Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland Interview: In The Heart Of The Sea

Just, theres nothing aboutSpider-Man, okay?

Heres how it went.

When you come onto a film like this are you conscious of how physically demanding its gonna be?

So, just be forewarned.

I love to hear that.

Tom Holland:I was in the same boat as Cillian, really.

Like Cillian said, I love that, because its always nice to be challenged.

TH:Yeah, we had to go through a huge physical preparation.

We went to a sailing school and we learned to sail.

We read a lot of books and got into shape before we started shooting.

There was a large amount of prep.

But I then I remembered modern filmmaking.

CM:We did spend months out in the middle of the ocean.

The vast majority of the stuff on The Essex was shot off the coast of the Canary Islands.

But the majority of it was out in the ocean.

Okay, so I am definitely thick, just thick for a different reason.

So, how does a day go when youre shooting out there?

TH:Its very long.

Its a very long day.

It was relentless really, there were no breaks and it was constant throughout the day.

Was there any discomfort from the shoot?

Because anything where youre working hard and theres water, that sucks.

And youre constantly damp.

Then, the unpredictability of the sea.

It can change in an instant, so its very tricky.

For a film that is effects heavy like this, whats the effect of finally seeing the finished film?

And it was pretty overwhelming.

It was nice as an actor to just disconnect and enjoy it.

Let me ask you (to Tom), you were in a whale.

How was… was it bad?

TH:Oh, it was awful.

It was really awful.

It was not my most heroic moment on set.

But there was very little acting required.

But everyone went through stages of discomfort for this.

What was the hardest thing you had to do?

CM:I dont know.

And trying to make that physical transformation, that was an ongoing battle with yourself.

I did have a question about that.

Did you all do the Christian BaleMachinistdiet, or was there CG involved?

How did you do it?

CM:No, we did it for real, yeah.

We just didnt eat, really.

We just ate very little, very infrequently.

TH:It was the lost at sea diet, is what we called it.

So you spent a long time out at sea, constantly wet, climbing into whale, not eating.

TH:And, you know, this is a film about real people.

This actually happened to real men.

So we had a duty as actors to do justice to them.

So whenever something was uncomfortable it felt like it was the right way to do it.

Was there anything in the script in particular that pulled you towards this project?

I remember watchingMutiny On The Bountyand being just blown away by it.

I think reading the script, it had a similar appeal to me.

It felt like it was old fashioned in the best way possible.

TH:Its not just the script.

When Ron Howard rings you up and says Id like you to do my film, you do it.

I mean, hes Ron Howard.

I knew this film was gonna teach me a lot.

So, weve talked about Ron Howard a little, and Id like to come back to him.

Was there anything unique he did, or something you hadnt anticipated about working with him?

CM:I think every director has a different methodology.

Ron is just a terrifically human person.

He… that doesnt make any sense.

laughs Hes terrifically human.

Like, hes so warm and approachable.

Youd do anything for him.

He was an actor so he understands actors very very well.

He can kind of predict what youre gonna say and how youre feeling.

Not all directors have that.

He enjoys the company of actors.

Not all directors have that.

So that was one thing that was unique about him.

He never lost it.

He brings such a great enthusiasm to set and his love of filmmaking is so apparent while hes there.

Theres never a moment where he doesnt want to be there.

No matter how hard the day is, hes always happy or hes always working.

Hes had one of those careers where everyone knows him from something different.

I always think its a sign of a truly gifted director when they can move so seamlessly between genres.

And hes done that effortlessly over the years.

Another director I wanted to ask you about was Wes Craven.

I was so gutted when he died this year.

Cillian, you worked with him onRed Eye.

CM:It was great.

It was a long time ago.

He took what he learned in horror and I thought he applied it really well.

He was a great loss.

And youve also both worked with Steven Knight.

TH:Hes a brilliant guy.

You (Tom) had your voice inLocke, which is a brilliant film.

How strange was that, because it was just your voice?

TH:Yeah, but it was all live, though.

So it was kind of like doing a play.

So it was quite high pressure, then?

TH:Yeah, but you could always do it again, it wasnt a one take thing.

We did it three times a night over the course of five nights.

So we would get our notes after every take and then apply them in the next take.

It was a really amazing experience and I love the film.

I think Toms brilliant in it and working with Steven was really cool.

CM:People seem to like it, yeah.

Steves writing at the moment is, hes unstoppable I think.

Not just the work he is doing withPeaky Blinders, but other material he has on the go.

But hes been in it for a while, though.

TH:Hummingbird, yeah.

That was a good film.

CM:Yeah, hes definitely in it.

Ive not been directed by him.

Ive hung out with him a lot, obviously onPeaky Blinders.

Id love to be directed by him, actually, so maybe hell do an episode or two.

Maybe lean on him for one of his other projects.

You cant ever do that.

Finally, what is your favourite Jason Statham film?

TH:(straight in)Homefront.

Homefrontis an awesome film.

Stallone wrote that one.

CM:Who wrote it?

CM:Oh, did he?

Its the one with the biker gang, the crystal meth dealers and James Franco, right?

Stallone wrote it for himself, and then couldnt do it so he gave it to Statham.

TH:Yeah, thats a very good film.

I enjoyed it a lot.

CM:I would sayHummingbirdactually.

Thank you, Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland.

In The Heart Of The Seais in UK cinemas now.