Translator: Yi Ersan
Proofreader: Qin Tian
Author/Source: CBR (February 16, 2006)
Hugo Viven's character in V-Vendetta is V, an iconoclastic hero who goes to great lengths to live up to his faith and fight against the oppressive government that controls Britain. V's identity has never been revealed, but it doesn't matter, what matters is what the character represents and his influence on those who come into his life.
"V-Word Vendetta Team" 《V-Word Vendetta Team》
Initially, V was played by James Bowfer, but shortly after starting production, he quit and Vivian took his place. This means that after the pre-production of the film and the start of filming, Vivian joined the group.
Considering the character's nature – the fact that he was "invisible" throughout the film – and his last-minute entry into the group , Vivian faced many challenges as an actor. In this interview, Vivian talks about these challenges and many details.
V-Vendetta (2005)
Reporter: Hugo, can you please talk about the challenge of performing with a mask? Have you ever taken off your mask?
Hugo Viven: Interestingly, V also mimics several other characters in the film, so I didn't wear a mask for the first three days of shooting, which was a great opening for everyone on set. As for the challenge of performing with a mask, because I always wear the same mask, it's a fixed impression, but you can change the specific angle of the head and movements through the light. So, it's not just a challenge for actors.
This is a challenge shared by the mask makers, the actors themselves and the director. This is a collaborative challenge. For me, the main challenge is that his expression is fixed, but he has a lot of lines. You can read what he's going to say in the script, but you can't see his face. You read what he said, and then you move on to the next scene. So, you can only learn about the character on paper, but on the screen he seems to be there all the time (muttering). [Laughs]
V doesn't have an exact name, and there isn't much backstory other than his experience in the concentration camps, so how do you structure the character from within?
Hugo Viven: Generally speaking, when you're asked to do something, you fly to the other side of the world in a matter of days and jump into the character's skin bag. I didn't really have much time to think about it, so I decided early on that it was a skill exercise for me – I wasn't going to put too much emotion into the mask at all, but to do everything I could to make the mask work.
In fact, he was just an idea. Sure, he's a man, but you never know who he is. The original author never really said who he was, so I certainly can't drill this horn tip.
Reporter: So what is your understanding of this character?
Hugo Viven: V likes to express his opinions, but he has a strong sense of purpose and direction. He's also a tortured character, so I guess that's the human side. He was physically tortured. If you're looking for a real person under a mask, that person has been severely abused by the state mentally and physically, and he's seeking some form of personal revenge against those abusers. He also has a heroic side, he is a liberator. So, he's both a vengeful angel and a liberating, hopeful idea, and if you push that idea strong enough, things will change.
Reporter: In this case, your main tool as an actor is sound. So, do you need to avoid excessive sound performance?
Hugo Viven: We actually focused on capturing the performance when we were shooting, because the sound from the mask was often very low, that is, the overall performance was done in post-production. So, it's important to try to find the state of the day's performance so that it can be recreated, and even after it's been cut, we can insert or change something. So, it also has a positive side.
Interviewer: Do you think there is any thematic connection between The Matrix and V-Vendetta?
Hugo Vivian: To be honest, I haven't thought much about it. I'm sure Larry and Andy, who were involved in the creation of these two films, may have had some perspective, and I know that they have a certain interest in the subject of the individual, individual responsibility, and state control, and that the two are similar in theme. A vast regulatory body and imprisoned individuals, the two are related.
The Matrix
Reporter: You and James McTegg worked together in The Matrix...
Hugo Viven: We actually knew each other before that.
Reporter: How does it feel to work with him?
Hugo Viven: Fantastic. We get along very well and usually come and go. He knew a good friend of ours, so before working with him on The Matrix, including after filming, all four of us would hang out together. He's a good friend of mine.
Reporter: If it wasn't a Wachowski-style film, would you still decide to participate at the last minute?
Hugo Viven: I think so. I was there when I got to Berlin, I knew all of them, I knew the art director Owen Patterson, I knew the stuntman, and it made things a lot easier. But if another person I don't know calls me and says, "How soon will you get to Berlin?" This is the script, can you read it and give me an answer tomorrow?" I'll still say yes.
Interviewed Terrance Stamp, who played comic book characters in Superman 2 and Erica, and said he always wanted to figure out how the character crossed from writing to the screen. Do you feel that way, or imitate the movements of the V in the comics?
Hugo Viven: No, no time. There really isn't time. The V in the book is very calm. Yes, he can move, and you can see him sitting on the roof, but he is very calm overall. The problem is, for this mask to work— which is a difficult thing to do — I have to trust my intuition about any body movement, whether it's head or limb movement. I didn't have enough time to think or plan, I just needed to get into the character's pocket and act based on my limited knowledge of the story at the time. That's why I said, for me, it's a technical issue because I really don't have time to delve into these things. I replied to them almost immediately: "Listen, I'm here, I'll try to play this role, but if I mess up, please just tell me and we'll try another way."
Reporter: Did you ever say on set, "Okay, I know what to do?"
Hugo Vivian: On the first day of filming they seemed happy, they thought I was doing a good job. James didn't pull his hair! I got a lot of positive feedback.
Reporter: How quickly did you go from the time you answered the phone to the time you started shooting?
Hugo Vivian: I remember getting to Berlin about six days after answering the phone. It was about four days before filming started, so I was happy to get an idea as soon as I got on set.
Reporter: You mentioned the calmness of the characters. So have you tried to do anything about the shape of the character?
Hugo Vivian: Not really, there's not much room to play in this movie.
Reporter: In the comics, the author seems to emphasize that he is more of an idea than a person through consistent costumes. As he moved, it was as if he were moving forward with his mask on, while the cloak fluttered behind him. Do you feel the same way about that?
Hugo Viven: Maybe, you have to ask James about that. To me, he's a man under a mask, and it's important that you never see his face and you never know who he really is. He's an idea, but you need to feel like he's a real person, but don't ask too many questions, because if you keep drilling the bull's horns, it will end up being, "How the hell did he do everything?"
Reporter: It's a very serious film, did you have any fun during the shooting process?
Hugo Viven: Absolutely. When you take something as a challenge, like playing a role like that – sounds very difficult , it's interesting in itself. Not having time to think about things beforehand is a relief. Usually you're bound by your own thoughts, and those thoughts turn into fear, and sometimes you just have to think, "Okay, I'll be there in a minute." When you're suddenly in it and don't think about anything, it's more exciting and fun.
Reporter: You've tried big and small-scale films. "V-Kills" is obviously a big production. Do you think you'll only make big productions in the future?
Hugo Viven: The size of the film doesn't matter to me. If the script is interesting and I like directing, then that's why I like it. To be honest, I tend to choose small-made films because most of the time the scripts for small-scale productions are more interesting. That's the most important thing for me.
Reporter: It sounds like you're liberated by the temporary nature of this work.
Hugo Vivian: Yes, of course. I'm sure someone else has asked you, "Come here now and do this?" It's exciting. You'll feel like you're flying! Maybe life should be like this.
Reporter: Between receiving the character and starting filming, did you have time to read the comic?
Hugo Viven: No, I didn't. When I got to Berlin, I met Owen Patterson first, then looked at the mask, and then he gave me a comic. I didn't finish reading it, but flipped through it carefully, and then I realized how different it was structurally from the movie, so I decided to spend all my time on the movie. If there are questions in some scenes that don't get answered, I'll go back and refer to the scenes in the comics, probably two or three times. It's actually quite interesting.
Reporter: Do you remember which scenes you specifically went to see?
Hugo Viven: Yeah, I've always thought the most difficult, and probably the most incredible, was the scene where he ended the interrogation and went back to the Shadow Gallery, because all of a sudden you were asked to believe —or rather, you realized that V was the one who had been torturing her. For those who have not read the comics and are watching the film for the first time, making that scene easy for the audience to understand is the most difficult. But I think we did.
Reporter: What about the scene where she put her head in the water? Did you do it yourself?
Hugo Vivian: Yes, but not the head I gave her. (Laughs) They don't trust me to do it.
Reporter: How many scenes did you shoot? [Laughs]
Hugo Viven: A lot! We had a camera under the water; it was a glass bucket. Then we set up cameras next to it as well. In order to keep the face at the right height in the water, we took a lot of shots.
Reporter: Would you remind yourself, like the average actor, "I'm just acting, that's not the real me!"
Hugo Viven: No! (Laughs) She's a nice person. During filming, I would ask her, "Are you okay?" She would reply, "I'm fine!" [Laughs]
Reporter: What was it like to shoot in a shadow gallery? What I saw and heard was very impressive.
Hugo Viven: Yes, that set is very beautiful.
Reporter: Did that help your performance?
Hugo Viven: Yeah, when I first walked on set with James, I thought it was great. We were filming the bucket scene, and then we walked to the Shadow Gallery and we were talking about the first scene I was going to shoot with my mask on, which was after the interrogation. This is one of the longest shots in the film. So, it's great to be there, and I'm excited.
Reporter: Did you feel like you were playing a superhero in this movie? He's kind of like Batman.
Hugo Viven: He really is, isn't he? Guy Fox was a great figure in my mind, and it's interesting that Larry and I both read The Gunpowder Plot (written by Hugh Rose Williamson) as we were filming The Matrix, explaining the gunpowder incident that took place nearly 400 years ago in the Capitol. I don't know if he had this idea when he read the book, but I read it because I was a history fanatic. We talked a lot. Guy Fox is the big hero in my mind, and the whole gunpowder incident is an extraordinary story that should be made into a movie.
V played that role. Yes, he's a hero, but I don't really like heroes. He's not just a hero. He had a lot of other qualities.
V's quest for freedom and revenge tends to manifest itself in the form of art, because he has all the movies, books, Shakespeare and so on, which seems to reflect his understanding of freedom.
Hugo Viven: At the same time he is defending them, keeping them, he is the guardian of all these things. There are many characters in the film, such as Gordon Dietrich played by Stephen Frey, who also owns some illegal items that the country is no longer allowed to keep. So, in a way, he gathered these treasures together for preservation. This is the human side of the human. The other side, of course, is the dark vengeful angel who wants revenge on those who hurt him. In other words, he had a vendetta in his heart, and he wanted revenge on them. He has another aspect, which is to urge people to think and take responsibility for their own lives. There are many different aspects of this role.
Reporter: One of the authors of the original book has publicly expressed his dislike for the adaptation of this film. Does this affect you or do you have any thoughts on it?
Hugo Vivian: I personally don't think it's anything remarkable. I don't know why he wasn't happy, but it really didn't matter. My opinion is that Larry and Andy are both very avid fans of comic book, and they are also great, top filmmakers, so if someone wants to bring a comic like this to the screen, they may be the best candidate. Because I think they know a lot about both mediums and love them very much.
Reporter: You spent a lot of time making genre films like The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings, and now you have V-Vendetta. For the next movie, do you want to get out of this situation and shoot a smaller movie? Or a more mainstream movie?
Hugo Viven: I don't know. I might go back to Sydney and make some small-budget Australian films. That's my favorite place to work. For me, these movies are some unusual activities, but I like to do these things. I also come back often to make these films.
Reporter: You're probably the most famous actor in the world who didn't set foot in Hollywood.
Hugo Viven: It's cool, isn't it. [Laughs]
Reporter: Haven't you made a single Hollywood movie? Haven't even filmed a scene in Los Angeles?
Hugo Vivian: No, I've never been there to shoot.
Reporter: So you want to go? [Laughs]
Hugo Viven: No, I love working with Larry, Andy, and James. I love working with Peter Jackson in New Zealand. That's New Zealand, Europe and Australia. I've filmed in San Francisco and it feels good, but San Francisco is not Hollywood.
Reporter: Hollywood seems to have always been a mecca for actors, but your acting career is completely different from theirs.
Hugo Viven: I don't know why this is the case. I started out mainly growing up in the UK and had a keen interest in Europe before moving to Australia. When I was 15, 16 and 17, most of my favorite movies were European, and that was the starting point for my interest in movies. I think that's exactly what interests me. And the Australian film industry is in the middle, it has its own, very strong cultural identity – that's why I like them because it makes me feel who I am.
Desert Demon (1994)
Reporter: Are you a fan of comics yourself?
Hugo Viven: Not really, but I've read some weird comics and comic novels and enjoyed them. I also bought a few copies for my sons yesterday.
Reporter: How old are they?
Hugo Viven: The eldest is 16 years old, the younger one is 12 years old.
Reporter: What do they think of your character?
Hugo Viven: They've seen that mask, but to be honest, they don't know much about it. We were going to go to the set together, but it didn't work out. They know less than I do, but I don't know much! [Laughs]
Reporter: "Your dad plays the lead role, but you can't see him."
Hugo Vivian: (laughs) Yeah!