hits.

Many thanks to Alexz for the following article from the August / September issue of One magazine. Also, thank you to my friend Kate for the translation!

What can we expect from the third film?

It’s a much more mature and adult film than the two previous ones. The magical aspect that you all know hasn’t been left out, but The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is an adventure film rather than a pure work of fantasy. Caspian is now the new King of Narnia and, with Edmund and Lucy, he embarks on a great crossing aboard this boat, the Dawn Treader, to find the land of Aslan. So most sequences take place on the sea, which hasn’t been easy to film. In Hollywood, it’s often said that filming on the water is the most painful of all .. I agree! [laughs] But I enjoyed myself very much ..

With the release of the film approaching, do you now feel less pressure on your shoulders than at the time of Prince Caspian?

Yes, a lot less. The release of Prince Caspian was very stressful for me because Disney had put forward the film’s promotion and everyone was waiting for me at the release. I really feared the reaction of the public and fans, I didn’t want to disappoint anybody. Today, I have three or four years more experience and I’ve learned to handle that pressure. I think I’ll tackle the release of this film with much more serenity.

The film isn’t produced by Disney but by Fox. Is this going to change anything?

No. Apart from the fact that the logo at the beginning of the film isn’t the same, you won’t see any difference. Although the whole team had changed and the producers aren’t the same, the new studio wanted the film to fit into the continuity of the preceding two. That can reassure the fans: they’ll find the Narnia they love. The only big difference is that you can watch the film in 3D. I have to admit that I’m really looking forward to seeing the result. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite book in the Narnia series and I believe that the film will do it justice.

You were apparently injured during the shooting of the film. Can you tell us what happened?

I was filming a sword fight with Skander [Keynes, Edmund Pevensie], but he badly calculated one of his moves and I was hit in the face. At first it really hurt and I was sure that my nose was broken. Luckily, that wasn’t the case; I was just filming with a swollen lip for a few days. In the story, it’s always Skander who’s afraid. He was as white as a sheet when the doctor came on the set [laughs]. But it wasn’t his fault. When you’re filming a very physical sequence like this one, these things can happen.

Did you feel intoxicated from the success of Prince Caspian after it was released?

No, absolutely not. I’ve always been aware that the success could stop overnight. The acting profession is ruthless. You could be carried in triumph one day and put down by the entire world the next. It was really stupid of me to suddenly act [seem] like the king of the world after the release of Prince Caspian, knowing that I hadn’t yet proved myself as an actor. That’s the main lesson I learned after the media tornado struck me: never take it all too seriously.

In The Portrait of Dorian Gray, you embody a man who refuses to age. And you, are you afraid of getting older?

No, it’s something that really doesn’t make me afraid. On the contrary, I’m looking forward to getting older! Already, when I tell people I’m 28, they don’t believe me. People give me 20 years tops. It’s true, it’s helped me to play Caspian but looking so young has made me lose roles in the past that I really wanted. So if I could look a little older, I wouldn’t say no [laughs].

And inside your heart, where are you?

I’m not with anyone right now. It isn’t so easy to find the right person when you’re famous. I’m a bit tired of wondering if a girl is interested in me just because I’m famous or for what I really am. But I don’t despair of finally finding that person!

clarissa said:

Thank you for the article/interview, thank you for you translation!

September 1st, 2010

Helaine said:

Thanks Steph, for making my day again! :)

Have I already said that I love reading/watching his interviews? He always shows so much maturity, and I’m really glad he keeps his feet on the ground, not letting success overtake him.

I only few sorry because of the problems brought by success… I mean, it really must be hard trying to figure out if someone really likes him or likes his success. I hope he’ll find someone special, someone sincere, someone who will love the man Benjamin Thomas Barnes, not the actor Ben Barnes…

Unfortunately, all I can do is to keep wishing for him to find someone worthy of him! Because – unfortunately for me – it’s impossible for a fish to achieve a bird’s heart, and… Ok, ok, I’ll get in line, I just I couldn’t help it…! >_<

PS: 99 days till VDT release! I just can't wait!!

September 1st, 2010

Ana said:

I agree with Helaine, i love to read his interviews. He is always so humble and mature (well, he’s almost thirty). And anything about him makes my day too, really!!

I also hope he finds the one person that loves him, not his success. We can only wish he will stumble on us one day… eh eh =D

@Helaine: Well, a fish can’t get to a bird’s heart, but the contrary is possible… we never know, you know? And we’re allowed to dream… ^^

September 1st, 2010

christina said:

@Helaine: well, I would stay open cause you never know who is out there and if a fish wants to love a bird then someone will just have to make you wings.
PS: I can’t wait either!!!

September 1st, 2010

Helaine said:

@Ana: Yeah, we never know… But I think it would be a little difficult for him to stumble on me, you know? There’s a whole ocean separating us… And I mean it literally: the Atlantic Ocean!!! LOL

But thank goodness we can dream at least! And my dreams are largely filled by Ben already… ;)

@christina: Aw, that was beautiful! :)

September 1st, 2010

“Dawn Treader” Interview with Ben Barnes | AslansCountry.com said:

[…] here to read the full interview. […]

September 1st, 2010

Heather said:

Come on!! I seriously doubt Ben actually said that: “it isn’t so easy to find the right person when you’re famous”.

Ben has ALWAYS mentioned before in interviews that he hardly considers himself “famous”. That right there makes him sound conceited and Ben IS NOT CONCEITED!!

Sorry..don’t mean to cause problems,,,but maybe it was lost in translation IDK . That just bugged me for some reason. :)

September 1st, 2010

Helaine said:

@Heather: I don’t agree with you. When he says he’s not famous, he means he’s not so widely famous as Robert Pattinson, for example, or any of those Hollywood stars who are constantly chased by paparazzi.

Maybe he’s not that famous (not yet), but he’s definitely famous enough to feel some consequences of it. He couldn’t just pretend he’s not known by anyone, so I don’t think he sounded conceited by admitting he’s famous, he just stated a fact.

September 1st, 2010

Nicole L. said:

i love his interviews…always a good read.
——
“I’m a bit tired of wondering if a girl is interested in me just because I’m famous or for what I really am.”

i can understand where he’s coming from with that b/c i always wonder if i were famous (lol yea right!!) how difficult it would be to find someone who likes you for you and not b/c of your wealth/fame. it seems disrespectful to a person if you use/date them just b/c they’re famous/wealthy….i guess there will always be people like that in the world though.
with that said, i’m sure there are a bunch of us here who like him for more than his fame (me being one of them!! i’d kill to find a charming, cute guy like Ben)
—–
@Heather — i think what Ben meant by “famous” is that he is semi-recognizable and in the spotlight and that a lot of people know who he is…but you could be right in that it possibly may have been lost in translation.

September 1st, 2010

latyfa barnes said:

c’est le magasine ONE qui a publié l’interview d’habitude dans tes interview ya plein de faute et de choses qui ne veulent rien dire .mais la ,c’était correcte sauf que ta mis caspienne est maintenant le nouveau roi de Narnia au lieu de caspian .mai ce n’est pas bien méchant sinon j’adore ton blog il est vraiment super génial

September 2nd, 2010

Costanza said:

I agree with you all, his interviews are always enjoyable :) and as Helaine said what sticks out the most is his maturity…not just for being this wise at 29 but for being this wise AND “quite” this famous…

September 2nd, 2010

luceroO Aline said:

waoo. interview that I loved so wonderful thanks for the info, and I will be sure to watch the movie great, Ben Barnes look no further here’s your soul mate xD hahaha

September 2nd, 2010

Geo said:

Can I say that I love his interviews ~~so much~~? With these interviews, we can see how awesome he is, how his personality is amazing! He is absolutely one person to admire for the personality, maturity – like Helaine said –, intelligence, and how he see his own life, his job, his fame. I think Ben is a precious person among others that isn’t like… Well, I can’t explain. Ok, he is an exception among people that don’t know how to keep their feet on the ground. Reading his interviews you can see that he will be always a conscious man, about his life and etc. And about findin’ someone, well, one day he will find a girl that will love him for who he is, not the famous actor, but the real person he is behind the cameras, flashes and etc. Ben <333

September 3rd, 2010