RICHARD ROXBURGH

Edited trnascript of the live chat with Richard Roxburgh on Tuesday June 30, 1999
Richard spoke about his controversial role in Passion and his current film project, Mission Impossible II.

Interviewer: Richard has just come from introducing the premiere of the film at the Dendy Cinema, which is playing to the first commercial audience as we speak in Sydney. Welcome Richard.
Richard Roxburgh: Hello.

Interviewer: How has your role in Passion helped your career so far?
Richard Roxburgh: Well, it only just opened tonight so um - there's been a lot of sensationalist interest about the sadomasochistic elements of the film so I suppose that those people might be pricking up their ears about me a bit! It's about an Australian composer called Percy Grainger who was deeply complex and nutty fellow who lived in the early 20th century in Australia.

Interviewer: How did you find working with Barbara Hershey and Emily Woof?
Richard Roxburgh: Great - both get very good report cards from me. Both professionally and as people.

Interviewer: How about working with the director, Peter Duncan?
Richard Roxburgh: Well Pete and I have a quite a few films in common - the last film that I did with him was called Children of the Revolution and we're very tight friends.

Interviewer: Does that make it easier or harder?
Richard Roxburgh: With Pete it only makes it easier I think - I can imagine with certain friends it could make things difficult - with Peter it's always been great.

Interviewer: Did you know anything about Percy Grainger before?
Richard Roxburgh: I knew he was the pianist who was kinky and wrote in "In an English Country Garden".

Interviewer: You did a lot of work on the piano training for the role. Tell us a bit about that.
Richard Roxburgh: Well - it was probably more painful if anything than my experiences in sadomasochistic training with the Dominatrix who I had to see for the film and because this is the Internet you can't see it but I only have stumps where I once had fingers - I wanted to type!

Interviewer: Qui-Gon asks - Richard, Are you the real Richard Roxburgh?
Richard Roxburgh: Yes I am - I grew up on the Hume highway in Albury-Wodonga and my dog's name was Lily.

Interviewer: Waddy asks - Are you enjoying your time with Miranda Otto
Richard Roxburgh: Yes I would like to have more time with Miranda Otto.

Interviewer: How did you get the role in Mission Impossible II? Tell us about the role.
Richard Roxburgh: Tom and Nicole came and saw a play I did - I think that's were it originally sprang from probably at Sydney Theatre Company last year - then I met the producer in Los Angeles at the end of last year.

Interviewer: Is Tom Cruise easy to get along with?
Richard Roxburgh: Extremely.

Interviewer: HAL9000 asks - Richard, any comments on the rumour why Tom Cruise got rid of Australian film crew on the set of Mission Impossible and flew in his own team from USA?
Richard Roxburgh: Can't really talk about it - uh your computer may self-destruct.

Interviewer: Crystal asks - Excuse me Mr Roxburgh, I was wanting to know what kind of television shows you've been on?????
Richard Roxburgh: I was one called "Blue Murder" which was a mini-series about crooked cops but it hasn't been screened in NSW for legal reasons.

Interviewer: Do you know Nicole Kidman well?
Richard Roxburgh: Yeah - I'm working with her on her next project in Baz Luhmann's new film.

Interviewer: Are you doing any of your own stunts?
Richard Roxburgh: Haven't got to stunts yet - but I've been doing my own walking :)

Interviewer: What's the best role you've ever played?
Richard Roxburgh: Hamlet at Belvoir St with Geoffrey Rush as Horatio and Cate Blanchett as Ophelia.

Interviewer: What's the worst role?
Richard Roxburgh: The worst role was the Wolf in a production that Geoffrey Rush directed - to his shame - of a play called "The Wolf's Banquet".

Interviewer: Do you have a professional role model - or which actors do you like most?
Richard Roxburgh: I wouldn't really say I have a role model - but there are a lot of actors who I really respect.

Interviewer: Who has had the biggest impact on your life - and on your career?
Richard Roxburgh: Probably my Mother - in professional terms probably Neil Armfield who is a director of the Belvoir St Theatre Company.

Interviewer: Barry asks - Richard, with Anthony Hopkins on a five day role in the movie, every second mattered - was there a real no time wasting attitude when he was around.?
Richard Roxburgh: I wasn't actually working when Anthony Hopkins was out here and in fact didn't even get to meet him but I imagine they were cracking the whip!

Interviewer: What do you like to do to when relaxing?
Richard Roxburgh: Grind my teeth!!

Interviewer: Are you a domestic, home lover or a party guy?
Richard Roxburgh: I've been a fairly domesticated animal for the last few months because I was overseas last year.

Interviewer: Do you think you'll move to America to break into the market there.
Richard Roxburgh: I really like working in Australia and want to Direct as well here there's a film that I'm working on that I'm going to direct here in the next 2 years. But there does come a time when you need to work more offshore.

Interviewer: Can you remember the most embarrassing incident on a set?
Richard Roxburgh: Yes - definitely. When we were filming Passion which is premiering tonight, a woman who was drunk, came up to me when we were filming in Bath and said "You're Richard Roxburgh aren't you? I met you at Peter (the Director's) wedding I just didn't recognise you with that nose on - and that wig".

Interviewer: Gatekeeper asks - Mr Roxburgh a look on the future, when they begin choosing actors, will you try and get a part in the 2 up-coming star wars movies, being shot in Sydney?
Richard Roxburgh: No.

Interviewer: Foxi asks - What goes on in you're head while you're playing the part??
Richard Roxburgh: Hopefully exactly what is going on in the head of the character at the time.

Interviewer: miss33 asks - I read somewhere that you were meant to star in Art. How come that fell through?
Richard Roxburgh: Because I did Mission Impossible.

Interviewer: Jonathon asks - Have you found the American scene hard to enter?
Richard Roxburgh: I haven't really tried - but it is good being able to live in Coogee

Interviewer: It must be difficult to inhabit a character like Percy Grainger, how did you do it?
Richard Roxburgh: Read a lot about him - um got myself whipped, learnt the Piano and some phrases in Danish and that was the start.

Interviewer: miss33 asks - are you planning on doing any more theatre soon?
Richard Roxburgh: I'm desperate too - I feel really deprived when I'm not doing it. I'm figuring out a play to direct at Belvoir St next year.

Interviewer: Gatekeeper asks - Mr Roxburgh, in response to your answer why would you not want one of the parts in the new Starwars films, they are being shot here and have made a lot of money for all of the actors and actresses?.
Richard Roxburgh: I guess because I like to do something a little simpler than a big latex drama.

Interviewer: spm asks - Did you spend much time at the Grainger Museum reading Percy's letters and did this type of research help you to get to the heart of his character.
Richard Roxburgh: Exactly - I tried to spend as much time as I could while I was in Melbourne, um looking through the boxes of Percy memorabilia - there's just so much of the bloody stuff that the more I read in some ways the more difficult it became.

Interviewer: Jonathon asks - How difficult have you found trying to mask your Australian accent and replace it with other accents, particularly American accents?
Richard Roxburgh: I haven't had to play an American except on stage - but I guess I've always regarded it as one of the things that I particularly enjoy.

Interviewer: Barry asks - If you are not nervous when you are performing, then you are not truly committing yourself to the role. How much truth is there in this for yourself?
Richard Roxburgh: I don't think there's any truth in that. Hopefully on opening night you'd feel some nerves - or it may not matter enough - but the normal state of being is not one of neurosis.

Interviewer: What is your worst nightmare - your biggest fear?
Richard Roxburgh: Mediocrity and snakes.

Interviewer: Do you play sport? Which one/s?
Richard Roxburgh: Bending the elbow, do you know that?

Interviewer: Gatekeeper asks - Mr Roxburgh if you can pick one defining moment in your career, what would it be??.
Richard Roxburgh: It was probably during Hamlet.

Interviewer: Who is your favorite co-star- besides Miranda Otto?
Richard Roxburgh: Uh - many. Geoffrey Rush, I loved working with my two Ophelia's - Jackie Mackenzie and Cate Blanchett.

Interviewer: spm asks - What is it about Hamlet that makes it such a pivotal point in your career?
Richard Roxburgh: It's just such a mountain that if you can get through it - you feel like you've really changed some balance in your life - and it felt like it made sense.

Interviewer: MovieBuff asks - What is it like working with John Woo?
Richard Roxburgh: John Woo ( this is a little known thing about him) is bloody hilarious. He demonstrates to you how to do little moments - and they are priceless.

Interviewer: Are you on the internet and what do you think about its impact?
Richard Roxburgh: Yeah I am on the "net - I'm reserving judgement. I don't like the television at all so I I'm wary of the 'net.

Interviewer: What other projects are you committed to now?
Richard Roxburgh: Baz Luhmann's next film - which starts straight after Mission Impossible.

Interviewer: Thank you very much - your limo is waiting to go to the party at a secret location and we appreciate your time very much.
Richard Roxburgh: Thanks - it's the best way to be interviewed. go see the movie :)

Interviewer: We wish you all the very best for Passion and for the future.

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