Thursday 7 August 2014

Theo James on Playing FOUR, Acting, Choosing New Roles, & DIVERGENT Challenges


The spring blockbuster “Divergent” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD this week, bringing the first movie installment based on Veronica Roth’s young adult book series to home video. Earlier this year, Hero Complex sat down with James to talk about “Divergent,” Four’s particular brand of honor and what’s next:

Hero Complex: I understand that you’re a latecomer to the world of acting?
Theo James: I think it was always kind of around. I was always one of those annoying, performing little shits. To pretend that I just fell into it and was like, “Oh my God, whoopsy daisy!” — people sometimes pretend that, and it annoys me. Everyone’s going to try. It’s not like it just happens. But basically, I was 18, I finished school, I vaguely thought about it, but then I didn’t really know how to get into it. I didn’t know anyone involved in it. I went to university. I went away for a bit and traveled and kind of was at a crossroads post-university, and I thought, maybe this is worth a try. So I went to a drama school. Basically, an ex-girlfriend at the time was auditioning for these drama schools, and she kind of told me about it and how it worked, and it went from there. So I kind of started in 2010.

HC: Surely you didn’t anticipate being on an international press tour some four years later for a blockbuster movie?
TJ: It’s funny, you don’t really think about it that way. ‘Cause every stage, every little incremental ladder you climb feels like a minor victory in itself, so sometimes I think it’s a bit toxic the way people are hungry for that. Because of the whole mass media thing, they’re hungry for the biggest thing. But I really think that if you want to do it for a career, you have to be motivated by more than just the idea of glamour and the kind of bigger, global things. There are some great, satisfying things to be gained from doing the smaller things as well.

HC: What drew you to the role of Four?
TJ: I immediately had an affinity with him. I thought he represented a kind of male character that you don’t see much these days. To me he had an old-school Hollywood vibe. I mean those kind of actors where masculinity isn’t worn by biceps, it’s worn by kind of true identity. You think of Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, they had it in abundance, but they didn’t need to jam it down anyone’s throat. And I felt like he has that, he has this stillness, this quietness, and also, he has quite an arc that he goes on, which is interesting. In the book, he’s a kind of aggressive, closed, dark person, who you know you kind of empathize, but then you’re not really sure of his intentions. But then he begins to open up when he begins to fall in love with this girl, Tris, Shai’s character. And as a result, we understand not only that he’s a bit broken by an abusive father, etc., but he’s also someone motivated by nobility and honor and morality and those kinds of things.

HC: Speaking of Four’s father, it seems rather uncommon to see male characters as survivors of abuse in the movies. Was that a factor in how you portrayed him?
TJ: Yes, because I think that is part of his barrier. Definitely, that plays into his whole character, and I think people that suffer from abuse, especially men, they can often create such an armor because they never want to be in that situation again. They never want to be emasculated like that, they never want to be humiliated like that, that they kind of go the opposite way, and they create something that no one can ever get past, and as a result they can be kind of inaccessible. I think that is definitely a theme in the film, and the theme of him. He’s so closed because he’s been damaged, and he can’t trust anyone for various other reasons, that he’s hard to connect with.

HC: It’s also rare to see male heroes who aren’t antiheroes, but Four is a white hat. He’s a good guy. He wants to save people’s lives.
TJ: He does, and that’s why I’ve likened him in a way as well to a military honorability. He has a Petraeus kind of nobility, and also there is that kind of slight Maximus Decimus Meridius crossover. I read in him someone who is really motivated by honor. And then on top of that, he’s not exactly Mr. Joe Friendly. If you think about it, he doesn’t really have any friends in the film. He’s not seen high-fiving people and snogging babes or anything. He’s a bit of a lone wolf, which isn’t great, I guess.

HC: What was the most challenging part of working on “Divergent”?
TJ: Sometimes in these big spectacle films, you are in a big green room, or you’re in the midst of like a fight scene where you have to fight six different people, and you know, it’s like a dance, ’cause you have to be remembering everything. Or you would be on a Ferris wheel or wherever you are, and sometimes the challenge is remembering to bring it back to what the scene is and grounding yourself in the story. The only reason you’re telling the story is because it’s a story between two people, and all the other fights and the graphics and the green screen is just extra. So sometimes that’s hard, and you have to constantly remind yourself to bring it back to what you’re trying to say in the story, and what that scene is about, and what the context of the scene is, and where you’ve been before and where you’re going after.

HC: Where do you see yourself going after the “Divergent” films?
TJ: I think it’s important for me post-this to make really smart choices and do things that are the opposite of this character, because I think it’s easy to get pigeonholed. You’ve got to fight as hard as you can against that, because in terms of the longevity of your career, if you don’t do that, then you won’t be able to do the things that you want to do later.

26 comments:

  1. Theo is one of my favorite television actors of all time! I'm really hoping the classes I'm taking at London acting college at methodacting.co.uk will lead me to be as good as he is some day... fat chance, I know, but a girl can dream, right? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I must say, I thought this was a pretty interesting read when it comes to this topic. Liked the material. . . . . SAG Card Lennon River

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the new stuff you post. Gospel

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you because you have been willing to share information with us. we will always appreciate all you have done here because I know you are very concerned with our. percolator bongs

    ReplyDelete
  5. When your website or blog goes live for the first time, it is exciting. That is until you realize no one but you and your. percolator bongs

    ReplyDelete
  6. This particular is usually apparently essential and moreover outstanding truth along with for sure fair-minded and moreover admittedly useful My business is looking to find in advance designed for this specific useful stuffs… Method Acting London

    ReplyDelete
  7. We tend to zone out during the previews when we watch a movie, but you're actually getting some pretty legit info on the coolest new movies coming soon.

    yesmovie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Take a gander at what number of working on-screen characters came out of the school you like lately. Method Acting

    ReplyDelete
  9. A good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading I have felt that this blog really has all those qualities that qualify a blog to be a one.


    business analytics course

    ReplyDelete
  10. Despite their reasonable explanations there is no denying that the exposure to violence may cause personality disorder in kids and other receptive demographic. 123movie

    ReplyDelete
  11. So, all those who consider themselves movie crazy raise your hands. 123 movies

    ReplyDelete
  12. For long time storage, frame, or place the poster in a plastic bag or tube, and keep it in a cool dry climate. 123movie

    ReplyDelete
  13. This gives your movie buff a gift that will keep on giving over the year as they revisit the theater. Each time getting to enjoy the big screen magic on your dime.
    123movies

    ReplyDelete
  14. I really enjoy reading and also appreciate your work. data scientist course in noida

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for helping people get the information they need. Great stuff as usual. Keep up the great work!!! data science course in delhi with placement

    ReplyDelete
  16. Every film buff is familiar with the prestigious American Film Institute. What better way to reward their passion for films than allowing your movie buff to become part of that institute by buying them a membership to the AFI. soap2dayhd.co

    ReplyDelete
  17. As name suggests each genre of the movie is filled with the named element, such as action with great stunts, comedy with nerve-tickling sequences and like that. Along with traditional genre movie kinds there are also non-genre movie categories. solar movies

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amazing knowledge and I like to share this kind of information with my friends and hope they like it they why I do
    cyber security training malaysia

    ReplyDelete
  19. I was just examining through the web looking for certain information and ran over your blog.It shows how well you understand this subject. Bookmarked this page, will return for extra.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is really very nice post you shared, i like the post, thanks for sharing..
    full stack development course

    ReplyDelete
  21. 360DigiTMG, the top-rated organisation among the most prestigious industries around the world, is an educational destination for those looking to pursue their dreams around the globe. The company is changing careers of many people through constant improvement, 360DigiTMG provides an outstanding learning experience and distinguishes itself from the pack. 360DigiTMG is a prominent global presence by offering world-class training. Its main office is in India and subsidiaries across Malaysia, USA, East Asia, Australia, Uk, Netherlands, and the Middle East.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Simple aspect first: Yes, to be sure there are classes for film acting from one side of the planet to the other. https://watch-free.tv/

    ReplyDelete
  23. Please continue this great work and I look forward to more of your awesome blog posts. 롤대리팀

    ReplyDelete
  24. I wholeheartedly congratulate the writer of this post for explaining the difficult concepts of data science in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. My only regret is that I didn’t read this post earlier. I have made many career decisions in my life after reading this, and have no regrets whatsoever to date.mlops training

    ReplyDelete
  25. At its core, acting is the art of portraying characters and stories through the embodiment of emotions, expressions, and experiences. slot gacor gampang menang

    ReplyDelete