Hes super cool, but before long hes gushing.
He even talks about that tough guy image, but by then the spell has been long broken…
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How did you get involved in Snow White and the Huntsman?
I got a script through.
And I was just sold.
Hes come out of nowhere, hasnt he?
This is his first film.
They must think a lot of him, to give him a movie this big on his first film.
But it’s possible for you to see why as soon as you start to work with him.
Then you find out who the other guys are in the film, and theyre fabulous actors and actresses.
It was a no-brainer, then.
I guess thats the new term they use, no-brainer!
But it was, and I thought, do I want to be in this or dont I?
And it was, it was a very enjoyable way of going about it.
Is that how you decide on projects, then, the people youre going to work with?
But the first thing that sold me was Rupert.
What convinced you about him, in particular?
He was very comfortable, and hes a good man.
And its all right talking about it, but actually putting it up there is a hard thing.
We can all have ideas, cant we?
True, and to enact it is a completely different thing.
One of the main ideas behind the film is quite a different approach to Snow White.
Its not the DisneySnow Whiteat all, is it?
Then again, the DisneySnow Whitewas frightening.
The witch turning in the apple, and her eating it, and dying…
So it was frightening, especially when it was made.
So it was, really.
And I think we lose sight of that a little bit.
But, the original stories, well, fairy stories in general the Pied Piper!
its what we tell our kids.
Dont follow the man with music down the road, because hell take you away from us.
Hansel And Gretel dont go in the woods, dont go to that strange house.
That hatred for people blackens your heart and your soul, which affects everyone.
And in a way thats another lesson.
And they are like that.
They murder people, jealous people.
Vanity is a terrible thing, it really is.
And that theme is still present inSnow White and the Huntsman?
It is, yeah.
The hunt for beauty.
But I think that, for me, fairy stories have all got those kind of messages.
And maybe sometimes theyre forgotten about.
They become watered down.
Or it can be overshadowed by the songs and the colourful characters.
Where do the dwarves fit in, this time around?
We were down the mines, and came up one day and all our families were dead.
We had to get on with life, and that hatred…
So we kill, and we rob.
And when Snow White appears, were going to kill her.
And, gradually, one by one, we start to see the goodness.
And she starts to cure us.
Thats quite a beautiful thing for a nightmare, for a horror show.
I think he had all that in there from the beginning.
Its like a nice dream, that.
All really fine guys, and theyre a pleasure to be with.
[laughs]
Youve been in adventure films, youve been in all sorts!
Do you feel youre up against that stereotype?
Yeah, but I dont mind it.
I think a lot of the time we do pigeonhole even the films we make.
Its a British film, yeah, but is it a good film?
And thats the be all and end all.
We just have a habit of pigeonholing things, and thats okay, I have no problem with that.
If they didnt call you a tough guy, then what else would they call you?
Something worse than that?
Im playing parts, and if they call you that, its because I played the part right.
Its not affected me, and it doesnt worry me.
It doesnt hurt me.
I dont go around thinking oh my god, I wish they knew me for my Shakespeare!
Because it doesnt matter!
Im proud of some of the people that Ive worked with, been lucky to have worked with.
Ive got nothing to prove to no one.
And, at the end of the day, who cares?
You certainly work hard.
Youve been in something like seventeen films in the last two years.
Yeah, Im a lucky boy!
I could be holding a gun in Afghanistan.
And theres nothing wrong with that.
Its getting a living.
Theres people doing jobs maybe that they dont want to do, dont like.
Theyre brave people, in a way, because they have to do it to feed their families.
Or kids go to college to learn a subject, come out and cant get a job.
Seems like a waste of education if they cant get that job.
So, fucking hell, how lucky am I?
So they call me a hard nut!
Youve worked with some of the most renowned filmmakers in cinema history.
You say that Rupert Sanders has a great deal of confidence and vision, and can communicate that vision.
Is that in keeping with your work with other directors?
Theres other filmmakers like that, obviously, because you know their reputation anyway.
But Gary Oldman was a first-time director, Tim Roth was a first-time director.
But theres something fresh and rule-breaking about them.
A stubbornness in the way that they want to make their film.
Jonathan Glazier was probably the same.
A different way of making films, but he had an idea and a look.
But still, when you talk to them, they do give you a buzz.
Your balls do tingle!
And they love you while youre doing it.
And then they forget you and go on and work with someone else.
But while youre there, youre part of their family.
And thats all right.
Youve learned so much, youve had so much experience with them.
Thats the way it works!
You compared Sanders to Gary Oldman there.
So do you not really differentiate between different films, and different directors?
Between theNil By Mouths and theSnow Whites?
I put them in the same way, because they give me the same buzz.
Theres a brilliance in their nut that they have, and you want to be a part of that.
So I put them in the same category, of course.
And I put Spielberg in that category, along with a million other people.
Ive got more time to show and develop what Im going to do.
Thats why you like doing it, because you like showing off or whatever it is.
In the American blockbuster, youve not got that time, because youre not the lead.
And it pays you well.
I love to be the lead, but you cant always be the lead.
Theres other people to play those things sometimes.
Youre not being allowed to offer anything.
If youre making films, youre making films together.
And its a fucking good film.
I saw a rough cut of it the other day.
I was so fucking pleased with it.
I enjoyed every minute of that.
And its a smaller role inElfie Hopkins?
Yeah, well, its my babys film.
Great young director on that.
And Im looking forward to seeing it.
I was down there for about two or three days.
But you know, these kids do things that we never used to do.
you’re free to do that today, I think, these kids are doing it much more.
Mr Winstone, thank you very much!
