Alexander Skarsgård
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All the things I want to comment on are coming so fast and furious that I forget to comment when I see them, but thank you for this. The reason this interview is so good is that they actually did some research and didn't ask the usual, typical questions. Hence, a more interesting interview with info I had never heard about. Thanks for finding this.
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Review from the Herald Standard
Tarzan, revised: New film swings beyond troubled past
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarzan may be among America's classic fictional characters, but he's not beyond reproach.
Like so many well-worn tales, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan was borne of a vastly different time more than 100 years ago, when narratives rooted in colonialism, white saviors and African stereotypes were the norm. Throughout the decades, Tarzan also became a staple of Hollywood — there have been 52 authorized films and seven television series that have told the tales of the King of the Jungle.
For a bygone era, he's the model romantic adventurer. Today, he's a blemish on the history of literature and film.
"The Legend of Tarzan ," out Friday, is the first big-budget studio attempt to take on the character in the modern CGI world. Not only does the Warner Bros. film show feats of derring-do that not so long ago could only be imagined, but it also endeavors to spin a more contemporary story for today's sensibilities.
As with Hollywood's other recent adaptations of beloved tales stories with outmoded values, the "Tarzan" filmmakers did the delicate dance of trying to both preserve its original spirit while also correcting or even discarding its problematic origins. Their approach was to infuse the story with historical perspective, then bake it all into an action-adventure worthy of the superhero generation.
Though there are those who would sooner see Tarzan left for the ages, the character's roots are so deep that they've become archetypal.
"Edgar Rice Burroughs just tapped into a primal myth of humanity," said Scott Tracy Griffin, author of "Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration" and the forthcoming "Tarzan on Film." "He is an orphan who is stranded and must find a way to his manhood and to reclaim his legacy."
He also acknowledged those troubling origins.
Alexander Skarsgård, the latest leading man to do the Tarzan yodel, noted too that "people have always been very fascinated by our more animalistic side and the notion of the noble savage."
"At the time it was written, the way people in Western Europe and in America viewed indigenous people was quite horrific and it was quite common. It was widespread, the notion that they were an inferior race," Skarsgård said. "It was very obviously important to steer away from the notion of like the white man coming down to Africa to save all the black people because they can't save themselves ... the movie is about them kicking the colonizing force out of the country."
This film introduces Tarzan at mid-life — already married to Jane (Margot Robbie) and living in England as Lord Greystoke — long past his vine-swinging days. When he receives an invitation from King Leopold to visit the Congo and see the Belgian leader's work there, it's George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) who convinces him to go and find out what's really happening to the native people.
The injection of Williams — a real-life historian and Civil War veteran who exposed atrocities of the Congo — into the Tarzan mythology helped director David Yates ground it in a historical context. It also helped them turn away from some of the story's less palatable elements.
"It wasn't difficult to jettison those very old-fashioned aspects of the story because it doesn't belong to our century," Yates said.
Jackson sees this Tarzan as purely naturalistic; a character whose unique worldview transcends political mores.
"Even though the enslavement is there and you see it and he's there to right that injustice," he said. "He's part of a world where he is integrated into that society and he understands his place in it ... It's a story of somebody who's environmentally correct and humanly correct with that particular world.
Tarzan has been around so long that adjusting to the times has been as integral to his longevity as hanging vines.
"Producers have been able to tap into whatever is going on in society and put Tarzan into that," said Griffin. In the 1950s, there was a clear Western inspiration in the films, which gave way to a James Bond sensibility in the 1960s, he said.
Even Disney had a take, although that 1999 animated film just sidestepped native populations altogether. "The Legend of Tarzan" is certainly something new, and perhaps the most aggressive effort to right the wrongs, while still keeping Tarzan in the zeitgeist.
Yet there are those who believe Tarzan should be left in the past.
"In some ways it would be like trying to remake 'Gone With the Wind' now," said Todd Boyd, professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. "It's just a very old set of images rooted in an old history that I think is really hard to redeem ... You can certainly dress it up with technology now. You can also cast it in such a way that it's more diverse. But I just think that some things are perhaps beyond redemption."
Associated Press writer Nicole Evatt contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.heraldstandard.com/enter...cle_3c2fbda5-ee48-5542-a75c-48cb4320cc0b.html
Tarzan, revised: New film swings beyond troubled past
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarzan may be among America's classic fictional characters, but he's not beyond reproach.
Like so many well-worn tales, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan was borne of a vastly different time more than 100 years ago, when narratives rooted in colonialism, white saviors and African stereotypes were the norm. Throughout the decades, Tarzan also became a staple of Hollywood — there have been 52 authorized films and seven television series that have told the tales of the King of the Jungle.
For a bygone era, he's the model romantic adventurer. Today, he's a blemish on the history of literature and film.
"The Legend of Tarzan ," out Friday, is the first big-budget studio attempt to take on the character in the modern CGI world. Not only does the Warner Bros. film show feats of derring-do that not so long ago could only be imagined, but it also endeavors to spin a more contemporary story for today's sensibilities.
As with Hollywood's other recent adaptations of beloved tales stories with outmoded values, the "Tarzan" filmmakers did the delicate dance of trying to both preserve its original spirit while also correcting or even discarding its problematic origins. Their approach was to infuse the story with historical perspective, then bake it all into an action-adventure worthy of the superhero generation.
Though there are those who would sooner see Tarzan left for the ages, the character's roots are so deep that they've become archetypal.
"Edgar Rice Burroughs just tapped into a primal myth of humanity," said Scott Tracy Griffin, author of "Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration" and the forthcoming "Tarzan on Film." "He is an orphan who is stranded and must find a way to his manhood and to reclaim his legacy."
He also acknowledged those troubling origins.
Alexander Skarsgård, the latest leading man to do the Tarzan yodel, noted too that "people have always been very fascinated by our more animalistic side and the notion of the noble savage."
"At the time it was written, the way people in Western Europe and in America viewed indigenous people was quite horrific and it was quite common. It was widespread, the notion that they were an inferior race," Skarsgård said. "It was very obviously important to steer away from the notion of like the white man coming down to Africa to save all the black people because they can't save themselves ... the movie is about them kicking the colonizing force out of the country."
This film introduces Tarzan at mid-life — already married to Jane (Margot Robbie) and living in England as Lord Greystoke — long past his vine-swinging days. When he receives an invitation from King Leopold to visit the Congo and see the Belgian leader's work there, it's George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) who convinces him to go and find out what's really happening to the native people.
The injection of Williams — a real-life historian and Civil War veteran who exposed atrocities of the Congo — into the Tarzan mythology helped director David Yates ground it in a historical context. It also helped them turn away from some of the story's less palatable elements.
"It wasn't difficult to jettison those very old-fashioned aspects of the story because it doesn't belong to our century," Yates said.
Jackson sees this Tarzan as purely naturalistic; a character whose unique worldview transcends political mores.
"Even though the enslavement is there and you see it and he's there to right that injustice," he said. "He's part of a world where he is integrated into that society and he understands his place in it ... It's a story of somebody who's environmentally correct and humanly correct with that particular world.
Tarzan has been around so long that adjusting to the times has been as integral to his longevity as hanging vines.
"Producers have been able to tap into whatever is going on in society and put Tarzan into that," said Griffin. In the 1950s, there was a clear Western inspiration in the films, which gave way to a James Bond sensibility in the 1960s, he said.
Even Disney had a take, although that 1999 animated film just sidestepped native populations altogether. "The Legend of Tarzan" is certainly something new, and perhaps the most aggressive effort to right the wrongs, while still keeping Tarzan in the zeitgeist.
Yet there are those who believe Tarzan should be left in the past.
"In some ways it would be like trying to remake 'Gone With the Wind' now," said Todd Boyd, professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. "It's just a very old set of images rooted in an old history that I think is really hard to redeem ... You can certainly dress it up with technology now. You can also cast it in such a way that it's more diverse. But I just think that some things are perhaps beyond redemption."
Associated Press writer Nicole Evatt contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.heraldstandard.com/enter...cle_3c2fbda5-ee48-5542-a75c-48cb4320cc0b.html
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Movie Review: 'The Legend of Tarzan'
Our Rating 3/5 Stars
Think Tarzan, and those old enough will remember the chest-thumping jungle dwelling icon in those black-and-white TV reruns giving his signature yell. Ron Ely played him in the ‘60s; Christopher Lambert was ‘Greystoke’ and then Disney animated him in 1999.
The Lord of The Jungle returns to the big screen, this time with Hollywood hunk Alexander Skarsgard putting on the loincloth.
We see Tarzan, now John Clayton living the charmed life in England with his wife Jane Porter (Margot Robbie). During a meeting with some important-looking men, he’s invited back to the Congo as an envoy for the Crown.
He declined the offer but when he hears from George Washington Williams, an American soldier played by Samuel L. Jackson, that Belgian colonists have instituted slavery in the Congo, he agrees to return, reluctantly allowing Jane to come along. Unbeknownst to him, he is just a pawn in a conspiracy hatched by sinister Belgian envoy Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz).
But those behind the plot have no idea what they’re unleashing when, instead of Tarzan, they capture the one person for whom he would lay down his life for — Jane.
“Me Tarzan, you Jane. Me save people from bad men.” Basically, that's what Tarzan does here -- sans primitive speak, of course.
David Yates (director of the final four ‘Harry Potter’ films) takes the iconic vine-swinging character beyond what we might expect.
Skarsgard succeeds in portraying a conflicted man whose heart still belongs in the jungle. The actor also eschews the furrowed brow brutish approach by Christopher Lambert in 1984’s ‘Greystoke’, giving his John/Tarzan a hint of gravitas.
While the Tarzan of author Edgar Rice Burroughs creation serves as a cultural meme or prism of its time, director Yates and his team of writers steers clear of the overused ‘white saviour’ trope.
The addition of Jackson’s Williams is a clever device by the filmmakers to lend some credence to the story by giving it a semi-historical slant as well as framing it as a buddy action-adventure romp.
Jackson’s George Washington Williams is based on a real African-American soldier who travelled to the Congo and criticised the Belgians’ treatment of the natives.
As is Christoph Waltz whose Leon Rom was infamously known as the “Butcher of Congo”.
‘Tarzan’ is a visually impressive adventure with Jackson, Robbie and Waltz all utterly tremendous in their roles.
The overall giddy joy of Skarsgard’s performance is infectious and spreads out to both his co-stars and ultimate showdown at the end.
While Waltz gives his usual performance as the slippery villain Leon Rom, Robbie is easily the film’s highlight. Her Jane Porter is no damsel in distress, able to hold her own under the clutches of Rom and his henchmen.
However, the film drags in between Rom’s pursuit of Tarzan (and vice versa) as the its enticing charm and visual flair eventually wears thin.
Where ‘Tarzan’ really soars is the computer animation of the animals and their jungle surroundings. All of the creatures — from gorillas to lions to elephants and more — were entirely brought to life, in stunningly realistic form, through cutting-edge CGI.
Combining on-location cinematography as well as computer graphics, the movie was shot in English soundstages with sets on which the cast can play on, and the visual effects wizards from Framestore, MPC, and Rodeo FX filled in the rest with brilliant lifelike detail and epic scope – comparable to Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’.
‘The Legend of Tarzan’ opens 30 June 2016
Source: http://www.insing.com/feature/movie-review-the-legend-of-tarzan/id-ea8a3101/
Our Rating 3/5 Stars
Think Tarzan, and those old enough will remember the chest-thumping jungle dwelling icon in those black-and-white TV reruns giving his signature yell. Ron Ely played him in the ‘60s; Christopher Lambert was ‘Greystoke’ and then Disney animated him in 1999.
The Lord of The Jungle returns to the big screen, this time with Hollywood hunk Alexander Skarsgard putting on the loincloth.
We see Tarzan, now John Clayton living the charmed life in England with his wife Jane Porter (Margot Robbie). During a meeting with some important-looking men, he’s invited back to the Congo as an envoy for the Crown.
He declined the offer but when he hears from George Washington Williams, an American soldier played by Samuel L. Jackson, that Belgian colonists have instituted slavery in the Congo, he agrees to return, reluctantly allowing Jane to come along. Unbeknownst to him, he is just a pawn in a conspiracy hatched by sinister Belgian envoy Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz).
But those behind the plot have no idea what they’re unleashing when, instead of Tarzan, they capture the one person for whom he would lay down his life for — Jane.
“Me Tarzan, you Jane. Me save people from bad men.” Basically, that's what Tarzan does here -- sans primitive speak, of course.
David Yates (director of the final four ‘Harry Potter’ films) takes the iconic vine-swinging character beyond what we might expect.
Skarsgard succeeds in portraying a conflicted man whose heart still belongs in the jungle. The actor also eschews the furrowed brow brutish approach by Christopher Lambert in 1984’s ‘Greystoke’, giving his John/Tarzan a hint of gravitas.
While the Tarzan of author Edgar Rice Burroughs creation serves as a cultural meme or prism of its time, director Yates and his team of writers steers clear of the overused ‘white saviour’ trope.
The addition of Jackson’s Williams is a clever device by the filmmakers to lend some credence to the story by giving it a semi-historical slant as well as framing it as a buddy action-adventure romp.
Jackson’s George Washington Williams is based on a real African-American soldier who travelled to the Congo and criticised the Belgians’ treatment of the natives.
As is Christoph Waltz whose Leon Rom was infamously known as the “Butcher of Congo”.
‘Tarzan’ is a visually impressive adventure with Jackson, Robbie and Waltz all utterly tremendous in their roles.
The overall giddy joy of Skarsgard’s performance is infectious and spreads out to both his co-stars and ultimate showdown at the end.
While Waltz gives his usual performance as the slippery villain Leon Rom, Robbie is easily the film’s highlight. Her Jane Porter is no damsel in distress, able to hold her own under the clutches of Rom and his henchmen.
However, the film drags in between Rom’s pursuit of Tarzan (and vice versa) as the its enticing charm and visual flair eventually wears thin.
Where ‘Tarzan’ really soars is the computer animation of the animals and their jungle surroundings. All of the creatures — from gorillas to lions to elephants and more — were entirely brought to life, in stunningly realistic form, through cutting-edge CGI.
Combining on-location cinematography as well as computer graphics, the movie was shot in English soundstages with sets on which the cast can play on, and the visual effects wizards from Framestore, MPC, and Rodeo FX filled in the rest with brilliant lifelike detail and epic scope – comparable to Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’.
‘The Legend of Tarzan’ opens 30 June 2016
Source: http://www.insing.com/feature/movie-review-the-legend-of-tarzan/id-ea8a3101/
The Legend of Tarzan: Film Review (this one isn't so positive, but to be fair...)
Mixing colonialism, historical figures and fictional figures, The Legend of Tarzan is a potent mix of jungle based drama, complete with some very prominent displays of abs.
Harry Potter director David Yates brings his eye for teen obsessions and otherworldly elements to the story of John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, this time played by True Blood’s rather buffed up Alexander Skarsgard.
Working as a trade emissary for Parliament, Greystoke’s lured back to the jungles of Africa under a pretext orchestrated by Leon Rom (the usual malevolent smirking Christoph Waltz). Taking along his wife Jane (a sparky Margot Robbie, the best thing about the film) and Samuel L Jackson’s quipping George Washington Williams, Greystoke soon finds himself caught in the middle of a conspiracy.
The Legend Of Tarzan may come out swinging at times as it revamps the Edgar Rice Burroughs classic, but its attempts to mesh elements of Twilight (a romance between two leads, complete with swoon worthy kissing in trees moments), the CGI gorilla shenanigans of Planet of the Apes, some broad laughs and a revenge tale don’t quite hang together as well as they could.
Yates has made a great fist of a few of the CGI animals in the jungle, and there’s a tenderness and brutality between Tarzan’s interactions with the various critters that’s endemic to the law of the jungle.
(Though this is perhaps one of the most bloodless films I’ve seen in its representation of colonialism, with fights and fatalities feeling less than real, contributing to an overall feeling of not fully committing).
Sadly, the would be stronger elements of the film don’t stand on their own two legs as much as they should.
Djimon Hounsou’s African tribe leader’s desire for revenge crumbles as quickly as the now infamous clash between Superman and Batman did earlier in the year and is a narrative flop; by the same token, Waltz’s quietly wannabe menacing Rom, complete with his white suit, lacks any real sinister edge.
As for Skarsgard’s brooding lord of the jungle, there’s no doubting his commitment to his physique, but there is a nagging feeling simply standing looking moody or running while being sullen aren’t enough to bring any real life to the so-called Ghost of the trees, with more spirit on show with Johnny Weissmuller’s interpretation of the loin cloth god.
He has solid chemistry with Robbie though (even if frustratingly, Robbie’s Jane is presented as strong before turning into damsel in distress midway through, which is deeply annoying) which makes their bond and personal tragedy feel more real in among the more CGI elements.
But the Legend of Tarzan is hampered by repeated flashbacks to Jane and Tarzan’s meeting and endless unnecessary fleshing out of back-story that is relatively unwarranted, as well as an overall story that has no legs. Its melancholy elements are well rendered but its continual reliance on rote exposition hampers things from progressing with a pace during the 1hr 50 min run time.
A mismatched tonal mix of tongue in cheek moments, serious and relatively dour flashbacks, hints of genocide and slavery and unfleshed out narrative proves fatal to The Legend of Tarzan.
It’s not an abs-olutely bad interpretation of the Lord Greystoke story, but it certainly not one to go ape about or prove to be the legendary romp it should be.
Source: http://darrens-world-of-entertainment.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/the-legend-of-tarzan-film-review.html
Mixing colonialism, historical figures and fictional figures, The Legend of Tarzan is a potent mix of jungle based drama, complete with some very prominent displays of abs.
Harry Potter director David Yates brings his eye for teen obsessions and otherworldly elements to the story of John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, this time played by True Blood’s rather buffed up Alexander Skarsgard.
Working as a trade emissary for Parliament, Greystoke’s lured back to the jungles of Africa under a pretext orchestrated by Leon Rom (the usual malevolent smirking Christoph Waltz). Taking along his wife Jane (a sparky Margot Robbie, the best thing about the film) and Samuel L Jackson’s quipping George Washington Williams, Greystoke soon finds himself caught in the middle of a conspiracy.
The Legend Of Tarzan may come out swinging at times as it revamps the Edgar Rice Burroughs classic, but its attempts to mesh elements of Twilight (a romance between two leads, complete with swoon worthy kissing in trees moments), the CGI gorilla shenanigans of Planet of the Apes, some broad laughs and a revenge tale don’t quite hang together as well as they could.
Yates has made a great fist of a few of the CGI animals in the jungle, and there’s a tenderness and brutality between Tarzan’s interactions with the various critters that’s endemic to the law of the jungle.
(Though this is perhaps one of the most bloodless films I’ve seen in its representation of colonialism, with fights and fatalities feeling less than real, contributing to an overall feeling of not fully committing).
Sadly, the would be stronger elements of the film don’t stand on their own two legs as much as they should.
Djimon Hounsou’s African tribe leader’s desire for revenge crumbles as quickly as the now infamous clash between Superman and Batman did earlier in the year and is a narrative flop; by the same token, Waltz’s quietly wannabe menacing Rom, complete with his white suit, lacks any real sinister edge.
As for Skarsgard’s brooding lord of the jungle, there’s no doubting his commitment to his physique, but there is a nagging feeling simply standing looking moody or running while being sullen aren’t enough to bring any real life to the so-called Ghost of the trees, with more spirit on show with Johnny Weissmuller’s interpretation of the loin cloth god.
He has solid chemistry with Robbie though (even if frustratingly, Robbie’s Jane is presented as strong before turning into damsel in distress midway through, which is deeply annoying) which makes their bond and personal tragedy feel more real in among the more CGI elements.
But the Legend of Tarzan is hampered by repeated flashbacks to Jane and Tarzan’s meeting and endless unnecessary fleshing out of back-story that is relatively unwarranted, as well as an overall story that has no legs. Its melancholy elements are well rendered but its continual reliance on rote exposition hampers things from progressing with a pace during the 1hr 50 min run time.
A mismatched tonal mix of tongue in cheek moments, serious and relatively dour flashbacks, hints of genocide and slavery and unfleshed out narrative proves fatal to The Legend of Tarzan.
It’s not an abs-olutely bad interpretation of the Lord Greystoke story, but it certainly not one to go ape about or prove to be the legendary romp it should be.
Source: http://darrens-world-of-entertainment.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/the-legend-of-tarzan-film-review.html
And from IMDb
Wow
8/10 | moviesrme10 | 27 Jun 2016
Wow. What a surprisingly great film.
Great performances from supporting cast members Margot Robbie (rocking a redhairdo) and Samuel L Jackson as real life figure George Washington Williams (who has, obviously, been fictionalized)
What mad this a real treat was how original it felt. Sure, it's a "Tarzan" movie - we've seen a million of them but this one is different - it's not another origin story... It's it's own and I give director David Yates and the screenwriter a lot of credit for creativity.
Characters are underwhelming and Skarsgaard wouldn't have been my first choice for the role but this was a pretty enjoyable movie with some stunning action sequences and cinematography.
See it.
Source: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0918940/reviews?ref_=m_tt_urv#showAll
This guy saw the movie on Monday (in the US) He liked it well enough, gave it a B- (he wasn't too impressed with the CGI) but he liked the characters even if he felt SLJ was playing to type of his usual bada$$ self.
Wow
8/10 | moviesrme10 | 27 Jun 2016
Wow. What a surprisingly great film.
Great performances from supporting cast members Margot Robbie (rocking a redhairdo) and Samuel L Jackson as real life figure George Washington Williams (who has, obviously, been fictionalized)
What mad this a real treat was how original it felt. Sure, it's a "Tarzan" movie - we've seen a million of them but this one is different - it's not another origin story... It's it's own and I give director David Yates and the screenwriter a lot of credit for creativity.
Characters are underwhelming and Skarsgaard wouldn't have been my first choice for the role but this was a pretty enjoyable movie with some stunning action sequences and cinematography.
See it.
Source: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0918940/reviews?ref_=m_tt_urv#showAll
This guy saw the movie on Monday (in the US) He liked it well enough, gave it a B- (he wasn't too impressed with the CGI) but he liked the characters even if he felt SLJ was playing to type of his usual bada$$ self.
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Thanks, Vamp & Free.
New Alex interview: Alexander Skarsgård gives 'Legend of Tarzan' body and soul
by Randy Cordova
Alexander Skarsgård, best-known for playing a bad-boy vampire on HBO's "True Blood," takes on the title role in "The Legend of Tarzan." For him, it's something of a dream come true. His father, actor Stellan Skarsgård ("Mamma Mia," "Good Will Hunting"), introduced him to the stories as a child, and he took them to heart.
Skarsgård, 39, was born and raised in Stockholm, but has lived full-time in the States since 2004. That duality makes him a good fit to play Tarzan, who survives among both jungle creatures and the British elite in the 1800s. A friendly Skarsgård called to plug the movie and discuss the killer workout routine that gave him the Tarzan physique.
Question: You’re Swedish, and you usually speak like an American. In this film, you have a British accent. What’s your natural way of talking?
Answer: (Sounding American) It would depend where I am, I guess. If I’m in the States, this is it. If I’m in Sweden, it’s (speaking Swedish). I don’t speak English in Sweden, so it's hard to say. And I’d never played a Brit before. Not that Tarzan is British, but he comes from a British family. I figured it was important to give him a good British accent because he’s good at mimicking and sounds in general.
Q: Is it true your father is a big fan of Tarzan?
A: That’s the only reason I did it. (Laughing.) No, not really, but I am a big fan of Tarzan because of my father. He is the one who introduced me to the Johnny Weissmuller movies. When I first heard about this role, my first thought was, “Oh, my dad is going to love this.”
Q: What did you think when you got the script?
A: It was so different the old movies, and so different from the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. I thought Adam Cozad wrote an interesting script, and very surprising. I didn’t let my dad read it. I’m going to Stockholm in about two weeks, and they’re going to do a premiere. Everyone is going to be so excited.
Q: So, did you try to get your dad a small part in the movie?
A: (Laughing.) He auditioned for Akut (Tarzan’s ape “brother”), but he wasn’t quite tough enough.
Q: Speaking of Akut, were you disappointed that there were no live animals used in the film?
A: No, I knew that early on. They can’t really shoot scenes like that with real animals. Even in the first meeting, I didn’t know if it would be motion capture or CGI, but I knew it wouldn’t be real animals. I did have an opportunity to work with real animals before in preparation. I went to this place in California and spent a day with some big, massive male lions and couple of cheetahs and leopards. Then I got to go to a gorilla sanctuary in England, which was just the most incredible experience. It was just kind of a humbling experience to be that close to a gorilla. When you lock eyes, it’s very profound.
Q: Is it scary?
A: I was a couple of inches away from a silverback, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t scary at all. When he looked at me … I don’t know how to describe it. It felt like he kind of understood me, and saw straight to my soul (laughing). Really, it’s like he just cut through all the bull (expletive) and I felt completely, emotionally naked. It wasn’t intimidating at all, but had he wanted it to be, it would have been, obviously. It was very pure.
Q: You’re always in shape, but you look amazing in this movie. Did you have to train?
A: I’ve never done anything to this extent before. I’m quite an active guy in general. I like to go for a run or go the gym, but I’d never worked with a trainer before or with a special diet before. It was all new to me, and it was kind of all-consuming. It was eight months of a very strict way of eating and very regimented training.
Q: How does that work?
A: We did it in phases. For about three months, it was 7,000 calories a day. I would just eat and lift weights to put on weight. I put on muscle mass and fat. Then about six to seven weeks before we started filming, it switched to six smaller meals a day, and the training changed quite a bit as well, to more agility work, more yoga, more Pilates. This guy is not a body builder, and when he’s back in the jungle, it has to look like he’s in his natural habitat. It was very important to me that every muscle had to be there to serve this person in the wild.
Q: Do you still have that body?
A: (Laughing) No, the day we wrapped the movie, I was back on a normal diet and drinking alcohol. Then about six months later they added a short scene, and asked if I could go back on the diet and training for maybe three months, so I had to go back and do it all again.
Q: Do you miss that body?
A: Not really. I miss the experience. Well, that’s maybe not right. I was very glad to do it, and I got to work with some phenomenal trainers and a wonderful movement guy and choreographer. I enjoyed the challenge, because I had never done anything like this before. It was kind of exciting in a way, but yeah, I think I more prefer a somewhat more balanced lifestyle, where I can stay somewhat healthy but I eat what I want and drink what I want.
Q: That’s the physical side of Tarzan. How do you make him feel like a real person?
A: Growing up with the apes, he is one of them: Akut is his brother, and Kala is his mother, but he knows he’s different. He’s an outsider. When he goes to London, he’s kind of lost between two worlds. On a more psychological level, he is both man and beast. That is a dichotomy that kind of defines what it’s like to be human.
Q: That feeling of being outsider — do you have that as a European who now lives in the States?
A: A little bit. In a way, I’m (lost) between two worlds. I was born and raised in Stockholm, but the United States has been my home for 13 years. In the States and in Sweden, I’m a little bit of an outsider in both places. (Laughing) It’s not quite as extreme as it for Tarzan, but as an actor, you try to find something you can relate to, even at the (tiniest) stage.
Sources: Randy Cordova for azcentral.com
http://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...rd-legend-of-tarzan-actor-interview/86442728/
From last night on CONAN (June 28, 2016, Los Angeles):
Backstage @ #CONAN: @LegendofTarzan star Alexander Skarsgard
https://twitter.com/TeamCoco/status/747998090469117952
More from the LOT world premiere (June 27, 2016):
#AlexanderSkarsgard #TheLegendOfTarzan Premiere @legendoftarzan What A Great Guy!!!!!!!! Thanks Alexander. #alexanderskarsgård @truebloodhbo #Trueblood
-carnivalkid07 instagram
『ターザン:REBORN』桐谷健太が海外初プレミア、アレクと即意気投合！「僕らは“ターザン2”を一緒にやるんだ！」
#ターザン
#桐谷健太
#アレクサンダースカルスガルド
#マーゴットロビー
#tarzan
#alexanderskarsgard
-eigaland instagram
Skarsgard
Kristen your the best @kristinbauer
-anarchys_son instagram
I met "Tarzan" last night. He was very friendly. I really liked the movie too! #AlexanderSkarsgård #hollywood #worldpremiere #thelegendoftarzan #dolbytheatre #movie #goodmovie
-thefergla instagram
Alexander skarsgård #thelegendoftarzan #premiere #tarzan
-judithcovarrubias instagram
Alexander Skarsgard at the Tarzan premiere.
https://twitter.com/javantheman/status/747918235912241153
At the world premiere for The #LegendOfTarzan starring#AlexanderSkarsgård#Tarzan, #WaronEveryone#Battleship#TrueBlood#Zoolander#GenerationKill#TheEast#StrawDogs#Hidden he's very nice.
-giorgioarmani19 instagram
I was inches away from Alexander Skarsgard (& Margot Robbie!!) and the idea of a selfie didn't even cross my mind?!?!?!?! Sometimes I wanna punch myself. #Tarzan
-cessypie instagram
New Alex interview: Alexander Skarsgård gives 'Legend of Tarzan' body and soul
by Randy Cordova
Alexander Skarsgård, best-known for playing a bad-boy vampire on HBO's "True Blood," takes on the title role in "The Legend of Tarzan." For him, it's something of a dream come true. His father, actor Stellan Skarsgård ("Mamma Mia," "Good Will Hunting"), introduced him to the stories as a child, and he took them to heart.
Skarsgård, 39, was born and raised in Stockholm, but has lived full-time in the States since 2004. That duality makes him a good fit to play Tarzan, who survives among both jungle creatures and the British elite in the 1800s. A friendly Skarsgård called to plug the movie and discuss the killer workout routine that gave him the Tarzan physique.
Question: You’re Swedish, and you usually speak like an American. In this film, you have a British accent. What’s your natural way of talking?
Answer: (Sounding American) It would depend where I am, I guess. If I’m in the States, this is it. If I’m in Sweden, it’s (speaking Swedish). I don’t speak English in Sweden, so it's hard to say. And I’d never played a Brit before. Not that Tarzan is British, but he comes from a British family. I figured it was important to give him a good British accent because he’s good at mimicking and sounds in general.
Q: Is it true your father is a big fan of Tarzan?
A: That’s the only reason I did it. (Laughing.) No, not really, but I am a big fan of Tarzan because of my father. He is the one who introduced me to the Johnny Weissmuller movies. When I first heard about this role, my first thought was, “Oh, my dad is going to love this.”
Q: What did you think when you got the script?
A: It was so different the old movies, and so different from the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. I thought Adam Cozad wrote an interesting script, and very surprising. I didn’t let my dad read it. I’m going to Stockholm in about two weeks, and they’re going to do a premiere. Everyone is going to be so excited.
Q: So, did you try to get your dad a small part in the movie?
A: (Laughing.) He auditioned for Akut (Tarzan’s ape “brother”), but he wasn’t quite tough enough.
Q: Speaking of Akut, were you disappointed that there were no live animals used in the film?
A: No, I knew that early on. They can’t really shoot scenes like that with real animals. Even in the first meeting, I didn’t know if it would be motion capture or CGI, but I knew it wouldn’t be real animals. I did have an opportunity to work with real animals before in preparation. I went to this place in California and spent a day with some big, massive male lions and couple of cheetahs and leopards. Then I got to go to a gorilla sanctuary in England, which was just the most incredible experience. It was just kind of a humbling experience to be that close to a gorilla. When you lock eyes, it’s very profound.
Q: Is it scary?
A: I was a couple of inches away from a silverback, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t scary at all. When he looked at me … I don’t know how to describe it. It felt like he kind of understood me, and saw straight to my soul (laughing). Really, it’s like he just cut through all the bull (expletive) and I felt completely, emotionally naked. It wasn’t intimidating at all, but had he wanted it to be, it would have been, obviously. It was very pure.
Q: You’re always in shape, but you look amazing in this movie. Did you have to train?
A: I’ve never done anything to this extent before. I’m quite an active guy in general. I like to go for a run or go the gym, but I’d never worked with a trainer before or with a special diet before. It was all new to me, and it was kind of all-consuming. It was eight months of a very strict way of eating and very regimented training.
Q: How does that work?
A: We did it in phases. For about three months, it was 7,000 calories a day. I would just eat and lift weights to put on weight. I put on muscle mass and fat. Then about six to seven weeks before we started filming, it switched to six smaller meals a day, and the training changed quite a bit as well, to more agility work, more yoga, more Pilates. This guy is not a body builder, and when he’s back in the jungle, it has to look like he’s in his natural habitat. It was very important to me that every muscle had to be there to serve this person in the wild.
Q: Do you still have that body?
A: (Laughing) No, the day we wrapped the movie, I was back on a normal diet and drinking alcohol. Then about six months later they added a short scene, and asked if I could go back on the diet and training for maybe three months, so I had to go back and do it all again.
Q: Do you miss that body?
A: Not really. I miss the experience. Well, that’s maybe not right. I was very glad to do it, and I got to work with some phenomenal trainers and a wonderful movement guy and choreographer. I enjoyed the challenge, because I had never done anything like this before. It was kind of exciting in a way, but yeah, I think I more prefer a somewhat more balanced lifestyle, where I can stay somewhat healthy but I eat what I want and drink what I want.
Q: That’s the physical side of Tarzan. How do you make him feel like a real person?
A: Growing up with the apes, he is one of them: Akut is his brother, and Kala is his mother, but he knows he’s different. He’s an outsider. When he goes to London, he’s kind of lost between two worlds. On a more psychological level, he is both man and beast. That is a dichotomy that kind of defines what it’s like to be human.
Q: That feeling of being outsider — do you have that as a European who now lives in the States?
A: A little bit. In a way, I’m (lost) between two worlds. I was born and raised in Stockholm, but the United States has been my home for 13 years. In the States and in Sweden, I’m a little bit of an outsider in both places. (Laughing) It’s not quite as extreme as it for Tarzan, but as an actor, you try to find something you can relate to, even at the (tiniest) stage.
Sources: Randy Cordova for azcentral.com
http://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...rd-legend-of-tarzan-actor-interview/86442728/
From last night on CONAN (June 28, 2016, Los Angeles):
Backstage @ #CONAN: @LegendofTarzan star Alexander Skarsgard
https://twitter.com/TeamCoco/status/747998090469117952
More from the LOT world premiere (June 27, 2016):
#AlexanderSkarsgard #TheLegendOfTarzan Premiere @legendoftarzan What A Great Guy!!!!!!!! Thanks Alexander. #alexanderskarsgård @truebloodhbo #Trueblood
-carnivalkid07 instagram
『ターザン:REBORN』桐谷健太が海外初プレミア、アレクと即意気投合！「僕らは“ターザン2”を一緒にやるんだ！」
#ターザン
#桐谷健太
#アレクサンダースカルスガルド
#マーゴットロビー
#tarzan
#alexanderskarsgard
-eigaland instagram
Skarsgard
Kristen your the best @kristinbauer
-anarchys_son instagram
I met "Tarzan" last night. He was very friendly. I really liked the movie too! #AlexanderSkarsgård #hollywood #worldpremiere #thelegendoftarzan #dolbytheatre #movie #goodmovie
-thefergla instagram
Alexander skarsgård #thelegendoftarzan #premiere #tarzan
-judithcovarrubias instagram
Alexander Skarsgard at the Tarzan premiere.
https://twitter.com/javantheman/status/747918235912241153
At the world premiere for The #LegendOfTarzan starring#AlexanderSkarsgård#Tarzan, #WaronEveryone#Battleship#TrueBlood#Zoolander#GenerationKill#TheEast#StrawDogs#Hidden he's very nice.
-giorgioarmani19 instagram
I was inches away from Alexander Skarsgard (& Margot Robbie!!) and the idea of a selfie didn't even cross my mind?!?!?!?! Sometimes I wanna punch myself. #Tarzan
-cessypie instagram
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Videos from Conan O'Brien's show. I don't think these have been posted.
http://teamcoco.com/video/alexander-skarsgard-jacked-diet?playlist=featured-videos
http://teamcoco.com/video/alexander-skarsgard-made-for-a-beautiful-woman?playlist=featured-videos
http://teamcoco.com/video/alexander-skarsgard-jacked-diet?playlist=featured-videos
http://teamcoco.com/video/alexander-skarsgard-made-for-a-beautiful-woman?playlist=featured-videos
Positive review from Deadline:
http://deadline.com/2016/06/the-leg...der-skarsgard-margot-robbie-video-1201781017/
http://deadline.com/2016/06/the-leg...der-skarsgard-margot-robbie-video-1201781017/
If someone wants to listen to a good review, Here is a podcast:
( ca 0.20 min starts the Tarzan talk). There are spoilers of course.
Read more at: http://www.redcarpetreporttv.com/20...n-the-classic-tale-podcast-the-filmlosophers/
http://ht.ly/1H7L301LO7B
( ca 0.20 min starts the Tarzan talk). There are spoilers of course.
Read more at: http://www.redcarpetreporttv.com/20...n-the-classic-tale-podcast-the-filmlosophers/
http://ht.ly/1H7L301LO7B
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Lawd...reading around...the reviews are pretty much across the board with a few good ones sprinkled through the others which label the film either bland or a CGI disaster with a "why did they bother with this story" tinge.
The only "positive" thing I can say is that critics have a hard time rating films like this, and horror films, very well.
They really have to knock it out of the ballpark in every way to do well with critics; (script, CGI, cast, relevance) see Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I don't think that's the case here, the reviews seem pretty balanced, but sometimes it's a factor (and yep I am totally reaching for something + here because this ain't good)
I don't know how many critical reviews the average film-goer will read. But those reviews are from heavyweights so it's hard to ignore.
Alex isn't savaged, (at this point that's a plus) the critics are mostly aiming at Yates saying he didn't give AS much to work with.
I'll still go. Good popcorn fare.
The only "positive" thing I can say is that critics have a hard time rating films like this, and horror films, very well.
They really have to knock it out of the ballpark in every way to do well with critics; (script, CGI, cast, relevance) see Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I don't think that's the case here, the reviews seem pretty balanced, but sometimes it's a factor (and yep I am totally reaching for something + here because this ain't good)
I don't know how many critical reviews the average film-goer will read. But those reviews are from heavyweights so it's hard to ignore.
Alex isn't savaged, (at this point that's a plus) the critics are mostly aiming at Yates saying he didn't give AS much to work with.
I'll still go. Good popcorn fare.
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