Chud.com - Millions (2005)
Chud.com
Interviewd by Devin Faraci
At CHUD.com we will leave no stone unturned to bring you the kind of hard hitting news and incisive interviews you have come to expect. We know that you are looking only for the finest, most probing pieces that get under the skin of the industry, behind the scenes of the blockbusters and inside the heads of the people who bring you... movies.
That's why we present to you this interview with an 8 year old and a 10 year old. OK, I'm being a little dismissive - these kids are the stars of Danny Boyle's new film, Millions, which is a really wonderful and touching movie. Yes, from the guy who brought us 28 Days Later.
Alex Etel plays Damian, a precocious young boy who just lost his mother and happens to be on speaking terms with a number of Roman Catholic saints. One day a bag filled with money seemingly fall out of the sky. He and his more practical brother Anthony (played by Lewis McGibbon) have to figure out what to do with the money - it's all pound notes and England is switching over to the Euro in a week.
I don't like kids very much, but the actors melted even my glacial heart in the film, and in person they were funny and witty and handed out chocolate pound notes, which is always sure to get me on your good side.
How does it feel to have your pictures on the posters and all over the place?
Alex: Scary. [Laughter]
What do your friends say about this?
Alex: The first question that every single one of your friends ask is how much money do you get? Every single one!
And what's the answer?
Alex: None of your business!
When did you start being an actor?
Alex:This is my first thing, actually. I've never been on telly or anything.
Have you ever done any stage? Any plays?
Alex: No, except short ones.
What made you both want to be actors?
Alex: Well, I don't really think that we were actually going to get in, because there came - a person came around to my school with a little camera saying like, 'What did you get for Christmas?' and things. And it really went on from there. So I really didn't think I was going to get it.
And how about you?
Lewis McGibbon: I started a group called Eurokids with my friends just for a laugh to see what we could get out of it. And then I got like extra work in the background. And then I got an advert, which I thought was amazing at that point, but then I got this and this is just incredible compared to what I have been in before.
How was your auditions for it? Was there a long line of people that you were waiting on?
Alex: Yeah.
Lewis: It was 700 people for the audition.
Alex: 750 from our class.
So you're better than all of those?
Alex: Yeah!
How was Danny Boyle? Mean and nasty?
Alex: No. He was funny. He used to play football with us when we had breaks and things.
Lewis:It's amazing as well because you don't know how much he's paying us to say this.
Have you guys seen any of his other movies? Have you been allowed to?
Alex: No. No.
Did you guys have auditions together?
Alex: No. We only did one audition together.
Lewis: They just like brought two kids in and then you saw how they were together and if one of them was good and the other didn't work well, they'd drop that one off and bring somebody else in to see what they were like. And in the end they got me and Alex.
How long did you guys rehearse to learn your lines?
Alex: We had a week before.
Lewis: One week.
Was it hard?
Alex: Yeah. But we have an acting coach, so ...
Lewis: David Johnson. He helped us a lot.
Lewis, you had done this before, so what did you tell Alex to prepare him?
Alex: I was helping him!
Lewis: He was helping me! [Laughter]
Alex: I was helping him in the auditions with his lines!
What was it like on the movie set? Boring?
Alex: No, it was really fun.
Lewis: It was just like a big game. And everybody really plays on set. And like this one time, when me and Alex were calling - you know, like playing - like calling the soundmen names. So they got me and put gaffer tape over my mouth, my hands and my legs and left me there!
Alex:And one time they left us in the darkroom as well, for about half an hour and then left us!
So there isn't a law in Britain about how to treat child actors?
Alex: No!
Do you like watching yourselves on screen?
Lewis: No. You sound completely different to how you think you sound as well, so when you watch it back, you're like, do I really sound like that?
The beginning of the movie is so great when the houses are built around you. Did you have to do that scene in front of a green screen?
Alex: YEAH.
Lewis: It was really hard because they were like doing it on computer and we were just stood on a green screen. And they were saying, "Right, you just walked through the shower! Go back and do it again!"
Alex: Like on the toilet, we just had to back into ...
Lewis: "You've just walked through the toilet! Go back and do it again!" So it was really difficult to know what you were doin'.
What was the hardest part about going from being a fulltime student at school to doing the movie? How did it change your life?
Lewis: Well, we had tutors on set that taught us, but because we were filming a lot, we didn't really get much of that so in the holidays, in the summer holidays, we had to have tutors come to our houses for two weeks.
So you weren't able to blow off your homework for a month or so? What are your favorite subjects at school?
Alex: I don't know. I've not got one.
How long did it take to shoot the movie?
Alex: Three months.
Lewis: Three and a half months.
Did you guys have a chance to play football together?
Alex: Yeah. Just a tip. If you're ever playing football, don't have Danny on your team. [Laughter]
Lewis: He's complete and total rubbish. He boasts! He goes, "I'm better than you! I'm going to win!" And then he ends up falling over and everything trying to kick the ball!
What football teams do you guys support?
Alex & Lewis: [together] Manchester United.
Alex: Don't be saying we're thugs, right!
Who is your favorite player?
Alex: Van Nistelrooy.
Lewis: I like Rooney but-
Alex: He swears a lot.
Lewis: He swears a lot!
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