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Compiled by: Jack Foley
Q. I believe you’ve wanted to do this movie for
some time – apparently they approached you when you were
doing The Matrix?
A. Yeah, it was probably about a year and a half or a
year from reading the script to production. Maybe even a little
longer.
Q. Was it the fact that this is about a guy who lives
in a dark place and is therefore an interesting guy for you to
play?
A. Yeah, I really responded and liked the character of
Constantine. I thought the script was well written and I
thought Constantine would be fun to play and he was. I really
enjoyed playing him.
Q. Even though he smokes so much?
A: Yeah, well there were some days that were tough with
the smoking but I liked this hard edged, hard boiled, fatalistic,
cynical, smug but with a heart of gold, trapped, cursed thing.
Q.How much did you have to smoke per day? More
than one packet?
A: Well, it would depend on the scene. One packet? (Exaggerated
laugh). No, there were some days that were a lot. Yeah.
Q. Did you give up?
A: No. I should though.
Q. Do you smoke more than that?
A: There were times when it got like that. I would surprise
myself. I’d come home from a day where it would be
quite intense and I’d be like, ‘Well, what’s
one more?’
Q. The director said this character was really close
to you.
A. Yeah, well, fooled him, huh? [laughs]. Well, I relate
to him to a certain extent. I love Constantine’s sense of
humour, the humour that’s in the face of extraordinary circumstances.
He’s dying and he gives the finger to the devil, the demon
and he’s got this deadpan humour. I liked his anger. I liked
that he didn’t like what was going on and he was pissed
off. I could relate to that. It reminded me of school. But it
was fun to actually learn about him; taking the shapes from the
comic book itself and I lowered my register and found rhythms.
I don’t quite have the Constantinian world view but I would
relate so I guess that’s what made it so fun for me.
Q. At the end, Constantine says there is a plan for all
of us – do you think there is a plan for you – and
are you on the right plan for you?
A. I also like the other part of that line where he says
"… some people like it, some people don’t."
Sometimes I feel like there is.
Sometimes someone will say "…you’re a Virgo with
your moon rising and this is your chart.'
And you read it and say, ‘Oh my God. I’ve got so much
in common with that chart!’
And I don’t like it. I don’t like it. But it’s
true – I think, I know I do, we all have repeating motifs
– some are good and some are bad. It’s like, why is
this happening?
Q. You don’t want to know the future?
A: No, I don’t. Unless it’s good and then
it’s cool. 'You’re going to end up in a very nice
place'.
Q. But everything is nice for you?
A: Is that what you think? No, I’m very grateful
and it’s really exciting…. I saw the film last week
and it’s really great to have worked on something and
to have it realised in a way I really enjoyed.
Q. You’re the only person who can ride your bike
on Mulholland Drive without a helmet?
A: Well, I only do that when the police aren’t
looking. Anyone can drive Mulholland without a helmet –
it’s just not getting caught. (laughs).
Yeah, I don’t have a special pass. It’s not like I
show the police, 'Hey, I have a special no helmet pass –
because I’m fabulous'.
Oh, yeah. I got it from the council of Hollywood. No, I don’t
have famous guy passes.
Q. You don’t use that power?
A: I don’t know if I have that power. I don’t
know…. with the Matrix films and working with
Warner Bros, I think with this project, I just feel that it was
at Warner Bros for many years and I came across it and they said,
‘Okay, we’ll do this film with you.’
That’s one of the cool benefits of working or having a film
that people like.
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Q. It’s a double edge
– having starred in the three Matrix films which had phenomenal
success, has it raised the bar for people’s expectations? For
some of your audience its way above human understanding. They
expect that every movie you do in that genre is going to blast
them away.
A: Well, I’m sure the producers hope so, but for
me, this film represents the best of mainstream
popular cinema.
It transports you to another world, it’s well acted, and
it’s beautifully aesthetic. It offers what you hope for
in entertainment and the thing that I hope for is that even in
that you get a little something extra.
It’s not something – like the Matrix films, wondrously
you can talk about them after, you can relate to them, you can
bring them hope and it’s not like you’re bringing
them home – hopefully – where you need to take a shower,
that they’re interesting.
So, if that’s the bar that I’ve tried to reach –
or try to participate in films like that if I’m lucky. I
try to. A film like The Watcher, didn’t quite make it.
Q. You’re working with Sandra Bullock again?
A: It’s fantastic. I’m looking forward to
it – we’re doing a romance which is an adaptation
called Il Mare. We’re working with an Argentinean director
named Alejandro Agresti and I’m looking forward to working
with Sandra again. We’ve kept in touch… and I think
we’re a cute couple [smiles].
Q. You work with the same actresses all the time…
Rachel Weisz.... Are you more comfortable that way?
A: No, oftentimes it’s not up to me. With
Sandra, she was on the project first and I don’t know. I
would love to act with her again and I don’t think acting
with an actress again is… it doesn’t get in the way
for me in terms of… when I see actors who work together
before, I don’t hold them to past
relationships unless it’s Hepburn and Tracey because they
had something else going on.
But I think it’s been about eight years since Sandra and
I worked together.
Q. You said earlier on that you don’t want
to see the future and then mentioned The Watcher – do you
look more on things in the past?
A: Yes, sure. I do look back. I still sometimes wake
up and go, 'Gosh, I shouldn’t have done that!'
Q. Even after all you’ve achieved?
A. Well, I’d be thinking about a scene thinking,
‘Why didn’t I do that in that scene?’
I reflect on past work and through my experiences – I guess
it’s just trying to see what I could learn from them.
Q. You’ve been described as the biggest film star
in the world – yet you clearly don’t see it that way?
A. No, not at all. I’m not the biggest film
star in the world [laughs] at all.
Q. The Matrix made quite a bit of money?
A: Yeah but that film wasn’t on my back. That was
the Wachowski brothers... that’s not my film.
Q. But you did that movie with Jack Nicholson (Something’s
Gotta Give)...
A: Well, that was Jack Nicholson and Nancy Meyers made
that film. I mean… This is an issue that to me is
not very interesting in the sense that – it’s great
if a film works, like if Constantine works, like I said with The
Matrix, it gives me an opportunity to hopefully do something
great and if it does succeed and people do enjoy it then producers
will want to work with me so that’s opportunity for me to
make another film.
It’s what I do and that’s what I love, to act, so
for me hopefully it works out like that. In terms of judging here
and there – that’s not….
Q. Did you see the original Il Mare?
A: I haven’t seen the original film yet. I didn’t
see it when it was released here so I haven’t had a chance
to view it.
I’d like to see it because I hear it’s a great film
but even like with Constantine, I’ll take the project from
the script I’m given. I thought the script was a real romanticist’s
romance. It’s really romantic love.
Q. What is that?
A: It’s believing in love. It’s believing
that there’s someone for you. That there’s the
ultimate person, the ideal who will be your soul mate and your
perfect match and that all your pain and suffering will go away
and you’ll live happily ever after and you’ll be together
in a blissful union.
Q. Can you have more than one soul mate?
A: I’m the wrong guy to ask [laughs]
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