Richard E. Grant on Getting Starstruck and SpiceWorld Sequel

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Richard E. Grant talks to Melissa Nathoo about new film Nuremberg, getting starstruck and the possibility of a Spice World sequel. Report by Nathoom. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

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00:00I love the Spice Girls. I'm still friends with all of them and see them.

00:03Oh, I work with Julia Roberts. Oh, I work with Sophia Loren.

00:06I've been starstruck my entire life. I'm very glad to be alive.

00:09It's lovely to see you, Richard. Thank you very much.

00:11I did think when I was looking at this cast and how serious a film it is,

00:16are you the biggest joker on this set?

00:18Because I've interviewed you before and I know what you're like

00:21and I feel like you're the one who's bringing the light relief in those darker moments.

00:25Well, you have to. I'm also the oldest person on every job now.

00:28So this is one film I've done that's coming out this year that I don't die in

00:32because I've died on six other ones that I'm very glad to be alive each time.

00:37So you have to, you know, lighten it up.

00:39Absolutely. I'm glad that we've got you for that.

00:41But it is a serious story and it is an important one as well.

00:46What would you say, like, what makes it such an important film?

00:50Because it's all told from the point of view of a military psychiatrist called Kelly,

00:55played by Rami Malek, spending all this time in a prison cell with Goering, played by Russell Crowe.

01:03You go into the story from a personal point of view and you see this weird friendship

01:08that develops between these two men, each with a different agenda.

01:12But it humanizes everything, even though he's a narcissistic psychopath.

01:17You understand maybe how people have thought, well, Goering was actually charming

01:22and he had a beautiful wife and daughter and he had a family like lots of people do.

01:26But when Kelly is initially going into that room to meet Goering for the first time,

01:31I know he said he was intimidated by, like, that first meeting.

01:37And I was curious for you whether in your career, listen, I don't imagine now,

01:42but has there ever been anyone who you've been intimidated to meet for the first time?

01:46I've been starstruck my entire life because I grew up in a tiny country

01:49where there was no movies, no show business, no television.

01:51So every time I meet people, and especially the cast of this film,

01:57you know, meeting Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon and all these people,

02:00I'm, you know, gobsmacked, wide-eyed in Babylon.

02:03Yeah, that has never changed.

02:05And I think that you're either like that or not.

02:06And I remember I was on a chat show 30 years ago

02:11and I was great friends with Carrie Fisher from Star Wars.

02:14And she'd seen me on the show because she was filming in London at the time

02:17and she said, I saw you, you were really embarrassing on that

02:21because you were like, oh, I worked with Julia Roberts.

02:23Oh, I worked with Sophia Loren.

02:24And she said, you're no longer a tourist.

02:31You're one of the attractions.

02:33People get starstruck to meet you.

02:34And I said, I can't see it that way around.

02:36She said, well, get over yourself because that is the reality.

02:40But, you know, I'm six, eight and a half now

02:41and I still don't feel any different about that.

02:44I'm still starstruck by people

02:46because I think there's nothing more exciting

02:50than this invisible thing that people have,

02:52which is called talent.

02:53And you have that in bundles.

02:54Oh, thank you.

02:55It sounds like I was sort of setting myself up for you

02:57to harpoon a compliment.

02:58I didn't mean it.

02:59No, no, you have though.

03:00But I hope that you're okay.

03:01Also, I know you make these great films

03:03and films like this, which are serious,

03:05but there is a generation of us

03:06who will always love you for Spice World.

03:08And I hope that that's okay,

03:10that that's part of your legacy.

03:12Thank you very much.

03:13I love the Spice Girls.

03:15I'm still friends with all of them and see them.

03:17And we wait for Spice World 2 with eager anticipation.

03:21I think that now we have Lady Victoria back

03:23and I don't think that's going to be possible.

03:25No, let's not kill the dream.

03:26Let's not kill the dream.

03:27And Meatloaf is no longer with us.

03:28So, you know, it's not going to be possible.

03:30We live in hope.

03:31We live in hope.

03:32Thanks very much.

03:32Good luck with this film.

03:33Lovely to see you.

03:34Okay, bye.

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