Interview: "Seriously Sexy" by Gini Brenner (Kurier Austria)

Archived completely due to unavailability on the internet

Interview thanks to Christina.
Translation German to English thanks to Anja

At the latest since Bridget Jones Colin Firth is the screen dreamguy at second glance. In Nanny McPhee he shows his fatherly side – a magical enjoyment for small and big girls.
 
"The worst guys get the best women“ – one of the eternally valid movie laws. Always but then when Colin Firth takes part in the movie. No other is so seductively reliable: In the face of his sensational sex appeal in both Bridget Jones movies even a experienced misbehaved charm-terrorist like Hugh Grant had to surrender.
But also during the exclusive interview in the luxurious Soho Hotel in London the 45 year old Brit proves that reservation is the absolute opposite to boring.
Being an hour alone with Colin Firth in a hotel suite might not be dangerous – but it is quite exciting indeed.
 
Nanny McPhee is your first family movie. How did you get your part of the father?
"Emma Thomson and I know each other for a long time. She asked me whether I would like to participate. She thought the character of Mr. Brown was made for me. I read the script and was really enthusiastic about it – but "my“ character I didn’t like at all in the beginning."
 
Why was that?
"Well, he is such a terrible coward. He loves his children before all but he cannot show it. He escapes in loads of work and expects someone else to take over his parental duties. Over this he ignores that the kiddies suffer a lot more over the sudden death of their mum than he does. But I have come to understand him: The movie takes place in a "Once-upon-a-time-"idyll and back then for men it was even harder to show their feelings than today."
 
You have three sons [the 15 year old Will with Meg Tilly as well as Luca, 4, and Mateo, 2, with his wife Livia Giuggioli]. Have they ever thought of such wild pranks like the Brown kids?
"No, thank God" (grins). "Will lacked the partners-in-crime and the other two are still too small. We will see what awaits me here"....(laughs).
 
And how about you? Were you a bad child?
I have never wantonly played tricks on someone to be able to laugh about him – I have rather tried forbidden things out of curiosity. But basically I was very good.

Many actors fear the filming with kids. In your case it even were seven of them....
"It were even eight! The baby was played by twins. And we even had a donkey in an important character on the set. It is said you have to beware of kids and animals at the business (laughs). It needed getting used to it but it was wonderful."
 
In which way was it wonderful?
"Well, firstly the laws are rather strict for kids on the set. Which is quite right by the way. Actually in my opinion the things permitted for small kids are even too many. In any case a child is only allowed to work a few days per week and just for some small hours with long breaks in between. And that with such a big bunch of children is terrible of course. Often it took days until one scene could be halfway completed according to plan. Director Kirk Jones was on the edge of reason on many occasions. Real kids have other priorities but costs of the set or a filming timetable and quite rightly so – but for successoriented adults it’s rather hard to understand that (laughs). Children always want to know everything exactly. One day when Kirk was rather worn out by the continuous questions he placed a new rule: “From now on you are only allowed to ask really, really important questions. Ok.?” All kids nodded keenly. And at once the first small hand shot up. “I do have a really important question!” Kirk sighed: ”Spit it out.” And small Raphael said with completely serious expression: “Which kind of sausage will be on the sandwich that I will have to eat in the next scene?” We all burst out laughing but for Raphael it was a real problem!"

You often play reserved characters with whom it sizzles beyond the surface. Why?
"This I’ve been asking myself quite often (laughs). For one part I have a rather average face/Visage that is more suitable for not so shining heartbreakers. On the other hand my big idols were actors who could express a lot with little means – like Paul Scofield for instance or Alec Guinness .... and funny enough I’ve came to understand that a lot of women regard just this reserved acting very appealing. Probably they think that behind this quiet facade unbelievably much is going on."
 
And is that so?
"Sometimes – but surely not always what you expect."

Your character in the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice made you a heartthrob in the U.K., since the Bridget Jones movies you are that internationally...I’m surprised myself. I would never have dreamed of becoming a sex symbol. Fame has caught up with me late – when I was offered the part in Pride and Prejudice I was 35. I remember well what my little brother Jonathan commented: “They want you as Mr. Darcy? Shouldn’t he be ----cough-, sexy and attractive?”

Bridget Jones 3?
“I am often asked whether there will be a third part of Bridget Jones. But I can hardly believe that. How should the story continue? Maybe Mark Darcy will develop into a heavy drunk and Daniel Cleaver will become sensible....”

Interview: "Nobody at home calls me Mr. Darcy" (Metro NL)

Archived completely due to unavailability on the internet
This Dutch interview is translated to English by Debby.

Colin Firth, the actor who got his real break by playing the charming and tender, but very stiff Mr Darcy in Bridget Jones Diary, plays at the moment a desperate father of seven very naughty children in the film Nanny McPhee.
Metro talked with the Englishman about the film, his image and paparazzi. He doesn't like to talk about his private life, but he tells us a little bit about his relation with Sylvia Millecam.

It's very cold in Amsterdam, the city which Colin visits with fellow actor Emma Thompson for the Dutch premiere of Nanny McPhee
(1 February 2006). But Colin is sick and suffers from bronchitis. Still he makes time for interviews in a hotel room at the Keizersgracht.

Did a lot of photographers follow you around Amsterdam this time?No, this time it's a bit disappointing (smiles). Last year that was different. Someone with a camera followed me all afternoon. Eventually I went back to my hotel, because I didn't feel at ease. 

Do the paparazzi follow you around? 
They are not interested in me. They were for a while, when I got married. It's hard to tell what it does to you, but it is exceptional offensive to have pictures made you didn't ask for. I don't care if they place a picture of me with a vacuum cleaner. But if they make pictures of my children, I can't control myself.

About Nanny McPhee. I think it was hard to play with 7 children at the time.
It wasn't that difficult. In the film they play a bunch of horrendous children, but they are not related. They're actors. Whatever you say, the 14 year old doesn't spend time with the baby off set. And besides that, we worked with one or two children while the others were in school.

In the film there's a great scene where you throw with cakes. Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee) was in David Letterman's show and she threw a cake in his face. Is she a tough woman?
Emma is really great. She's a very clever and honest woman. I took the role of Mr Brown mainly because of her. She wrote the script and wanted to put in some of her idea's about a family. By the way, this scene looks more spectaculair than it was to shoot. It took us three hours to tape one scene in which one person threw a cake. Trying to stay spontaneous is not easy then.

In Nanny McPhee you play, like in Bridget Jones Dary, a charming shy person. Rumors go that you are going to play a serial killer in the new Brian de Palma film. Are you happy that you can get rid of this charming though reliable image?
No, I killed so many people in so many films. In Trauma I killed a woman by putting a spider in her mouth. In Master of the Moor I killed lots of women with blonde hair, and so on. It doesn't give me a feeling of relief to play a bad guy. Maybe it is for you to see me as killer, but that doesn't work for me. The audience created that image around me, not me. And by the way it is not sure yet if I do the new Brian de Palma film.

Does it bother you that the image of Mr Darcy is still around you?
I don't try to escape from it nor to confirm it. I take what I can get. And as long as no one tells me: we don't want you to play that part because we think you can only play a shy character in a romantic comedy, I don't feel restricted. I can keep my image at a distance. I mean, nobody at home calls me Mr Darcy. And if I read something about myself I have the feeling that I read about someone else. I know that my work is in front of the camera and I love to tell stories , I like getting good critics, I want the film to be a succes and I want the applause, but then I want to go home.

You were on the big screen a lot, don't you feel like directing a film yourself?
You know, the problem with actors is that they are a bit spoiled by short term contracts. If you take a part you go for it, nothing is more important than the film you are working on. The people you work with are all great and the moment the shooting is over it is heartbreaking. But two weeks later you forgot all about that. Probably because something else comes along .A director works on a film two or three years at least. After twenty years of acting I am used to short term contracts.

To finish this interview, recently the book "Sylvia Millecam op gevoel" came out in which was said that you had a relationship. Did you really had one?
I met Sylvia while we were shooting the film Dutch Girls in 1985. During that period we were very close and I adored her. We kept in touch for a while but not the last 10 to 15 years. When I heard, two years ago, that she had passed away I was very shocked. Sylvia was a delighted person,a walking theatre performance, great.

*********

Nanny McPhee.
In the film Nanny McPhee Firth plays a father of seven naughty children who are desperate in need of a nanny. this is easier said then done as the children got rid of all their nannies. But then Nanny McPhee with her magic stick arrives.

Firth facts:
Firth is born on 10 September 1960 in Hampshire, England.

Had his first son Willy with actress Meg Tilly in 1990.

Married documentary film producer Livia Guiggioli in 1997 and has 2 more sons with her: Luca and Matteo.

Interview: "Firth loves to kid around" by Bruce Kirkland (Toronto Sun)

The fun was mostly non-stop except, of course, for dealing with that damned donkey, a stubborn ass of an animal who refused to do director Kirk Jones' bidding when the humans dressed up a barnyard of animals in people's clothes for a climactic scene of hijinks. "I'm sure Kirk is still having nightmares about the donkey," Firth says with a chuckle.

That Firth is laughing at all today is refreshing. The last time we sat down for an interview -- at the Toronto filmfest in September when Where The Truth Lies made its North American debut -- Firth was staggered with fatigue.

He had flown in from Morocco, where he had been shooting an action-adventure movie. The media that day, including your Sun representative, were all fest-tired, too.

"It makes you realize," Firth says, recalling the Toronto experience, "that almost everything you read about movies is written by strung-out people about strung-out people. Everybody's jetlagged and wired and over caffeinated." He finds that odd and amusing.....more

Interview: "Firth things first" by Fred Topel (The Wave Magazine)

TW: You take a pie to the face like the best of them.
CF: That was fun, but what wasn’t fun was the extraordinary popularity of the job of throwing the pie at the leading actor. I’ve noticed, not just on this film, but on almost every job I’ve ever done, if something humiliating has to happen to me and any assistance is needed, the line of volunteers is huge. Very often, because rank is pulled, it’s the director who actually is the one to throw the porridge, stand next to the camera and make sure that the pie/cake hit.

TW: What does that tell you?
CF: Exactly. You can draw your own conclusions.
I don’t dwell on it......more

Interview: Colin Firth Talks About His Starring Role in the Family Movie, "Nanny McPhee" by Rebecca Murray (About.com)

I mean, I think this is one thing that actually is quite truthful about the film. I think that if you’re ruled by fears, it means you don’t judge clearly the way you handle those fears. Kids don’t just need financial protection, which is what he’s obsessing over. He hasn’t sung for them. He hasn’t read them stories. He hasn’t held them. He hasn’t done all those things that they’re actually coming to believe he doesn’t care for them. It blinded him to that so I think that’s the furthest horizon he can see.

…He’s not only blind to what his children need, he’s got this girl who works for him who clearly adores him and he can’t even see that either. He’s never registered that feeling. Although he does say something which is slightly paradoxical, which means that on some subconscious level he has. It’s when they say, ‘Evangeline doesn’t look anything like her,’ or whatever it is. And he goes, ‘Nonsense, she’s always looked like that.’ It’s as if he’s only just realized he’s always seen her that way. So he’s obviously functioning on some different levels, but I think that in a situation like that, romance is the last thing on his mind....more

Interview: "Nanny McPhee" premieres at L.A. (EiTB - Euskadi)

Archived completely due to unavailability on the internet

Following "Love Actually," "McPhee" marks Firth's second time working with Thompson, who also has an Oscar for her screenwriting ("Sense and Sensibility").

Nanny McPhee premiere stars Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and Angela Lansbury got up early Saturday morning to walk the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of the children's film "Nanny McPhee."

Like Thompson, co-star Colin Firth is best known for arty, adult fare.

"I thought it was time I did something for children," he noted. "I have children. I delight in telling them stories at home. I can see how spellbound children get. I mean, in some ways, they're the audience we most crave. They're the most honest audience you could imagine. A delighted child is going to be so vocal and so open in their response, and it seemed absurd to me that I'd spent almost my entire career working for almost everybody except children. So, it just seemed to be something that needed to be done. I'd do it every time now."

Following "Love Actually," "McPhee" marks Firth's second time working with Thompson, who also has an Oscar for her screenwriting ("Sense and Sensibility").

Firth; "It made me wish I had that list of talents and abilities, really. I have to say that one of her many attributes is that she doesn't wear it that heavy - of a person that is so multi-talented. She's even a musician, for heaven's sake. It gets ridiculous. And that could be very oppressive and very irritating. But what she seems most concerned with is looking after people who are working with her, knowing if there are any problems, and she's an overwhelmingly generous spirit. It sounds like one of those actor gushes, but it happens to be true."

"Nanny McPhee" arrives stateside following substantial box-office success in the U.K., where it's grossed #16 million since its release last October.

As for the U.S. premiere? "I really am excited," Thompson said. "I'm absolutely thrilled because I'm really proud of the film, and it's wonderful to come and have something to talk about that you love and that you're devoted to. But, also, I'm really looking forward to seeing how American kids react."

Interview: "World's sexiest dad?" by Fiona Hudson (Brisbane Courier - Mail)

Archived completely due to unavailability on the internet

Colin Firth is the quintessential romantic lead so why, asks Fiona Hudson, is he appearing in a movie with children.

Staring at an empty seat waiting for Colin Firth, I wonder if this is his idea of a gag, for his latest film, Nanny Mcphee, features a vacant chair that at times threatens to overshadow the talented actor. Am I meant, like in the movie, to converse with the striped upholstery instead of the handsome star?

Before I can pop a question to the plump cushions, heart-throb Firth arrives. Things don’t start well as I recount a colleague’s tale of her recent trip to a London members-only bar where the toilets are marked with “Milk” and “Honey” instead of symbols. Uncertain which to choose, she entered “Honey”, and found Firth behind the door. To her dismay, he apparently made a hasty exit-which seems to be exactly what he’d like to do now. 

I had hoped the story might lead to a playful game of words, with Firth choosing between options such as film or stage, love or fight, an pride or prejudice. My reasoning was that Firth-aka Mr Darcy-is probably sick to death of the standard promotional trail questions about that scene a decade ago when he emerged from a lake in those britches. Except, he doesn’t seem too keen.

Business, I ask, or pleasure?
“Pleasure,” he says, showing none.

Crosswords or sudoku?
“I loathe both,” he almost snarls.

Parliament or pressure group?
“Pressure group, definitely,” he says, warming to the task.

Hugh Grant or Kevin Bacon?
“Depends on what we’re talking about,” he says.

Given he recently filmed sex scenes with Bacon in the edgy film WTTL, there’s plenty I would like to talk about but this is a family newspaper and he’s here to talk about a family movie, so we move on to Nanny Mcphee.

In it, Firth plays the widowed father of seven wild children who finds a women on his doorstep, and she soon gets them all into shape. The actor says he liked working on the film, though he initially doubted he was right for the role. “I’d never done a film for children of this age and I wasn’t sure about it,” he says. “I usually play the fairly complicated characters and I wasn’t sure if I was cut out for the innocence of it. Once I got over myself a bit, and it took a couple of days, I had a great time doing it. I like characters whose good side doesn’t come easily; who resist doing whatever it is they are being called upon to do or to be.”

Perhaps, something akin to his attitude to the promotion treadmill…. Firth was especially attracted to the idea of working with Emma Thompson, who wrote the script as well as playing the title role. “I thought, this is an opportunity to have a very enjoyable time,” he says.

He couldn’t resist creeping on set wearing Nanny Mcphee’s full garb-including a hideously bulbous nose, snaggle tooth and warts. Widely regarded as a dreamboat, Firth says given the chance to erase an unwanted facial feature, as happens in the movie, he wouldn’t bother. “I’m quite happy to let the face go where it goes, really. We can, if we want, evaporate our facial features. Members of my profession go rushing to the surgeon all the time.”

Other actors in the film, including Angela Lansbury and Kelly Macdonald, don’t need surgery-their faces are hidden under colored pies, cakes and other foods during a mass foodfight. “What looks a rollicking good time is a painstaking and drawn-out process. Those things weren’t edible. My children came to the set and saw all these pink and purple buns - I had to tell them not only would you break your teeth if you tried to eat one, you’d be hospitalised if you succeeded.” 

Given Nanny Mcphee is a children’s film, will he take the young ones to see it? “I don’t push myself at them, the little ones are very little. It’s weird to see a parent on the screen and I don’t think I’m going to hasten towards that moment. They’ve seen me in magazines and on buses, but they probably think everyone’s dads are on buses.”

Firth says he was thrilled by the reaction to Nanny Mcphee in Britain, where it doubled expectation at the box office. “Really, the film is just trying to delight all kids,” he explains. “there is something quite uplifting about that. We are actually trying to please children. It’s that simple.”

Thanks to Gumby, Australia

Interview: "Sex on legs! Me?" by John Millar (The Daily Record)

While you can imagine the Firth children one day getting a lot of fun from seeing dad making a fool of himself in the pie fight, Colin is quite content to keep his children distanced from his career.
He said: "I'm not particularly anxious for my youngsters to see my work early on. Until they start to get really curious about it all I will leave it. It's a bit odd watching dad running around in a film....more

Interview: "Film stars leave crowds spellbound" (The Press Association)

Archived completely due to unavailability on the internet 

British film stars Emma Thompson and Colin Firth left crowds spellbound at the premiere of their magical new movie Nanny McPhee.

The actors wowed fans that gathered in Leicester Square in London's West End, performing the now-obligatory walkabout to greet the hundreds outside the cinema.

In the family movie Thompson, 45, plays a warty, severe, black-gowned nanny with magical powers who joins the family of recently widowed Firth and attempts to tame his unruly kids.

The actress who looked stunning in a blue dress by designer Tashia and Jimmy Choo shoes said: "It was liberating having moles for this part. I always find it more strange being glammed up."

Commenting on starring in a movie with a large cast of children and some animals, the actress, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie, joked: "It was really good but working with the donkey was tricky. But the most difficult thing of all was blancmange and porridge - trying to get them to do what you want."

Her co-star Firth famed for his TV role playing Jane Austen's Mr Darcy and parts in the Bridget Jones films described his experience of working with the young cast.
He said: "They do warn you not to work with children. There are risks about it however delightful they are that they're not going to be working along the same wavelength as you," he joked.
Asked how he felt about another actor playing the Mr Darcy in the new movie of Austen's book Pride and Prejudice movie he replied: "I don't own that role. I enjoyed it once in 1995 but if somebody can take it and run off with it, good luck to them."

The movie contains a host of British stars, from veteran actor Derek Jacobi, stars from Gosford Park and Gladiator to character actresses Celia Imrie and Imelda Staunton, who played the lead character in Mike Leigh's film Vera Drake.

Firth was well liked by his co-stars with Staunton making the wry comment: "I've known Colin a long time, we have a lot of fun. But he's got too much talent for my liking."