is Thomas – he stood up in front of the whole Sundance audience and said, ‘I love your country. The world follows suit from you, for good and bad. That’s why we make films about you.’ They need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, where it takes place.
Q: Did you work on the body language of Dick in Dear Wendy?
A: I did, really. Especially at the beginning of the film, his physicality is very odd. He’s all hunched up and stuff. That comes from his surroundings, the idea that it’s all so overwhelming and claustrophobic in this small town that it’s made him insular. Basically, his arms don’t really stretch out and he’s very small and doesn’t move that much. He’s not really connected to anything, and he’s not reaching out for anything. Once he gets Wendy, you see he looks people in the eye and he’s talking to people with his arms out. It was a conscious decision to do something very physical with the role. Otherwise, it’s all pretty well in his head. All that stuff just came up in Thomas’ office one day, when I started walking round imitating one of the guys in the crew. He said, ‘You should do that. It totally represents everything that he’s thinking.’
Q: Did being a dancer help?
A: Absolutely. It all goes back to that. Using your body to express yourself. In terms of being an actor, I always like to do something physical. For
Undertow, there was a lot of running around and jumping on nails, being crippled in
Nicholas Nickleby…if I can use my dancing in any way, I definitely try and use it.
Q: Would you like to work with Lars von Trier?
A: I dunno! I’d feel a bit more intimidated. I mean, I love Lars and we always have a laugh, but I’d have to really think about it. I think I’d have to get kicked out quite easily with some of the stuff he’d want me to do.
Q: Was there much naked swimming in the pool at his offices?
A: There was a little bit of pool action. I tried to avert my eyes. Eventually, after the second week, it was totally fine. The American kids were more freaked out than I was, as in America they don’t do that thing.
Q: How do think you will react to seeing yourself surrounded by special effects in King Kong?
A: I’m quite worried that my brain is going to freak out and I’m going to vomit everywhere. It must be weird. When you see how you were in a parking lot in New Zealand, and suddenly there’s this big jungle and this big drop – and you know it’s not real but your mind might freak out.
Q: Naomi Watts says the film is very modern. What does she mean?
A: I have no idea, since it’s set in 1933. It deals with a lot of political issues as well as a fantastical creature. Also, the way Peter has bought in some new characters makes it more appealing to a modern and younger audience. I understand what she means. But it’s hard to talk about it, as I’m not really supposed to talk about it.
Q: How do you feel about the exposure it will give you?
A: When it comes out, it’ll be the biggest thing on the planet, so in terms of exposure it’s not that bad. As it’ll be playing a million Cineplexes in the world, so in terms of people going ‘Who’s Jamie Bell?’ then they’ll know. Also, it’s Peter Jackson. As much as you might want to do the film for exposure, it’s Peter Jackson. He and his team are amazing, and not Hollywood at all. In the sense that you’re making a big studio movie, it’s so far removed from what a studio movie is supposed to be. It’s bizarre. His team of writers, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, are amazing, and his technical and digital departments are amazing…but that’s the thing. He pays attention to story and character. He’s really developed the script with supporting roles. He really wants to build those roles up. For me, he has done immense work in building my character up. He realises that the story depends on its characters, and you really have to care about them.
Q: You’re also in The Chumscrubber. What’s that about?
A: It’s set in a development community outside of Los Angeles. It’s hard to sum up, as it’s a film that works on many levels and there are many character in it as well. But it’s basically about dysfunctional youth and families in suburban America. This cult of kids are all hooked on pharmaceutical pills. From the beginning, my character witnesses this horrific event and throughout the film, it’s all about him trying to deal with it and reach out to people to talk to them about it – but no one’s really listening. And no one’s listening to each other. It’s a lack of communication in this small world that they live in. Throughout the film, he tries to talk about it and he does get it off his chest. It’s like a darker version of
American Beauty. It’s that feeling of everything is again enclosed and there’s a crazy world where not much happens.
Q: Are you comfortable with the prospect of fame?
A: I am. If it comes through doing films like this, then it’s OK. I’m incredibly proud of the films I’m doing at the minute. Mostly because of the people I’ve got to work with. I have so many actor-friends who work out of Los Angeles who are incredibly envious of me working with David, Thomas and now Peter. I step back and think, ‘I have been a lucky bastard’. I’m just incredibly flattered that I’ve had the opportunity to do it.
[image=right]http://www.alternativenation.net/gallery/files/1/bellface.jpg[/image] Q: Do you prefer working on big-budget films or smaller, more independent features?
A: I feel more comfortable with films like
Dear Wendy. It gives me that creative freedom. Thomas is a very trusting director. He trusts his actors. The rest of the cast are great – and I really think he’s picked some of the best actors working in the business right now. I’m sure you’ll see a lot more of them after this film. They gave impeccable performances and really gave their heart to the project. Thomas gives you the ability to be free. But on
King Kong, you can be free as well. Peter’s a great director; he understands actors. On some of these other bigger, more commercially-driven movies, I’m sure you wouldn’t have that freedom as you would on films like this.
Q: Are you comfortable doing an American accent now?
A: I think so. I’ve been an American for the last four –
Undertow,
Dear Wendy,
The Chumscrubber and
King Kong. I feel a lot more comfortable than when I did Undertow. I was terrified. That was the first time I had to do it – and it was scary. It wasn’t generic. Also, it’s demanding because the accent, the voice and the sound also makes a difference with your physicality. Being a Southern red-neck kid is not the same as being a kid from Los Angeles – it’s very different. In terms of the accent, on
Dear Wendy, the voiceover was hard, to keep your focus while trying to tell a narrative story.
Q: How did you cope with life after Billy Elliot?
A: It was interesting. I wanted to go back to school and get that out of the way, so I did that. Then Nicholas Nickleby came along and the great thing with that – and why it was such an important film, even though it didn’t much box-office – was that I played a cripple boy. For me, that was a conscious decision to do because the last time American audiences saw me, I was a boy dancing around and it was all very sweet and cute. But then to come back with this, it was just the complete opposite. It was a conscious decision and for me, that was an important film to make. After that, I just waited for the right scripts to come along.
Q: It seems you have managed to keep things varied…
A: The offers are coming in but it’s not the right time yet. I also think what’s important with films like
King Kong is that you keep on changing, and you show people your range and show them what you can do. You keep people guessing. From David Gordon Green to Thomas Vinterberg to
King Kong, it keeps people guessing.
