Pierce Brosnan Interview For Roman Polanski's Ghost
Pierce Brosnan Interview For Roman Polanski's Ghost
I recently had the good fortune to talk to Pierce Brosnan for the DVD and Blu-ray release of Roman Polanski's Ghost. In Ghost Brosnan plays Adam Lang, a former British Prime Minister who took his country into a controversial war in Iraq and is now facing allegations of war crimes. Obviously it's hard not to draw similarities between Lang and certain former Prime Minister who's surname starts with a B and ends in Lair. Check out the interview below.
Working on a Polanski film has got to be a highlight for any actor. Are you pleased with the result?
Pierce Brosnan: Yes, I am. I think it's good. I think Mr Polanski has made a great political thriller. He has made thrillers before but never a political thriller, it comes out of the trap really fast and then it slows down and picks up againWonderful.
How did you get involved in this one?
Pierce Brosnan: I was in London doing Mama Mia and my agent said Polanski wants to see you for this movie, would you go and see him in Paris?' And I said yeah, I would be very happy to go and meet this great director..' And we sat and had a wonderful lunch and we talked, we talked about life, we had both lost wives, him in a ghastly fashion, a terrible tragedy. He is a lovely man and I got on well with him. We talked about movies and we just had a fantastic time. We talked a little bit about the movie and then weeks later I went out to Berlin to see him and start the film. Nothing was ever spoken about the past or indiscretions; it was just a great working experience. He is a taskmaster and he rules the set, it's his set and he has his way of doing things. As he was an actor he likes to give you line readings, which is not everybody's cup of tea, but I had no qualms about it. I really enjoyed the experience.
Did you think about Tony Blair when you were playing Adam Lang?
Pierce Brosnan: Well, we established that it's not Tony Blair but I couldn't help but look at Tony Blair and when you're in London he's at the Chilcot Inquiry. It was incredible because there was Mr Tony Blair front row and centre and outside there were placards saying liar, liar' and war criminal.' I couldn't believe it and I don't know what's going on but it all seems to be dove tailing together with the release of our film. Maybe there's a higher level of orchestration, maybe something's afoot, and I don't know if it's art imitating life or life imitating art but it was a very bizarre coincidence.
He must have been in your mind?
Pierce Brosnan: You know the first question I put to Roman was am I playing Tony Blair?' And he said, no, you're not..' But on the heels of that we did a photo shoot where I had to do the photographs for the dust jacket of the book and Roman sent me five, six different photographs of Tony Blair. The photographs showed Tony Blair with various expressions and photographs of Mr Tony Blair greeting various dignitaries. And we had this photographic session and so it appeared that all roads led to one man really and so you have to hang your hat on someone and I certainly tipped my hat to him
OK, so how did you see the character?
Pierce Brosnan: This is a man who came down from Cambridge as a rock star and is a populist. For me he is a tragic character, this man who is so misled by his own ego, by his own lack of information and handle on political situations, he's a puppet and he knows he's a puppet and he does his best to kind of shroud it and now here he is in this bunker and the wolves are at the door and he doesn't have a leg to stand on. He's kind of pathetic fellow who relies on his wife, there's tragic-comedy in that too.
What it's like on set with Polanski?
Pierce Brosnan: He is the star of the set he is the director, the writer, the producer, the actor, everything and it comes from a deep passion and enthusiasm for making films and his energy was contagious. Once you got over the fact that he can have a sharp way about him at times, you know after doing a scene where he says no, no, no! What are you doing?' It's like, alright I've fucked up' and that's it, you kind of get on with it.
Let's talk about the other actors. Did you know Ewan?
Pierce Brosnan: We were on nodding acquaintance, Ewan and myself, and we'd seen each other about town. So I didn't really know him but I loved his work and there is this profound accessibility and charm about the fellow and he holds the camera so well and he has such good articulation of speech and thought and he had great heart in his performances. So I was so proud to sit with him there on that first day of filming and the first day of filming for me was that seven page scene on the airplane so that was a baptism of fire.
Was he a good collaborator?
Pierce Brosnan: He was. We didn't really talk about our roles; we talked a little about who we were as characters and what we wanted. But no words were necessary really because the power was always in my character's court. In the roles we play, I'm fairly dismissive of his character. But we got on really well and we have lots of mates in common Liam (Neeson) being the main man. So we talked about kids and life and mates we know and theatre stories. It was just a couple of actors hanging out in the back of beyond. And Olivia was a triumphant surprise not only because she played the character so brilliantly but also as a woman. I hope to work with her and indeed Ewan again. We all got on well with each other we knew our roles, we knew the job at hand and in the company of Mr Roman Polanski we were all very exhilarated by the experience and challenged by the time spent with him. Kim (Catrall) is lovely, too. She has a lovely way about her. She was the only actor that I really knew and I'm very fond of her and love her very much as a person and as an actor. So you know, we had a great time and we all had our stories to tell at the end of each day's work.
Adam Lang is very isolated and I wonder whether you have ever experienced a hint of that kind of feeling, when you are cut off from, let's call it the real world?
Pierce Brosnan: If you allow yourself you can feel very isolated within the world of Hollywood or one's bit of fame. But I slave and endeavour not to do that. I'm a working man, a working actor who has had some good fortune and success as an actor. I'm a public figure and I'm aware of that so you try to live your life accordingly and as simply as possible. I started my life as an actor to be in connection with my own head and my heart and intellect and in the company of my fellow men and women and the community I live in. So you want to stay connected. You don't want to have that disconnect. But I know what it's like to be in a hotel room and have the press outside your window and to walk out and to be followed and observed, to be maligned by paparazzi or the Internet.
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