AN INTERVIEW WITH SAM CLAFLIN FOR THE BLU-RAY COMBO PACK AND BLU-RAY 3D RELEASE OF PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
SOURCE: Click Comm.
How did it feel to work alongside actors like Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides?
I have been over-awed and overwhelmed by this amazing opportunity to work on the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise. It’s been a dream come true to watch people like Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz act and to discover how they work. They are incredibly generous actors, and to know that they’re very down to earth is both inspiring and admirable.
How much has your life changed since you finished work on the movie?
To be honest, I don’t feel like anything has changed. I live a very normal life in London. I get on the subway, I get on the bus and I meet my friends in the same pubs that I used to go to. Life is still the same.
Do you think you’ll make the move to Hollywood full-time in the future?
It would be a dream to have a house in both the US and the UK, but I don’t see that ever happening. At the moment, I’m very comfortable and I feel very much at home in Britain. But who knows what the future holds?
How much is your desire to remain in Britain influenced by your friends and family?
My friends and family – and everybody who has helped to get me here – all live in London. I feel that if I abandoned all that, I’d miss out on a lot. Obviously, if work brought me out to Hollywood then I’d love the option of being able to work there for six months or however long, but at the moment I’m comfortable being in London. I love it.
How would you describe your upbringing?
I feel like I have been very, very lucky and blessed by my upbringing. My mum and dad instilled a work ethic in me at a very young age. I was a paperboy at the age of 13. I worked in a supermarket from the age of 16 to 18, and then I worked in a clothing store for a year – but it was always my dream to go to drama school in London. Thankfully, my dream came true.
How did you get the acting bug?
At high school I wasn’t a very good reader and I had a tendency to babble away during written essays. Academic work wasn’t my forte, so I stuck to the practical side of things with sports and drama.
How did acting win over sports?
I broke my ankle playing soccer and while I was in a cast, I revisited my lifetime plans; that’s when my mum suggested acting. She knew I enjoyed drama, so she suggested I consider giving acting a go. I got involved in a school play and my passion grew and grew from there – and here I am today. It’s been a very bizarre journey, but a wonderful one.
Did you take up acting after you finished high school?
From the age of 16, I knew that I needed a lot of money to move to London for drama school. That’s why I worked so many different jobs; I wanted to save up enough money to make the move by the time I was 20. Thankfully, I went to drama school and, luckily enough, I received an agent out of that. I got my first acting job before I graduated – and my career has spiraled out of control ever since.
What was your first acting job?
I worked on a TV miniseries called The Pillars Of The Earth where I was lucky enough to meet Ian McShane. He’s taken me under his wing, and I feel like he and I are destined to be friends forever. It was amazing to work with him again on Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
How supportive has Ian McShane been to your career?
He’s been so kind to me. We had a few scenes together in my first job where he was incredibly reassuring and helpful – and he’s been exactly the same ever since.
Did his new appearance for Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides take some getting used to?
Ian was the first actor I saw when I arrived in Hawaii, but he looked very different. He had a really long beard and long hair, which was very different to the crew cut he had during our other project.
How much did you enjoy working with him again?
It was fantastic because he helped me out so much. I’ll never forget the first read-through where he really showed his support.
What happened?
Johnny Depp had already done his Jack Sparrow, Penelope Cruz had already done Angelica, and Ian had already done a bit of Blackbeard – but I was incredibly nervous about having to say my lines in front of Jerry Bruckheimer and Rob Marshall. All of a sudden, all of the eyes in the room turned to me – but Ian McShane was sitting next to me and he really eased my nerves. He put his hand on my back and said, “You’ll be fine.” I repeated my line and everything was great. I’m sure I gave out a huge sigh of relief afterwards.
What did you enjoy the most about working on Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides?
Working with Astrid Bergès-Frisbey was definitely my favorite aspect of working on the movie. We had a brother/sister relationship on the set because we were both in the same boat. This was our first big Hollywood movie, so it was great to be able to scream behind closed doors when we wanted to because we were so excited to be there.
What was Johnny Depp like to work with?
Johnny Depp is a fantastic man. He was kind enough to take some time out of his lunch break to come and say hello on the day that my parents came to visit the set, which was really wonderful.
Were your parents impressed?
I think my dad opened with a joke, which was extremely embarrassing. He said, “What’s it like being assistant to my son?” And I remember thinking, ‘Oh, no… Dad! Dad!’ It was terribly cringing, but the conversation went on and Johnny was kind enough to be very complimentary. It was great.
What advice did Johnny Depp give you about the entertainment industry?
He told me how important it is to stay grounded, and to never forget where you came from. He said to me, “Keep a good support network around you and you’ll never lose who you are and where you are, and you’ll never forget how lucky you are to be here.” That’s sound advice that I will never forget.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is Available on Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray Hi-Def Combo Pack October 18th!
