Caffeinated Clint
Timothy Spall has appeared in films including ”Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, ”Topsy Turvy”, ”Vanilla Sky,” ”Rock Star” and ”Gettin’ Square” (filmed in Australia)- but never was he as impressed with a co-star and filmmaker as he was when he begun work on the Johnny Depp-starring and Tim Burton-directed ”Sweeney Todd”. CLINT MORRIS chats to him about it.
Congrats on the Golden Globe Awards for ”Sweeney Todd”.
Thank you, thank you – I think we might even win some more.
Is it good for you to see your films win awards, even though it’s not necessarily you that’s getting the gong?
You have an odd relationship with awards – it’s not a competition, really, but then they do help to raise the profile of the film. I think it’s also now clear that the film isn’t a specialist film, but it’s for everybody.
It’s amazing the amount of people that have asked me about ”Sweeney Todd” this week. Last week, before The Golden Globe Awards, those people had never heard of it.
Yeah, they definitely raise the profile – I think it makes it more accessible. The thing about awards is, if your film wins some, people will go see it.
Do you think Johnny’s going to get a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars?
I hope so, I think he definitely deserves it. I have a vote in the Academy, and I’m pretty sure I voted for him. If it’s down to me, he’ll get one [Laughs]. Johnny and Helena Bonham Carter are both so wonderful in the movie – they really are; they carry that whole film.
I can’t imagine anyone about Johnny in that role…
Absolutely, and I can’t imagine any other director [than Tim Burton]. No other living director could’ve done it better than that. It’s a match made in heaven, really, isn’t it? The material, the atmosphere…
How did you get involved in the film?
My management put me forward as a possibility for Beadle – I just had to convince them that I could sing. It was quite funny, I had to stand there like some kind of West-End Wendy � but then, we all did; we all had to prove we could sing. I must’ve done alright, because I eventually got the part. I really wanted this one – I knew Tim was directing and that Johnny Depp was going to be in it. My daughter, my youngest daughter, really wanted me to do it for that reason – Johnny Depp was in it.
I read somewhere that she visited the set and met Johnny?
Yeah, and he was really delightful to her, she had a great time. Then, I took her to the junket – and [Johnny] greeted her like an old pal when he saw her. I’ve got plenty of brownie points at the moment.
He’s a lovely lad actually – considering he’s one of the biggest film stars at the moment, if not the biggest, he’s totally down-to-earth; there’s no attitude or weirdness about him. I know they can get like that – living in isolation and all. It’s not like he’s just some guy off the street, so it was nice to see he functions normally, but more so, he’s a really nice guy and a lot of fun.
What about Tim Burton, because all we know from the outside looking in is that he’s, well, weird?
He is definitely his own man, that’s for sure – but he’s another real nice guy. He mightn’t view the world exactly the same, but he’s definitely not out-of-touch – he just has his own angle on it. He’s a very pleasant man; a very funny man and very warm. He just happens to be a genius. I’ve admired his work for years but was even more astonished by how good he is to work with – he’s collaborative; he has a vision but he never forces you into it, he’s very, very inclusive and very open.
Did you watch anyone else play Beadle before starting?
No, I didn’t, but I did listen to some old recordings – I never realized it was such a great piece of orchestral music. The only other thing I realized is how bloody hard it is to sing – I only had the one little song, but we also only had three weeks to prepare it. None of us were singers, so we were all cacking it a bit.
So you’d never sung before?
Yeah, I’ve sung on occasion – I sung in Topsy-Turvy, the Mike Leigh film – but I’m an actor that can sing a bit, I’m not an actor that also sings. I wouldn’t put it down on the CV ‘singing is a specialty’ – I can’t hold a tune. .
Were you shitting yourself when it came time to sing on film?
It was in the red, especially when I had to go in and sing in front of Stephen Soddenheim. I know now what it must’ve felt like doing Hamlet in front of Shakespeare. It does you get after 30 years of acting to get the nerves going again – it was a challenge, but challenges are good. What I liked about this film is that the songs are part of the action so it’s not like act-stop-sing – it’s seamless; I think that’s why Tim chose actors that can sing rather than the other way around. I’ve seen the production on stage doing with opera singers and all that – it works like that, but I don’t think it would as a movie. What makes the film work is the visuals and the acting, which is all very, very realistic.
You must be popular with your grandkids � being in ”Harry Potter ”and also, ”Enchanted”.
Yeah, the youngest one saw Enchanted – she saw it with her Aunty � and she loved it. Coincidentally, I was also on a TV version of Oliver Twist at that time �-a five-parter, that was also on at the same time. One day she said to me "Granddad, what are you doing in bed? Why don’t you get up?" I said, "Because I’m the king!". She bites back, "No you’re not – you’re an actor".
One of my favourites of yours is a film called ”Still Crazy” – I know it didn’t do huge business, but I really enjoyed that film. I’ve since seen it a few times.
No, it wasn’t [big at the box office] but people have caught up with it.
I remember going to see it at the cinema – there were like 3 other people in the theater – and recall walking out thinking that was one of the funnest films I’d seen in a long time.
I know, I don’t know what went wrong there. It must have got buggered up somewhere along the line, because I think it’s a very good movie. People have gotten hold of it though – and they tell me they loved it. It’s such the way it goes, ya know? It can be a very tough business as we know. That’s why it’s good to be in a couple of smashes [like Harry Potter and Enchanted] because I’ve worked my balls off on projects that are never seen.
Will we see you in another ”Harry Potter”?
Well I’m actually…. yes… I’m in the next one. And I’m also in the one at the end – I have a very big scene in that. I think they might be shooting two of them back-to-back – hard to know though, what with this writer’s strike and all. They’re shooting the penultimate one at the moment – which I have a brief appearance in it. I should be doing that soon.
Tell me, do you think the musical is back?
I do, there’s been some successful ones lately – Hairspray was a hit and Enchanted had its musical elements about it. People were put off by the ones released about 30 years ago, but they’re making them a lot better now, so I think the genre has a new lease on life.
