There’s no denying that films are a significant part of our lives. They make us think, reflect, feel, and resonate like no other form of art. Through film, we can create new realities in our minds far from our everyday lives and perhaps get a glimpse of the realities of others. In this episode, award-winning English actor David Thewlis joins us to talk about his new film Eternal Beauty.
Eternal Beauty shows a beautiful, comical, and touching portrayal of mental health and relationships. David Thewlis shares his thoughts on art as power and as a driver of change. He also delves into putting your trust in the process of filmmaking and immersing in a role. Finally, he discusses his poetry and his new novel, Shooting Martha.
If you’re interested to learn more about Eternal Beauty, this episode is for you!
3 reasons why you should listen to the full episode with David Thewlis on Eternal Beauty:
Get a sneak peek at the difficult, delightful, and rewarding film, Eternal Beauty.
Find out why art is power.
Discover the trust that goes in the process of acting and filmmaking.
Resources
Get to know more about David’s podcasting, writing, and public speaking invitations on his website.
Grab a copy of David Peck’s book Real Change Is Incremental
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Face2Face Episode 524: Michelle Latimer - Power, Privilege & Monolithic Ideas
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Shooting Martha by David Thewlis
The Late Hector Kipling by David Thewlis
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
Episode Highlights
[06:22] Taking the role for Eternal Beauty
David remembers exactly why he took his role in Eternal Beauty.
Eternal Beauty is beautiful, funny, touching, and strange story was stuck in his heart and mind.
He has always wanted to play a rock star.
The instrument his Eternal Beauty character had on all the time was a small guitar, not a ukulele. It was David’s idea to write “this machine kills fascists” on it.
[08:40] Art is Power
David Thewlis: “Music is one of the great forces in this world. I think art, in general, obviously.” - Click Here to Tweet This
The power of art has become more apparent during this period. More people are turning to art or music as a savior.
David’s guitar playing skills have improved significantly since Eternal Beauty.
More people are realizing the importance of artists.
[10:37] David on Doing Blockbuster Films vs. Doing Film as an Art
David sees Eternal Beauty in the perspective of art and poetry instead of a blockbuster.
Eternal Beauty and Craig as its director captured his heart.
Doing small films made for love like Eternal Beauty sometimes brings more joy than big films.
David Thewlis: “There are films that were really made for the love because they were a bit like, especially in this film, doing theater and education again and getting changed in toilets and just walking to work and just doing what you can, and it was — actually those things are sometimes a lot nicer. Some of these big films can be so impersonal; they're not as enjoyable." - Click Here to Tweet This
[12:47] The Harry Potter Films
The last Harry Potter films established that it was going to be historical.
David enjoyed being part of the franchise because of the people he worked with.
It’s a priceless experience to spend most of your days with Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, and Julie Walters.
[14:07] Trusting the Filmmaking Process
He knew and trusted Craig’s sensibilities from seeing his other films.
He also did the Eternal Beauty for the opportunity to work with Sally Hawkins.
It is very powerful to work with someone who’s really there and immersed in their character in Eternal Beauty.
When two actors fully immerse themselves in their characters, everything else disappears. They become two different people during the take in Eternal Beauty.
[16:19] Love, Mental Health, Hope, and Healing
The love portrayed in Eternal Beauty is similar to teen romance. It is beautifully innocent.
There was a lot of laughter and affection on the Eternal Beauty set.
Eternal Beauty delves into schizophrenia, and David was worried initially that people would think they were making light of the disorder. However, it isn’t the case since it was from Craig’s own life experience.
Eternal Beauty incorporates funny, bleak, and wrenching moments.
One of the great strengths of the film is the end. David that the ending was perfect and beautiful.
David Thewlis: “I think this finish is so perfectly on the nose, which is very important, because you've got the cinema thinking you've really witnessed something special.” - Click Here to Tweet This
[20:41] Reading Film Reviews
David doesn’t always read reviews on the film he has done.
He read the reviews for Eternal Beauty and I’m Thinking of Ending Things. He wanted them to be good for the two directors.
He knows the films were done well, so he can read the reviews.
[22:27] On Poetry
David likes scripts that contain poetry and stylized dialogues.
For David, writing poetry is like pulling a worm out of his head.
He started writing poetry when he was about 14 or 15 because his home life turned unhappier.
His 15-year-old daughter has just started writing songs and poetry.
David has just finished writing his second novel, Shooting Martha.
About David Thewlis
David Thewlis is an award-winning English actor, director, author, and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 30 years, David has worked in several notable films and TV series. He rose to prominence after starring in Naked (1993), where he bagged Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival.
David is known for his roles as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise and Ares in Wonder Woman (2017). He also voiced Shame Wizard in the animated sitcom Big Mouth. In 2017, he played V.M. Varga in the third installment of the critically-acclaimed series Fargo. His portrayal of the character earned him nominations on Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics' Choice Award.
David recently starred in the film Eternal Beauty opposite Sally Hawkins. The film touches on mental health issues, life, romance, and comedy.
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