“It was a joy to watch Paul take the character and make it his own, yet at the same time have it deeply rooted in Patrick O’Brian’s writing. Russell and Paul are beautifully weighted opposite each other, and you believe they’re friends,” says “Master and Commander” director, Peter Weir.
At a special San Diego Premiere of “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” Paul Bettany spoke about working with Crowe again and learning to play a surgeon from a bygone era.
PAUL BETTANY (Dr. Stephen Maturin):
How does working with someone you know and like affect you going into a film where you'll be portraying good friends?
It’s just much easier. You hit the ground running and you hopefully get somewhere more interesting quicker. You’re not worried about each other’s ego so you can speak frankly. What that means is he can tell me if I’m being sh*t and I can tell him if he’s being great.
Did you brush up on your 18th century nautical history for this movie?
The trouble with talking about acting is that it’s like sex. It’s enormously fun to do but just dreadfully embarrassing when you have to talk about it. I always think it’s more elegant not to, but here we go. Yes, there are certain things you can do. You have to use surgical instruments so I went to the Royal College of Surgeons and worked with a man who was a surgical historian. I came to the Scripps Institute in San Diego and learned how to cut up a fish. I also play a solitary character so I got myself a house miles away from everybody else on a cliff top, the consequence of which I was incredibly lonely. I came in and used to talk to everybody, because I was desperate to talk the next day. I’m not sure how well it paid off.
Is there anything appealing to you about that time period? Was there anything you would have liked to spend more time doing?
No, there’s not a great deal. Getting really close to a bunch of people is fun. Mainly what I would take away from it is, because we all talk about the hardships of making a film at sea – and it is, it’s a nightmare – but you get to work for 12, 13 or 14 hours a day with really, really bright, intelligent people. If you put enough of those experiences together, it’s a hell of a life.
What is it about director Peter Weir that makes working with him so attractive as an actor?
His movies. Listen, we are here in San Diego, which is very close to Los Angeles, and Los Angeles blows films out of all proportion. It’s a very young art form and therefore I feel safe in saying this, and that is that Peter Weir is without a doubt one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. I’d open a door in a movie for him if he asked me to.
You and Russell Crowe get to play tough and manly guys. Are you like that in real life?
Yes, I’m very tough and manly that’s why I’ve elected to wear a purple suit this evening (laughing).
Is Russell Crowe like that?
I don’t know. I know him as a goof. We goof around and giggle and have a beer together and end up rolling around laughing too much.
He just doesn’t like nonsense and that’s why we both get on so well. We both have a problem with it. I think we live in a time where there’s many very pretty, usually very asinine, leading actors. People clearly pay millions and millions and millions of dollars to go and see him at work, and that’s because they get the sensation that he’s a real person who doesn’t take nonsense. He’s a real human being, a real man. If you took that away from him he wouldn’t be Russell, which people pay millions and millions of pounds to go see in a film.
Did you and Russell Crowe have a good time on the set? I know there were some rugby games going on.
Yes, but my wife was making a film in Los Angeles so there were lots of sort of galvanizing exercises that were meant to bring us all together as a group. I have to confess that I was faced with the choice between playing rugby with 20-odd sweaty English actors, or going home to LA and swimming in a pool with Jennifer Connelly. I [chose] Jennifer Connelly.
Are you having fun being a new dad?
It’s great. The thing is, it turns you into an imbecile because I celebrate when my son poos (laughing). I’m a complete idiot.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Interview with Russell Crowe (Capt. Jack Aubrey)
Interview with Max Benitz (Midshipman Calamy)
"Master and Commander" Photo Gallery, Trailer, Cast List, and News
