Billy Boyd Continues Amazing Journey With 'Master And Commander'
'Rings' Star Wowed By Another Epic Film
Basically, you just need to work with directors named "Peter" on every film. Like, for example, Peter Weir on "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" and Peter Jackson on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy."And they all have to come from the Southern Hemisphere," Boyd added with a laugh in a phone call this week from his native Scotland. "Maybe my career's finished -- maybe I've already worked with all the Peters from the Southern Hemisphere."Jackson, of course, is the New Zealander who helped make Boyd a household name as the brave Hobbit Peregrin 'Pippin' Took in "The Fellowship of the Rings," "The Two Towers" and the upcoming "The Return of the King."
And on "The Far Side of the World," at least from the perspective of anybody in the United States, Boyd recently completed his journey as Coxswain Barrett Bonden under the helm of Australian Weir (and Aussie Russell Crowe, to boot, mate) in "Master and Commander."Given his track record over the past three years, there's no question Boyd has a command on getting great roles in epic movies. And while his journey in the movie business isn't exactly new, Boyd admits that he's still taken aback by the wonder of it all."I've been thinking, 'God am I lucky,'" Boyd told me for @ The Movies. "And the luck is not only leading me to roles in these sorts of films, it's given me the opportunity to work in the theater and on small independent movies. I just feel incredibly privileged the way my career is at the moment."Boyd said one of the greatest benefits to being in the high seas adventure "Master and Commander," which opens Friday, is that it affords him an opportunity to work with a filmmaker he's long admired in Weir."I had been a fan of his movies since I started working films and knew quite a bit about him from watching interviews and reading about him," Boyd said. "So, when I went to work with Peter it was kind of as a fan. He has worked in movies for a long, long time, and as a seasoned professional, he knows what works for actors and what doesn't."Then, Boyd put things into a sailor's perspective: "I suppose when you walk on a set with Peter Weir it seems like you're walking on a set of an old crew. And, he's also an incredibly intelligent man."Commanding Boyd's AttentionIn "Master and Commander," it takes an intelligent man, British Naval Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe), to command the badly damaged H.M.S. Surprise during the Napoleonic War era. Not only is Aubrey charged with the responsibility of protecting his crew, he must do so in the dire circumstance of chasing down -- and perhaps foolishly so -- the far superior ship of his enemy.
Also starring Crowe's "Beautiful Mind" roommate Paul Bettany as Aubrey's friend and confidant Stephen Maturin, "Master and Commander" is based on the acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin novels of late author Patrick O'Brian.With "Master and Commander" being his second chance to work on a film based on classic literature, Boyd not only revels the chance to bring material great material to life, but to learn from it."That's one of my favorite things about acting," Boyd explained. "One day you're sitting in the house, watching TV or whatever and the next thing you're doing this movie. For me anyway, as soon as that happens, you start getting the books and you start reading about the world that you're about to step into, no matter what it may be."For "Master and Commander," Boyd told me that he had no idea going into the film what life was life on a ship, let alone one in the 1800s. Plus, he never sailed, but always had the desire to.Before he knew it, Boyd was in Mexico, training for the high seas."We went to school for two weeks to learn how to sail and to learn how to shoot the guns of that era, and to learn, for my character, how to stand at the wheel," Boyd explained. "I never knew how difficult it would be actually steer a ship with winds you're in. It was such a fantastic education, because I was a helmsman when we were on the actual sea with a real ship."To avoid any potential snafus in filming, "Master and Commander" was mostly shot in a controlled environment. The odd thing was, Boyd was helping recreate a historical era in a place where movie history was made."It was amazing because we spent a lot of time on the ship and the tank studio that they have down in (Rosarito) Mexico where they made 'Titanic,'" Boyd recalled. | Video |
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