It was a cowardly, but necessary act.
Were you thinking a kind of all-British version ofThe Expendables?
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Yeah [laughs] something like thatd be good.
I think we could be like the Ant Hill mob fromWacky Races.
As much as possible, yeah.
You just use your imagination and try as much as possible to create the character.
Its the same principle.
I dont know how else to describe it really.
There is a psychological boot camp, you have to go away and read things.
Olivia was very kind to give me a load of case histories to read about abused women.
After playing Scott and James, you must get sent more violent psycho scripts than Gary Oldman these days…
I dont know how much Gary gets.
I get quite a few, and I turn a few down.
I dont like it if theyre just psychopaths.
You could see that there was something about them that was pathetic and that I find interesting.
Is that like your cockneys on coke rule, something else on the no list?
I dont take any notice of it really.
Does that make sense?
Just getting the work done?
So youll be back for the sequel regardless of whos directing or whether Kristens in the lead role?
Yeah, whoevers doing it, if its a good script Ill do it.
It was a great honour, and I used to tell him that every day.
I know what he meant.
Hes not a very… hes not a vain man.
That would be lovely.
How about film roles youve yet to tackle?
Unlike plays where there are set scripts that you do again and again, film roles are very different.
I enjoy anything that stretches me, really.
Ive never played a gay character on screen, so that would be interesting.
I have played a gay character inAlice Creed.
He was gay, but he was a bit of a bear apparently, thats what you call him.
Would a Bond villain be anywhere near the top of your list?
Id love to play a Bond villain.
Yeah, Id love to play a Bond villain.
But theyve never ever approached me, Ive never had a whiff of it.
I think Id love to play a Bond villain, Id have great fun.
So the campaign starts here?
[Laughs] Well thats up to you, Im not starting it!
Its nothing to do with me!
You must have plans to work with Mike Leigh again?
Ive just done [Olympics short]A Running Jumpwith him.
I love working with him.
Both of which, I wasnt supposed to be credited for.
They said to me, Do you want to do it?
I played a monster didnt I inMerlin?
[A bit embarrassed to know] You were a Manticore.
You know Ive never seen it.
Someone saw it and they said It was you!
And onSarah JaneI was a computer.
Did you sign it in binary?
Oh I dont know.
Well get right on it.
Do you feel a responsibility to support smaller UK film?
Its not a responsibility.
The only responsibility is to myself, its just the quality of the scripts.
Im not one of these actors who can make a bad script good.
Who would you say can do that?
Ben Kingsley does it incredibly.
Ben Kingsley can get hold of a script and just make it fantastic.
I dont know how he does it, but I cant, Ive never been able to do that.
Oh yeah, if I can come home every night its the best thing.
I love coming home.
We understand thatSherlock 3s moving production to Hollywood though?
I havent heard that.
I was hardly in the second one so God knows.
I dont know what theyre doing with it, I havent heard anything.
I dont know, I honestly dont, Im the last to know about these things.
You must have been one of the only great contemporary British actors not to pop up in theHarry Potterfranchise.
How did you avoid that?
I think if anyone could play a gargoyle its me, I cant believe I wasnt in it!
It just wasnt right for me I suppose, but thats alright, its just the way it goes.
You went up for a role then?
Its just beyond my control.
Once I leave a film and go away, I move on to the next one.
We should just give an honest performance on set and walk away and let other people deal with that.
That delay, a lot of it is to do with the development of all the technology.
They had a certain kind of technology, and something else comes out that can make it better.
We hear youre taking a similar step as [Tyrannosaurdirector] Paddy Considine and moving into directing.
Can you tell us about yourRichard IIIproject?
Yeah, I have an idea of directing.
I think a lot of the actors from my generation do.
I think its a natural development for somebody like me because you learn by osmosis.
Whether Ill be any good I dont know but I think Im ready to do it.
Do you, er, have a favourite Jason Statham film?
I dont know [long, somewhat exasperated pause, then finally] I thoughtLock Stockwas a good film.
I thought it was a very good film.
Eddie Marsan, thank you very much.
