I cut my finger, I sliced that open. That wasn’t serious but it [created] a lot of problems. One of the scenes in the film where I’m making her a sandwich on this meat cutting machine and just as we were rehearsing, I sliced the tip of my finger off. I mean not completely off – just the skin – but blood was everywhere. I think they had to run and get… we tried to find some kind of Band-aid to put on it but it showed too much for the scene we were doing. I think they ran off and got a condom and put that on it, which is kind of embarrassing. I felt like a bit of an idiot (laughing).
You don’t notice the condom covered finger in the movie, so it must have worked out alright.
(Laughing) You didn’t catch that in the movie, then?
No, not at all. I totally missed that. What was more difficult – doing the car racing scenes or the lawnmower stuff?
I think maybe, well, with the car stuff you are going a lot faster. We had to choreograph both of the races. It’s like a dance piece. We did close down certain roads and you race. I was racing with Eddie Irvine who is actually a real retired Formula One race driver so he was brilliant. I mean, I don’t know if you know who I was racing in the movie at the start, but he’s actually a very well known race drive worth about 450 million pounds. He knew what he was doing. But you had these two male egos (laughing). And even if it’s not real, you still want to drive fast and do the best you can. But yeah, I mean, stunt drivers take over at some point for insurance reasons and they just don’t allow you to do certain parts. They were both quite a challenge.
Was there anything you wanted to do but they wouldn’t allow you to do?
Yeah, there’s a bit where it goes off-road onto a dirt track. I wanted to do it all (laughing). You know you just do. I wanted to do everything but you’re just not allowed.
Do you enjoy doing physical comedy?
I suppose so. I think it’s quite rewarding. I don’t really know what I’m doing, I’m just making it up as I go along (laughing). This is a romantic comedy and I’m keen to do quite dramatic stuff after this. I want to try out lots of things and do lots of different kinds of roles and characters. I’m keen to try and challenge myself.
You made horror movies as a kid and you were in “28 Days Later.” Does that more reflect your taste in films?
I think so, yeah. I really haven’t watched many romantic comedies before doing this movie. But I would have been a fool to turn this kind of thing down. It was a chance to work with some brilliant actors and a director. I really hadn’t done this kind of character before, this kind of part. I liked the challenge and to become a ‘royal’ – I had to learn new table manners and just new skills – and I found that appealing. I thought it was a beautiful story. If you take away your macho side as a bloke, I think it’s a wonderful story.
Can you talk a little bit more about the ‘royal’ training you went through? How did that go – you went through special classes?
Yeah, with Ben Miller who plays Soren, the Prince’s secretary – he does everything for him. Ben Miller and myself worked with a movement teacher and tried some things out. We got taught how to stand correctly, how we would behave in public places… Not that we were like yorks (That’s what it sounds like, but I can’t find a slang meaning that fits the reference) in real life, but there is an etiquette into how a Prince would have been taught to behave, like handshakes for example, or getting out of a car correctly. Really just small details. We did that and I also read a lot about etiquette. I read a lot about Prince William and the real Crown Prince of Denmark, and got a taste of what his life is like. I found it fascinating. I feel a little sorry for them, actually. I was a little ignorant towards the Royal Family and what it actually entailed. This is a guy who’s born into a life of rules and traditions, and he pretty much has things decided for him.
Now the horse riding – that was from scratch.
So you’d never been on a horse before?
Only when I was real young. You kind of go on this trail and they all follow each other, and that’s fun when you’re 3 or 4. I don’t know, I had to look like I’d been doing it for all my life and also they had to be confident I could do it because I had to put Julia Stiles on the back. And you know, we can go around sort of trampling extras (laughing)… They worked me really hard but I only had about two weeks to learn.
Did you fall off?
(Laughing) Yeah, but it was in a kind of… I don’t know what you call it where you learn to ride a horse, like a big barn. It had sand and I fell off a few times.
PAGE 3: Luke Mably on Working With Julia Stiles, Being Streetwise, and His Background
ADDITIONAL "THE PRINCE & ME" RESOURCES:
Interview with Julia Stiles
"The Prince & Me" Photo Gallery
"The Prince & Me" Credits, Trailer and Movie News
