Video:Russell Brand and Djimon Hounsou The Tempest Interviews

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Transcript:Russell Brand and Djimon Hounsou The Tempest Interviews

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the LA Premiere of Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films' The Tempest.

Russell Brand - 'Trinculo' in The Tempest

What sparked your interest in the project?

Russell Brand: "There's a brilliant director and I've got Alfred Molina in the film who's a proper good actor, and acting teacher, so you're surrounded. The people who are around you raises your game. You can't be in a film with Helen Mirren and act badly. It just wouldn't happen. They would kick you out."

And you were allowed to improvise in this film?

Russell Brand: "They let me improvise a little bit because Julie [Taymor] is a very innovative director and she also believes, correctly - in my view, that in the Shakespearean times the comedic parts would have had latitude for improvisation because then they could say stuff to the audience and say things that were current, like comedy these days."

What do you think it is about The Tempest that connects with audiences now?

Russell Brand: "Because the themes explored in The Tempest - nature vs nurture, education vs innate knowledge - are continuing, perpetually important and powerful. Look at the ecological disasters facing the world right now. We need to reconnect with feminine power, with the potency of the earth. We need to once again respect the power of nature and also respect that we are part of nature, that it's not something we can exist in adversity to or in opposition to. That we have to be harmonious with it or we will be destroyed along with it. Gaia theory, James Lovelock. Have a look at that on the internet."

And will get all of that out of this movie?

Russell Brand: "Oh yeah, yeah. That's all in the movie, baby. It's all there."

Djimon Hounsou - 'Caliban' in The Tempest

I hear you had to go through four hours of makeup every day. What do you do when you're in the chair? How do you get yourself prepared mentally?

Djimon Hounsou: "Well it would have been better if I was in a chair. You have to do it standing. There's no other way around it. You have to do it standing so you can apply the prosthetics. If you're standing, once you do it then you can't sit down either."

Does that help you by actually physically transforming into the character?

Djimon Hounsou: "It does. That's the plus. That's the advantage of doing it like that where you really embody the character."

Does it change even the way you walk?

Djimon Hounsou: "Yeah. I mean that needed to work. I had to find Caliban and so it was work."

You weren't familiar with the play before the movie. What did you learn about it that you think is going to connect with audiences now?

Djimon Hounsou: "I learned the lack of fear that I have now of Shakespeare, of his work, and also the wealth of the verb that I acquired learning this piece. It's just beautiful."

This is your first Shakespearean experience.

Djimon Hounsou: "She's my first experience and it was terrible, and I just didn't want to repeat it again."

So no more Shakespeare in the future?

Djimon Hounsou: "Well, no, after this one, yes. I'm definitely up to the challenge and ready to take it on."

What about those rumors of a Marvel Blank Panther series and you're going to do the film?

Djimon Hounsou: "I hear about that. I hear about that but I don't know anything about it yet. I was away for three months. I just got back about a week ago."

It's time for the film version though, right?

Djimon Hounsou: "Oh absolutely, absolutely. I mean we've had all kinds of superheroes. I mean, come on, please. It's time. Whether it's me or somebody else, it doesn't really matter."

More on The Tempest:

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The Tempest Trailer, Clips, Poster, Interviews and Cast List