JONNY LEE MILLER INTERVIEW


"There's not a single shot fired in the book" Jonny Lee Millers novel approach.

Do you think regeneration was fairly treated when it came out?

I was disappointed with the distribution. The bottom line was that it didn't get shown. It did really well where it was showing, it just wasn't on enough screens.

Was it intimidating working from such a successful novel?

For me it was very useful. When you've got something there that's so rich in character, most of your homework is already done for you I mean, there's not a single shot fired in the book, but it's so evocative.

Are you pleased with Alan Rudolphs Afterglow?

I'm pleased it's coming out. If Julie Christie hadn't got an Oscar nomination, it might have just sat on a shelf somewhere. I was really unsure about my own performance because I'm playing someone I hate. In regeneration Billy Priors cool - he's got problems, but they're interesting problems. Whereas in Afterglow, Jeffrey's just got problems because he's an arse. I was worried I'd look like I had a poker up my bum. But I wasn't going to say no to Alan Rudolph or Robert Altman.

You do a mean Canadian accent

I was just working from a tape of this Canadian guy talking about his mother. The rest of it was ripped off the crew in Montreal - you know "I'm oot and aboot in the moontains" I'm using my own accent in Plunkett & Macleane. It's finished bar a few action scenes. I think its a really good idea, an action-adventure set in the 18th century. It's not highbrow, but it's not carry on Dick. Jake Scott's fantastic. He's handled his mantle with aplomb. Course the selling point is Mr Carlyle.

After getting his Best Actor BAFTA he said it should have gone to ray winstone.

It should have been one of those two. Then there's Jude Law and Ewan McGregor. Yeah, I know they're my mates but I'm just being honest.

What's happening to Natural Nylon, the production company you set up with McGregor, law and Sean pertwee?

We're producing Nora, bout James Joyce, which Ewans starring in. And a co-production of eXistenZ, the new David Cronenberg film with Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Natural Nylons about taking charge or our careers. At the moment, the British film industry's doing well, but a lot of stuff getting made is pretty dubious. I read a lot of scripts and and about 80% of them are not good. There's still a lot "oh, it's trainspotting, but set in Scunthorpe"

Seen hackers lately?

A lot of good things came out of that for me. There's some cringey moments which just make me shit, but I know a lot of little kids loved it. So it entertained someone.

Danny Leigh.


 

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