Alan Rickman: Prague is a charming city. I have to come back here
The holder of the Golden Globe and Emmy for the leading role in Rasputin, the vain boss from the Love of Heaven or the hairdresser from Dohol enjoyed Prague and his wife. Although after the opening night at the festival, he didn’t want much for the banquet of the Gold Class at Anděl.
Did you have fun at the festival?
Wow! The opening night and the ensuing party were a lot of lights, fans and experiences. Also a meeting with Kim Novak, with whom it was nice to talk. She was unbeatable. Actually, I don’t even know how old she is.
Eighty-two.
Wow, I wouldn’t say that. He has incredible vigor.
Do you like Kristián and do you know where to put him?
It is beautiful, it has an interesting design. True, a little big, I can’t fit in the trunk. He will fly solo. And where will I put him? I have no idea yet, I don’t have a special police at home. I must admit that I have a lot of prices. A woman is sure to come up with a dignified place.
In the film The King’s Gardener, which you presented at Febiofest, you play King Louis XIV. But you were originally supposed to direct it?
Yes, everything was created during the preparation. I would never occupy myself, I’m not a fool. Directing and acting is cruel schizophrenia! I don’t understand how other colleagues do it. When the producer offered me a script to solve, the fabric appealed to me. It feels like animals to me – it’s a kind of instinct that works when I read something. The story of two lonely locked people at the royal court simply picked me. The producer then offered me the role of king. However, I played almost without a fee. Making a period costume film is economically demanding.
So the producer has saved you decently…
Well, that’s what clever producers do. But I liked to play it.
So Ludvík, mostly just walking or sitting, didn’t bore you?
No, do I look that way on the screen? I hope not. Ludvík is rather sad. Lonely and sad. Sometimes he is looking for company, but mostly calm. According to historical sources, he allegedly went to a hidden place.
In the film, he had it in an orchard, where the gardener, played by Kate Winslet, confuses it with someone else. Their conversation about pears is really lovely.
Did you enjoy it? I’m glad.
In the film The King’s Gardener, which he presented in Prague, he plays King Louis XIV. Author: archive
What is Kate Winslet’s film partner like?
Perfect. Extremely careful and hardworking actress. We met once during the film Reason and Emotion, but at that time she was still very young. He shoots well with her, she is intelligent, she can improvise.
She was pregnant at the time of filming, weren’t you afraid of some tense scenes?
Ball. The scene in the storm, when it falls into the water, or when in the rain certain with terraced stakes, it was nerves. But he was an absolute pro, and with the excuse of one situation, she did not allow any relief, nor did she allow herself to be represented by a doubler.
You played many male characters. The head of the company in the popular Love of Heaven, where the secretary packed you as a bridegroom, was cute. Is it refreshing to experience situations you would not experience in civilian life thanks to the film?
I don’t think about it that way. When I get the role, I just get ready for it. It’s just a character. But this boss, a bit of a narcissistic notebook and community, was grateful. You know, aging guys do different things. And I think Richard Curtis put it nicely in the film. Plus with subtle humor.
You made your directorial debut in the 1990s with the interesting relationship film Winter Guest with Emma Thompson. And only now have you made the second film. Are there few substances and good authors who will appeal to you in Britain?
Rather, I have great humility before the directing craft. It takes courage, to appear before a large staff and have responsibility for the entrusted money, the people, the story in the script. You must be able to admit doubts. But after the film you mentioned, I directed a lot in the theater. After all, Winter Guest is originally a play by Sherman MacDonald, which I first staged on the stage in Leeds and then in London. Only then did I make a film version. And to those authors. I think they are talented young playwrights and screenwriters, it’s just hard for them to make a name for themselves. This is not only true for Britain. Many of them prefer to write for television, where I feel more opportunities and money. It is also a question of where the youngest generation is heading and what they will be interested in in the future. When I look around the street – even here in Prague – I see children who are more interested in smartphones than the surroundings and people. I don’t think that’s a good signal.
What interested you in Prague?
It is a charming city, it has its secrets, you know something behind every old alley… It forces you to see the windows in Malá Strana, Charles Bridge is breathtaking! Not everything I managed to see, too, when a person gives an interview, right? So I know one thing for sure: I have to come back here.
Wizards sometimes find it easier due to spells. If you had Snape’s magic wand, what would you change?
I would abolish the British government, sometimes it annoys me a lot.
Read also: Annaud, Rickman and Nováková accepted the Kristián Award at Febiofest