Dressed for success
By Andy Dougan
In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Ioan stars as Reed Richards opposite screen beauty Jessica Alba
The surprising thing about Ioan Gruffudd is finding him neatly-dressed in a very smart designer suit. On screen at least he seems never to be out of costume.
He made his name as Hornblower, he wore a frock coat again with distinction in Amazing Grace earlier this year, and from tomorrow he is back in his superhero suit for the new Fantastic Four film.
But here he is, sipping tea in a London hotel, dressed in a dark blue pinstripe suit with a blue silk shirt and matching tie and looking every inch the successful young merchant banker.
He has complained, however mildly, in the past about the costumes - the Hornblower shoes make running difficult, apparently - which rather begs the question. Wouldn't he like to do a contemporary role that allowed him to wear a nice suit on screen?
"It's not deliberate, these are great characters," he smiles, referring to Hornblower, Wilberforce, and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. "And I don't think it's type casting. These are heroic roles but I think I sort of lend myself to them."
He confesses though that there is a problem sometimes in convincing "short-sighted producers and casting directors" to see him in modern roles.
That said Reed Richards is not only a modern role, of sorts, but also a pop culture icon as the leader of the Fantastic Four.
The first Fantastic Four movie has just been reissued on DVD in a special extended version and of course the spectacular sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer hits cinemas world wide tomorrow.
Ioan out of costume, above, and all at sea as Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower, below
The 33-year-old Welshman was a surprise choice but producer Avi Arad claimed it was a starmaking role and he was right.
For Gruffudd, the so-called overnight success came after many years of hard work. And he says playing a comic book hero has very specific challenges.
"Doing a film like Amazing Grace the challenge comes on a daily basis working with Albert Finney and Michael Gambon and great names like that," he says. "With this film it is something different.
"The Fantastic Four takes five months of very technical, very repetitive filmmaking. The satisfaction comes later from seeing it all put together so successfully."
The success of the first Fantastic Four film and the anticipated success of the sequel has done great things for Gruffudd's career.
For example, director Michael Apted found it easier to raise the money for Amazing Grace after the success of the first film.
Gruffudd demurs, but does accept that he does have a little say in the right kind of film.
"There is a certain responsibility I suppose," he says thoughtfully. "To be honest I relish that. I've been working towards that slowly but surely for 10 or 12 years so I can hardly complain about it."
But still there is that notion that he still has to establish himself in a role which doesn't involve some degree of dressing up.
"I did a film called TV Set which was a satire," he explains. "I worked with David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver but it still took a bit of persuading for the director to cast me in the part. But I now have my foot in the door which is something the Fantastic Four has enabled me to do."
It seems strange to hear someone as established as we belief Gruffudd to be talking about getting his foot in the door. However his version of Hollywood is perhaps different from the popular perception.
"It is incredibly competitive," he says pointing out that there are fewer and fewer films being made. "Mid-range film seem to be disappearing."
Television, he insists, has become just as competitive.
"It used to be that you could often land yourself a pilot for a TV show," he says soberly. "Not any more. There are only four or five people who are automatic choices."
Although this may deter others, for Gruffudd it is part of the game. He made his debut at the age of 12 in the Welsh equivalent of Take the High Road, and since then he has been busy building his career.
"I am loving it," he says with a smile. "I always wanted to be a movie actor - that's what I came to Hollywood to do. I think projecting that and making people aware of it helps that come to fruition."
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is released in tomorrow. Fantastic Four: The Extended Edition is available from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
3:23pm Thursday 14th June 2007
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/display.var.1473933.0.0.php
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge. Love the pink striped tie. :cool: