RICHMOND, ENGLAND – File under “When perfectly fine questions go bad,” but not really.
In “Jack the Giant Slayer,” the characters played by Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci bump heads several times.
At one point in their climactic showdown, Tucci’s weaselly Roderick looks at McGregor’s noble Elmont and sneers, “You thought you were the hero of this story? Don’t you know that we ALL think that?”
I liked that line, so when I sat down with McGregor and Tucci at Hampton Court Palace outside of London, I decided to start the interview by asking how each of their characters would explain that they’re the real heroes of “Jack the Giant Slayer.”
Ultimately, both men gave very good answers, but both answers began with, “I don’t think my character *would* say that.”
An interview that begins with a long and semi-awkward pause actually became a lot of fun, especially when McGregor describes the unlikely inspirations for his character, including “a Cockney Errol Flynn.”
You can also check out my interviews with director Bryan Singer and “Jack the Giant Slayer” stars Nicholas Hoult & Eleanor Tomlinson, as well as this video of me singing in front of Hampton Court Palace.
“Jack the Giant Slayer” opens on Friday, March 1.