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Compiled by: Jack Foley
Q. As an American, how did you feel about taking on such
a British legend? And how much did you know of the legend?
A. Nervous, taking on the story of King Arthur. I like
it here in Britain, so I wanted to make sure I can get back in
the country. It’s a big legend, and it means a lot to a
lot of people. I grew up watching King Arthur - Excalibur and
Knights of the Round Table - and I did my own research on the
mythology, and it’s a big taking on, to bring him to light,
because I wanted the movie to be about King Arthur and not about
a magical sword, cos I think in these times we need real heroes,
and Arthur is somebody that I believe was a real hero.
Q. How did Keira Knightley get on with such a male dominated
set?
A. Well, when she was around, it wasn’t dominated
by males.
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Q. I believe you’ve
said you were always interested in the story of Arthur. But did
you have much of a clue about Sarmatia? Even where it was?
A. I had no idea, I had never heard of Sarmatia, I never
saw it on the map, never heard of it in school. Jerry explained
it to me and then I spoke to David Franzoni, and they told me
it was part of Russia. Just that alone I found fascinating, just
the idea that there were so many places that were called by other
names starts your wheel to turn…
Q. You were intense about getting into the nitty gritty
of the action, so much so that your steadi-cam operator had to
have protective gear on when he was filming? Can you tell us about
that?
A. Yeah, we had cameras everywhere. We had 18 cameras
on days… we had cameras rigged on the guys, on shields,
on the swords, on the horses, in the ground, a guy on steadi-cam
running through the middle of fire and these guys swinging swords,
with another guy, with another camera going this way. So he had
to be protected at all times, because anything could happen.
Q. So was he wearing riot gear?
A. Yeah, riot gear, and helmets, gloves, protective padding,
knee pads, full gear. He was basically a knight.
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