Ioan Gruffudd Interview

Ioan Gruffudd is back in the suit of the Fantastic Four’s leader, Reed Richards. Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd got his start at age 14 in the Welsh Soap Opera and has been praised for his roles in Black Hawk Down, King Arthur and lately, Amazing Grace. After several years of residence in London, he now lives in Los Angeles with his fiancé.

Emmanuel Itier: How much has your life changed since the first movie?

Ioan Gruffudd: I think enormously and within the industry, it’s been an amazing thing for me to raise the profile, to get me into opening different doors. For example, Amazing Grace — I don’t think I would have got that had it not been for the success of the first movie, so it’s changed my life in that sense. And of course, I’m getting a lot more kids running up to me recognizing me, which is very exciting also.

EI: Did you expect to become a big star from a comic book movie?

IG: No, not at all. I imagined I would be a Carey Grant or a Jimmy Stewart doing these great classic movies, which I’m still determined to do, but in this day and age, these movies are the big tent-pole movies, and they are the ones that help to raise your profile, so I’m delighted to be involved in one of them this summer because there are so many of them.

EI: Are your friends jealous?

IG: I’ve been acting since I was a very young man, since the age of 12, so all my friends are familiar with seeing me do silly things, and they would say things like, “”Grow up and cut your hair,”" or “”Stop posing”"–all the classic things of trying to keep my feet on the ground. But I remember my father, at the end of the first movie, at the premiere, shaking my hand and saying, “”Looking forward to something with a bit more substance.”" [Laughs] So he was not impressed at all.

EI: Did you tell him that you’d write the screenplay for the next one?

IG: Exactly. So he was very pleased with “”Amazing Grace”" because that had more substance.

EI: Did the first one raise your profile in Hollywood?

IG: Absolutely. And building up to this one is helping as well. There are such great images, the classic movie star leading man stuff, to have to present to people. So it’s helping enormously, even though the movie hasn’t come out yet.

EI: Can these types of movies be boring, working with green screen and so forth like some actors in “”Star Wars”" have said?

IG: Yes, I will agree with you on some level. Working this way can be tedious–the process of making this sort of movie. I think differently than the “”Star Wars”" trilogy, which I think was entirely shot against green screen. We had tangible sets and actors, and we were physically doing a lot of the stuff. Even though it was against green screen, I was physically in the Fantastic Car. I had all the buttons and it wasn’t entirely green screen, but I agree–the process, at times, you want to shoot yourself in the head. It’s boring and tedious, but it’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do as an actor because you have to believe every moment. And if you don’t live and believe what you are doing, then when they take that away and put in the special effects, it doesn’t marry. So it’s very important to keep your concentration and discipline on every take.

EI: How would you compare this to “”Amazing Grace”"? Like in this one, you have to put your trust completely in the director’s hands.

IG: I trust Tim implicitly. After the first movie, we saw the success of it and how it looked. Yes, we were taking a shot in the dark, but as an actor, there is something you sort of enjoy about saying those cheesy, heroic, American lines. “”Leave that to me. I’m on it.”" You know? It’s such a pleasure because those are the images that you conjured up as a young actor wanting to do it. So you can’t comment on it. You have to embrace it and enjoy it and sell it.

EI: Do you feel like John Wayne?

IG: Yeah, something like that. I wouldn’t say these are classic lines, by any stretch of the imagination, but they are fun to say. And you’ve got to take them while you can. There is so much action involved, you’ve got to take charge of those moments.

EI: Was doing the sequel more or less of a challenge for you?

IG: I was very excited about it, having read the script. I was very relieved. The script was far and above better than the first one. And, to be fair, the first one was an origin movie where we had to explain to everyone who these guys were and how they became The Fantastic Four, and it was hard to get into the movie as far as the action was concerned. But this time, we’re established, we know who we are, we start with a bang and it doesn’t really relent until the end of the movie. So I was very excited when I read it. My character is much more masculine; he’s much more manly; he’s more in control; he’s stepping up into the role of being the leader–the real leader of The Fantastic Four. And therefore, he’s a lot more fun to play, that character. The nerdy aspect of him is still there, but it’s not the overriding characteristic.

EI: You’re also the envy of every red-blooded male on the planet in that you get to marry Jessica Alba–Sue Storm.

IG: Yeah, it was interesting because, when we did those scenes, I just kept thinking about my own wedding because that’s coming up now in September, so it was like a rehearsal really for that moment. But yes, it was pretty spectacular to see Jessica walk down the aisle in her dress. It’s a wonderful image to have. But its funny, all the images that we have publicly of Jessica are so much different to the actual woman herself. She’s a fellow actor and she’s a great colleague and friend of mine, and she’s hysterically funny and down to earth, and very maternal and tells us all to shut up when we’re all messing around when we’re all together collectively. She’s the real leader really!

EI: Which scene is your best acting in this movie?

IG: It’s interesting. Naturally, something like “”Amazing Grace”" is immediately more satisfying on a daily basis because it’s character driven and there is a lot of dialogue…and you wouldn’t necessarily associate that with this movie, but every day is hard and a challenge, and those little beats in between the action are really important to sell. So I would consider those little tiny moments amongst action selling the line just as hard to do and a good bit of acting as doing a dialogue scene in the parliament in “”Amazing Grace”".

EI: What would be the best line?

IG: All the jargon that Reed Richards comes up with–it’s ridiculous. I can’t even remember the lines, they were so complicated. I had to remember them in order to forget them. All those scenes with all the jargon, those are the hardest things to make believable because I don’t understand really what I’m saying. [Laughs]

EI: Has this changed your private life? Like you got a new Porche, a new house, and a girlfriend.

IG: That hasn’t changed. What’s interesting is that I’m able to separate my career and my own life. Even though they are both married, what’s interesting is now I’m enjoying my life more than before because I guess I was just working hard to get to this sort of point, and now I’m just enjoying my life and getting married and all the normal things.

EI: Did you buy a new house?

IG: I did buy a new house, but I had to sell my house in London to buy this one. I’ve been in L.A. for about four years.

EI: That move wasn’t easy, was it?

IG: It wasn’t, but I’ve been coming back and forth for so many years–for over ten years–since the days of “”Titanic”", so I’m very familiar with LA and what it’s like to live here for short periods of time. So it wasn’t that big of a leap. But I must admit, I’m loving it and I haven’t looked back. I haven’t missed London at all.

EI: Is there anything you miss from home?

IG: I miss my family and my friends, but I haven’t missed living in London whatsoever. I’m totally embracing my time here, and I’ve learned to say
“”Never say never,”" because as a young man, I was very idealistic and determined that I was going to live in Wales and marry a Welsh woman, and our kids were going to grow up with a Welsh education. But I stopped saying those things and now I’m realizing my family will be brought up on sets and traveling. That’s who I am. We have to embrace that. As long as they have love and are happy and get an education, they will be fine.

EI: Let’s go back to the movie. What can you tell us about the Fantastic Car?

IG: In the comic book back in the ‘60s, it was basically a platform for them to work from, and it often looked literally just like a platform–not very exciting at all–so the car has evolved into the car we see now—a very contemporary, stylish, sleek car. And it does break up into three or four pieces for us to combat the Silver Surfer.

EI: Is this the kind of car you would drive yourself?

IG: If you got a chance to sit in that vehicle, yes, you would love to drive it yourself. As a guy, it’s awesome.

EI: And where would you take this car?

IG: I’d pop back and forth to Cardiff–back home to Wales to see the family.

EI: What car do you drive yourself?

IG: I drive a Jaguar XK8 Coupe, so I’m driving a good old British car here.

EI: What was the first car you drove?

IG: This is my first car. Well, this isn’t my first ever car because I used to live in London so I couldn’t own a car then, but I learned to drive in a Fiat Punto, as it was called then. It was my mum’s car because it was too expensive to be on my dad’s car insurance. I had a very middle-class upbringing, so there were two cars, and I learned in my mother’s car.

EI: Did you ever crash it?

IG: Yes, I did–very soon after passing my test. And it wasn’t fun at all. Those things are miserable. I mean, it wasn’t a serious crash. It was in the rain, late at night. I was the designated driver, being the nice guy offering lifts to people all over Cardiff, and we just skidded in the rain and smashed into another car. Nobody was injured, thank goodness, but it was just a pain in the arse. I was devastated, absolutely devastated. We all know what that experience is like.

EI: What about you becoming a fashion icon? We’ve seen you in magazines and stuff. You like fashion and clothes, right?

IG: I love those things. I’m a slave. I’m a clothes whore. I love it. I’ve always loved clothes from a very early age. I remember running out when that brand Lacoste first came out. We were allowed to wear polo shirts in the summer in school, and everybody ran out and got their Lacoste. Some people were selling their little Lacoste crocodile labels so someone else could pretend they had the real thing. I’m very fashion-conscious and I’ve loved it all my life. I’m the face of Burberry perfume London, me and Rachel Weiss. I’m very proud of it. It’s an amazing opportunity, and the campaign itself looks great. Mario Testino shot it and I get to stand there with Rachel Weiss. And just as far as a career is concerned, it’s priceless to have those images out there, to show to a producer, “”Look, I could ostensibly play Rachel Weiss’s husband.”"

EI: Did you ever dream of being the face of a campaign like that?

IG: It was interesting because that’s been an evolution in our industry as well, as far as acting, because at that time, it was the super models that were selling those brands. As far as I’m aware, it’s only been the last five years or so that actors are more and more…especially male actors. It’s sort of unheard of to see Clive Owen on the back of a magazine posing for Lancome. I can’t wait to rib him for that pose. It’s hysterical.

EI: How would you describe your personal style, and who is your favorite designer?

IG: I’m a big fan of Mr. Armani. He’s been incredibly generous over the years. They’ve got such a brilliant PR department, both here and in England, and whenever I need something to borrow, they are very quick to lend me things, and this is one of them.

EI: How do you like to dress on your free time?

IG: I always enjoy putting on a jacket and a shirt and a tie and going out.
I’ve got a lot of leather jackets as well, and t-shirts.

EI: So you haven’t fallen into the L.A. dress code of shorts, flip-flops and baseball hats?

IG: I have flip-flops and shorts and t-shirts, yes. You understand why. It’s because of the climate. I’m trying to bring a bit of European elegance to the California look, yes.

EI: Are you into gadgets?

IG: Not particularly. I think every male enjoys it on some level, but I’m not passionate about it. I used to be passionate about video games, but since being in a relationship, that was not allowed, so [Laughs] that’s gone out of my life.

EI: You were doing it every night?

IG: Yes, it was silly. Being a bachelor in London, I was doing a lot of that.
I loved Medal of Honor and the World War II simulations. I wasn’t allowed to buy the latest one when we moved in together. And she’s right. I think it’s mind numbingly time-wasting and not really creative at all. But in my trailer, I’ve got my Xbox 360 and I loved it!

EI: What is it with men and video games?

IG: For somebody in my generation, I think I like playing the shoot-’em-ups because I remember playing that as a child, physically pretending to do that. And I love all the sports games. I used to play rugby, so I loved playing rugby and the soccer games because I used to physically do that. The sad thing is a lot of these kids have never actually physically played those games.

EI: Are you still into soccer?

IG: Yes, that’s another thing I have to TiVo and watch them when Alice is not there. I TiVo the Premier league; I TiVo all those and watch them. Liverpool is my team, and the Champion’s League…yesterday I was watching Chelsea.

EI: Will you watch Beckham when he comes to The Galaxy?

IG: I’m hoping to see at least the opening game, because Philip Anschutz, who produced “”Amazing Grace”" is the owner of The Galaxy, so maybe I’ll have an opportunity. He was very involved with “”Amazing Grace”". It was a labor of love for him. I think he paid entirely for the movie out of his own pocket because he wanted to tell the story. He was very hands-on, actually.

EI: Do you play soccer still?

IG: I play occasionally. Five aside, we kick about, but no more rugby. I have to get up very early in the morning to watch the soccer here. The Saturday games start at 3:00, so I’d have to get up at 4:00 or 5:00, but I don’t do that. I TiVo it, and when Alice is out shopping, I watch. On DirecTV you can watch Premiership soccer on Setanta Sports, which you have to buy as an addition. During the World Cup, I had people come through so we drank and watched the game. It was great.

EI: What is the difference in bringing up kids here versus London?

IG: I do live here and I’m embracing this place, and I find it to be just as cultural as living in London. I think there is a lot of snobbery we have as Europeans towards L.A., and unfairly so. You can seek out culture and arts and crafts and all that. If I asked myself honestly, was I really going to the museum everyday in London? To the art gallery or the theater? No. We have to ask ourselves, why did I have such a snobbery towards it? And living here, I realize you can have all those things. You can have a fantastic education. There will always be a part of me that’s European and Welsh specifically, and my kids will speak Welsh. They won’t necessarily go to a
Welsh school like I did. I think that was a very idealistic idea that I had.

EI: Are you wishing for boys so you can play Xbox with them?

IG: Or play real soccer and real rugby and throw a ball and do the physical stuff. That’s what I’m looking forward to. And then with a girl, of course, going shopping, because I love shopping as well. I love clothes, and Alice loves her clothes as well. It’s a match made in heaven.

EI: Does Alice keep up on fashion?

IG: Alice is a trendsetter rather than a follower. She loves vintage stuff.
She doesn’t really own many couture dresses. Everything is vintage. And myself, it’s easier for a guy. I love a good suit and a tailored shirt.

EI: Are you getting more movie offers now?

IG: I’ve just finished shooting a movie called “”Fireflies in the Garden”".
Dennis Lee, a first-time writer, has written it, first-time directing, and it’s got an amazing cast: Julia Roberts, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe, Ryan
Reynolds, Hayden Panettiere. It’s a wonderful story, and I’ve got a couple of scenes in the movie, so this has helped to raise the profile and open a lot of doors…and it allows me to do things like this little independent movie.

EI: Do you prefer small films?

IG: Yes, because there is something about the pace of a small production that I enjoy. It reminds me of doing a TV series back home. The pace is quicker so you go with your initial instinct. There is no time to sit around and mull things over. It’s very quick and it’s gone. You go with your first instinct, which is often the right one.

EI: How is it playing the boyfriend of “”the sexiest woman in the world”"?

IG: I don’t see or objectify Jessica in that sense because I work with her as a fellow actor. Of course she is sexy, but the perception of her is not the real her. She’s very funny and hysterical, and great to be around and very maternal as well. She looks after us all, us guys. She tells me to shut up and concentrate, and looks after us.

EI: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard from a fan about Mr. Fantastic–stretchy guy?

IG: Well, the cool kids wouldn’t come up to you. And the really lovely, innocent, younger kids just cannot fathom the difference between Mr. Fantastic on the screen and me, the actor. And it’s always in airports, by the luggage carousels, that I have these encounters with these little kids who can’t quite understand why I can’t do it and why can’t I do it today, and why was I able to do it on the screen, and where is Sue and where is Johnny? And when Johnny goes on fire, how does it happen…? And all those questions.

EI: How did you react when you first saw the Mr. Fantastic toys?

IG: I think he looks very much like me, especially in profile. He’s got my prominent nose and everything, and it looks like me. I was delighted.

EI: It must be very weird, though–especially those ones where you can stretch out the limbs.

IG: Yes, it’s a bit scary.

EI: What body part would you like to be able to extend if you had that power, other than the obvious of course?

IG: Well, some areas don’t really need this. I haven’t prepared an answer for that question, and I knew I would be asked it. I was thinking, because we’ve been watching soccer, that I wouldn’t have to take my eyes off the screen while I go to the kitchen to get a nice cold beer. [Pretends to extend his arm] That’s a silly one.