Will This Boy Make History?

You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy a Narnia movie; you just have to be a kid-at-heart.

That was exactly how I felt two weeks ago at the Regal E-Walk Theater in Manhattan during the press screening for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian where I was lucky enough to sit beside Leah Rozen, my favorite critic from People magazine (it was a wish fulfilled because I’d been looking forward to meeting her in the flesh), who came with the 10-year-old nephew she sometimes mentions in her reviews.

Throughout the nearly two-hour movie, the audience which was composed of about 60 percent kids, you could hear the aah’s and ooh’s as much for the adventure unfolding onscreen as for the breath-taking special effects and the eye-popping stunts, with the whole theater erupting into applause every now and then and vibrating with a standing ovation (yes, led by the kids) as the credits rolled down.

Prince Caspian is the second movie based on C.S. Lewis’ seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series which includes The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, The Last Battle and, of course, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first story to be filmed. Published between 1950 and 1956, and considered one of literature’s most enduring and most imaginative classics, Lewis’ books have sold more than 100,000 copies in more than 35 languages. It’s one of the biggest book series in the world.

The first Narnia movie, released in 2005, grossed over $745-M worldwide, making it one of the most successful movies ever made and one of the biggest successes in the annals of Walt Disney Studios which also produced Prince Caspian, again directed by Andrew Adamson (of the Oscar-winning Shrek, Shrek 2).

In Prince Caspian, filmed on location in New Zealand, the Pevensie siblings are again played by Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, William Moseley as Peter and Anna Popplewell as Susan. (More on them next Sunday in another Conversation.)

Explained director Adamson, “Prince Caspian tells the story of Narnia 1,300 years after the Pevensies left. The Telmarines have taken over Narnia and driven all the creatures into the forest. Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne, has been ousted by his uncle Miraz. Caspian blows Susan’s horn to bring the Pevensie children back to Narnia to save the land from Miraz, this unrightful king.”

Playing Prince Caspian is Ben Barnes, the 26-year-old British stage actor best known for his role in the drama The History Boys for London’s National Theatre Company, the same play that led to his discovery. An assistant of a Hollywood casting veteran saw Barnes in The History Boys and asked Barnes to audition for the role.

“When we finally met Ben in person, “ related Adamson, “we found him charming and fun and comfortable. He won us over.”

Will Ben Barnes, like the Narnia franchise, make history? It remains to be seen.

The day after the screening, Barnes sat down for an exclusive Conversation at a function room of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, also in Manhattan.

You look slimmer in person.

“Do I?” (Adding deadpan) “I wear an armor in the movie.”

Narnia is your first Hollywood movie. What changes do you expect in your life after its release?

“I really don’t know what to expect. It’s very surreal seeing my face up there on the billboards everytime I turn around the corner. It feels weird! But you know, I’m looking forward to the new challenges that it will bring and maybe to play Prince Caspian in the next Narnia story as well.”

All this is something new to you.

“Yeah, of course! Every single shooting day for the movie was a challenge to me. Before the shoot, I had to learn how to ride a horse, swing swords and speak with a different accent. There was a new challenge every single day and it was wonderful.”

What was your most memorable experience during the shoot?

“There were a couple of times that just took me by surprise and I got a real perspective of what I was going to do. Like the first time I went on the castle set. It was just so huge and so detailed that it was pure magic. I felt very lucky to be in this movie.”

And what proved to be the biggest surprise?
”Oh, there were just too many! Every day, there was a surprise.”

You started in theater. How was the transition from stage to screen? Did you have to “unlearn” anything?

“Unlearn anything? Let me see...Yeah, I think the biggest challenge that I could learn from the other actors in the movie is how still we can’t afford to be. When you’re acting on screen, you know, everything is big — huge set and magnificent costumes and thousands of extras. To make the story feel real, the acting has to be very small and not like you’re playing to the back row of the theater. So that was something that I had to ‘unlearn’.”

How old were you when you realized that you wanted to be an actor?

“I think I was 16 or 17, and that was when I began being a professional actor. I started at 15, doing musical theater.”

What sort of family did you come from? Is anybody else in the family into acting?

“My father is a big musical fan. He plays the guitar and listens to The Rolling Stones very loud. But no, nobody else in the family is an actor.”

Were you familiar with the Narnia characters before you got into the movie?

“Yeah. I started reading the books when I was eight years old and that’s a long time. I grew up feeling that the Narnia characters were my friends.”

Did you ever imagine that you would be in a Narnia movie?

“Not really. No. But it’s a dream come true to be in a movie like this, to be in a Hollywood movie. It feels awesome to be part of telling a story to a new generation and make them experience the same magic that I experienced when I was younger. Even though the story of Narnia takes place in a fantasy world, you have to play every moment as truth. I hope those moments translate into something that the audience can really become involved with. If so, they will get behind Caspian and see him through from the beginning to the end of his journey.”

How did you win over the thousands who auditioned for the role?

“I was the best!” (Deadpan again) “No, no, I’m just kidding. You know, I think the main reason why you get the part is because they see something in you that is similar to the character. When I walked into the room, they must have felt my energy, or something, that they could apply to Caspian. It has been a whirlwind adventure. Before I knew it, I was going through costume fittings, horseback-riding practice, dialect lessons, fencing lessons and stunt rehearsals.”

As the newest member, how were you able to blend beautifully with the original cast of the movie?

“Well, they were very welcoming and they made it very easy for me. They were like family. You know, I felt very much like Caspian who is thrown into the company of the Narnians and all the crew members who have known each other and have worked together before. But it was a very easy transition for me.”

How do you see your future in Hollywood from now on? What kind of movies do you expect to do?

“Well, I’ve been very lucky so far in terms of variety of roles and of playing different characters telling different types of stories and working in different accents. I hope to continue doing the same thing.”

Whether the stars like it or not, they are looked up to as role models by their fans. Are you aware of the responsibility that goes with being a role model?

“I don’t know. I feel that my part is in telling a story and my being, as you said, ‘a role model’ is in the characters that I play. My responsibility is first and foremost to myself...to just be who I am.”

And who are your role models, if any?

“Yeah. Hundreds and thousands of them. But not one in particular.”

Actors among them?

“Oh yes. Jeff Bridges is fantastic. Johnny Depp is fantastic! Jimmy Stewart is wonderful.”

How do you spend time away from work?

“I listen to music and I watch films, and I play the piano and my drums. Or I hang out with friends.”

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to and what kind of films do you enjoy watching?

“Millions of films. I like all kinds. My taste in music is very eclectic, from the music that I grew up with, like the music of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones which my father loved to listen to; and then modern stuff, everything. I think I’m just fond of life in general, so I find it hard to choose my favorite.”

Name a film that has the most impact in your life.

“Oh, I just said that it’s hard to choose. But let me see...the film that I cried over the most was Spartacus; I cried for three days. I don’t know why. Maybe it was the  ending when they were making the friends fight against each other. It was just a very personal thing and it made me sad. It’s the same predicament in Prince Caspian when I have to fight against my own people.”

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