Rove Live Interview
Okay one more day and I finally see what has sent certain of my friendslist into a fannish ecstasy (and probably bored the socks off the rest of it). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (or if you’re Rove - the Prisoner of Azkabarn - Were you born in an Azkabarn?) Rove being a diminutive (pint-sized) TV host. I think someone (possibly him) described him as the ‘gayest straight man on TV.’ He’s not the best interviewer in the world, but if I were the kind of person who describes people as cute, I would go up to him and pinch his cheek, and go up to him and say, ‘who’s an ickle cutiepie dere.’ Okay, no I wouldn’t.
This is relevant because he just interviewed David Thewlis. It started with playing the clip of Remus teaching Harry how to conjure a patronus. I’m sure the scene wasn’t actually meant to be filled with innuendo... Anyway, transcript of the interview for them as want it:
Rove: Please welcome David Thewlis.
[David Thewlis comes in, and sees an enormous bowlful of m&ms. Very sensibly he does not eat them, since I strongly suspect that they’ve been there since the show started and if any guest did eat them, they would go into anaphylactic shock. Um, right m&ms seen by DT]
Rove: They are every-flavoured beans.
DT: Well maybe not every flavour.
Rove: [snickers] How are you doing?
DT: I’m very good. I’m very tired - because I’ve only been here three days.
Rove: Have you been here before?
DT: Yeah, I’ve been in Australia before. I was up in Cairns about six years ago making a movie called The Island of Dr [fake spits] Moreau.
Rove: Oh of course. With the island not being played by Marlon Brando which was strange.
DT: No... but he tried to.
Rove: You didn’t enjoy that one?
DT: No, no, it wasn't the best thing I ever made. It wasn't the most enjoyable thing I ever made.
Rove: But what about this one. Going into Harry Potter - they've already made the two films. It's a very well known franchise. Were you at all apprehensive going into it?
DT: Not really, apart from I went into a few chatrooms to research the character and a lot of the kids were very abrasive about me playing the character because they didn't know me. They wanted Jude Law or Ewan McGregor or Dan Day Lewis or someone more handsome basically.
Rove: Do you know who was up for the role besides yourself?
DT: I don't think anyone was. I think I was the first choice.
Rove: [very enthusiastically] Well good first choice. [loud applause] Congratulations. Stick it up em.
DT: I don't think Jude got a look in. [grins at audience] He's a friend of mine - so I'm not slagging him.
Rove: No, it's all right, we'll edit that other bit out when it goes to air. So...
DT: [aside] He's a twat.
Rove: [laughs - actually he laughs throughout the interview, but I can't be arsed putting them all in] So when you did get the role, now, is it something that you can brag to any friends who have small children? Are you suddenly very popular with the younger set.
DT: The best thing about doing it is seeing the reaction on kids' faces when you tell them you've done it, and it's only released in London last week, so when I get back to England next Monday or whenever I'm expecting you know kind of lots of adulation ... I'm hoping. If that doesn't happen, I'll be disappointed.
Rove: I believe you put signs up at your house. Is that true?
DT: [pause] It is true, but I'm kind of puzzled by that, because this appeared in a British newspaper. But basically two friends bought me from a garden centre this little sign that said "No Muggles Allowed" and you switch it over and it says "I'm Playing Quidditch". So they thought that that was a cute little gift - and this is in my back garden. And only my immediate neighbours can see this. And this has appeared in the tabloids and now it is on the Internet and now you're asking me this on Australian TV and I'm going to kill my fucking neighbours. ... And I think it's this woman Joan lives next door and kind of bursts into our house without being announced.
Rove: Is she trying to boost her own property prices?
DT: [laughs] I hope she's got cable TV and is watching this. Joan you're in trouble.
Rove: Now were you a fan of the books before the film? Before you got the role?
DT; Well, I nearly played Quirrel in the first film.
Rove: Oh, okay.
DT: A friend of mine, Ian Hart, played it in the end. And that was how I came to do it, because I was working with Ian and he saw my script lying around and he said, 'Are you doing Harry Potter?' and I said, 'I don't know. I'm sort of playing Lulu or Loopus or whatever he's called.' And he's like 'Lupin. You've got to do it - it's the best part.'
Rove: Now tell people about Professor Lupin's role in the film... Because it's quite substantial. It's a great role to get.
DT: Well, it is. I mean people probably know it better than me, if you've read the book. I'd not read the third book by the time we came to do it. But he's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher [he's slightly indistinct] - that's Arts not Arse. Against the Dark Arse - I feel a sequel coming on. Yeah, he's kind of a very kindly, very avuncular, nurturing teacher, with a little dark secret - that I'm supposed not to mention, but it's one of the bestselling books in the world, so yeah, you know, I turn into a werewolf basically.
Rove: I was going to say you may as well give it away - because you've actually got an action figure here. Now what makes it great is it actually transforms.
DT: I'm a transformer.
Rove: From the wolf you to the human you.
DT: Well, I'm not used to doing it this way round. [plays with himself - uh, the action figure] Where's your camera? You can see this. I should explain [continues manipulating the not overly convincing toy] - I grew up in a town called Blackpool in England in a toy shop and I've become a toy and it's fantastic. My Dad used to sell lego and I've also become lego. [finishes with toy. It now has Lupin head and werewolfy body]
Rove: There you go. It's that high tech in the film as well. Let me just point that out.
[DT holds toy up to his face and mugs at the camera]
DT: I find it very Freudian really.
Rove: The one thing I do want to ask you before we finish up because Daniel Radcliffe was interviewed recently and he said he believed Harry's outcome was that he was going to be that he would die. What do you think is going to happen to Harry?
DT: Did he? [clearly doesn't read papers]
Rove: Yes, he said it's only inevitable.
DT: I think that would be really rotten of J. K. Rowling to do that after all these films, after all these books. I mean there's going to be seven books. Is that what he thinks is going to happen?
Rove: I assume. I don't know. That's what he thinks.
DT: I'm afraid I'm going to die. Because I just put a downpayment on a new house.
Rove: Well, he'll return later on so we'll see what happens.
DT: Well, he reappears in Book five and I met J K Rowling for the first time and I was kind of very nice to her - bought her a drink.
Rove: Said Lupin's a great character - he'd be a great hero.
DT: She said he's one of my favourite characters, so I hope she doesn't kill me like she killed someone else recently.
Rove: Yes, indeed. Well the film is out Thursday - the Prisoner of Azkaban - so please thank David Thewlis.
Heh, I want him to play Professor Lulu.
This is relevant because he just interviewed David Thewlis. It started with playing the clip of Remus teaching Harry how to conjure a patronus. I’m sure the scene wasn’t actually meant to be filled with innuendo... Anyway, transcript of the interview for them as want it:
Rove: Please welcome David Thewlis.
[David Thewlis comes in, and sees an enormous bowlful of m&ms. Very sensibly he does not eat them, since I strongly suspect that they’ve been there since the show started and if any guest did eat them, they would go into anaphylactic shock. Um, right m&ms seen by DT]
Rove: They are every-flavoured beans.
DT: Well maybe not every flavour.
Rove: [snickers] How are you doing?
DT: I’m very good. I’m very tired - because I’ve only been here three days.
Rove: Have you been here before?
DT: Yeah, I’ve been in Australia before. I was up in Cairns about six years ago making a movie called The Island of Dr [fake spits] Moreau.
Rove: Oh of course. With the island not being played by Marlon Brando which was strange.
DT: No... but he tried to.
Rove: You didn’t enjoy that one?
DT: No, no, it wasn't the best thing I ever made. It wasn't the most enjoyable thing I ever made.
Rove: But what about this one. Going into Harry Potter - they've already made the two films. It's a very well known franchise. Were you at all apprehensive going into it?
DT: Not really, apart from I went into a few chatrooms to research the character and a lot of the kids were very abrasive about me playing the character because they didn't know me. They wanted Jude Law or Ewan McGregor or Dan Day Lewis or someone more handsome basically.
Rove: Do you know who was up for the role besides yourself?
DT: I don't think anyone was. I think I was the first choice.
Rove: [very enthusiastically] Well good first choice. [loud applause] Congratulations. Stick it up em.
DT: I don't think Jude got a look in. [grins at audience] He's a friend of mine - so I'm not slagging him.
Rove: No, it's all right, we'll edit that other bit out when it goes to air. So...
DT: [aside] He's a twat.
Rove: [laughs - actually he laughs throughout the interview, but I can't be arsed putting them all in] So when you did get the role, now, is it something that you can brag to any friends who have small children? Are you suddenly very popular with the younger set.
DT: The best thing about doing it is seeing the reaction on kids' faces when you tell them you've done it, and it's only released in London last week, so when I get back to England next Monday or whenever I'm expecting you know kind of lots of adulation ... I'm hoping. If that doesn't happen, I'll be disappointed.
Rove: I believe you put signs up at your house. Is that true?
DT: [pause] It is true, but I'm kind of puzzled by that, because this appeared in a British newspaper. But basically two friends bought me from a garden centre this little sign that said "No Muggles Allowed" and you switch it over and it says "I'm Playing Quidditch". So they thought that that was a cute little gift - and this is in my back garden. And only my immediate neighbours can see this. And this has appeared in the tabloids and now it is on the Internet and now you're asking me this on Australian TV and I'm going to kill my fucking neighbours. ... And I think it's this woman Joan lives next door and kind of bursts into our house without being announced.
Rove: Is she trying to boost her own property prices?
DT: [laughs] I hope she's got cable TV and is watching this. Joan you're in trouble.
Rove: Now were you a fan of the books before the film? Before you got the role?
DT; Well, I nearly played Quirrel in the first film.
Rove: Oh, okay.
DT: A friend of mine, Ian Hart, played it in the end. And that was how I came to do it, because I was working with Ian and he saw my script lying around and he said, 'Are you doing Harry Potter?' and I said, 'I don't know. I'm sort of playing Lulu or Loopus or whatever he's called.' And he's like 'Lupin. You've got to do it - it's the best part.'
Rove: Now tell people about Professor Lupin's role in the film... Because it's quite substantial. It's a great role to get.
DT: Well, it is. I mean people probably know it better than me, if you've read the book. I'd not read the third book by the time we came to do it. But he's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher [he's slightly indistinct] - that's Arts not Arse. Against the Dark Arse - I feel a sequel coming on. Yeah, he's kind of a very kindly, very avuncular, nurturing teacher, with a little dark secret - that I'm supposed not to mention, but it's one of the bestselling books in the world, so yeah, you know, I turn into a werewolf basically.
Rove: I was going to say you may as well give it away - because you've actually got an action figure here. Now what makes it great is it actually transforms.
DT: I'm a transformer.
Rove: From the wolf you to the human you.
DT: Well, I'm not used to doing it this way round. [plays with himself - uh, the action figure] Where's your camera? You can see this. I should explain [continues manipulating the not overly convincing toy] - I grew up in a town called Blackpool in England in a toy shop and I've become a toy and it's fantastic. My Dad used to sell lego and I've also become lego. [finishes with toy. It now has Lupin head and werewolfy body]
Rove: There you go. It's that high tech in the film as well. Let me just point that out.
[DT holds toy up to his face and mugs at the camera]
DT: I find it very Freudian really.
Rove: The one thing I do want to ask you before we finish up because Daniel Radcliffe was interviewed recently and he said he believed Harry's outcome was that he was going to be that he would die. What do you think is going to happen to Harry?
DT: Did he? [clearly doesn't read papers]
Rove: Yes, he said it's only inevitable.
DT: I think that would be really rotten of J. K. Rowling to do that after all these films, after all these books. I mean there's going to be seven books. Is that what he thinks is going to happen?
Rove: I assume. I don't know. That's what he thinks.
DT: I'm afraid I'm going to die. Because I just put a downpayment on a new house.
Rove: Well, he'll return later on so we'll see what happens.
DT: Well, he reappears in Book five and I met J K Rowling for the first time and I was kind of very nice to her - bought her a drink.
Rove: Said Lupin's a great character - he'd be a great hero.
DT: She said he's one of my favourite characters, so I hope she doesn't kill me like she killed someone else recently.
Rove: Yes, indeed. Well the film is out Thursday - the Prisoner of Azkaban - so please thank David Thewlis.
Heh, I want him to play Professor Lulu.