Fan Forum - View Single Post - Rupert's 'Hot Off The Press' News Thread #1 *First Post Updated ~ February 16th*

ordinaryday · 01-18-2007, 07:55 PM

Some news from RG.Net:

Quote:

Thanks to Vania for scanning and sending in this interview from her school's newspaper The Spectator. The interview took place back in October 2006 while in New York City with Jeremy Brock and Laura Linney. Featured are the basic Driving Lessons questions with some new quotes.

You can read the interview here, and view the accompanying photo by clicking here.

The Spectator Interview

A Front-Seat Chat with the Drivers

Director Jeremy Brock's autobiographical film "Driving Lessons" premiered in select theaters on October 13. The movie stars Rupert Grint, widely known for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movie series, as the film's protagonist Ben, and Laura Linney as his mother. The Spectator had a chance to sit down with Grint, Linney and Brock, who flew in to New York (Grint: "More people recognize me over here than they do back home.") for the film's national premiere.

The Spectator: What attracted you to this particular movie?
Rupert Grint: Well, this is the second movie I've done outside of Harry Potter. I really liked the script, and Jeremy was very nice over the phone conversations we had.
Laura Linney: Same for me. I loved the script and when I met Jeremy he was so welcoming. I just said, "Of course, I'll do your movie, you wonderful, wonderful man."

The Spectator: Rupert, was it tough to switch from a Hollywood blockbuster like "Harry Potter" to a low-budget indie film?
Rupert: The hardest part of it was the change in pace. For "Harry Potter", we take weeks to shoot a snippet of a scene, whereas for Driving Lessons, I was doing full scenes a day. It was really nerve-wracking, but other than that, the switch wasn't so bad.

The Spectator: Did it feel awkward working with Walters when she's not playing your mother?
Rupert: A little. Julie's absolutely hysterical in any role that she plays, and she's such a good actress. When she was playing Evie, I believed she was Evie so it wasn't a problem for me to adjust to that. During one of the scenes where I'm just talking about her though, I called her "mum".

The Spectator: Jeremy, what was it about these particular events in your life that made you want to write a movie about them? Did you just think they were amusing and fit for the screen?
Jeremy Brock: No, most of the comedic scenes are actually fantastical. There were two reasons for why I wanted to make these events into a film. First, my experience working for Dame Peggy Ashcroft was wonderful, and taught me a lot. I wanted to sort of cement that for the world to see. Second, my overly-religious mother and her affair were major events in my upbringing.

The Spectator: How did you cast the film's roles? Were you thinking of anyone in particular?
Jeremy: Not really. I saw Laura in several films, and she reminded me of my mother, whom the character is based on. The only concern I had about her was that she wouldn't have an English accent. When I met Laura, that concern went away. She's a genius. Also, I got Rupert through Walters, who plays Evie here and Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter films.