Eddie Redmayne BAFTA 2015 Winners Interview

Eddie Redmayne took home the BAFTA for best actor in a leading role for his astonishing turn as Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. The Biopic picked up a number of awards on the night with Redmayne taking another major trophy on a likely run to an academy award. Here’s a full transcript of what he had to say during an emotional winners press conference shortly actor picking up his statue.

On stage tonight you thanked your co-stars, the Hawking family and your own. How did they all help inspire and facilitate your performance?

Felicity is an old friend and we both started at the Donmar Warehouse years ago, on this experience we knew that the story was extraordinary. Stephen & Jane were phenomenal people. We challenged each other basically and we sort of raised each other’s game by pushing each other really. We knew they were roles of a lifetime really. As far as Stephen, Jane and their family I just can’t tell you how kind they were to us. I mean it’s a scary thing to have your life put out in the world as a film. I’m one of those people who when I see a film I believe it to be absolutely true, so trusting people to take your life knowing things will shift and change in the process shouldn’t be taken lightly I suppose. They have been just so kind. Then to my own family, it’s just so interesting. It’s weird and wondrous trade acting, but its ups and downs. You go through moments of doubt but it doesn’t retain a level feeling. As I said in my acceptance speech my roots are my rock and that’s my siblings, my parents and my wife. So it’s just amazing.

How do you feel about the attention given to your public school background and the issue of diversity?

I think there absolutely has to be and always needs to be a debate about where actors are coming from. Diversity needs to be represented. Our job as actors is to tell stories and everyone should be represented. As far as the public school thing is concerned, I’ve had a sensational upbringing and I also had a brilliant teacher that was one man who was the reason why I became an actor and got my first jobs. So I suppose I tend to attribute it to a teacher rather than an entire school.

As an award winner do you feel more pressure now?

To be honest I feel… we dream of getting to play extraordinary or interesting people and they rarely come as extraordinary as Stephen. I’m so aware of how lucky I was for that. Do I feel pressure, not really, I just try and put one foot in front of another. I’m starting ork in a few days on a new film called The Danish Girl and it’s another extraordinary story about extraordinary people. I feel like every job I’ve evr done as an actor I’ve poured my heart and soul into. Some of them have been great scripts hat end up being awful films. Some are awful scripts that end up being okay. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. There’s a sort of alchemy to filmmaking which you can’t always control. So all I can do is keep pouring everything in and see what comes out the other side.

How are you enjoying married life and how will you celebrate?

Loving married life!!  I did plan for a day off if I won tonight. I’m thrilled now because I can go and have several drinks. Celebrating tonight I think we’re going to a place called Little House with friends form the film to celebrate that it did so very well this evening. It’s so weird when you make a film you’re kind of this small family. Then you don’t see each other for a while then you get to these sorts of occasions or premieres if you’re lucky enough to get together. So my plan I to go make this new film then sit on a beach with my wife. She certainly deserves it and I can get a few more freckles!

What was the most daunting or challenging scene to work on?

I suppose the scene I was most worried about was the scene in which Stephen and Jane part ways. At that point MND had taken quite a severe hold and the physicality was quite extreme, he was very limited in his movements. Yet I knew it was going to be very emotional on him.  So the idea of restraining things because of the confines on what the disease was at that stage, plus te extremity of hat was going on emotionally. That was perhaps the most intimidating.

Does it feel strange to reach such a level of public success?

It does feel very surreal. But at the same point it’s such an ephemeral thing this world, I’ve been working for 14 years and you have moments that are successful and moments that are not. So of course it feels very lovely that people have seen your film and enjoyed what you do. But I don’t think you can take it very seriously because you know it will be gone in a shot.

Is it easy getting back to normal life?

For me at the moment I haven’t worked since the Theory of Everything. It was a very tough shoot and I did take its toll. So then I had 9 months and promoting it has been a lot of running around slightly frenzied. But really that’s the down time and that’s when you get back to normal life. So I hope I can keep doing that. I’m making this new film now but Hannah works and does a proper job so I cook, I make the dinner!

How do you feel about the comparisons with The Imitation Game and Benedict’s peformance?

I mean Ben and I are old old friends and I think he’s a staggering actor and a wonderful human being, what he did in that film is utterly brilliant. I understand why the two films get connected but to me it feels like there’s room for both and it seems like that has been the case.  The Imitation Game has done so sensationally round the world and continues to do breath-taking business. Ben’s got a lot on his plate anyway, he’s having a baby he’s getting married! I know he’s a very happy man.

Who do you think will win the Oscar?

Oh my Gosh I don’t know about that!! But I’m definitely taking this BAFTA home. I have no idea where it’s going to go, but I will let you know!

J.K. Simmons BAFTA 2015 Winners Interview

J.K. Simmons won the BAFTA for  best supporting actor for his portrayal of the ferocious music teacher bullying Miles Teller towards drumming greatness in Whiplash. He spoke about working with director Damien Chazelle, young co-star Miles Teller and future projects including King Kong reboot Skull Island. Read a full transcript of his winners press conference interview below:

This is your tempo I would imagine?

Yes it’s a Very Good tempo. Yes an acceptable tempo.

How does it feel to win a BAFTA? Is it still sinking in?

Yes it is, It’s brilliant to be thought of on this side of the pond as well.

Tell us about the connection between this feature and the original short with director Damien?

Well the feature was actually written first. The short was made as a proof of concept actually, because oddly nobody in Hollywood wanted to throw millions of dollars at a guy who had no track record and a script about a Jazz Drummer. So yeah he distilled the short film from the feature script. It came in that order and obviously he’s force to be reckoned with.

Did you perception of the character change between the short and feature?

No not really it evolved a little bit. It solidified. But I had read the whole script before I shot the short so it was a character that was so clear on the page that it was just about doing my best to lift it off.

How important do you think Miles Teller was in helping your performance and the success of the film?

I was so glad to see Miles on the list of nominees here tonight and in my view he’s not getting his due in his award season. But I think we can chalk that up to youth and maybe the perception that he hasn’t paid his dues yet, but he’s a brilliant young actor.

How much has the success of this role affected you?

There are more offers coming my way. More interesting offers and more significant roles. Just bigger parts. So that’s been a big plus for this experience. I’m certainly not trying to look  to repat Fletcher so I’m looking of things that are different.

Where you nervous about working with a director with comparatively little experience?

I suspected that it might but he’s such a complete filmmaker despite his lack of youth and real hands on experience. That was one of the great parts of doing the short film that I very quickly felt that was in really good hands. Having worked with masterful directors like Sam Rami, Jason Reitman and the Coen brothers I’d definitely put Damien without hesitation in that category.

How pleased are you to see so many indie films triumphing this awards season?

Well I think anything that is at all untraditional is a tough pitch in Hollywood. It’s a business and there’s money at stake but I think the fact that so many films that are thinking outside the box are getting so much awards attention this year will help to broaden the horizon of movies that can get made. I’ve heard the quote several times recently that making a movie is really pretty easy compared to getting a movie made and hopefully this will open the doors for other interesting films.

You’re making King Kong film Skull Island next what made you say yes to that project?

Honestly it never would have occurred to me directly. But then Spider-Man wouldn’t have occurred to me either. I will say again in all candour when the idea was presented to me that there’s a new version of King Kong being made my response was “Why would anyone do that?” But having met with our director and knowing that Tom Hiddleston was already attached. My meeting with the director just convinced me that there was a good chance that this could be a really wonderful film.

Are you looking forward to the Oscars?

I’m just really pleased to be here and to be holding this mask with one eye blinking. If there are more to come then that will be delightful as well.

Finally, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing the film industry now?

There are always gigantic challenges facing Hollywood and the film industry elsewhere as well. I think Hollywood has spread across the state and sort of across the globe. There are ever present challenges and I think for Hollywood the biggest form a business perspective is really just making sure the interesting, intelligent, challenging movies just get a chance to get made.