
As some of you may know, Sam Claflin was interviewed on Future Radio this morning! For those of you who weren’t able to hear, you can finally listen to the full interview!
Future Radio Interview
(We apologize ahead of time if the following isn’t 100% identical to what Sam/Future Radio says)
SC: Before I got the part? No, no. Funnily enough, when I first went to see the first The Hunger Games, the original, I had no idea that it was a trilogy. I had no idea it was based on books. I just knew there was a big hype around – you know it was being called the new Twilight. And what have you. So I think I was curious as to what this big thing, this… You know, I was very curious. And kind of got the audition for this part of Finnick Odair. I was in Los Angeles. I remember saying ‘Who the hell is this Finnick?’ And I tried to go on Wikipedia and do as much research as possible prior to my first audition, and luckily I was kind of steered in the right direction by the casting director and the director himself. Between the moment that I was sort of offered the part and I was kind of trying to work out the smaller details as the contracts and what have you, I read the books and I read them in five days. Couldn’t quite help but turn the page and keep reading, you know, you can’t just put it down.
SC: There was definitely a conversation that I had with the director. He was one of the first people I met when I first arrived in America. We had a sit-down, we talked through the script, through the novels and about the previous film. I knew that he wasn’t the director on that but we talked about the flaws and ways of improving or developing the characters’ arc. And obviously, the unfortunate thing about a film version is that they are trying to make it accessible to a younger audience. There are certain aspects you can’t include, one being, Finnick Odair wearing just the net, not covering his crotch – that was something that we couldn’t, unfortunately, include but you know, I’m scantily clad. Hopefully people will still be happy. It was quite, kind of – being able to have this kind of discussion with the director and with other cast members as well, you know, talking about how our character arc together and journey that we all go on. You know, it’s invaluable, really – you have to kind of really take that and use that and make the most of it.
SC: Yeah, I mean. From the beginning I knew that I was gonna have to be doing an American accent. It’s okay. I’ve left Norwich now, I’m all cool. I have to work on it.make the most of it.
SC: Yeah, it’s – but when I was on set, there was obviously times that knowing that I would, you know, speak a lot, I would kind of try and keep the accent going when they say ‘Cut’, you know to kind of keep it in my brain. But I was also ’cause I was surrounded by Americans, that it was a lot easier to kinda come by. It wasn’t too much of an issue, I don’t think . There was a couple of moments that the director would say ‘Sam – you said that completely wrong’ ‘Oh God, sorry!’ But then, you know, that’s something that I can do in post-production and we can re-record things. Not really a big big deal.
SC: I’d love to say that we all took it very seriously, we were very professional – and we are, you know, when we have to be, when we need to be. When they say ‘Action’ we’re all switched on. Everyone’s at positions, everyone’s doing the right thing. However, you know, the moment they say ‘Cut’, like the in-between takes, that time we spend kinda being very mischievous, like all of us were super hyper. It was for the director to kind of take that on board. I do not envy him. As a collective, we were a nightmare but individually, I think, we were all good. But no, I mean, the subject matter is something that I personally loved. You know, I’m surprised that it kind of touched base with so many teenagers. You know it’s one of those things – it’s about kids killing each other. And you know, the books are a lot more gruesome as opposed in the first film. But they have to make it accessible to that young audience, so it’s tough. It really is tough. Kind of make the most of what they have, what they can have.
SC: It does. You can’t help but let it, you know – it’s one of those things that go through you, it goes straight through you. I mean, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Even Jennifer Lawrence is just, you know, one golden girl and what have you. I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the best actors that are living. You know, from Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz to Ian McShane. It’s ridiculous the list of names that I have worked with. But you know, I know I’m very, very lucky to be in the situation that I am. Some of my friends in drama school haven’t worked since drama school, and you know, you kind of just have to put it down to luck really.
SC: There really have. This is actually questionable how much I can talk about ’cause I was specifically asked not to mention some of the accidents that happened there. Let’s just say I’m a very, very clumsy person. There was fall after fall after fall – I mean we basically, me and Francis, the director, we were laughing that there will be a whole DVD extra, you know, a whole DVD on its own for the blooper reel just for me. Because every time he’d say ‘Action’, you know just before he’d let the fire, I’d slip over or I’d fall – even when I’m standing still, I’d manage to fall over so um, there were plenty of accidents. My dad would probably tell you on the private.
FR: Well last thing before you do go, last week’s top 10 movies, being Les Mis, Life Of Pie, and coming up soon we’ve got the Oscars and Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln. Which one do you think will win out of those?
SC: Well the most depressing thing is i’ve not seen one of those films yet and when you’ve kind of been away from home and once you get home there’s so much that I have to sort out. It’s quite tough to get to the cimema. I have a friend who is in Les Miserables, Eddie Redmayne, who I worked with in Pillars Of The Earth, so I have to swing that way and also when I was a lot younger I did Les Miserables school audition in Norwhich and so again I have to go with that?
FR: Who did you play in Les Mis?
SC: I did it twice. One, I did my high school and I played Javert, the Russell Crowe part and the other I played (could not understand the next part)
FR: Do you think you can sing a little bit better than Russell Crowe?
SC: You know, from what i’ve seen, I hope so (laughs) but you know i’m not the best judge I have to say.
FR: Well Sam, I think we’d all like to say a massive thank you and Hunger Games is out later this year and we look forward to it very much and wish you all the best in your career for 2013 and beyond, so thank you.
And as for us.. as usual we were just totally ecstatic to hear this interview. Sam is obviously interesting, genuine, and down to Earth.. tons of success coming his way!