Michael Sheen

Michael Sheen The world of Tron is a long way away from 10 Downing St, but we’re sure Michael Sheen is pretty sick of old Mr. Blair these days. BBM caught up with Michael to discuss playing Castor in Tron: Legacy.

Michael Sheen How did you end up in Tron: Legacy?

I was told that the filmmakers were interested in meeting me to discuss my participation. At that point there was a problem, because I was so desperate to be in it that there were absolutely no bargaining chips for my agents to deal with. So I had to, on the one hand, pretend that I was somewhat unsure about this, and on the other hand, all I wanted to do was just dive in. So I went into Disney and Joseph Kosinski, the director, talked about the character, did a whole presentation. I had to pretend that I was unsure-like “Hmm, yeah, it’s okay, maybe, we’ll see, hmm, maybe,” when, in fact, I just wanted to say, “Yes, please.” That was how I first got involved.

You sound like you’ve seen the first Tron many times…

I saw the original film when I was about 11, I think. My uncle took me to see the film in the cinema, and it was just amazing. I remember just sitting there, because it was such a completely different world to enter into. I’d never seen anything like it. Of course, back then, it was right at the beginning of video games, so the whole idea of video and computer games was still very new to me. It was both beautiful and terrifying. So it really worked on me.

You’re playing a very different character, what can you tell us about him?

He’s larger-than-life. He’s an entertainer and a host, someone who is a really colourful character when we meet him. But, also, we should never quite feel certain of whether we can trust him or not. He’s like a beautiful jewel-mesmerizing and glittering, and yet, you’re not sure whether it’s right to possess it in any way. I love that idea. I love the ambiguity of the character. I love the outrageousness of the character, and yet there’s something very different going on underneath. He has a dubious morality.

I like the idea of being able to explore those things, and the idea of a character who’s a chameleon. All of the characters in the world of Tron are personifications of computer programs. So I thought the program my character was based on is something that can adapt, like a magpie, who steals things from all kinds of places. Castor assimilates things constantly.

I wanted the idea that this character could one moment sound like Mae West, or sound like Frank N’ Furter from Rocky Horror Show, or like David Bowie. He’s a bit of a rock star, he’s a bit of an actor, he’s a bit of all kinds of different things. So I like that idea of a combination of elements.

How about his outfit – once again, very different…

We used the David Bowie character, Ziggy Stardust, as a reference point for some of it. The whole look of the world of Tron is very un-organic. It’s very manufactured, and so we needed to find something in the look that was quite clinical and pristine. So we developed the whole look based around that. We knew that he would be white, as opposed to the black of other characters, and something like a circus showman, in the centre ring. He looks different from everyone else. The white is very strong, I think.

What does Joseph Kosinski bring as a director?

Joe brings a very particular set of qualities and skills to this story, I think, and it’s very rare to see them. The world of Tron: Legacy has got to be believable, and that was one of the major parts of what made the first film so extraordinary.

Joe’s background in architecture and his particular aesthetic is quite Kubrick-ian, it’s very clean and very real. You really believe it. It’s very detailed and realistic in a non-organic way. You totally believe that this is a real world where programs exist with a society and a culture. All of the different automobiles, the light cycles and all that stuff, they look as if they work. You believe that it’s just a few footsteps away from actually happening. I think that was essential for this film. And Joe certainly brought that-it’s his first film, which is incredible, because it was a huge operation. To watch him moving the camera in those created environments was just fantastic.

And the world of Tron has his amazing atmosphere, doesn’t it?
It’s become an uber-city. One of the things that I always really love about New York is that when you go into it, it feels like it’s endless, even though geographically there is a limit to the place. But somehow, it represents a dark, exciting, infinite range of possibilities-somehow, it’s a world you can get deeper and deeper into. You don’t know where each turn is going to take you. There are endless possibilities.

I think the Tron world is that. That’s what they’ve created in this film. This place, I suppose it has geographical limits, but it feels boundless. And, if you go into the dark heart of it there, you don’t know where you would ever end up. Somehow, people can get lost in this place, and never come out again. It’s both attractive and exciting for that reason, but also very, very frightening…and potentially lethal, as well.

Tron: Legacy is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from April 20.