Why Does Covenant Compare With Prometheus
FASSBENDER: It was a blast! It was a privilege to work with Ridley again. He's one of the true masters as a filmmaker and I love working with him. Every time you're on the set with him you're going to learn so much . . . On top of that he's a lot of fun to be around. It's also good to work with people who are on the same wavelength as you.
That's very important to me because it makes everything easier and I'm always very concerned about wanting to enjoy the experience. When I know I get along with someone and we can have fun doing the job, I'm always ready to work with them again.
Q: How does Covenant compare with Prometheus?
FASSBENDER: It's scarier. There's a huge fear factor. It’s more like the original Alien. I think people will find it more intense and there's this sense of imminent disaster that you feel which is also closer to Alien....Also, David's (Fassbender's android character) got a twin out there - Walter. It's a double bill! And they're different personalities. …show more content…
Q: You appear to enjoy working on both big budget blockbusters like this as well as indie films like The Light Between the Oceans and Trespass Against Us?
FASSBENDER: I like doing both kinds of films. I enjoy the intimacy of independent films where you work more much more closely with everyone and you have can have a more intense relationship with the people you're working with. You have to be very prepared and learn to work quickly.
On a big film like Assassin's Creed or Alien (Covenant), it's this immense operation and it's like being part of a huge circus family. I still find it amazing to be able to watch someone like a Ridley Scott pull it all
together.
Q: Do you have a strategy when it comes to choosing your projects or trying to vary the kinds of characters or stories you're telling?
FASSBENDER: I don't like to plan very far ahead because you never know which project is going to come up. I usually trust my gut instinct. It basically comes down to the director and the script. That's my only strategy! (Laughs)
Q: You are often cast in difficult roles where your character has to suffer or otherwise inflicts pain as has been the case in Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave and Macbeth?
FASSBENDER: It might be because I'm really mad myself! (Laughs) But I'm not mad enough to allow that to destroy myself. But I think we're all a little mad and it's more interesting to acknowledge and portray madness than to ignore it. If you look at how we behave on this planet there is do doubt that madness is everywhere...
When I look at the roles I seem to be drawn to, you can see something of a recurring pattern at work. I don't know whether directors or producers see me as a tortured soul. Maybe they do! I guess I have that tortured look on me! (Laughs) I think it's time for me to start doing more comedies.
Q: What do your parents make of your intense roles?
FASSBENDER: My parents are especially proud of my work. After I abandoned the idea of being a guitarist in a heavy metal band, they were rather nervous when I told them I wanted to be an actor! (Laughs) They didn't see it as a very secure profession.
Q: You're regarded as a sex symbol even though you often play very complex and sometimes unsympathetic characters. Is that a contradiction?
FASSBENDER: I'm happy in my skin, and I never think about whether my characters are unsympathetic or tormented in terms of wanting to play those kinds of roles. I look at every part as a way of expressing different aspects of their humanity. I have no vanity when it comes to that. That's what I love so much about acting - it's the ability to submerge your emo into that of another person. And the whole notion of being a sex symbol is a bit frightening and ridiculous - although it suits me! (Laughs)
Q: When did you know that acting rather than music was your calling?
FASSBENDER: I watched a friend play guitar and that's when I knew I would never be good enough as a guitarist. Even though my heart was into music and I loved hard rock music and heavy metal I realised that I didn't have that raw talent I needed.
Then while I was working at my parents' restaurant (in County Kerry, Ireland) I started studying acting on the side although they were very worried about my decision. They wanted me to go to university so that I would have something to fall back on. So when I finally started to have some success, they were very relieved and now that they're retired to get to travel a lot and spend time with me on sets.
Q: Is there any one thing about growing up in Ireland that you cherish the most?
FASSBENDER: I like the way Irish people enjoy socialising. When you go to a pub in Ireland, you'll find it easy to strike up conversations with people. By the end of the evening, you'll probably know a great deal about the local people and all the famous stories about the area. The Irish have a very beautiful tradition when it comes to storytelling.
Q: Was it all tough for you at times given your German name and heritage?
FASSBENDER: You learn to stand up for yourself but also how to defuse situations. My father taught me how to handle things, though, and to avoid getting into fights every time someone would pick on you or say stupid things to you. You have to make sure you don't get pushed around, but you need to have self-discipline to get you through life.
Q: You're a big fan of racing and you've taken a cross-country motorcycle trip with your father in the past. Are you addicted to speed?
FASSBENDER: Probably! (Laughs) I love motorbikes and I also love karting. Karting is an experience that is about as close to being in a Formula One race car that you can have without killing yourself. I love the feeling of being so close to the ground - which is something you don't get when you're driving a car.
I enjoy the sensation of the speed and the turns and the G-forces in karting even though it's nothing compared to what Formula One drivers experience. Being on a motorbike and concentrating while you're going as fast as possible is also a strange form of relaxation - your mind just adapts to what you're doing and you stop worrying about everything else that's going on in your life.
Q: Apparently you're a fan of karaoke?
FASSBENDER: I love karaoke but I'm not sure I would have many fans left if they came to hear me! (Laughs). I'm totally fearless when I take the microphone. I'll sing Sinatra or the Rolling Stones or Creedence Clearwater Revival without any shame or regret! It all depends on my mood and especially the number of drinks I've had that evening. (Laughs)
Q: You're also starring in the new Terrence Malick film, Song to Song (formerly titled Weightless - ED), which is premiering here in Austin. Malick is known for being a very innovative director. What was your experience with him?
FASSBENDER: Working with him is scary and fun and as interesting as any experience you're going to have as an actor. He's always thinking about new things and coming up with fresh ideas on the set. He never stops writing and trying to use the time to create special moments that are usually unplanned.
He gives you so much freedom as an actor that you have to be more alert and in touch with your character to be able to react spontaneously. That can be scary but it's also exciting to work that way. He tells stories in a way that is very original and unique.
Q: How would you describe your record producer character, Cook?
FASSBENDER: Cook is very manipulative but also very charismatic. He's constantly trying to push the limit of his experiences and those of others to help him in his search for the ultimte high. He's trying to transcend the world.
Q: Do you also push yourself when it comes to your work?
FASSBENDER: I'm very persevering and very demanding with myself. I think of this as the German side I've inherited from my father. I have his typical approach to work. He always told me: If you do something, do it well, or don't do it at all.
He was always very picky with me. When I would come home from school with my grades, instead of congratulating me for having received an 8 out of 10 in math he would scold me for not getting a 10. My father gave me this sense of wanting to achieve more than what just comes easily and have a strong work ethic.
Q: How do handle your fame and all the success you've had?
FASSBENDER: Fame doesn't interest me at all. Maybe 10 years ago when I was much more intense about the process I might have been seduced by being a celebrity and the attention. But now it doesn't mean anything to me, really. I'm only concerned with being able to continue working with the best people in the business and getting to work with great filmmakers. I think the fact that success came to me fairly late helped me gain a better perspective one everything.
Q: What about the financial benefits of success?
FASSBENDER: I don't have lavish tastes and I still live very simply. I don't do anything much differently except that I get to travel more which I love doing. I still like riding a motorcycle, reading, going to Formula 1 races. My private life isn't very different from what it has been. I'm glad to be able to work a lot and enjoy these opportunities doing what I always wanted to do and not be back behind a bar.
Q: What's the strangest thing about being a famous movie star?
FASSBENDER: Probably dealing with the press. As an actor, you're constantly obliged to talk about yourself and that can be boring after a while. Some actors might enjoy that process, but I wonder why people are so interested in our lives or what we have to say.
Q: How would you compare yourself now to who you were 10 years ago?
FASSBENDER: The biggest difference is that I've learnt to deal with stress better. I don't live with the kind of pressure you have when you're very driven and struggling to find work. I think you need that kind of tension and determination to reach a certain level but now I can enjoy everything more. I'm still as passionate about my work as ever, except that I'm able to be more relaxed and appreciative of it all.
That's very important to me because it makes everything easier and I'm always very concerned about wanting to enjoy the experience. When I know I get along with someone and we can have fun doing the job, I'm always ready to work with them again.
Q: How does Covenant compare with Prometheus?
FASSBENDER: It's scarier. There's a huge fear factor. It’s more like the original Alien. I think people will find it more intense and there's this sense of imminent disaster that you feel which is also closer to Alien....Also, David's (Fassbender's android character) got a twin out there - Walter. It's a double bill! And they're different personalities. …show more content…
Q: You appear to enjoy working on both big budget blockbusters like this as well as indie films like The Light Between the Oceans and Trespass Against Us?
FASSBENDER: I like doing both kinds of films. I enjoy the intimacy of independent films where you work more much more closely with everyone and you have can have a more intense relationship with the people you're working with. You have to be very prepared and learn to work quickly.
On a big film like Assassin's Creed or Alien (Covenant), it's this immense operation and it's like being part of a huge circus family. I still find it amazing to be able to watch someone like a Ridley Scott pull it all
together.
Q: Do you have a strategy when it comes to choosing your projects or trying to vary the kinds of characters or stories you're telling?
FASSBENDER: I don't like to plan very far ahead because you never know which project is going to come up. I usually trust my gut instinct. It basically comes down to the director and the script. That's my only strategy! (Laughs)
Q: You are often cast in difficult roles where your character has to suffer or otherwise inflicts pain as has been the case in Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave and Macbeth?
FASSBENDER: It might be because I'm really mad myself! (Laughs) But I'm not mad enough to allow that to destroy myself. But I think we're all a little mad and it's more interesting to acknowledge and portray madness than to ignore it. If you look at how we behave on this planet there is do doubt that madness is everywhere...
When I look at the roles I seem to be drawn to, you can see something of a recurring pattern at work. I don't know whether directors or producers see me as a tortured soul. Maybe they do! I guess I have that tortured look on me! (Laughs) I think it's time for me to start doing more comedies.
Q: What do your parents make of your intense roles?
FASSBENDER: My parents are especially proud of my work. After I abandoned the idea of being a guitarist in a heavy metal band, they were rather nervous when I told them I wanted to be an actor! (Laughs) They didn't see it as a very secure profession.
Q: You're regarded as a sex symbol even though you often play very complex and sometimes unsympathetic characters. Is that a contradiction?
FASSBENDER: I'm happy in my skin, and I never think about whether my characters are unsympathetic or tormented in terms of wanting to play those kinds of roles. I look at every part as a way of expressing different aspects of their humanity. I have no vanity when it comes to that. That's what I love so much about acting - it's the ability to submerge your emo into that of another person. And the whole notion of being a sex symbol is a bit frightening and ridiculous - although it suits me! (Laughs)
Q: When did you know that acting rather than music was your calling?
FASSBENDER: I watched a friend play guitar and that's when I knew I would never be good enough as a guitarist. Even though my heart was into music and I loved hard rock music and heavy metal I realised that I didn't have that raw talent I needed.
Then while I was working at my parents' restaurant (in County Kerry, Ireland) I started studying acting on the side although they were very worried about my decision. They wanted me to go to university so that I would have something to fall back on. So when I finally started to have some success, they were very relieved and now that they're retired to get to travel a lot and spend time with me on sets.
Q: Is there any one thing about growing up in Ireland that you cherish the most?
FASSBENDER: I like the way Irish people enjoy socialising. When you go to a pub in Ireland, you'll find it easy to strike up conversations with people. By the end of the evening, you'll probably know a great deal about the local people and all the famous stories about the area. The Irish have a very beautiful tradition when it comes to storytelling.
Q: Was it all tough for you at times given your German name and heritage?
FASSBENDER: You learn to stand up for yourself but also how to defuse situations. My father taught me how to handle things, though, and to avoid getting into fights every time someone would pick on you or say stupid things to you. You have to make sure you don't get pushed around, but you need to have self-discipline to get you through life.
Q: You're a big fan of racing and you've taken a cross-country motorcycle trip with your father in the past. Are you addicted to speed?
FASSBENDER: Probably! (Laughs) I love motorbikes and I also love karting. Karting is an experience that is about as close to being in a Formula One race car that you can have without killing yourself. I love the feeling of being so close to the ground - which is something you don't get when you're driving a car.
I enjoy the sensation of the speed and the turns and the G-forces in karting even though it's nothing compared to what Formula One drivers experience. Being on a motorbike and concentrating while you're going as fast as possible is also a strange form of relaxation - your mind just adapts to what you're doing and you stop worrying about everything else that's going on in your life.
Q: Apparently you're a fan of karaoke?
FASSBENDER: I love karaoke but I'm not sure I would have many fans left if they came to hear me! (Laughs). I'm totally fearless when I take the microphone. I'll sing Sinatra or the Rolling Stones or Creedence Clearwater Revival without any shame or regret! It all depends on my mood and especially the number of drinks I've had that evening. (Laughs)
Q: You're also starring in the new Terrence Malick film, Song to Song (formerly titled Weightless - ED), which is premiering here in Austin. Malick is known for being a very innovative director. What was your experience with him?
FASSBENDER: Working with him is scary and fun and as interesting as any experience you're going to have as an actor. He's always thinking about new things and coming up with fresh ideas on the set. He never stops writing and trying to use the time to create special moments that are usually unplanned.
He gives you so much freedom as an actor that you have to be more alert and in touch with your character to be able to react spontaneously. That can be scary but it's also exciting to work that way. He tells stories in a way that is very original and unique.
Q: How would you describe your record producer character, Cook?
FASSBENDER: Cook is very manipulative but also very charismatic. He's constantly trying to push the limit of his experiences and those of others to help him in his search for the ultimte high. He's trying to transcend the world.
Q: Do you also push yourself when it comes to your work?
FASSBENDER: I'm very persevering and very demanding with myself. I think of this as the German side I've inherited from my father. I have his typical approach to work. He always told me: If you do something, do it well, or don't do it at all.
He was always very picky with me. When I would come home from school with my grades, instead of congratulating me for having received an 8 out of 10 in math he would scold me for not getting a 10. My father gave me this sense of wanting to achieve more than what just comes easily and have a strong work ethic.
Q: How do handle your fame and all the success you've had?
FASSBENDER: Fame doesn't interest me at all. Maybe 10 years ago when I was much more intense about the process I might have been seduced by being a celebrity and the attention. But now it doesn't mean anything to me, really. I'm only concerned with being able to continue working with the best people in the business and getting to work with great filmmakers. I think the fact that success came to me fairly late helped me gain a better perspective one everything.
Q: What about the financial benefits of success?
FASSBENDER: I don't have lavish tastes and I still live very simply. I don't do anything much differently except that I get to travel more which I love doing. I still like riding a motorcycle, reading, going to Formula 1 races. My private life isn't very different from what it has been. I'm glad to be able to work a lot and enjoy these opportunities doing what I always wanted to do and not be back behind a bar.
Q: What's the strangest thing about being a famous movie star?
FASSBENDER: Probably dealing with the press. As an actor, you're constantly obliged to talk about yourself and that can be boring after a while. Some actors might enjoy that process, but I wonder why people are so interested in our lives or what we have to say.
Q: How would you compare yourself now to who you were 10 years ago?
FASSBENDER: The biggest difference is that I've learnt to deal with stress better. I don't live with the kind of pressure you have when you're very driven and struggling to find work. I think you need that kind of tension and determination to reach a certain level but now I can enjoy everything more. I'm still as passionate about my work as ever, except that I'm able to be more relaxed and appreciative of it all.