Transcript: James Frain Interview - Tron Legacy and The Tudors

James Frain – Tron Legacy and The Tudors

by Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the 2009 British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles TV Tea Party.



Was that as much fun to work on as it seems like it would have been, with that cast of The Tudors?
James Frain: "Well, yeah, I loved it because even though you're working in a fur coat indoors, it's really good writing. We all got on real well and they've got good directors. It was a really good experience."

But now it's all done, right, for you at least?
James Frain: "For me, they chopped my head off. That has a way of being final. But they have just shot another season which I feel very ambivalent about. But I'm in touch with them. I've kept in touch with the people who are still working on it, because I can't let it go quite."

And it took them a while to chop your head off.
James Frain: "It did. It did. Yeah, I was still hoping to get up and carry on till the very last."

But it is based on true history so it would have been kind of weird.
James Frain: "They did cut Cromwell's head off that way. And in fact the last speech that they gave me to say I kind of talked to the writer about. 'This is a lot of words. Is there anything…' He said, 'These are Cromwell's exact words.' So I was like, 'Can't really argue that one.'"

What keeps you busy now?

James Frain: "I just finished shooting Tron 2 for Disney."

Tron Legacy?
James Frain: "Tron Legacy they call it. Are they going with that name? I don't know."

That's what they put up in lights.
James Frain: "Got it. That's what I'm in."

What are you doing in that?
James Frain: "I'm playing the Jeff Bridges character's sort of right-hand man, I guess, inside computerland."

It's just amazing to me that they're bringing that storyline back after all these years. Were you familiar with Tron?
James Frain: "Sure. Yeah, but this one is really good."

Are you saying the first one was not really good?
James Frain: "The first one was of its time and everyone loves it. It's iconic. But what people are anxious about is that if you remake a film like that or you take on a film like that it's not going to be as good as the original. And they've got nothing to worry about. They've got a really good script. I think it's going to kick ass, yeah."

So the script is good? It's not going to be just the effects? This is a character-driven story?
James Frain: "Yeah, absolutely. The 3D is incredible, I'm sure. For us, it's running around in suits in front of a blue screen. But, you know, it's a story-driven, character-driven film so that's… I think when it all comes together it's going to be something else. "




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