Old But Interesting Interview.....

things can go wrong, go right when you don't expect it and you have to be able to improvise, which doesn't seem to be one Ioan's fortes either, Apart from learning to lean on his body language and his voice as well as his face expressions, I guess some stage work could only do him good in the improvisation sector, too... In the end, you have to be able to improvise on the stage, but you have co-workers and a script you can rely on to help you out of situations that turned out different from what you expected.

At the age Ioan is right now, there are still so many avenues his career could take, if carefully thought out. He may decide to direct,produce, try writing,and even accept some meaty Broadway/British stage role some day. Experiences, personal circumstances and just plain changes in personal tastes, as we grow older, have a lot to do with what occurs in our lives. What he does now may not be at all appealing ten or fifteen years up the road.

Shipmate - I think most of the older members can at-*test*-('") to the changes that can happen over the the next ten to fifteen years. Sylviane - I think you're right in saying improvising is not his thing. In fact, I think it was in the AG commentary that he mentioned how much he appreciates rehearsal, so that he knows what he is going to do in a scene. After posting the last time, I thought a bit more about mannerisms that we start to notice. I think this can happen with most actors. We just tend to notice more with Ioan because we are watching so closely and he does gesticulate more frequently than some actors. But all actors even Robert De Niro or Meryl Streep have mannerisms that show up frequently unless they have a director who makes sure they don't get away with them.

Sylviane - I think you're right in saying improvising is not his thing. In fact, I think it was in the AG commentary that he mentioned how much he appreciates rehearsal, so that he knows what he is going to do in a scene. Like I said, I did mean to be sarcastic about his improv talents. I knew there was reason why I had that impression of him. So it was AG in which he said that, I thought it had to do with maybe FF (but that may have been more related to the 'accent' thing.)

Sylviane - I think you're right in saying improvising is not his thing. In fact, I think it was in the AG commentary that he mentioned how much he appreciates rehearsal, so that he knows what he is going to do in a scene. Well, I guess stage actors appreciate rehearsal as much as screen actors, if not more, given that there are not do-overs for stage actors: once the curtain rises, they have to get to the end of the show no matter what. Being able to cope with the unexpected doesn't mean totally relying on your and your colleagues' improvising talent. After posting the last time, I thought a bit more about mannerisms that we start to notice. I think this can happen with most actors. We just tend to notice more with Ioan because we are watching so closely and he does gesticulate more frequently than some actors. But all actors even Robert De Niro or Meryl Streep have mannerisms that show up frequently unless they have a director who makes sure they don't get away with them. Yes, many actors have mannerisms that I think can help them get roles sometimes. I remember an interview with Al Pacino where he told that during the filming of one of his movies (I can't recall which, sorry) the director realized that he was 'straying' from his usual acting and told him "Do Al Pacino!"

I find improvisation scary at times, though I'm getting better since doing it more frequently. The key for me is to stop worrying whether or not what I choose to do is the right choice. Just to listen and respond, practice does seem to make it easier.

Actually, improvisation makes me nervous at times, but I'm getting better at it, too. Anyway, I think that I'd be worried if I came to a point where I'm not in the least nervous in front of the unexpected and the need to improvise because it could be a sign of an excessive self-confidence likely to lead to mistakes.

I find improvisation scary at times, though I'm getting better since doing it more frequently. I spent thirteen years in Drama-in-Education, working with youth groups, in schools, on stage and running a Youth Theatre, when I graduated from drama school. With kids, you simply have to be able to improvise as they think of things you wouldn't in a million years. The reason I took this route rather than straight acting was the interaction with the youngsters, helping them with issues and topics, getting in amongst them. Unfortunately, the burn outrate in community arts is high and mine came when I had two babies. Although I changed careers, my nursing is still a way for me to work with children,learning how they tick and helping them understand things. The skills I learnt as a drama worker have stood me in great stead. I am never nervous of taking teaching sessions or making presentations! Impro is a skill you never lose (or sometimes never gain :wink: )

Thirteen years working with kids and theater! Wow, it's surprising you didn't burn out well before that. You must have incredible stamina and had a great influence on many children. Improv is definitely a beneficial skill in other life areas. Great confidence builder for kids, too. And usually things that are a wee bit scary, stretch us the most.

I am sure that 80% of you already read this. For those who haven't... July 2004: say hello to LanceAHot! (Or welcome to LashALot?) TeenHollywood.com - Ioan Gruffudd: Sir Lancelot the Hot! Jul 6, 2004 - Lynn Barker Okay, the Titanic just sank and you're Kate Winslet in the ocean about to freeze to death and you keep blowing that darn whistle and finally, a handsome, heroic ship's officer floats by in a lifeboat, and rescues you! That "officer" is very cute, dark-haired Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced "Yo-wan Griffiths"). At age 11, little Ioan got the acting bug and co-stared in a Welsh soap opera. At 18, he attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in more Brit TV. He became mega-popular when audiences started asking, 'hey, who is that really hot-looking dude saving Kate W. from certain soggy death'? It wasn't until the BBC series "Horatio Hornblower", about another sea-going hottie, that Ioan hit the bigtime in the U.K. resulting in women putting his poster up on their bedroom walls. After a few more series and feature films, Ioan was chosen to play a very different version of Sir Lancelot in the new Jerry-Bruckheimer produced re-imagining of the tale of the Round Table knights, King Arthur, in which he co-stars with hot Keira Knightley and the guy they keep saying should play James Bond...Clive Owen. We sat down with Ioan in Beverly Hills recently and whoa, is he charming... he can be our knight in shining armor (or leather) anytime! Tune in... http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=1 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=2 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=3 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=4 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=5 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=6 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=7 http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=72945&p=8

I can recall reading this interview when KA came out, but it is a very good one and it was nice to re-read it. Thanks for sharing, Annee.

It's always kind of fun to read a question and answer format. Thanks, Annee for pulling that one up again.

Credit goes to Kat. It's not new, but I enjoyed it and I loved the pic. Ioan Gruffudd: The Hollywood Interview By Terry Keefe and Alex Simon(Terry Keefe and Alex Simon) Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of Venice Magazine. Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced YO-an GRIFF-ith) was born in Cardiff, Wales October 6, 1973, the firstborn of three children to school teachers. At 18 he enrolled at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and upon graduation, began working almost immediately in the United Kingdom. It was his title role in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries, Horatio Hornblower, that earned him international acclaim with both fans and critics, on both sides of the pond. It was his title role in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries, Horatio Hornblower, that earned him international acclaim with both fans and critics, on both sides of the pond. http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/02/welsh-actor-ioan-gruffudd.html The Hollywood Interview - http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/

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