At 38, Paul Bettany plays a frail and ailing man in Legion. The actor tells HT City about his transition and the film.
What attracted you to Legion?
I really liked the script and Scott Stewart pitched it to me so brilliantly that it was hard to resist. I think I always consider the script over the character.
As Darwin, you portrayed a frail and ailing older man. How was the transition?
Cheese and bread and lots of it [laughs].
Is the action genre one that you enjoy both as an actor and as a viewer?
Yes, I’ve always loved action movies as a sort of guilty secret but didn’t know if I’d really enjoy making one. But the truth is it was amazingly arduous and fun, that said, I couldn’t do one without the other.
What was your experience like working with veteran co-stars such as Dennis Quaid and Charles S. Dutton?
When you’re making a film in which you’re asking the audience to believe something quite unbelievable, it really helps to have actors like Dennis Quaid and Charles Dutton lending gravitas to the whole thing.
How does the physical landscape of where you shoot a film influence your performance?
Well, it’s obvious how the physical landscape affects the film but yes I think the place you’re filming in does influence the crew and not always in a positive way. But sometimes the very fact that it is arduous or because it is remote and lonely, it can really help you focus on the job.
How does the physical landscape of where you shoot a film influence your performance?
Well, it’s obvious how the physical landscape affects the film but yes I think the place you’re filming in does influence the crew and not always in a positive way. But sometimes the very fact that it is arduous or because it is remote and lonely, it can really help you focus on the job.
What was the most terrifying aspect of the story to you?
I think we’ve always liked a bit of apocalypse and gore and tragedy, etc. It’s nice to watch the end of the world on film and be reminded how great it is to be alive and then walk out of the cinema and back into our lives, grateful that it was just a thrilling ride.
Did you do a lot of your own stunts?
I did all of my stunts except for two that they wouldn't let me do.