Junkhearts - Eddie Marsan interview
Interview by Rob Carnevale
WE CAUGHT up with Eddie Marsan prior to his new film Junkhearts being shown at the recent London Film Festival and he spoke to us about playing a soldier with post traumatic stress disorder and working with director Tinge Krishnan.
He also spoke briefly about the joy of working with Steven Spielberg on War Horse.
Q. Junkhearts played in the recent London Film Festival. What did that mean to you?
Eddie Marsan: It was very exciting and I was very excited for the film because they championed it and they included us in the festival trailer, so they must think we’re on the right track.
Q. And what appealed to you about it?
Eddie Marsan: Well, I play an ex-soldier who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who meets a young girl, called Lynette, who is homeless. It’s basically about their father-daughter relationship.
Q. Did you speak to ex-soldiers as part of your research?
Eddie Marsan: I did. I spoke to one ex-soldier in depth and I was very lucky because our director is also a doctor, who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, so she was great at doing my research for me [smiles].
Q. PTSD is an issue that doesn’t go away. Was there anything you found out during the course of your research and making the film that surprised you?
Eddie Marsan: It doesn’t go away and what I found interesting was how people try and deal with it… they don’t realise they have it and therefore try and medicate it through things like drugs or alcohol.
Q. How easy was he to shake off as a character?
Eddie Marsan: Well, I have to shake them [all my characters] off because I’m always going onto the next thing. They stay with you for a little while but I’m not one of these guys who indulges in it to such an extent that I take it home to the kids.
Q. How was director Tinge Krishnan to work with?
Eddie Marsan: She’s fantastic. I wanted to work with her because I’d seen her work before but I was very busy at the time and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to do Junkhearts because of my work commitments. But then David Morrissey said to me: “You have to work with Tinge because she’s stunning…” David always tells me what to do! [Laughs]
Q. How do you view London as a film festival?
Eddie Marsan: I think one of its strengths is that it’s set in London but it’s not about London. It’s about the diversity of this city and it’s about world cinema. And that’s what London is – London is a place where its identity is always in a state of flux. So, this festival celebrates the way in which it is always changing. That’s why London is a fascinating place and that’s why the film festival is a fascinating film festival.
Q. How is Sherlock Holmes 2?
Eddie Marsan: It’s good. I haven’t seen it yet, they haven’t completed it yet but it was great fun to make.
Q. And how was working with Steven Spielberg on War Horse?
Eddie Marsan: It was great, just great to be directed by Steven Spielberg. He’s fantastic. He’s so creative and he has such fun… he enjoys his work so much that it’s infectious.
Q. Had you seen the stage version?
Eddie Marsan: No, I haven’t seen it. So, I went in and played the part I was given.