BBC Merlin: Bradley James at Comic-Con 2011 Interview 2
Bradley James of Merlin at Comic-Con 2011.MOV
Bradley James Talks MERLIN - same interview in snippets
**After I transcribed the interview, I found THIS *facepalm*
INTERVIEWER
Awesome.
BRADLEY
I'm surrounded by women, this is like a dream for me. And a man to keep to be my wingman.
INTERVIEWER
There you go.
BRADLEY
What is your name, sir?
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
I'm Craig.
BRADLEY
Craig.
[They shake hands.]
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Nice to meet you.
BRADLEY
You're my wingman, Craig.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Okay.
BRADLEY
In fact, I'll be your wingman.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
That works. 'Cause you got to fight them all off of me.
BRADLEY
Sorry, I'm wasting your time with my...rubbish banter.
INTERVIEWER
Yeah, it's terrible . The fans are not gonna love to see you bantering.
BRADLEY
I know. I'm going to be-- I'm going to be serious now. What do we got? What are we talking about?
INTERVIEWER
About your motivations.
BRADLEY
My motivations.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
What can you tell us about the series four?
BRADLEY
Erm, I can tell you that I'm enjoying filming season four more than I've enjoyed any other series. I'm over the moon about what we've done so far. And I'm really excited about seeing it, because I haven't seen anything. And so, I'm with the fans on this one, because...er, you know, I've become a fan myself.
INTERVIEWER
Has Arthur taken over complete duties as king, basically?
BRADLEY
He's very much at the helm,'cause, you know, Uther's kind of sat in a corner screaming to himself, and people aren't as ready to take orders from a madman anymore. Erm, so Arthur has found himself in that position where he's, you know, (shrugs) having to take responsibility for the kingdom because Uther's off his rocker at the moment.
INTERVIEWER
And the people are accepting Arthur? Is he having any...?
BRADLEY
I think Arthur's always been a bit of a fans' favourite within Camelot. You know, they-- he goes out every now and then, does a heroic deed, and the people of Camelot, it's like, "Yeah, I like that guy. He just killed some creature for me, so..."
INTERVIEWER
There's no other people of power who are opposing?
BRADLEY
Erm, we've got-- we haven't quite reached the government system that, you know, the infrastructure that we're...eventually get into Camelot. So Arthur has not really had too many contenders for his throne.
INTERVIEWER
Is he feeling kind of lonely right now, now that they've figured out that Morgana is really trying to-- ?
BRADLEY
No, he's not. I'll tell you why. And this is another reason, I've got some friends to hang out with now. We've got the knights, you may have been introduced to them at the end of last year. We have the knights here in town. And for me that's been great 'cause it means I've got a group of friends to hang out with while we're filming. And it's been the same on set. You know, Arthur's now-- can now talk to his knights without them responding to him in French.
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with Merlin, though?
[Bradley leans in to hear better.]
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with Merlin?
BRADLEY
Well, I think ultimately Arthur and Merlin, without them pro-- possibly ever admitting it, you know, they're kind of best friends, really. They've been through so much together that they've bonded and I'd say they probably wouldn't admit to that. Well, Arthur certainly wouldn't. But it's...I guess, if anything, the attention of, you know, the negative attention that Arthur pours down on Merlin whenever he's in a bad mood has probably been spread out now towards the-- his knights. Erm, [chuckles] That's, erm, [more laughter] He's a great friend to have, yeah. He just turns up [...] for the day, and er... But I think this is the thing with Arthur is he's, erm, we're all aware of King Arthur and the character of legend and the very noble kind of heroic man that is spoken of and you usually thinking of King Arthur. That's where it's going. We start to see more of that.
INTERVIEWER
The end of last season the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere was pulled out of the closet and out into the open.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Finally. So...
BRADLEY
Finally!
[Interviewers laugh and Bradley pounds the table with a fist.]
INTERVIEWER
How will we see that evolve, then, in this season?
BRADLEY
Well, I think...er, while Uther's in town, there's always going to be an obstacle.I think-- I always say with Arthur is his first duty is to Camelot and that's why nothing's happened. And I think it's one of those things that you'd have to make sure would be good for the kingdom before he ever acted on it. And with...with Guinevere...For Arthur, it's always Camelot. With Guinevere...there's Lancelot. So, that's when it gets interesting. I think that's the story that, when we tell that, that'll be the thing that'll interest the fans the most, I think. 'Cause we're not-- Arthur and Guinevere isn't really a classic love story. It's not Romeo and Juliet. It's...
INTERVIEWER
It's destined.
BRADLEY
It's destined to be an absolute mess of a relationship. So, it would be wrong to sort of define Arthur by that, I think, and I don't think as a character [...] says his first commitment is to Camelot.
INTERVIEWER
Now, with that--
INTERVIEWER
Do you think he's ready to fight for the relationships in his life? [...] fights for his relationship with his father, obviously, he loses his mind. Is he ready to fight for his relationships with either his sister, and Merlin who's his close friend, and even Gwen, the woman he loves [...].
BRADLEY
Yeah. I, well, I suppose that touches on it, really. I think...for Arthur, Camelot pretty much...I think...if it kind of goes in line with that, I think he's open to fight for them. I-- there's an argument there, really, that, for example, with Merlin he's...for all the grief that he gives him, he will stand up for Merlin. He will try and protect him, and for his father, he's always been so stringently loyal to his father, even though he knows that some of the things he's done have been wrong. He's always been very much about respecting his father and keeping him on the side. So Arthur's relationships with the various characters I think...I guess as long as they work out for the kingdom, they work out for Arthur.
INTERVIEWER
So, is he placing the value of the kingdom over all of his personal relationships?
BRADLEY
Well, I think that's maybe how he builds relationships. He sees, "Right, are you going to work for this? Yeah. You're on board. Come on." But...I think it's, yeah, maybe marriages of convenience with his various relationships, perhaps.
INTERVIEWER
Now, Morgana was the closest to a sister.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
You know, and for all those years, and he always was somewhat protective, giving her things...
BRADLEY (nods)
Oh, yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Is he missing her at all? Is there any...?
BRADLEY
Well, I-- do you know what? I-- this is where I become a fan, actually, is I'm really looking forward to...the idea of them meeting up again. That could go in any direction. And for Arthur, you probably ask the question... "Does he still have, I suppose, that soft spot for her or has he just instantly turned and become anti-Morgana?" And I think, because of the years they spent growing up together, there's, perhaps, a case for the-- you know, that suggestion that they might still - for Arthur - he might still want to help her, for example. But I'll leave that to your imaginations to what'll actually happen when they do finally meet.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
How is Arthur going to react when Lancelot comes back to town?
BRADLEY
Erm, well...I...Arthur-- sorry, Lancelot being in town is--is...
***
BRADLEY
Well, the legends are very dark and Arthur and Lancelot were the best of friends, and in some legends that you read, Lancelot was in love with Arthur, and because he couldn't have him, he turned his attentions to Guinevere, because that was the only piece of Arthur he could have. Erm, we're not going to go down that road.
[laughter.]
INTERVIEWER
You're going to keep a screen there.
BRADLEY
It's [...] Saturday night. For people in England, I don't know about America, but that might be a bit too...bit too much.
***
On the evolution of Arthur and Merlin's relationship:
[laughter]
BRADLEY
No. Why would you want to see that? Erm,
INTERVIEWER
...feel sorry for him.
BRADLEY
I'm sorry.
[Continued laughter.]
BRADLEY
He milks it. That's really how it is. You know?
INTERVIEWER
What are we going to see?
BRADLEY
Yeah. He's treated nowhere near as bad as I think people think. Again, I think with Arthur and Merlin their friendship is very much there. Their relationship with me, what it is without the kind of banter that goes between back and forth between, and I think, to be honest with you, I think Merlin has to make a few step ups before...that can develop too far. I use the example that he's still wearing the same clothes he wore when he turned up to the kingdom, which suggests, in terms of his status within the kingdom, that he's still a peasant, I think.
INTERVIEWER
Right.
BRADLEY
In that society, that's quite important.
INTERVIEWER
They're pretty much confident in their friendship, so it can...you know.
BRADLEY
Exactly. I think, in terms of the rest of the kingdom respecting him, though, I-- that's obviously what holds back Arthur when it comes to respecting...
[End of interview]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Read through VERBATIM
INTERVIEWERS
Awesome.
BRADLEY
I'm surrounded by women, this is like a dream for me. And a man to keep to be my wingman.
INTERVIEWER
There you go.
BRADLEY
What is your name, sir?
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
I'm Craig.
BRADLEY
Craig.
[They shake hands.]
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Nice to meet you.
BRADLEY
You're my wingman, Craig.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Okay.
BRADLEY
In fact, I'll be your wingman.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
That works. 'Cause you got to fight them all off of me.
BRADLEY
Sorry, I'm wasting your time with my...rubbish banter.
INTERVIEWER
Yeah, it's terrible . The fans are not gonna love to see you bantering.
BRADLEY
I know. I'm going to be-- I'm going to be serious now. What do we-- what do we got? What are we talking about?
INTERVIEWER
About your motivation
BRADLEY
My motivations.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
What can you tell us about the series four?
BRADLEY
Erm, I can tell you, erm, that I'm enjoying filming season four more than I've enjoyed any other series. I'm-- I'm over the moon about what we've done so far. And, erm, I'm really excited about seeing it, because I haven't seen anything. And, er, so, I've--I-- on the-- with the fans on this one, because...er, you know, I've become a fan myself.
INTERVIEWER
Has Arthur taken over complete duties as king, basically?
BRADLEY
He's very much, erm, he's very much at the helm, er, 'cause, you know, Uther's kind of sat in a corner screaming to himself, and, er, people aren't as, erm, ready to take orders from a madman anymore. Erm, so Arthur has--has, you know,found himself in that position where he's, er, you know, (shrugs) having to take responsibility for the kingdom because-- because Uther's off his rocker at the moment.
INTERVIEWER
And the people are accepting Arthur? Is he having any...?
BRADLEY
I think Arthur's always been a bit of a fans', er, a fans' favourite within Camelot. You know, they-- he's-- he goes out every now and then, does a heroic deed, and the--the people of Camelot, it's like, "Yeah, I like that guy. He's," er, you know, "he just killed some creature for me, so" er...
INTERVIEWER
There's no other people of power who are opposing?
BRADLEY
Erm, we've got-- we haven't quite reached the-- the government system that, erm, you know, the infrastructure that we're...eventually get into Camelot. So Arthur has, you know, not really had too many-- too many contenders for his-- for his throne.
INTERVIEWER
Is he feeling kind of lonely right now, now that they've figured out that Morgana is really trying to--
BRADLEY
No, he's not. I'll tell you why. And this is another reason, I've got some-- I've got some friends to hang out with now. We've got the knights, you may have been introduced to them at the end of, erm, last year. We have the knights here in town. And, erm, for me that's been great 'cause it means I've, er, got a group of friends to hang out with while we're, you know, while we're filming. And, erm, and it's been the same on set. You know, Arthur's now-- can now talk to his knights without them responding to him in French.
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with--with Merlin, though?
[Bradley leans in to hear better.]
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with Merlin?
BRADLEY
Well, erm...I think, er...ultimately ,you know, er, Arthur and Merlin without them pro-- possibly ever admitting it, er, you know, they're kind of best friends, really. They, you know, they've been through so much together that, er, you know, they've--they've bonded and erm, I'd say, they probably wouldn't admit to that. Well, Arthur certainly--certainly wouldn't. But, erm, you know, it's er...I guess, if anything, the attention of er, you know, the negative attention that ARthur, you know, pours down on Merlin whenever he's in a bad mood has-- has probably, erm, you know, been spread out now towards the-- his knights. Erm, [chuckles] That's, erm, [more laughter] He's a great friend to have, yeah. He just turns up [...] for the day, and er... But I think this is the thing with Arthur is he's, erm, we're all aw-- we're all aware of-- of King Arthur and the character of legend and, you know, the very noble kind of heroic man that--that is, you know, spoken of and you usually thinking of King Arthur, erm, that's where it's going. We start to see more of that.
INTERVIEWER
The end of last season, um, the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere was pulled out of the closet and out into the open.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Finally. So...
BRADLEY
Finally!
[Interviewers laugh and Bradley pounds the table with a fist.]
INTERVIEWER
How will we see that evolve, then, in this season?
BRADLEY
Erm, well, I think...I think...er, while Uther's in town, there's always going to be an obstacle. Erm, I think-- I--I always say with Arthur is his first duty is to Camelot and that's why nothing's happened. And, erm, I think, er...it's one of those things that you'd have to make sure would be good for the kingdom before he ever acted on it. And, erm, with--with...with Guinevere, for Arthur, it's always Camelot, with Guinevere...there's Lancelot. So, that's--that's when it gets interesting. I think--I think that's--that's the story that, when we tell that, that'll be the, erm, you know, the thing that'll interest the fans the most, I think. 'Cause we're not-- Arthur and Guinevere isn't really a classic love story. It's not Romeo and Juliet. It's--it's...
INTERVIEWER
It's destined.
BRADLEY
It's--it's destined to be an absolute mess of a relationship. So, erm, you know, it's--it would be wrong to sort of define Arthur by--by that, I think, and, er, you know, I-- I don't think as a character [...] sort of says his first commitment is to Camelot.
INTERVIEWER
Now, with that--
INTERVIEWER
Do you think he's ready to fight for the relationships in his life? [...] fights for his relationship with his father, obviously, he loses his mind. Is he ready to fight for his relationships with either his sister, and Merlin who's his close friend, and even Gwen, the woman he loves [...].
BRADLEY
Yeah. I, erm, well, I--I suppose that--that touches on it, really. I think, erm...for Arthur, you know, Camelot pretty much...I think-- I think, er, if--if it kind of goes in line with that, I think--I think he's--he's open to fight for them. I-- there's an argument there, really, that, erm, you know, for example, with Merlin, he's...for all the--for all the grief that he gives him, he--he will stand up for Merlin. He will-- he will try and protect him, and for his father, he's always been so stringently loyal to his father, even though he knows that, you know, some of the things he's done have been wrong, he's, you know, he's always been very much about, er, you know, respecting his father, and-- and keeping him on the side. Erm, so, you know, Arthur's relationships with the various characters I think, erm...I...I guess as long as they work out for the--for the kingdom, they work out for Arthur.
INTERVIEWER
So, is he placing the value of the kingdom over all of his personal relationships?
BRADLEY
Well, I think that's maybe how he builds relationships. He sees, "Right, are you going to work for this? Yeah. You're-- you're on board. Come on." Erm, but, erm...I--I think it's, yeah, maybe marriages of convenience with--with his various relationships, perhaps.
INTERVIEWER
Now, Morgana was the closest to a sister.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
You know, and for all those years, and he always was somewhat protective, giving her things...
BRADLEY (nods)
Oh, yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Is he missing her at all? Is there any...?
BRADLEY
Well, I-- do you know what? I-- this is where I become a fan, actually, is-- is I'm really looking forward to...the idea of them meeting up again. Erm...that' could go any-- in any direction. Erm, and for Arthur, you--you probably ask the question...erm, "does he still have, I suppose, that soft spot for her or has he just instantly turned and become, you know, anti-Morgana?" Erm, and I think, because of the years they spent growing up together, there's, perhaps, a case for the-- you know, that suggestion that they might still - for Arthur - he might still want to help her, er, for example. But, you know, I'll leave that to your imaginations to what-- what'll actually happen when they do-- they do finally meet.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
How is Arthur going to react when Lancelot comes back to town?
BRADLEY
Erm, well...I...Arthur-- sorry, Lancelot being in town is--is..
***
BRADLEY
Well, the legends are very dark, erm, and Arthur and Lancelot were the best of friends, and, erm, in some legends that you read, Lancelot was in love with Arthur, and because he couldn't have him, he turned his attentions to Guinevere, because that was the only piece of Arthur he could have. Erm, we're not going to go down that road.
[laughter.]
INTERVIEWER
You're going to keep a screen there.
BRADLEY
It's, er...it's [...] Saturday night. For people in England, I don't know about America, but that might be a bit too...bit too much. Erm...
***
On the evolution of Arthur and Merlin's relationship:
[laughter]
BRADLEY
No. Why would you want to see that? Erm,
INTERVIEWER
...feel sorry for him.
BRADLEY
I'm sorry.
[Continued laughter.]
BRADLEY
He-- he milks it. That's really how it is. You know?
INTERVIEWER
What are we going to see?
BRADLEY
Yeah. He's treated nowhere near as-- as bad as I think people--people think. Erm...again, I think with Arthur and Merlin there, you know, their friendship is very much there. Erm, their relationship with me, what it-- what it is without the kind of banter that goes between back and forth between, and, erm, I think--I think, to be honest with you, I think, er, Merlin has to make a few step-- step ups before...that can develop too far. I use the example, erm, that he's still wearing the same clothes he wore when he turned up to the kingdom. Erm, which suggests, in terms of his status within--within--within the kingdom, that he's, you know, he's-- he's still a peasant, I think.
INTERVIEWER
Right.
BRADLEY
Erm...in that society, that's quite important, and er...
INTERVIEWER
They're pretty much confident in their friendship, so it can...you know.
BRADLEY
Exactly. I think, in terms of the rest of the kingdom respecting him, though, I--I-- that's-- that's obviously what holds back Arthur when it comes to respecting...
[End of interview]
Bradley James Talks MERLIN - same interview in snippets
**After I transcribed the interview, I found THIS *facepalm*
INTERVIEWER
Awesome.
BRADLEY
I'm surrounded by women, this is like a dream for me. And a man to keep to be my wingman.
INTERVIEWER
There you go.
BRADLEY
What is your name, sir?
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
I'm Craig.
BRADLEY
Craig.
[They shake hands.]
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Nice to meet you.
BRADLEY
You're my wingman, Craig.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Okay.
BRADLEY
In fact, I'll be your wingman.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
That works. 'Cause you got to fight them all off of me.
BRADLEY
Sorry, I'm wasting your time with my...rubbish banter.
INTERVIEWER
Yeah, it's terrible . The fans are not gonna love to see you bantering.
BRADLEY
I know. I'm going to be-- I'm going to be serious now. What do we got? What are we talking about?
INTERVIEWER
About your motivations.
BRADLEY
My motivations.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
What can you tell us about the series four?
BRADLEY
Erm, I can tell you that I'm enjoying filming season four more than I've enjoyed any other series. I'm over the moon about what we've done so far. And I'm really excited about seeing it, because I haven't seen anything. And so, I'm with the fans on this one, because...er, you know, I've become a fan myself.
INTERVIEWER
Has Arthur taken over complete duties as king, basically?
BRADLEY
He's very much at the helm,'cause, you know, Uther's kind of sat in a corner screaming to himself, and people aren't as ready to take orders from a madman anymore. Erm, so Arthur has found himself in that position where he's, you know, (shrugs) having to take responsibility for the kingdom because Uther's off his rocker at the moment.
INTERVIEWER
And the people are accepting Arthur? Is he having any...?
BRADLEY
I think Arthur's always been a bit of a fans' favourite within Camelot. You know, they-- he goes out every now and then, does a heroic deed, and the people of Camelot, it's like, "Yeah, I like that guy. He just killed some creature for me, so..."
INTERVIEWER
There's no other people of power who are opposing?
BRADLEY
Erm, we've got-- we haven't quite reached the government system that, you know, the infrastructure that we're...eventually get into Camelot. So Arthur has not really had too many contenders for his throne.
INTERVIEWER
Is he feeling kind of lonely right now, now that they've figured out that Morgana is really trying to-- ?
BRADLEY
No, he's not. I'll tell you why. And this is another reason, I've got some friends to hang out with now. We've got the knights, you may have been introduced to them at the end of last year. We have the knights here in town. And for me that's been great 'cause it means I've got a group of friends to hang out with while we're filming. And it's been the same on set. You know, Arthur's now-- can now talk to his knights without them responding to him in French.
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with Merlin, though?
[Bradley leans in to hear better.]
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with Merlin?
BRADLEY
Well, I think ultimately Arthur and Merlin, without them pro-- possibly ever admitting it, you know, they're kind of best friends, really. They've been through so much together that they've bonded and I'd say they probably wouldn't admit to that. Well, Arthur certainly wouldn't. But it's...I guess, if anything, the attention of, you know, the negative attention that Arthur pours down on Merlin whenever he's in a bad mood has probably been spread out now towards the-- his knights. Erm, [chuckles] That's, erm, [more laughter] He's a great friend to have, yeah. He just turns up [...] for the day, and er... But I think this is the thing with Arthur is he's, erm, we're all aware of King Arthur and the character of legend and the very noble kind of heroic man that is spoken of and you usually thinking of King Arthur. That's where it's going. We start to see more of that.
INTERVIEWER
The end of last season the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere was pulled out of the closet and out into the open.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Finally. So...
BRADLEY
Finally!
[Interviewers laugh and Bradley pounds the table with a fist.]
INTERVIEWER
How will we see that evolve, then, in this season?
BRADLEY
Well, I think...er, while Uther's in town, there's always going to be an obstacle.I think-- I always say with Arthur is his first duty is to Camelot and that's why nothing's happened. And I think it's one of those things that you'd have to make sure would be good for the kingdom before he ever acted on it. And with...with Guinevere...For Arthur, it's always Camelot. With Guinevere...there's Lancelot. So, that's when it gets interesting. I think that's the story that, when we tell that, that'll be the thing that'll interest the fans the most, I think. 'Cause we're not-- Arthur and Guinevere isn't really a classic love story. It's not Romeo and Juliet. It's...
INTERVIEWER
It's destined.
BRADLEY
It's destined to be an absolute mess of a relationship. So, it would be wrong to sort of define Arthur by that, I think, and I don't think as a character [...] says his first commitment is to Camelot.
INTERVIEWER
Now, with that--
INTERVIEWER
Do you think he's ready to fight for the relationships in his life? [...] fights for his relationship with his father, obviously, he loses his mind. Is he ready to fight for his relationships with either his sister, and Merlin who's his close friend, and even Gwen, the woman he loves [...].
BRADLEY
Yeah. I, well, I suppose that touches on it, really. I think...for Arthur, Camelot pretty much...I think...if it kind of goes in line with that, I think he's open to fight for them. I-- there's an argument there, really, that, for example, with Merlin he's...for all the grief that he gives him, he will stand up for Merlin. He will try and protect him, and for his father, he's always been so stringently loyal to his father, even though he knows that some of the things he's done have been wrong. He's always been very much about respecting his father and keeping him on the side. So Arthur's relationships with the various characters I think...I guess as long as they work out for the kingdom, they work out for Arthur.
INTERVIEWER
So, is he placing the value of the kingdom over all of his personal relationships?
BRADLEY
Well, I think that's maybe how he builds relationships. He sees, "Right, are you going to work for this? Yeah. You're on board. Come on." But...I think it's, yeah, maybe marriages of convenience with his various relationships, perhaps.
INTERVIEWER
Now, Morgana was the closest to a sister.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
You know, and for all those years, and he always was somewhat protective, giving her things...
BRADLEY (nods)
Oh, yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Is he missing her at all? Is there any...?
BRADLEY
Well, I-- do you know what? I-- this is where I become a fan, actually, is I'm really looking forward to...the idea of them meeting up again. That could go in any direction. And for Arthur, you probably ask the question... "Does he still have, I suppose, that soft spot for her or has he just instantly turned and become anti-Morgana?" And I think, because of the years they spent growing up together, there's, perhaps, a case for the-- you know, that suggestion that they might still - for Arthur - he might still want to help her, for example. But I'll leave that to your imaginations to what'll actually happen when they do finally meet.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
How is Arthur going to react when Lancelot comes back to town?
BRADLEY
Erm, well...I...Arthur-- sorry, Lancelot being in town is--is...
***
BRADLEY
Well, the legends are very dark and Arthur and Lancelot were the best of friends, and in some legends that you read, Lancelot was in love with Arthur, and because he couldn't have him, he turned his attentions to Guinevere, because that was the only piece of Arthur he could have. Erm, we're not going to go down that road.
[laughter.]
INTERVIEWER
You're going to keep a screen there.
BRADLEY
It's [...] Saturday night. For people in England, I don't know about America, but that might be a bit too...bit too much.
***
On the evolution of Arthur and Merlin's relationship:
[laughter]
BRADLEY
No. Why would you want to see that? Erm,
INTERVIEWER
...feel sorry for him.
BRADLEY
I'm sorry.
[Continued laughter.]
BRADLEY
He milks it. That's really how it is. You know?
INTERVIEWER
What are we going to see?
BRADLEY
Yeah. He's treated nowhere near as bad as I think people think. Again, I think with Arthur and Merlin their friendship is very much there. Their relationship with me, what it is without the kind of banter that goes between back and forth between, and I think, to be honest with you, I think Merlin has to make a few step ups before...that can develop too far. I use the example that he's still wearing the same clothes he wore when he turned up to the kingdom, which suggests, in terms of his status within the kingdom, that he's still a peasant, I think.
INTERVIEWER
Right.
BRADLEY
In that society, that's quite important.
INTERVIEWER
They're pretty much confident in their friendship, so it can...you know.
BRADLEY
Exactly. I think, in terms of the rest of the kingdom respecting him, though, I-- that's obviously what holds back Arthur when it comes to respecting...
[End of interview]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Read through VERBATIM
INTERVIEWERS
Awesome.
BRADLEY
I'm surrounded by women, this is like a dream for me. And a man to keep to be my wingman.
INTERVIEWER
There you go.
BRADLEY
What is your name, sir?
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
I'm Craig.
BRADLEY
Craig.
[They shake hands.]
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Nice to meet you.
BRADLEY
You're my wingman, Craig.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
Okay.
BRADLEY
In fact, I'll be your wingman.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
That works. 'Cause you got to fight them all off of me.
BRADLEY
Sorry, I'm wasting your time with my...rubbish banter.
INTERVIEWER
Yeah, it's terrible . The fans are not gonna love to see you bantering.
BRADLEY
I know. I'm going to be-- I'm going to be serious now. What do we-- what do we got? What are we talking about?
INTERVIEWER
About your motivation
BRADLEY
My motivations.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
What can you tell us about the series four?
BRADLEY
Erm, I can tell you, erm, that I'm enjoying filming season four more than I've enjoyed any other series. I'm-- I'm over the moon about what we've done so far. And, erm, I'm really excited about seeing it, because I haven't seen anything. And, er, so, I've--I-- on the-- with the fans on this one, because...er, you know, I've become a fan myself.
INTERVIEWER
Has Arthur taken over complete duties as king, basically?
BRADLEY
He's very much, erm, he's very much at the helm, er, 'cause, you know, Uther's kind of sat in a corner screaming to himself, and, er, people aren't as, erm, ready to take orders from a madman anymore. Erm, so Arthur has--has, you know,found himself in that position where he's, er, you know, (shrugs) having to take responsibility for the kingdom because-- because Uther's off his rocker at the moment.
INTERVIEWER
And the people are accepting Arthur? Is he having any...?
BRADLEY
I think Arthur's always been a bit of a fans', er, a fans' favourite within Camelot. You know, they-- he's-- he goes out every now and then, does a heroic deed, and the--the people of Camelot, it's like, "Yeah, I like that guy. He's," er, you know, "he just killed some creature for me, so" er...
INTERVIEWER
There's no other people of power who are opposing?
BRADLEY
Erm, we've got-- we haven't quite reached the-- the government system that, erm, you know, the infrastructure that we're...eventually get into Camelot. So Arthur has, you know, not really had too many-- too many contenders for his-- for his throne.
INTERVIEWER
Is he feeling kind of lonely right now, now that they've figured out that Morgana is really trying to--
BRADLEY
No, he's not. I'll tell you why. And this is another reason, I've got some-- I've got some friends to hang out with now. We've got the knights, you may have been introduced to them at the end of, erm, last year. We have the knights here in town. And, erm, for me that's been great 'cause it means I've, er, got a group of friends to hang out with while we're, you know, while we're filming. And, erm, and it's been the same on set. You know, Arthur's now-- can now talk to his knights without them responding to him in French.
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with--with Merlin, though?
[Bradley leans in to hear better.]
INTERVIEWER
How has that affected his relationship with Merlin?
BRADLEY
Well, erm...I think, er...ultimately ,you know, er, Arthur and Merlin without them pro-- possibly ever admitting it, er, you know, they're kind of best friends, really. They, you know, they've been through so much together that, er, you know, they've--they've bonded and erm, I'd say, they probably wouldn't admit to that. Well, Arthur certainly--certainly wouldn't. But, erm, you know, it's er...I guess, if anything, the attention of er, you know, the negative attention that ARthur, you know, pours down on Merlin whenever he's in a bad mood has-- has probably, erm, you know, been spread out now towards the-- his knights. Erm, [chuckles] That's, erm, [more laughter] He's a great friend to have, yeah. He just turns up [...] for the day, and er... But I think this is the thing with Arthur is he's, erm, we're all aw-- we're all aware of-- of King Arthur and the character of legend and, you know, the very noble kind of heroic man that--that is, you know, spoken of and you usually thinking of King Arthur, erm, that's where it's going. We start to see more of that.
INTERVIEWER
The end of last season, um, the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere was pulled out of the closet and out into the open.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Finally. So...
BRADLEY
Finally!
[Interviewers laugh and Bradley pounds the table with a fist.]
INTERVIEWER
How will we see that evolve, then, in this season?
BRADLEY
Erm, well, I think...I think...er, while Uther's in town, there's always going to be an obstacle. Erm, I think-- I--I always say with Arthur is his first duty is to Camelot and that's why nothing's happened. And, erm, I think, er...it's one of those things that you'd have to make sure would be good for the kingdom before he ever acted on it. And, erm, with--with...with Guinevere, for Arthur, it's always Camelot, with Guinevere...there's Lancelot. So, that's--that's when it gets interesting. I think--I think that's--that's the story that, when we tell that, that'll be the, erm, you know, the thing that'll interest the fans the most, I think. 'Cause we're not-- Arthur and Guinevere isn't really a classic love story. It's not Romeo and Juliet. It's--it's...
INTERVIEWER
It's destined.
BRADLEY
It's--it's destined to be an absolute mess of a relationship. So, erm, you know, it's--it would be wrong to sort of define Arthur by--by that, I think, and, er, you know, I-- I don't think as a character [...] sort of says his first commitment is to Camelot.
INTERVIEWER
Now, with that--
INTERVIEWER
Do you think he's ready to fight for the relationships in his life? [...] fights for his relationship with his father, obviously, he loses his mind. Is he ready to fight for his relationships with either his sister, and Merlin who's his close friend, and even Gwen, the woman he loves [...].
BRADLEY
Yeah. I, erm, well, I--I suppose that--that touches on it, really. I think, erm...for Arthur, you know, Camelot pretty much...I think-- I think, er, if--if it kind of goes in line with that, I think--I think he's--he's open to fight for them. I-- there's an argument there, really, that, erm, you know, for example, with Merlin, he's...for all the--for all the grief that he gives him, he--he will stand up for Merlin. He will-- he will try and protect him, and for his father, he's always been so stringently loyal to his father, even though he knows that, you know, some of the things he's done have been wrong, he's, you know, he's always been very much about, er, you know, respecting his father, and-- and keeping him on the side. Erm, so, you know, Arthur's relationships with the various characters I think, erm...I...I guess as long as they work out for the--for the kingdom, they work out for Arthur.
INTERVIEWER
So, is he placing the value of the kingdom over all of his personal relationships?
BRADLEY
Well, I think that's maybe how he builds relationships. He sees, "Right, are you going to work for this? Yeah. You're-- you're on board. Come on." Erm, but, erm...I--I think it's, yeah, maybe marriages of convenience with--with his various relationships, perhaps.
INTERVIEWER
Now, Morgana was the closest to a sister.
BRADLEY
Yeah.
INTERVIEWER
You know, and for all those years, and he always was somewhat protective, giving her things...
BRADLEY (nods)
Oh, yeah.
INTERVIEWER
Is he missing her at all? Is there any...?
BRADLEY
Well, I-- do you know what? I-- this is where I become a fan, actually, is-- is I'm really looking forward to...the idea of them meeting up again. Erm...that' could go any-- in any direction. Erm, and for Arthur, you--you probably ask the question...erm, "does he still have, I suppose, that soft spot for her or has he just instantly turned and become, you know, anti-Morgana?" Erm, and I think, because of the years they spent growing up together, there's, perhaps, a case for the-- you know, that suggestion that they might still - for Arthur - he might still want to help her, er, for example. But, you know, I'll leave that to your imaginations to what-- what'll actually happen when they do-- they do finally meet.
INTERVIEWER (Craig)
How is Arthur going to react when Lancelot comes back to town?
BRADLEY
Erm, well...I...Arthur-- sorry, Lancelot being in town is--is..
***
BRADLEY
Well, the legends are very dark, erm, and Arthur and Lancelot were the best of friends, and, erm, in some legends that you read, Lancelot was in love with Arthur, and because he couldn't have him, he turned his attentions to Guinevere, because that was the only piece of Arthur he could have. Erm, we're not going to go down that road.
[laughter.]
INTERVIEWER
You're going to keep a screen there.
BRADLEY
It's, er...it's [...] Saturday night. For people in England, I don't know about America, but that might be a bit too...bit too much. Erm...
***
On the evolution of Arthur and Merlin's relationship:
[laughter]
BRADLEY
No. Why would you want to see that? Erm,
INTERVIEWER
...feel sorry for him.
BRADLEY
I'm sorry.
[Continued laughter.]
BRADLEY
He-- he milks it. That's really how it is. You know?
INTERVIEWER
What are we going to see?
BRADLEY
Yeah. He's treated nowhere near as-- as bad as I think people--people think. Erm...again, I think with Arthur and Merlin there, you know, their friendship is very much there. Erm, their relationship with me, what it-- what it is without the kind of banter that goes between back and forth between, and, erm, I think--I think, to be honest with you, I think, er, Merlin has to make a few step-- step ups before...that can develop too far. I use the example, erm, that he's still wearing the same clothes he wore when he turned up to the kingdom. Erm, which suggests, in terms of his status within--within--within the kingdom, that he's, you know, he's-- he's still a peasant, I think.
INTERVIEWER
Right.
BRADLEY
Erm...in that society, that's quite important, and er...
INTERVIEWER
They're pretty much confident in their friendship, so it can...you know.
BRADLEY
Exactly. I think, in terms of the rest of the kingdom respecting him, though, I--I-- that's-- that's obviously what holds back Arthur when it comes to respecting...
[End of interview]