Heres how we got on…
Can we start withLet Him Have It?
What struck me about the film was that was quite an un-British film at the time.
And it was rare to see a young actor getting something so weighty on the big screen.
How did that come to you, because it was an Alex Cox project originally wasnt it?
I auditioned for Alex Cox, and he cast me, and then Alex left the project.
Peter Medak [The Krays].
I reauditioned and got the role, and they wanted an unknown.
Because they didnt want an actor on screen playing Derek Bentley who carried any baggage for the audience.
They wanted them to believe that this was Derek Bentley.
I think too the fact that Id hardly ever been in front of a camera reinformed the performance.
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Its an incredibly powerful film, even now…
Yeah.
Because its a true story.
How familiar were you with Dereks story at the point you took it on?
And the Elvis Costello song.
It wasnt a huge part of my life.
But then once youre cast in that you realise that theres a huge amount of literature about it.
The film did have an impact, when Michael Howard posthumously part-pardoned Derek.
He wasnt fully pardoned.
How did you feel about that?
Because the film had had an effect there, but perhaps not enough of an effect?
Ive had the experience twice, withLet Him Have Itand withHillsborough.
Otherwise you shouldnt be involved.
So its very satisfying if it makes a small contribution, and bothHillsboroughandLet Him Have Itmade a tiny contribution.
Dereks pardon was as a result of his sisters and his sisters daughters efforts.
Coming toThor: The Dark World, then.
I question thenotionthe heroes.
I like the Dennis Potter phrase that were all half ape, half angel.
I think thats great.
If youre playing a hero, look for the ape in him.
If youre playing a villain, look for the angel in him.
Then youre giving the audience some grey area.
Because I think we are all like that.
But in terms of trying to put across some pathos to him, was the preparation key here?
Is there pathos in him?
Did you feel there was any?
I thought there was an effort made to justify why he did what he did in the film.
Thats certainly what myself and Alan [Taylor] were after.
We worked closely, and we said we didnt just want a cackling fiend.
And its really for the audience to decide whether we achieved that.
I certainly hope so.
There is more footage, and for whatever reason scenes were lost, and the emphasis was changed.
These films are created as much in post-production as they are during the shoot.
I did, yeah.
Itll be on the extras.
Thats what I hope.
Was that your meet your hero moment?
It very much was.
He was based on Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwell.
Giving this incredible stage performance, which had a huge influence on me.
Youve talked extensively before about your love of theatre.
Is that theatre preparation, a theatre ethic?
It was theatre training.
And [director] Alan Taylor referred to it in the meeting.
And these films are theatrical.
There was a real Shakespearian undercurrent to the first film.
And thats why I admire so much what Chris [Hemsworth] has to do.
He gives us this fantastic physical presence.
And then he gives us this humour.
Theyre not all coming at you to talk dialogue.
Its a visual, theatrical big thing.
And thats a challenge.
The challenge is to also be truthful, and to be believable.
So is it a particularly fun thing to do?
To make a film like this?
Its a relief to get out of the make-up chair.
Alan would play atmospheric music.
That was great fun, it was like being a kid again.
I created all kinds of things around me as a child, with my imagination.
So I enjoy that.
I enjoy the ludicrousness of that.
But then, its no more ludicrous than sitting there, and pretending youre talking to somebody.
In your spare time, are you a blockbuster movie fan?
Is that how you switch off?
What led you to that, what led them to that?
Well, I became a villain in Hollywood terms because of the filmElizabeth.
They kind of make that decision.
Ill never, ever forget the first time I sawBlade Runner.
How wonderful it is to be a human being.
There are all sorts of interpretations ofBlade Runner, too.
Thats where I think genre cinema particularly excels.
I think there is a whole area of genre cinema where they think doing the genre is enough.
I lovedStar Trek, I loved the originalStar Trekas a child.
And that is all about character.
The triangular relationship between Spock, Bones and Kirk.
But I think it will.
I think inevitably you start to consider things slightly differently, when youre around young children.
Thats as much as I would say.
But its new to me, and I think its going to have a huge impact.
And we centred in on your character.
Hes certainly one of the most terrifying characters of recent times.
But where did that role come from for you?
But he forgets that if he gives up one iota of your humanity, youre lost.
Thematically, that is why he is then taken by the zombies.
Are you at a point where youre looking to develop material yourself?
Id love to sit here and say that is the case.
I seem to continue being what is described as a jobbing, a working actor.
Evermore enthusiastic to try different things.
Thor was a huge challenge for me.
The guys who had doneThor, and gone through the first film, knew what they were handling.
I was a little bit fresh, I really was green to it.
A huge learning curve.
Thats the advantage though, isnt it?
That its a pre-established world, and you walk in as the character whos almost a wrecking ball?
It would be nice to do one more film like this on this scale, with that knowledge.
Which is Im sure what Chris and Tom and Natalie would say to you.
They probably came into this second one saying now I get it.
So have you avoided being signed up to a gazillion more Marvel films?
Who knows, who knows!
It would be nice to have a go at something like this again.
So what do you have lined up next?
Which is written by Damon Lindelof.
A lot of it was yeah, thats absolutely right.
Thats why I think we should talk about British television.
We should keep our own identity.
Were very good at what we do, we shouldnt ape the Americans.
Americas come slightly later to it.
Although in the 70s, they had a lot of that.
And with that, our time is up.
Christopher Eccleston, thank you very much.
Thor: The Dark World arrives in UK cinemas on October 30th.
