E-mail a friendEric Bana
airdate February 29, 2008
In his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, Eric Bana was a popular class clown, who also won school talent contests. With a stand-up and sketch comedy background, he's proven himself to be a versatile actor, capable of comedic, action and dramatic roles. His film breakthrough came in the indie, Chopper, and led to roles in such features as Black Hawk Down, Troy and Munich. He currently stars in the feature, The Other Boleyn Girl. Bana also loves "all things automotive" and races both bikes and cars.
Eric Bana
Tavis: I'm pleased to welcome Eric Bana back to this program. The talented actor's film resume includes "Black Hawk Down," "Troy" and "Munich." His latest in theaters today is "The Other Boleyn Girl." The film also stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Here now a scene from "The Other Boleyn Girl."
[Film Clip]
Tavis: So who died and made you king (laughter)?
Eric Bana: I know. Very lucky man.
Tavis: Nice to see you.
Bana: Yeah. Thanks for having me.
Tavis: You're the king this time around.
Bana: It's pretty special. I mean, it's not the sort of role that comes around every day. I guess they come around every probably ten or twenty years, that sort of film. So I'm very fortunate.
Tavis: It's based on a very popular novel, but give the backstory of what the screenplay is all about.
Bana: Yeah, it's by Philippa Gregory's novel by the same name, you know. It deals with basically the relationship between the two sisters, Anne and Mary, and most people are very familiar with Anne Boleyn who was, of course, the famous wife of Henry VIII who was beheaded by the king. But not a lot is known about Mary, so this story basically deals with the two girls and I guess the supporting role as the king.
Tavis: This is the first time you've done something like this. I mean, where you're involved in a period piece. What are the particular challenges, the unique challenges, of doing a period piece like this, if there are, as opposed to doing something more contemporary?
Bana: Yeah, it is interesting. I guess the first thing is, history being the way it is, there is so much information, so you can drown yourself in knowledge. You know, you can research until the cows come home. That sometimes can be overwhelming, so it's a matter of, you know, disseminating that and working out a priority and then also dispensing with it and trying to concentrate on what it is that you find essential for the character.
Tavis: How did you, then, how does Eric Bana prepare for a role like this playing the king?
Bana: Well, you ideally want a good amount of time, which I had a good amount of time for this one. I looked at history. I deliberately didn't look at anyone else's Henry VIII because I thought that would just be too confusing. You know, it's restricting enough playing someone who was real to then be influenced by other peoples' portrayal of that person is very confusing.
So I just studied as much as I could and spent a lot of time with Justin Chadwick, our director, talking about, well, just who is this man at the center of the story and also trying to almost ignore the fact that he was the king, that it was more about his relationship with these two women. So essentially it's just a man.
Tavis: Speaking of that relationship, again, the story is very popular. The novel has been around for a while, obviously. What did you learn? What do you take away from the story line now that you didn't know prior to doing the role?
Bana: Well, mainly Mary's progression and the existence of her, but I guess it was also just how cutthroat and how tough it was back then. I mean, true, the times were unbelievable for everybody and the things that people would do in order to get ahead and to achieve wealth and security and so forth. So a lot of that was new to me. So it was really interesting.
Tavis: That sounds a bit like a parallel to the time that we live today.
Bana: Well, I think that's why these stories get retold. I think each generation deserves the right to say, "Hey, that's kind of like us today," so I'm sure it's a story that will probably get, you know, told by my kids' generation as well. I think you're right. I think there are parallels and everyone sort of likes to claim the rights to these sort of stories.
Tavis: When we were running the clip just a few minutes ago, I was studying you preparing for the clip to end and I'm watching the clip this way. There's a monitor over here, so I'm watching the clip this way. Your head is wandering everywhere around this room but on the screen. You're looking back at the backdrop. You're looking at the lighting. You're looking at my crew.
Bana: Well, I've only been here once before, Tavis, and I'm still new to this, sort of checking it out.
Tavis: (Laughter) You looked everywhere except the monitor and I raise that only because it gave me the impression, at least, that you don't like looking at yourself or maybe you didn't like the clip. What was that about?
Bana: I'm usually okay the first time I see a movie and then, after that, it just becomes excruciating, to be honest. So I have seen the clip and I love Scarlett's work in the clip.
Tavis: (Laughter) It's easy to love Scarlett's work, yeah.
Bana: Yeah, and I don't want to be reinvigorated by the clip. That was a day at the office.
Tavis: (Laughter) I'm just curious now. What's excruciating about watching yourself for you?
Bana: Well, I think the first time, I do have the ability the first time I watch a film that I'm in to completely forget that it's me. I really do. You know, there's so much that goes on, you know, the magic of moviemaking and the editing and the score and I so love cinematography and I so love what the sound design is doing and everyone that puts in their craft. I'm so appreciative of that, so when I watch a film, I really do get caught up in that and I do see myself as just as a vehicle in the movie.
The second time, that's not the case. The second time, I will just really hone in on the guy that looks like me and be my own worst critic, which is healthy, but then it gets to the point where, you know, if you were to do it enough, you may never work again.
Tavis: Yeah, that's a good point. That's why I don't watch myself. I want to keep working every day and not see things I hate every day. When did you know that this was for you, the acting thing? You've grown up in Australia. When did you know that this was it?
Bana: You know, I think there were a few kinds of pivotal moments. I grew up with not a lot of arts around me. I grew up in a very, very sort of blue collar industrial part of town. I had a very sort of sporty upbringing. I played football at school and basketball and I was into cars.
The arts was not a very predominant thing. I used to love watching television and I love movies, but I never really, really felt like it was for me until I got a little older and I used to, you know, send up kids at school and teachers and so forth.
Then one day, someone took me to see Dame Edna live, wonderful Barry Humphries. He plays this character, Dame Edna Everage. It was the first time for me I'd been exposed to proper live theater.
I was sitting in the audience just being completely transported in a way that I hadn't been by a movie and I just felt a really powerful experience and felt really motivated by it and thought, well, maybe there's something in that for me. Maybe that's a world that I can head towards.
Then you have those pivotal moments. Now "The Deer Hunter" was a big film for me. "Mad Max" was a big film for me and it just kind of snowballed until I had the courage to, you know, put my chin out and have a go at it.
Tavis: How do you know when you've nailed the character that you want to play? I ask that against the backdrop again of you not wanting to watch yourself. But when you're in the moment or post the moment, how do you know that you delivered - beyond the director saying, "That was great, Eric," how does Eric know that you delivered what you wanted to do with that scene?
Bana: Well, the most frustrating this is when you feel like you've delivered what you want to deliver and it's not there.
Tavis: (Laughter) Yeah.
Bana: Because that can happen. You know, you get so in the moment and I really like to feel for the character. My biggest joy from acting comes from, you know, being in the middle of the scene or preparing for the scene and then doing it and feeling what I'm supposed to be feeling as that character and just being transported.
So when you're then told that it doesn't read, it's very confusing. I will quite often use playback. I quite often say to a director at the beginning of the film, "Don't be shy to show me playback because I get so into it that I'll always trust you. So if you say it's not there, I'll do another take, but you might want to show me, you know, just how bad it is." (laughter)
So it can get confusing. But I usually just try and go with that, try and go with my gut, but I'll always trust the director. If he says it's not there, it's the director's medium. You got to go until I've got what they want.
Tavis: Did I read about another project? Is it Romulus? Another project you worked? Tell me about it. Am I right about this?
Bana: Yeah, "Romulus, My Father."
Tavis: "Romulus, My Father," exactly.
Bana: It's a little pet project of mine that we did back in Australia, very small film based on a true story, based on the memoir by the same name, and I play a character by the name of Romulus who is a European migrant who comes to Australia to settle with his wife and child and has a very, very difficult time of it. And whilst it's set in Australia, it's a quintessential struggling migrant tale. His wife is a manic depressant and he has a very hard time of it. It was a really wonderful experience and a wonderful film.
Tavis: How do you go about making choices these days? Because you got, you know, big budget stuff on the one hand that gets your attention and then small projects like "Romulus, My Father" on the other hand. How do you make those choices?
Bana: Well, you know, I hope people believe me when I say this, but when you put those projects on a table and it's a pile of scripts, they're all the same size. So it really is that simple. I just read as much as I possibly can and just say yes to the ones that I love the most.
I'm usually oblivious to location, budget, size, whether it's overly dramatic, whether it's a leading role or supporting role. I just fall in love with the character or I don't and just take it from there. I've never been really talked into a project and I've never been talked out of a project once I've decided to do it.
Tavis: Well, he's made some good choices and he's made another good choice. It's called "The Other Boleyn Girl" starring, of course, Eric Bana, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Eric, nice to have you on the program.
Bana: Thanks for having me back.
Tavis: Glad to have you back. Come back again.
Back to February 29, 2008