It’s Mr James Purefoy… What attracted you to the project?
Lot and lots of things!
Hes a terse man that doesnt give away too much about himself.
He expresses himself through actions rather than words.
And I liked the fact that the film was British.
We dont really have enough of these films.
I feel that we could be making more of this key in of film.
Were you familiar with the character?
No, no I wasnt at all.
Ive seen films based on Robert E. Howards work, but Ive always associated them with muscle-bound Austrian bodybuilders!
But you were familiar with stuff likeConan?
Well, I hadnt read the books, but Id seen the movies Conan,Krull,Red Sonja.
When people arent taking it seriously its hard to emphasise when youre an audience member.
We are trying to create a world where everybody takes things very seriously.
We wanted to make the audience think: what would I do in this sort of situation?
When youre faced by a group of ghouls or the walking undead?
I dont think a pithy one-liner is the first thing to come to mind!
Hes quite a dark character in the film.
I didnt worry about that.
An antihero is just as good as a hero, if not better.
The audience know who he is.
They know hes started off as a bad guy and that hes had a run in with the Devil.
Theyve already been told that his soul is going to go to Hell if he doesnt change his ways.
Well, Ive played quite a lot of dark characters [laughs].
Mark Antony was not the most benign of gentlemen, Blackbeard, not the most benign of gentlemen.
So, you know, Ive played a number of [darker] people.
But what you have to do is find humanity and common moments that audiences can latch on to.
Its not so much about good or bad, were all good and bad, its shades of gray.
Shades of grey are infinitely more interesting than black or white.
You just get more depth, more texture, more reality.
Well, we had a bunch of injuries.
I had to keep acting, but I could just feel blood pouring down my face.
Obviously, we couldnt use it, because we would have to have used the injury later on.
So there was that moment.
But then again, Im not moaning about it.
This is the kind of film it is.
As long as movie is successful, I have something to brag about.
You know, being crucified is always tricky!
And it was minus-twelve on those days.
And then they would have to get a kettle and defrost you.
Was there anything cut out that you particularly hated to lose?
I dont think so.
I wasnt that unhappy.
Besides, movies need to be a certain length, and Im aware of that.
And that seems to me, for this kind of film, perfect.
I dont understandPirates Of The Caribbean.
I dont understand two-and-a-half hours.
Well, I always want to leave people wanting more.
So that was a gigantic flick, and he was bored.
I do like the way withKaneits the big final fight, one more scene and its over.
Lovely, and out for a curry.
For me, it works.
Whatwas it like working with someone like Max von Sydow?
Well, you know [shoots me a look of, what do you think and laughs].
Not only a genius, but a modern cinematic icon.
If I have to do any of that, thats how Ill do it.
I will just steal from him.
I always say steal from the best, and hes the best.
Hes an extraordinary, extraordinary man.
Yeah, I think so.
Well, we had him and Pete Postlethwaite, whos one of the greatest actors alive.
So, you know, you’ve got the option to be generous.
Theyre like five, six, seven pages.
Theyre little episodes that happen and the way they are written is specifically for that format.
There was no back-story.
He was presented fully formed.
They wanted a back-story and Mike couldnt argue with it, thats the job he was hired for.
So, he did that.
But there could be a lot more room for parts of those stories in a second or third film.
There are rumours of a newRomeseries?
Yeah, nothing to do with me, Im afraid, because Im dead!
Well, Mark Antony is dead at the end of the second season.
No, as far as Im aware the plan is to do a what happens after series.
Unless I come back as a ghost.
Ive just enough time to ask, whats your next project?
I play Kantos Kan, who is a Martian fighter pilot.
Thats a cool name.
And its all a bit of a laugh.
Hes one of the best storytellers on the planet right now.
James Purefoy, its been a pleasure.
Solomon Kane is released in the UK on Friday 19th February.
