Sunday Observer Review Article on Matthew Macfadyen (Jun 2007)
Thanks to matlove, kls010, and JaneV for the information and scans! There is a huge picture of Matthew Macfadyen and interview in today's Sunday Observer Review.
20 Matthew Macfadyen
Age: 32
Training: Rada
Coming up: The Pain and the Itch at the Royal Court and a slew of films: Frank Oz's Death at a Funeral; Incendiary, directed by Bridget Jones director Sharon Maguire and also starring Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor; and Ron Howard's screen version of Frost/Nixon, in which Macfadyen plays John Birt.
Heroes: 'A whole clutch of British stage actors, like Michael Gambon. I got addicted to actors' biographies as a teenager and devoured Olivier, Gielgud and Guinness. I was fascinated by them and also the American actors like Pacino and de Niro.'
Career high: 'A touring production of Much Ado About Nothing with Cheek By Jowl; that was great fun.'
Why is British acting so good? 'I think it comes from the theatre. I think it comes from doing a lot, playing a lot of different houses and stretching different muscles. If you've got a rich history, that can't help but inform you as an actor, and the good drama schools are of a very high standard. However, I'm wary of the romanticised idea that Brits have got this very strong theatrical tradition and Americans only do TV and film, and somehow they're not as good or as rounded. I think that was the case for a bit, but it's not true any more.'
