Emily Watson, one of the stars of the Oscar nominated movie War Horse, took a minute out of her busy awards packed schedule to chat with GlobalGrind!
LIST: The Oscar Nominations 2012 Movie Cheat Sheet!
In the film based upon the novel by Michael Morpurgo, Emily plays Rose, the owner of a beloved horse. Rose constantly tries to do what’s right for her family – even if it’s the hardest thing in the world.
Although she knows how much her son loves his horse, Joey, she makes the decision to sell him because their family needs the money.
This, you could imagine, stirs up some serious family rifts!
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In our interview, Emily dishes about her character in the film, how it was working with the iconic Steven Spielberg, as well as her co-star Jeremy Irvine, and her hopes for the movie.
Check out the interview below!
What were your thoughts on Steven Spielberg’s adaption of the story?
Emily Watson: Steve Spielberg, to me, is quintessentially an American filmmaker and he has made a film that is so British, which I think is amazing. It goes directly and totally cuts to the chase to the DNA of that war and that conflict.
Tell me a little bit about that character you play in the film.
I play Rosie in the film, who is the mother of Albert, the kid who grows up with his horse. She is trying to keep the farm together.
Her husband is a drunk and he’s gambled away their money and brought up a thoroughbred horse instead of a plow horse.
He’s doing his best to ruin them really, but she loves him because she understands why he’s doing it, and she understands where he’s coming from. He is the victim of conflict. He’s been through another war and he is very damaged by war and she loves him and supports him.
How was it working opposite Jeremy Irvine?
Watching Jeremy, he plays Albert…it’s his first film. Watching him grow and learn, it was so beautiful and tender and he was so passionate about it and so idealistic, which is lovely to see in a young actor. You quite often see the opposite of that and it was beautiful to watch.
What was it like working with such an international ensemble cast?
What’s lovely about the film is the way that he’s put these beautiful actors together. All the Brits are played by Brits, the Germans are played by Germans, the French by French.
It’s got a really genuine feel about it and not in a Euro putting kind of way, but this war was everywhere. And the horse doesn’t speak German, he doesn’t speak French, doesn’t speak English and he is loved by everybody.
What are your hopes for this film?
I think it’s pretty universal really. I went to see the play and it was a matinee and it was full of pensioners, old people for whom this was their parents – possibly living memory. It was electric!
But likewise, the kids at my daughters’ school are beside themselves with excitement because this is such a loved book amongst kids of now. Michael Morpurgo is huge in schools and this is such a loved book.
