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16 June 2000
From Kevin P. Stephens kevinsp@osu-com.okstate.edu
Q: What kind of accent you use to portray Magneto?
A: Magneto's family is imprisoned in a Polish concentration camp
by the Nazis. Since then he has travelled much and become an international
citizen of the world. Bryan Singer therefore decided that my own British
"received speech" flavoured with a slight American accent would
be appropriate.
From Mari bels4u@prodigy.net
Q: Could you give a round figure for what the
budget was.
A: The announced shooting budget of US$75M does not include the
undeclared (but considerable) sums to spent on advertising etc. by the
distributing companies worldwide.
Q: I can always remember the specific time during preparatory work when
a character reaches out and grabs my attention by the throat. With
Magneto, when did this happen for you, if it did?
A: I agree about that defining moment when the character imposes
himself - in the case of Magneto it was when I was being fitted for the
costume and caught sight of his power and ambition as I strutted in front
of the mirror.
From Afterburner aburner@rcn.com
Q: Did you, by chance, ever talk to Chris Claremont, the man most
single-handedly responsible for turning the X-Men from a 3rd-rate comic to
Marvel's most popular comic franchise?
A: I admire Chris Claremont but haven't met him. But then I've never met
Shakespeare or Tolkien.
Q: Obviously there's no real-life equivalent to being able to control
the powers of magnetism by sheer force of will. How do you, as an
actor, go about portraying these fantastic aspects of the character in a
way that can seem "real" to the audience?
A: Tucked away in the middle of the teaser trailer for
"X-Men" is a splendid example of Magneto's mutant capabilities.
With Toad and Sabretooth on either side, he stands, helmetted, ready for
action. A warning challenge rings out and the master of magnetism responds
with violence. As he raises his arms in front of him, the police vehicles
which threaten him are lifted clear of the ground. As he lowers them, so
they fall.
This sort of effect is not at all in the actor's control.
Shooting in Hamilton, Ontario last October, it involved slender cables
suspending the cars from two gigantic offscreen cranes. Ray Park, Tyler
Mane and I were happy to be well out of range on the steps of the railroad
station. For many an hour the effect was organised. It was in two parts:
the raising and the dropping. All I had to do was arm movements in accord
with the cranes.
Q: Will there be any reference to Israel in the X-Men movie? As I
understand it some very important part of the Magneto-Xavier relations
took place in Israel, I believe their first meeting too.
A: There is no direct reference to the meeting in Israel between
Magneto and Xavier.
Reading "X-Men the Movie Prequel" comic
Los Angeles, June 2000
Photo by Keith Stern
Press
Q: I don't know if your break from "Lord
of The Rings" will allow you to do the X-junket as it's been
shifted to LA.
A: The junket - a round of meetings with the media - is an
exhausting process. Publicity representatives for the movie steer the cast
one-by-one before the television cameras and groups of print journalists.
In a couple of days, the actors might do nearly a hundred interviews,
answering very similar questions ad infinitum.
While the rest of the "X-Men" do their stuff in Los
Angeles over the 24-26 June week-end, I shall be involved with "Lord
of the Rings" across the world. But I am planning to be in New York for the official opening on 12 July. There I shall be free to do some
national press interviews before a brief hiatus in London where I live.
In the meantime I expect some lively media folk may discover and
plunder Magneto's Lair and
these "X-Men" E-posts. If so, remember you
read it here first!
[Webmaster's note: The LA media junkets have been moved to NYC and will
take place in July, making it easier for the actors to participate.]
Plot
Q: Is the movie based on the comics or just a complete different
storyline of its own?
A: The story of the movie is original but refers to the basic
plotline of the comics.
To Kill or Not to Kill
Q: Will the X-men kill somebody (like comics) or this is a non-kill
movie?
A: Magneto is prepared to kill to achieve his ends. His
destructive powers are potentially lethal. How far he goes in the movie
you will have to wait and see.
Success
Q: How well do you think the X-Men movie will do?
A: "X-Men" has every chance of doing very well indeed.
It is a summer movie with no other strong competitor sharing its opening
weekend. The anticipation of fans of the comic, encouraged by the
marketing of action figures and other images of the characters, should
ensure full audiences for the first screenings.
As I haven't yet seen the completed film, which Bryan Singer will
"lock off" in its final version this week, I can do no more than
wait and hope along with all the others who wish "X-Men" a huge
success onscreen.
Ian McKellen and Magneto
Los Angeles
June 2000
Photo by Keith Stern
Magneto's Age
From IK madureira@mixmail.com
Q: Don´t you think you´re a bit old for the role? Magneto in the comics is a young person and you are 60 years
old.
A: The movie takes place in the present day. Magneto as a child was imprisoned in a nazi concentration camp. So he is
about my age.
Q: A lot of my friends have said that a someone in their 60's playing
Magneto was silly, but in the comic book Magneto is in his 60's.
A: If I had any doubts about playing Magneto, they didn't concern
his age. He is a Holocaust survivor and at 61, I am roughly his age.
Indeed his advancing years are built into the plot. Perhaps your friends
are remembering the comic stories, some of which flashback to Magneto as a
younger man.
Costume Colour
Q: In various picture of the costume you wear in the movie I noticed
the color seems to change ? Can you please verify the color of the
costume?
A: Magneto wears a number of different outfits in the movie. We
first see him in regular street clothes, which are dark in colour. In his
Lair, he favours dark pants with hints of purple. His fighting uniform is
grey and purple again - by now you will have seen his helmet in deep-red.
In the last scene of the film, Magneto wears a outfit altogether
contrasting in style and colour.
Sequel
Q: I have read that you have agreed to do a sequel if there ever is
one. Would you be offended if they made a sequel but decided to feature
another villain and not ask you to come back?
A: Dammit yes, I would be offended. But maybe I could play the
replacement villain as well . . . .
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