TV Week magazine

Aug. 8 - 14, 1998

WILL HOLLYWOOD DO JUSTICE TO THE AVENGERS?
Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman Bring a New Look to an Old TV Favorite
by Jenny Peters

The 1960s television series was witty, campy and quirky and had an immensely devoted following on both sides of the pond. Wisely, the producers of the big-screen version, coming to a theatre near you this week, vowed not to mess with the look and feel -- the very "Britishness" -- of the series, other than to perhaps make it darker, edgier and more whimsical, with much more action, courtesy of 90s special effects. The two stars, or, avengers, if you will, Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman, talk about their experiences in remaking the cult favortie, which pits Emma Peel and John Steed against the villainous Sir August de Wynter, played by Sean Connery, who plans to rule the world by controlling the weather. Hot enough for you?

RALPH FIENNES

Q: You went from playing a deeply complex character in Oscar & Lucinda to John Steed, who seems very up and down. Was that difficult?
A: Actually, in a funny way, it's a relief to go to someone like John Steed. He can handle anything; nothing is too much for John Steed. The only time he's deeply angry is when someone punctures his bowler had with a dart. That makes him very cross.

Q: What did you bring to the character?
A: I felt a slight trepidation really, because Patrick Macnee created Steed. My take was that Steed was the sort of perennial English gentleman, or the English gentleman from any time in this century. He's sort of ageless, whereas Emma Peel is really modern, out there, in charge of herself. Everything is ultramodern in her flat. I have a line in the film that says, 'Tradition is all we have, Mrs. Peel.' And I think he is a traditionalist. In the film, as in the old TV series, there's a play between her independence and femininity and her sexuality, and his very dressed-up containment and precision. It's in that sexual tension that their partnership works.

Q: Does making movies like The Avengers and Strange Days allow you to do movies like Oscar & Lucinda? You wouldn't get paid the same, I imagine.
A: No, certainly not. I think it's great to do movies that pay you more. I still would like to do those films. I loved making Strange Days and Avengers. And I did them because I wanted the experience to be challenging and really enjoyable. In both cases, they were. But definitely, it certainly helps if you make the films that pay you a bit more and then go and do the ones that pay you less.

Q: After Schindler's List came out, were you inundated with scripts?
A: Yes, I was being offered all kinds of stuff. It's a very odd time, because people come and they seduce you. They want you to be in their movies and they tell you how wonderful you are. And you have to listen carefully [to make] the right choice. and a lot of bull comes your way about what you can do. I think you have to think, 'Can I really do that? Is this really what I should be doing?' It's a wonderful time and it's a time that I guess a lot of actors dream will happen. But it's a scary time because usually you're waiting for someone to say, 'Please do this,' [then you reacha a stage where] you can say, 'No, I don't think so.' It's a whole different shift. As an actor, you're not trained for that. Everyone tells you that you'll spend 75 per cent of your life out of work. They'll say, 'Only a few people ever make it.' And they're right. So when you are in this position of having a break in a work like Schindler's List, your whole life is interrupted.

Q: Did you expect the reation to that movie?
A: No, but I think everyone involved in Schindler's List knew that the way Steven [Spielberg] was filming was extraordinary. And there was a great sense of cohesion between the actors and the crew about what he was doing. No one would have wanted to be complacent, but I think we felt there was a kind of energy and truthfulness that was permeating everyone's behavior. It made it seem very special. I think people were starting to feel, that it would be a ground-breaking film for Steven.

Q: How has fame affected you on a personal level?
A: Well, I feel it's a sort of double-edged sword. The feeling of being successful is great and people [tell you] they like your work. There's a great plus side to it. But I think it can distort your approach to everyday life. People want you to become public property. I think that's very dangerous.