위 사진은 와와의 제너럴 스토어인 매리에트 건물 외벽에 영화 촬영을 위해 '렌터카' 간판이 붙은 모습입니다. 엑스트라를 지원한 와와 주민들이 길게 늘어선 장면을 찍지 않은 게 아쉽습니다. 기자 정신이 이젠 정말 다 사라진 모양입니다. -_-;
Prof. Snape wows Wawa | By Camilla White-Kirkpatrick, Special to The Star
앨런 릭먼. 와와에 와서도 그의 신사적인 면모를 유감없이 드러냈다. 사람들을 피하고 스타연한 다른 두 여배우들과는 구별되는 대목이었다.
An “excellent script” is what attracted Rickman to the role of Alex, a tightlipped Englishman who, as a result of a tragedy, forms a relationship with Linda, an autistic woman, played by Weaver.
The British actor helped to get the independent movie off the ground. “All independent movies go through that. It’s not a strange or unique story. It’s a road we’ve all traveled down. A fragile road. Sometimes you win sometimes you don’t.”
Referring to a movie he directed, Rickman said, “It happened very quickly but the actual play script took a long time to develop and then suddenly it was a movie. There’s no rules. This one was obviously governed, to a large extent, by the title.”
Having been involved in acting, directing and writing, Rickman has high regard for first-time screenwriter Angela Pell. “That’s a real pleasure to me to see somebody’s first script being made.”
This is the second time Rickman co-stars with Weaver having worked with her and Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest, which he calls one of the funniest films. “It made us laugh making it.
“It’s been wonderful working with her. It’s probably a part that people don’t expect her to play.”
Rickman said Weaver has been committed to the script and has put a lot of hard work and time into researching her role. “It’s going to be a totally accurate portrayal of what it is to be an adult autistic.”
Well known for his villainous characters in Die Hard, Quigley Down Under and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Rickman says he does not feel he was typecast in those roles. “Not at all because I was doing all sorts of other things at the same time,” he said, referring to his roles in Michael Collins and Sense and Sensibility.
Rickman says he is not surprised at the success of the Harry Potter movies, in which he played Professor Snape. “Why would it not be a success, I mean, the books alone would mean everybody would go running to it.”
Rickman says his younger fans recognize him “only if I’m in a black wig and a long black coat, they don’t really know me otherwise. They kind of stare in some confusion but it’s great.”
“I love seeing their faces when they come on the set when they visit us,” said the 59-year-old actor who signed many autographs for children while he was in Wawa. “And it’s not just children, there’s a lot of adult devotees of Harry Potter.”
A modest Rickman added, “It’s not me, it’s the character they love and all that galaxy of people that JK Rowling had created. So we just kind of put on a costume and say the lines.”
The fourth movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is due out at Christmas.
Beginning his career in theatre and than breaking into movies, Rickman said, “I love them both. I’m very happy in either. It’s all acting and it’s all working with other people.”
He said the script is what makes a role appealing. “Everything one does, you’re only as good as the writing so I’m just interested in working with good writers. I don’t mind whether it’s on film or in the theater.”
Rickman said he always wanted to act. “I probably always thought that it was the thing I liked doing most but other things got in the way like going to art school and being a graphic designer. But then life has a weird way of working itself out.”
When he became a director, Rickman said his art school background was invaluable. “So life is one weird jigsaw puzzle and somewhere along the line, you find the straight piece that was on the floor somewhere.”
While he makes his home in London, England, Rickman has made one movie in Canada called The January Man and has visited the country several times as he has many friends here.
He added, “I’ve never been to Northern Ontario before so I hope after this I’m going to travel a bit across Canada.”
As for the Hollywood scene, Rickman said he’s always had a good time in Tinseltown but “I don’t spend a lot of time there.”
Presently, he is directing a play in London called My Name is Rachel Cory and in the summer plans to film a movie called Perfume.
Asked about a favourite movie he’s done, Rickman couldn’t answer. “When you make a film, it’s not just a movie, it‚s also a big lump of your own life.”
Rickman, attached to the Snow Cake project for the past year, said production will take two months to shoot in Canada. “When you attach yourself to a project, a whole slew of new people come into your life so you make a whole bunch of new friends.”
Rickman said he and the entire crew are thankful for the warm temperatures in which they’ve had to work during their stay in Wawa.
Referring to a gift the production crew received in the community, Rickman said a woman “gave us a kind of Madonna figure and it said underneath, Our Lady of Snow. I don’t know who it is who has been looking after us but somebody has.”
On Friday, the actor had to do a hot tub scene in freezing temperatures and strong winds. “If it had been like this the whole time, we would have never got through it.”
On top of the problems caused by freezing cameras and cables, Rickman said, “Snow is one thing, but below freezing temperatures and windchill is another.”
“I did a film once in very cold temperatures and my mouth froze so it’s not too good for the acting.”
He said the great weather added to the film. “It means the sun has become a feature in the film and I think that’s a very good thing for the script because it’s a hopeful film.”
Describing this interview as feeling like it was taking place in a holding bay at a movie theater, he said, “But it’s somebody’s home and the people who own it are living downstairs. It feels like you sort of take over and the people have happily become extras in the film.”
“When you go on location with the film, it’s like the film possesses the location,” said Rickman.
Referring to his time in the community, Rickman calls it “a really happy interaction between us all. We’re incredibly grateful for the generous hearts that let us come here and invade their lives.”
As for his memories of Wawa, Rickman said he will remember the log fires at the Wawa Motor Inn, rhubarb pie at JDD’s Diner and buttertarts, which he had never eaten until now. (*)
