samedi 22 novembre 2014

Interview on NBC

Chris sits down with two stars of “The Imitation Game,” Mark Strong and Charles Dance (who you might know from Game of Thrones), to discuss the genius codebreaker prosecuted for his homosexuality after saving countless lives.
http://www.msnbc.com/all
 
 

vendredi 21 novembre 2014

Charles and Diana Rigg on stage...for a reading

For two magical evenings LIFT invites you to join stars of stage and screen for a candlelit reading of A Christmas Memory, Truman Capote’s heart-warming story set in 1930s America. An evocative tale of humanity and ritual, loss and recollection, A Christmas Memory is an enduring gift from a literary powerhouse.
On Wednesday 10th December LIFT will bring together Screen Actors Guild Award-winner and BAFTA & Emmy nominee Charles Dance (The Imitation Game, Gosford Park, Game of Thrones) with multi award-winning actress Dame Diana Rigg.
Tickets are strictly limited for this one-off event and include an opportunity to enjoy a glass of mulled wine with the performers after the reading. Each performer has generously given their time and all proceeds will support LIFT and its work in bringing bold international theatre to London.
Wednesday 10th December
Chapel, King’s College London Strand London WC2R 2LS
Price: £40 ...Mulled wine/soft drink included in ticket price

mercredi 19 novembre 2014

Interview in The Time

TIME: How does filming a period piece change the climate on the set?
Charles Dance: To be honest, it doesn’t differ that much. How one does it is quite simple — I just pretend. It’s as simple as that. We’ve got a very good script to work with, and it’s been written with a careful eye as to the idiosyncracies of period speech. There are no contemporary slang terms in it. So all that work is done for you—and we just put on the right costume and tell the audience we’re in 1930-whatever, and they believe it.

Was it difficult to build a relationship with Cumberbatch in which you were menacing him?
We all have our own way of working. I don’t stay in character: The minute I walk off the set, the character is left behind. I’ve worked with Benedict before, and we live near each other in London. I have the greatest admiration for him as an actor. Both he and I have a similar attitude as we don’t carry the character around with us. As a character, I treat him with contempt, but as a person, I don’t.

Did his presence in the cast induce you to sign?
Yes and no. The first inducement is the quality of the script, as ever, who the director is, and I thought we’d get on. At that time, I don’t think I knew it was Benedict Cumberbatch, but I do think he is the nearest to perfection one can get with casting. The end result is a phenomenal performance. If he doesn’t get at least a nomination, there is no justice.

How does your time at the Royal Shakespeare Company, at the start of your career, inform your performances today?
I guess it does have a bearing on it. I’ve done maybe twelve of Shakespeare’s plays. I was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for years. Whatever influence that has never leaves you. If you learn to drive a car, and you learn the right way if there is ever a right way. You learn the good aspects, you learn to drive properly. And that never leaves you. If you have a foundation of working with the greatest writer ever, I suppose that must have a bearing on whatever you do after that. To be honest, I’m not aware of it consciously, but I’ve been doing this for about 40 years.

Are you relieved you’re able to focus on a broader set of projects now that your time on Game of Thrones is over?
It was an ignominious end, but long overdue, with the way I treated people — or the way Tywin did. I had four and a bit years on it, and it was great being part of a global phenomenon, which no one knew it’d become. Now I can do more things. In this business you never know what’s around the corner — I’m hopeful there are a few good things around the corner for me.

You’ve been on sets including Alien 3 and Last Action Hero, what have you taken away from big-budget extravaganzas?
On big-budget franchise things, invariably the catering is better, the trailers are bigger, and there’s craft services. And you get more money. But you’re working with a lot of people and they’re all doing the same job wherever it is you go. You get less fringe benefits, simple as that.

So does that make working on a project like The Imitation Game a sacrifice?
No. Absolutely not. Unless I’ve got no money and monumental debts that are going to drive me to suicide, my first consideration is the quality of the script and who the director is, if the script is really, really good, and I think we’re all going to get on. The fringe benefits are things I don’t consider until later on. One doesn’t think that way. Each board game has its own rules and you know them when you go in.

Why do you think it is that you keep ending up cast as villainous or menacing figures?
I’ve got a range as an actor! There was a time I played dramatic leading men. Now I get offered these characters, who are as you describe them. We’re dealing with a medium that’s visual, based on how you look, how your face looks on film. My face lends itself to austere characters, and unless they’re two-dimensional, I will do them. Any actor will tell you that an interesting villain is much more interesting to play.
If you get a bad script, then you start expending energy trying to make a silk purse of a sow’s ear. When the script’s as good as those on Game of Thrones, say, I don’t think there was a single occasion where any of us thought there was a bad scene.

How’d you feel about the way you went out on Game of Thrones? It was a bit demeaning.
I had never read any of George R. R. Martin’s books, as we weren’t filming books—we were filming their adaptations. It was not until someone told me on the street, “You got this great death scene.” And I said, “Oh really, what is the manner of my death?” He replied, “You die on the s—-er.” And i said, “Oh…?”
I went into a bookshop and got hold of the relevant book and said, “Oh, that’s quite a good death scene.” It was fine, and it was a well written scene!
http://time.com/3592712/charles-dance-benedict-cumberbatch-tywin-lannister/

About this lunch....

Allen Leech, Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Charles Dance, Matthew Beard, Mark Strong and Matthew Goode at a lunch for ‘The Imitation Game.’
                                                              
Pretty much the most endearing presence this week in New York has been the largely British cast of “The Imitation Game,” .....
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-imitation-game-cast-takes-the-city-1416341174
 his guest at the premiere
 
"Lannisters always pay their debts AND shoot with @foxlightmichael (sorry for the eyes closed shot) #warstories #foxbusinessnetwork #foxnewschannel #got #charlesdance"
"Final interview with #CharlesDance from #TheImitationGame #WarStories on #FOXBusinessNETWORK #GameOfThrones #HBO #FOX #ThanksgivingWeekend"