- Title: Timothee Chalamet and Lily-Rose Depp on role models and responsibility
- Date: 3rd October 2019
- Summary: VENICE, ITALY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF ACTOR TIMOTHEE CHALAMET POSING FOR PHOTOS ON RED CARPET AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE OF "THE KING" VENICE, ITALY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, SAYING: "I felt less interested and less naturally drawn to anything that had to do with power but more to do with helplessness and of being human and a young human at that, when you're still figuring out who you are, who you want to be and having to navigate world affairs basically, or governments or the snake like nature of a royal court." VENICE, ITALY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) CHALAMET SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AND INTERACTING WITH FANS AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL ACTRESS LILY-ROSE DEPP ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS VENICE, ITALY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, LILY-ROSE DEPP, SAYING: "I think it's really scary to think of yourself… I mean, obviously when you're, you know that people are watching you and listening to you it can be kind of, you know, you do feel that responsibility whether you want it or not. But I think it's also, you know, important to remember that, like you know, it's hard to consider yourself a role model or something when you're still kind of figuring out who you want be yourself and how to be, you know, a good person on your own terms and, you know, you're young and still figuring stuff out and everything." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, SAYING: "Yeah, absolutely, you know, I have many role models and I'm sitting next to one right now. (SLAPS JOEL EDGERTON ON THE LEG) Someone I have been able to talk to before and also during the movie. Our balconies were adjacent in Szilvasvarad like Romeo and Juliet or something. And I feel, as I said before, I just feel grateful that young people care about movies and movie-making and this isn't, you know, I said it before, this isn't like a click bait movie. The script and I feel the story has a real merit especially today and you know, not necessarily like the positive sense but this is the whims of people out of depth, let alone because of their youth or because of any reason."
- Embargoed: 17th October 2019 10:07
- Keywords: The King Netflix movie Timothee Chalamet Lily-Rose Depp David Michod Joel Edgerton Ben Mendehlson
- Location: VENICE, ITALY AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: VENICE, ITALY AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA002AZJLV7X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Timothee Chalamet goes from reluctant heir to powerful monarch in "The King", a role he has described as "terrifying" in a coming-of-age tale loosely based on William Shakespeare's plays about Prince Hal and his transformation into Henry V.
The Netflix movie, which received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, will screen at the London Film Festival on Thursday (October 3).
Chalamet's Hal, like Shakespeare's in his plays Henry IV parts one and two, prefers to live away from the palace, among common folk, carousing with his hard-drinking friend and mentor, knight Sir John Falstaff, played by Joel Edgerton, who also produced and co-wrote the film.
When Hal's father, Henry IV, dies, he reluctantly ascends the English throne, assuming new responsibilities and vowing to bring order and peace to the warring chaos he has inherited.
The 23-year-old actor, known for "Beautiful Boy" and "Call Me by Your Name" which earned him an Oscar nomination, said he had not done film stunt work as he did in "The King", which includes a key scene replicating the 1415 Battle of Agincourt.
Chalamet said he drew from the "human experience" for his portrayal of Hal, focusing on "fear, paranoia, distrust and inability to process huge decisions and the anxiety that comes with that".
"I felt less interested and less naturally drawn to anything that had to do with power but more to do with helplessness and of being human and a young human at that, when you're still figuring out who you are, who you want to be and having to navigate world affairs basically or governments or the snake like nature of a royal court," he said.
Lily-Rose Depp, who plays the daughter of France's King Charles, Catherine, said she was attracted to her character's strength and conviction in a period where women were often without power.
The actress, daughter of A-listers Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, said seeing herself as a role model for other young women was "really scary".
"You know that people are watching you and listening to you it can be kind of, you know, you do feel that responsibility whether you want it or not. But I think it's also, you know, important to remember that, like you know, it's hard to consider yourself a role model or something when you're still kind of figuring out who you want be yourself and how to be, you know, a good person on your own terms and, you know, you're young and still figuring stuff out," she said.
Director David Michod and Edgerton, who played Hal fresh out of drama school, said the film was a mix of history, Shakespeare and their own imaginations.
The film's battle scenes were shot over two weeks in a muddy field in Hungary, an experience Michod shuddered to think about.
"You know, they almost killed me. I mean, sorry, that sounds like an exaggeration but it's only a little bit," he said.
"It was horrible and I remember driving away from that battlefield when we'd finished it, just feeling like I'd survived something and feeling traumatized."
"The King" also stars "Twilight" actor Robert Pattinson as the French heir and Ben Mendelsohn as Henry IV.
The film is due to have a limited release in the United States on October 11 before launching on Netflix on November 1.
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