New Spanish Interview

Panetalla Nacional Magazine Scans

Translation of the interview in the scans below:

P: Little Ashes is without a doubt a very different film from what you usually do, including what you’ve done your whole life.

R: That’s true. Little Ashes is a radically different piece of work from what I’ve done till now, and that’s exactly why I wanted to do it. Salvado Dali is a famous and respected person in the whole world and on top of that, personally, I love him.

P: What did you know about Salvado Dali before this film? And of Lorca and Bunuel?

R: I knew a bit about Dali. Well, more accurately, a tiny bit about his work, but I didn’t really know anything about him as a person. I forced myself to investigate him very deeply and I did a lot of research about him. I think I started to obsess a bit about him. I studied Lorca and Bunuel in school in London. I had a few notions about their work, like Dali, but I had no idea what they were like as just men.

P: What drew your attention about that period?

R: The artists who pushed themselves to the limit to create, even by destroying their own lives. I’d say that they would do pretty much anything to defend their vision of art in a society where the powers that be and other dark forces intentionally tried to repress their creative expression. But I also think that period is a lot about the beauty of those years, the way they dress.

P: You took on a character with a lot of sexual ambiguity: do you think, now you have become a fan phenomenon, it helps that some prejudiced people might see you in a different light with this movie?

R: I think so, after seeing the film, people might get a different impression than what they were expecting. I feel like they don’t really know who I really am, and in this job people make you out to be very exciting. But this does allow me to play various characters. This role is so different from Twilight that it draws attention, because, honestly, I don’t think that his sexuality would be that important. I hope that people’s ideas about Dali don’t rest on what people think about me.

P: What aspects of the Spanish culture does a young Londoner like you know?

R: I love the Spanish culture, and I know the country because I was on vacation in Madrid, Barcelona… It’s strange, but working on this film I got the sensation that Catalunya is different from the rest of Spain. I got the sensation that the Catalans are more proud of being Catalan than of being Spanish. I don’t know… but in general I like what I suppose everyone likes about the Spanish people, their way of living and how sociable they are. I really had a great experience with that during filming.

P: If a Spanish actor lives through this fan phenomenon, he practically can’t walk down a street. What does the American phenomenon entail?

R: About the same thing happened after Twilight. It’s funny because when I was in Spain filming Burnt Ashes, there were a few people who knew me and came to say hello because they had seen me in Harry Potter.

P: Has the fame changed you a lot or the people you know?

R: I think deep down, people don’t really change, but it has varied the way that my friends see me, even my family. It’s weird, because the truth is that people in your life repeatedly treat you differently. But you’ll always know who your true friends are. I hope that there will come a moment where they, my family, and myself will get back to normal, because they know me, they know who I am and we have the same dreams. I don’t have the feeling that I’ve changed, I think I’m the same.

P: Did you think that Twilight would be this successful?

R: No, the truth is that no one thought it would be like this.

P: Is it true that 8 to 10 year old girls ask you to bite them on the street?

R: I’ve been asked that question so many times (laughs). It’s just one more sign of how bizarre it all is.

P: You know that one day, the girl you’ll go out with will be one of the most famous women in the world. Do you think it will be a dilemma for you to wonder what her real motives might be?

R: Obviously if I go out with a girl, she’ll get pulled into the fame thing. In fact, even some of my ex girlfriends have been questioned. It’s crazy, but when I’ll go out with someone, that person will be introduced to a life that she won’t necessarily care for. That’s preoccupying. I think that any girl who isn’t part of this world would be scared.

P: Have you ever thought for a moment during these past months that the world has gone crazy?

R: Well, I try to keep going on normally, at least as best possible. What you have to do is just ignore everything. The truth? I go through life ignoring what’s going on to keep sane.

P: It’s crazy to think that the third part of Twilight will involve a Spanish director, Bayona.

R: I know Bayona. I so El Orfanoto and loved it, I thought the story was brilliant. I think he’s a very talented director and he’ll do a good job with the third part. And the protagonist seems like a very interesting girl.

P: Her name is Belen Rueda and she is Spanish.

R: Yeah, I looked her up on the Internet and I saw a few photos. As I said, she seems very, very interesting…

P: You know that one day, the girl you’ll go out with will be one of the most famous woman in the world. Do you think it will be a dilemma for you to wonder what her real motives might be?

R: Obviously if I go out with a girl, she’ll get pulled this thing called fame. In fact, even some of my ex girlfriends are being “harassed”, and some of them even had their mails hacked. It’s crazy, but when you´re famous and you start going out with someone, that person will be introduced to a life that she won’t necessarily choose. That’s preoccupying. I think that any girl who isn’t part of this world would be scared. I´m sure that, from outside, I live in a scary world.

P: Have you ever thought for a moment during these past months that the world has gone crazy?

R: Well, I try to keep going on normally, at least as best possible. What you have to do is just ignore everything. The truth? I go through life ignoring what’s going on to keep sane.

P: It’s crazy to think that the third part of Twilight will involve a Spanish director, Bayona.

R: I know Bayona. I saw “El Orfanato” and loved it, I thought the story was brilliant. I think he’s a very talented director even when in the end he won´t direct the third part. And the leading actress seems like a very interesting woman.

P: Her name is Belen Rueda and in Spain she´s a star and she´s “chased” too.

R: Yeah, I looked her up on the Internet and I saw a few photos. As I said, she seems a very, very interesting woman…

Thanks to Twilight Poison for the scans and interview translation.

And smooches to Rocio for the links.