Tom Hopper | 'Black Sails' Boston Herald interview incl. marriage news [article]
BostonHerald: ‘Sails’ man
Star Tom Hopper shows a different side to ‘Treasure Island’ character in Starz drama
[click to read]Fans of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” might be surprised by the Starz pirate drama “Black Sails.”
This prequel series (Saturdays at 9 p.m.), set 20 years before the events of the classic novel, features a Billy Bones quite unlike the broken brute in Stevenson’s tale.
This Billy is young, dynamic and the closest thing to a hero in the dark world of rogues.
That’s no accident, said his portrayer, English actor Tom Hopper, best known as the gallant knight Sir Percival on the Syfy show “Merlin.”
“What I wanted to create was a huge change from the book,” Hopper told the Herald from Cape Town, South Africa, last week, where he and the cast and crew are filming the second season. “This guy clearly gets changed through the years between ‘Black Sails’ and ‘Treasure Island.’”
“He is first and foremost about the good of the crew. The pirate cause to him is the worthy cause, and he sees himself fighting against something unjust. He believes he can make this world work by making the right decisions. He’s quite a selfless person, looking out for his crew.
“That could be his downfall in this world,” Hopper said.
The actor said he and the cast were surprised when Starz renewed the show for a second season in July - months before the first episode even aired.
“It’s kind of amazing, that’s the first thing you think. I really respect Starz and the creators of the show for giving it what it needs. You’ve got to take the gamble so the show can fly.”
As anyone who has seen the Michael Bay drama knows, “it really is a physical show. There are lots of fights. You’re running up and down ships. Your body is taking some real demands on a day-to-day basis,” said the 6-foot-5-inch actor, who keeps in shape with regular body-weight workouts.
“I didn’t want it to look obvious. I want to look as if he’s been climbing ropes for years and have that physique of a pirate.
“I’m still human. I like cake now and again,” he said, then laughed.
“Black Sails,” like all of Starz’s original programming, can be racy.
“As an actor, you have to expect it,” Hopper said. “Most shows have it. As long as it’s true to the story and what you’re trying to tell, I have no problem with it, and it fits in ‘Black Sails.’”
The actor does not have a Facebook page, but he does maintain his own Twitter account (@tomhopperhops).
“At the end of the day, we’re doing a show for the audience, not for ourselves, and it’s important for people to be able to give some feedback. ... It’s nice to hear and to have a chance to respond to people who enjoy your work.”
Between filming season one (which ended production in May) and starting production of season two (in October), Hopper squeezed in “Northmen: A Viking Saga,” an action film with “True Blood” star Ryan Kwanten scheduled to be released later this year.
Hopper looks for roles that allow him to be physical yet also have well-defined characters.
But after he wraps filming the second season of “Black Sails,” he has a more personal project in mind - marrying his girlfriend of five years back in the United Kingdom.
As for the popularity of “Black Sails” - the debut clocked in with an impressive 3.5 million viewers - Hopper said, “You get invested in the characters at an early stage. There’s a little bit of something there for everyone. These are character-driven stories, that’s the most important part.”
He's going to get married, that's wonderful news! :D
Star Tom Hopper shows a different side to ‘Treasure Island’ character in Starz drama
[click to read]Fans of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” might be surprised by the Starz pirate drama “Black Sails.”
This prequel series (Saturdays at 9 p.m.), set 20 years before the events of the classic novel, features a Billy Bones quite unlike the broken brute in Stevenson’s tale.
This Billy is young, dynamic and the closest thing to a hero in the dark world of rogues.
That’s no accident, said his portrayer, English actor Tom Hopper, best known as the gallant knight Sir Percival on the Syfy show “Merlin.”
“What I wanted to create was a huge change from the book,” Hopper told the Herald from Cape Town, South Africa, last week, where he and the cast and crew are filming the second season. “This guy clearly gets changed through the years between ‘Black Sails’ and ‘Treasure Island.’”
“He is first and foremost about the good of the crew. The pirate cause to him is the worthy cause, and he sees himself fighting against something unjust. He believes he can make this world work by making the right decisions. He’s quite a selfless person, looking out for his crew.
“That could be his downfall in this world,” Hopper said.
The actor said he and the cast were surprised when Starz renewed the show for a second season in July - months before the first episode even aired.
“It’s kind of amazing, that’s the first thing you think. I really respect Starz and the creators of the show for giving it what it needs. You’ve got to take the gamble so the show can fly.”
As anyone who has seen the Michael Bay drama knows, “it really is a physical show. There are lots of fights. You’re running up and down ships. Your body is taking some real demands on a day-to-day basis,” said the 6-foot-5-inch actor, who keeps in shape with regular body-weight workouts.
“I didn’t want it to look obvious. I want to look as if he’s been climbing ropes for years and have that physique of a pirate.
“I’m still human. I like cake now and again,” he said, then laughed.
“Black Sails,” like all of Starz’s original programming, can be racy.
“As an actor, you have to expect it,” Hopper said. “Most shows have it. As long as it’s true to the story and what you’re trying to tell, I have no problem with it, and it fits in ‘Black Sails.’”
The actor does not have a Facebook page, but he does maintain his own Twitter account (@tomhopperhops).
“At the end of the day, we’re doing a show for the audience, not for ourselves, and it’s important for people to be able to give some feedback. ... It’s nice to hear and to have a chance to respond to people who enjoy your work.”
Between filming season one (which ended production in May) and starting production of season two (in October), Hopper squeezed in “Northmen: A Viking Saga,” an action film with “True Blood” star Ryan Kwanten scheduled to be released later this year.
Hopper looks for roles that allow him to be physical yet also have well-defined characters.
But after he wraps filming the second season of “Black Sails,” he has a more personal project in mind - marrying his girlfriend of five years back in the United Kingdom.
As for the popularity of “Black Sails” - the debut clocked in with an impressive 3.5 million viewers - Hopper said, “You get invested in the characters at an early stage. There’s a little bit of something there for everyone. These are character-driven stories, that’s the most important part.”
He's going to get married, that's wonderful news! :D