Pillars of the Earth: Matthew Macfadyen talks Pillars of the Earth

Here's an interview Matthew did for the release of Pillars of the Earth:

Matthew Macfadyen talks 'Pillars Of The Earth'
Yahoo! New Zealand
September 24, 2013, 5:10 pm

TV mini-series 'The Pillars Of The Earth' hits our screens from this week - one of the stars, Matthew Macfadyen, talks about what it was like working on the adaptation of the popular Ken Follett novel.

About his character, Prior Philip:
Well it's interesting in terms of his character (as) he knows himself quite well. I think that he knows that his chief temptation is vanity and pride because he’s intelligent and he’s ambitious for the church and for the greater glory of God I suppose in his way of thinking. And to do that you have to make compromises I suppose; and you have to be able to put yourself in a position of power.

About the cast:
Talking about the other cast members; I can’t remember a job where everyone has enjoyed being in [each other’s] company so much. I can’t speak for the other actors but I, we all really get on. And they are just great; everyone is fantastic and very different.

And I think because it is such an ensemble piece, because you’ve got the monks, and you’ve got the builders, you’ve got the royals, and you’ve got the big powerful noble families, it feels, when everyone gets together it feels like a party.

About the sets:
I mean, you can’t see this, but it is just extraordinary. I had just come off another medieval set, Ridley Scott’s ‘Robin Hood’ project, and there really is no difference. There is a difference in budget but there is no difference in scale here. So it’s just great. When it is like that it’s fantastic because you don’t need to use your imagination the same that you do when you are in a studio.

About the director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan:
I think Sergio is just fantastic. He’s great. I’m a fan, big fan. You feel very secure with him. He’s uncompromising, he’s a very charismatic guy as well but he’s got a tremendous grasp on the material, so as an actor you feel very secure.

It’s about a question of trust I think and I trust him implicitly, and I think his judgment is fantastic and the notes he gives, not just me, all the actors collectively have spoken about it. The notes he gives us are so thoughtful.

About what audiences will enjoy the most:
Well, I think apart from anything else it’s a fantastic story, it’s just a brilliant narrative and it barrels along. It’s just a wonderful pot boiler on one level. So hopefully that will appeal, it’s just great entertainment and also I’m fascinated, and I’m sure lots of people will be fascinated by the building of the church, the cathedral all those hundreds of years ago with none of the machinery that we have now. What an extraordinary feat of will power and engineering and labour that is. And they are still around today and they are beautifully proportioned, constructed and designed.

'Pillars Of The Earth' screens on Fridays from September 27 on Vibe.