Since childhood, Oliver Stone's been obsessed with Alexander the Great and Greek mythology. Stone recalls, "I had frustrated student fantasies of going back in time with documentary cameras and a small crew to actually film Alexander's military campaigns. 32 years later, I finally had one chance to go back in time and actually recreate the period as best I could."
Oliver Stone believes the beauty of Alexander lies in the fact he never lost a battle and he was a generous man with a remarkable spirit. To capture a man who is larger than life, Stone needed an actor with that same type of personality and with considerable acting talent. He found his Alexander in Irish-born Colin Farrell. "Like Alexander, Colin has the spirit of a rebel and the confidence of a warrior and a leader. He became Alexander on many levels - he led the actors as a group, he built himself up physically, mastered the horse and the sword, and fought like a lion to give his best. I often offered to replace him with a stuntman, both on horse and foot, but he truly wanted to hang in there himself and do as many of his own stunts as possible. As crazy as he might be sometimes, he is one of nature's nobleman. It's an honor to have met him at such a moment in his life," says Stone.
Showing up early at the World Premiere of "Alexander" and charming fans and the media alike, Colin Farrell spoke enthusiastically (and without his normal amount of expletives) about taking on the demanding role of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's epic "Alexander:"
INTERVIEW WITH COLIN FARRELL:
How challenging was playing the lead in a film of this scale?
It was fairly challenging; it was a blast. It was a lot of work. It was a lot of physical work. Oliver wanted all the actors to be in the peek physical condition that they could be in. He made sure we all had certain pieces of literature to read so that we could draw from the time and get a sense of the time and the social situation, the economic situation, and the world views. There was a lot to draw from.
What was your impression of Oliver Stone?
He’s brilliant. He’s brilliant, he’s tough, he’s honest. He pushes you. He doesn’t worry about stepping on your toes and hopes that you don’t worry about stepping on his. He’s very open – and very inspiring.
Did you feel any pressure in portraying Alexander a certain way?
Not a certain way. I just felt the pressure just to try and find him, whatever he was. I mean, I still don’t know. I still have a lot of questions about that time, particularly pertaining obviously to the character of Alexander. But the pressure was the same pressure you always put yourself under, which is a personal pressure. I didn’t feel the pressure of being in a big film or trying to fill these shoes. It was just a very personal thing.
How do you feel about the re-editing of the - as it's being labeled - gay sex scene?
There was nothing really re-edited, man. The film that you see is the film that was originally intended.
What did you find the most intriguing about playing Alexander the Great?
Just his hunger and his kind of desperate obsession with destiny. His striving to find what destiny meant and was it pre-ordained or was it your own making. He had grand ideas and grand questions. I don’t know what the answers are, but it was a good time trying to find them.
The supporting cast have all said you were very generous with them. Some even said you personally flew them here to the premiere...
[Shrugging that off] It’s the boys. They’re the boys; they’re the Generals. They’re the Macedonian Army.
ADDITIONAL "ALEXANDER" INTERVIEWS:
Interviews with Angelina Jolie / Neil Jackson / Gary Stretch / Erol Sander
