Clive Owen Interview 2 Previous by Martyn Palmer Clive, 39,  was born in Keresley, near Coventry, and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. After college he joined the Young Vic and  worked extensively on British television - including starring in the hit series Chancer and later, Second Sight. His films have included the highly acclaimed Croupier with Alex Kingston, directed by Mike Hodges, Bent, The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon, Robert Altman's critical success, Gosford Park, on which he was part of a glittering ensemble cast, the contemporary thriller Beyond Borders with Angelina Jolie and more recently, Closer, with Julia Roberts and Jude Law. Clive has also featured in a series of short films for BMW cars. King Arthur is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and also stars Keira Knightley as Guinevere, Stephen Dillane as Merlin and Stellan Skarsgard as Cedric, the ruthless Saxon commander. Clive lives in England with his wife, actress Sarah-Jane Fenton, and their two children. Q Antoine Fuqua said it was difficult shoot in Ireland, especially the changeable weather.. A That is true. But having experienced filming in Scotland and other places in Britain, I think we were pretty lucky really. I think the weather held up pretty amazingly. There were a few days that were tough and inconsistent but on the whole the weather was pretty stable. I would say on the whole we were pretty damn lucky. Q It's an interesting take on the Arthurian legend.. A It certainly is. I liked the premise, the way the story is based, the idea that this elite group of knights are given their last mission, which is the mission from hell, and it felt very dynamic, a very strong take on the story and a very different look at the legend of King Arthur. I was also a big fan of Training Day, Antoine's film, and I thought he was a very interesting choice to shoot this movie, it was an unusual way to go because of his shooting style, which is dynamic and pretty edgy. I just felt that it just looked like an interesting project to get involved with. Q How different is this version of the legend of King Arthur to the ones we've seen in films in the past? A It's completely different. I don't think anyone will have seen a King Arthur like this one. You know, David Franzoni (writer) is a bit of a research buff and he's really researched this period and has set it much earlier than we are used to seeing the whole King Arthur story set. We're now in the dark ages, and he has set it in a real political context in terms of Romans pulling out of Britain and it's a much rougher version, a much less romantic version of the Arthur story. Usually we associate King Arthur with Medieval times - but not in our story. Q Can you tell us about Arthur as you play him? A He is half Roman, half Briton - his father is Roman and his mother British. And at the beginning of the film he feels much more his Roman side and holds Rome very dear and what Rome stands for. But Rome is changing and as it does and as the Empire is beginning to crumble and they are pulling out of Britain, he starts to think that what Rome stands for is changing. And the film for him is really a journey of taking on his British side really and realising that everything isn't as it seems with the Roman side. And you know he eventually becomes a man of his people, a man from where he is - which is Britain. Next		Home Interviews Antoine Fuqua Interview King Arthur Interview Arv Grewal Interview Asia Argento Interview Behind the Scenes of "War of the Worlds" Bernie Goldmann Interview Clive Owen Interview Dakota Fanning Interview Dennis Hopper Interview George A Romero Interview Greg Nicotero Interview The Hulk Press Conference Ang Lee Press Conference Ioan Gruffudd Interview John Leguizamo Interview Kathleen Kennedy Interview Keira Knightley Interview