Boleyn For Eric

Eric Bana tells Philippa Hawker how he came to be playing Henry VIII.

ITS GOOD to be the king. And for a certain amount of time, at least, says Eric Bana, playing Henry VIII has a few intriguing ramifications. "Theres something oddly satisfying about playing a very powerful figure. You get a little whiff of what its like to be someone in those shoes. Its part-time narcissism, isnt it? But then you go back to wardrobe, and put your jeans and T-shirt on and become a mere mortal again."

Bana plays a supremely powerful king in his new film The Other Boleyn Girl, based on the novel by Philippa Gregory, about a Tudor love triangle: the story, somewhat fictionalised, of a genuine and complicated relationship between the young Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman), the mistress who become his second wife, and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson), Annes sister, who was also the kings mistress for a time.

The film depicts a young, vigorous monarch, a long way from the bloated Holbein figure that is the familiar, iconic image of Henry. Bana did some research into the period, he says, rather than looking at other cinematic depictions of the character but at the same time, he adds, it wasnt the thought of playing a semi-legendary historical figure that interested him. He wasnt sure, when he first read the script, which role he was being offered. "And I never looked on it as a historical piece. I looked at the character as a man at the centre of a story, caught between these two women, and I asked myself, Can I play him? "

Yet, inevitably, he says, he has to take into account the power his character wields, the way he uses and abuses his authority, his privilege, his ability to command and be obeyed.

"Its interesting how easily you can justify the behaviour of your character." Indeed, he says, thats precisely his job: as an actor "youre the one person who doesnt morally sit in judgement."

Choosing the next role is, he says, about reading and reading, finding in a script something "that you want to be able to devote 90% of your life to for a certain period." Theres a cost, he says, to the total immersion that working on a film requires: "a big chunk of your year disappearing into a performance and everything else coming second".

His family travel with him when he works but inevitably "I play a very token husband and father during that period, a silhouette of the guy they get back at the end of the film."

Bana makes a point of reading as many scripts as he can, including projects that dont have a role for him - he likes to follow the progress of particular writers, to keep up with the work theyre doing. You can love a script, he says, yet know that you cant work with a particular director. It isnt about ego, he says; its about making sure he is in a position to do his best work.

"If someone is insecure, or paranoid about actors, or not willing to let actors experiment, you run a million miles."

Even in the best possible circumstances, its still a gruelling business, he adds. He loves the mechanics of filmmaking, he drives cinematographers crazy with his interest in what they do, hes fascinated by the experience of working with and learning from different directors. Collaboration is what the creative process is all about, yet for an actor on set "all you can know is youre in touch with your character, and the rest of it is out of your control".

He likes to give a director "varying versions, to do a scene 10 different ways - but you dont know which one theyre going to choose".

Eventually, he thinks, he might direct but some time in the future, when his children are older. He has ideas, he says, for projects for himself. One figure who fascinates him is the legendary racing pioneer Enzo Ferrari, "an interesting man with an amazing story". But he knows that at the moment he doesnt have the time to pursue them: "The producer and writer side of me says, Ive got to take the time off to devote to that and the actor side of me reads a script and goes, nuh, Im taking this.

"You have so many voices in your head: actor, producer, father, husband, mate, car-racing buff, guy that wants to go to the footy, and theyre all yelling at each other. Whoevers got the loudest voice at the time ..."

The Other Boleyn Girl is now screening.

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