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  • 2 years ago
Joel Edgerton plays a coach Al Ulbrickson in George Clooney's The Boys In The Boat, so he didn't have to get on the water himself, but he tells Melissa Nathoo that it didn't stop the crew from making bets about when he'd fall in. Report by Nathoom. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Transcript
00:00 Gorgon, Callum said that every other room isn't as fun, so I just want you to prove
00:04 them wrong.
00:05 They're right, I'm not fun.
00:07 Don't believe that for a second. You're not fun in this film though, quite serious in
00:12 this one. As an actor, what is the best thing about playing a role like this, other than
00:17 probably you didn't have to get in the water?
00:19 I just loved, you know, when I read the script, there was a couple of references to the fact
00:23 that Ulrichsen doesn't smile, doesn't seem like a joyful person, and I was like, they're
00:30 the coaches that I watched when I watched football or other sports, basketball when
00:34 I was a teenager, who just look like they're having the worst time and they'd rather be
00:39 anywhere else but where they are. But it's a clue to the fact of how much they care about
00:44 the sport, that they're driving themselves towards an early heart attack. You know, they
00:49 just seem like kind of on edge all the time. So I love the idea that that could be Ulrichsen,
00:56 that there is a warmth that comes through. Same with fathers and sons, it's like, sometimes
01:01 you wonder why there's a kind of a wall with fathers and then warmth is right under the
01:09 surface.
01:10 I think you did bring a warmth to him though, because every scene that you were in was just
01:15 amazing to watch.
01:16 Thank you.
01:17 It was just amazing to watch. Did you give the rowing a go at any point though?
01:20 Yeah, but I had to do single sculling, which I like to think is harder, only because the
01:26 balance of a single scull in the older boats was tough. And I found out that all the rowing
01:34 crew who were training us, they had a secret bet going on about not if I would fall out
01:41 of the boat, but when I would fall out of the boat. Like how long it would take me,
01:46 on which session, and I never fell. I don't think I ever became like a, you know, I was
01:52 never going to podium at the Olympics, that's for sure. But I never fell out of the boat.
01:57 Oh, good going. Because I was going to ask if you end up in the water at any point. I
02:01 feel like when there's a whole bunch of boys around water, inevitably someone's going to
02:05 get thrown in.
02:06 Everyone else really loves the, what do you call it, is it schadenfreude? Someone falls
02:11 in the boat. This is part of the reason I never fell off, because it's like, they're
02:15 all going to enjoy this too much.
02:19 I just met George for the first time.
02:21 Yeah, are you okay?
02:22 I'm okay. I keep checking. He has to be though, one of the most charismatic men I've ever
02:29 worked with, worked with, interviewed. You though, having worked with him.
02:34 I thought you were going to say, but now I've met you.
02:36 Well, also that.
02:37 Yeah, anyway, sorry, carry on. He's very charming, you're right.
02:42 Is he still like that when he's directing, or is he a lot more serious?
02:46 He's always like that. I find George is always charming. He's always got a good story to
02:50 tell you. He's a real raconteur. He's enjoyable to be around, you know. I'm sure if you interview
02:57 Grant Hesloff, who's the producer, who's been friends with George for a gazillion years,
03:04 there's a reason why they're still friends. He's good value.
03:10 And I know this is one of the hardest things that those boys in the boat have had to put
03:14 themselves through. For you, what is the hardest thing that you've ever had to put your body
03:17 through?
03:18 Warrior, without a doubt. And because I'd been through that, that was like 12 years
03:23 ago. Tom Hardy and I did Warrior and trained for a good three months before we even started
03:27 shooting. And that was by far and always will be the toughest physical situation I've ever
03:33 had to put myself through for work. Loved the experience. So when I was watching Callum
03:40 and the guys do their training, I was really inspired by how much hard work that they were
03:47 rolling their sleeves up and doing it, turning up on time, getting it done, putting in the
03:51 hours. And I was always just curious as to, through all the pain, that there's an equal
04:00 balance of pleasure that you get from it as well.
04:03 Well, you didn't have to step in a boat to make an impact. You did a great job as the
04:06 coach. And so you're fun.
04:08 I am!
04:09 You are fun. Thank you so much.
04:10 I don't want to deny how fun, but...
04:11 (laughing)
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