Elbakin.net Interviews Ben Barnes

Elbakin.net: In the movie, you’re playing a boy almost 10 years old…
Ben Barnes: The only thing he says in the book: he’s about the same age as Peter.

Elbakin.net: So he’s 13…
Ben Barnes: He doesn’t say he’s 13. The only thing he says is what Peter said one point: he sees a boy about his age. Peter is supposed to be 13, you’re right. But you can write the many ages he wanted. In the first film, William, who played Peter, is now 20. So he can play 13. So they had to find someone look the same sort of age like William. And I’m little bit younger than I am. I think that it was necessary to have the same age. And lots of thirty olders are playing teenagers. It’s particularly important in our version of the film how old he is. In the book, Caspian has a nurse, and a professor when the nurse is fired. Caspian asks very intelligent questions, which are not the questions of 13 years old. We don’t have the nurse in the film, so a couple of years have past… so he’s maybe 17 or 18. Something like that. I have a chance the time before to have to play a king.

Elbakin.net: You said you are very familiarized with Narnia and I guess you have a sort of image of the Prince Caspian in your head…
Ben Barnes: I thought that he was 13 with blond hair, (laughter) because I watched the BBC series and I read the book. So I knew he’s blond. But it makes a lot of sense how he is. He supposes to be a swarthy foreign of specific islands. That what he says in the book. The sound is a kind of European accent, and so I think it was very useful to have Spanish, Italian and Mexican actors. It was a great challenge and it is an interesting aspect of the film. Sergio Castellitto is wonderful!

Elbakin.net: What’s your favourite scene?
Ben Barnes: I haven’t seen it. So I don’t know!

Elbakin.net: So when you were shooting…
Ben Barnes: I love this scene with Sergio Castellitto (who plays the king Miraz): I had my sword on his throat and he has a kind of smile… makes me scared! This kind of moment… but I don’t how it will be on the screen.

Elbakin.net: Do you know that Sergio is also a director? Would you like to work with him?
Ben Barnes: Yes, I think he’s great! I love the accent too, keep talking please! (this journalist is Italian) (laughter)

Read the full article here. The original French version is here.
Special thanks to Ciboule for sending this in!