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Eccleston: I did Thor to pay the mortgage
Former Doctor Who tells it like it is.
Christopher Eccleston has proven to be the scourge of the major studio publicity game by revealing that he did 'Thor: The Dark World' for the cash over the art.
A few days ago he had made a quip about receiving 'a Marvel salary', but in a revealing interview with Metro, the former 'Doctor Who' went further still, taking a refreshing line on his recent work.
“I primarily do these films for the money,” he said during the interview, and when a rep from the film company chipped in 'But you were a fan of Marvel Comics when you were a kid...', he added:
[Thor: The Dark World director hates mid-credits scene]
“As a kid, I was not particularly drawn to comics. I wasn’t much of a reader, I was always playing out on the street.”
Eccleston plays the role of dark elf and principal villain Malekith in the movie, a role which required a stultifying amount of time in make-up.
“I would get up at 2.15am, be picked up at 3am and sit down in the make-up chair at 4am,” he added. “At about 10am, I would leave the chair and it would be another 20 minutes getting me into costume.
“Then there would be two make-up artists and two special effects people around me all day. I was a special effect. It was a challenge keeping your patience and focus.
“I didn’t know the length of the make-up. I wish I had. They always say acting with prosthetics is like washing your feet with your socks on. But the make-up was very organic.
[Anthony Hopkins has 'already forgotten' Thor: The Dark World]
“I always felt that Malekith’s face was my face, I am recognisable: my big hooter and cheekbones are there. And having done two big Hollywood films before [GI Joe: Rise Of The Cobra and Gone In 60 Seconds], I knew the emphasis would not particularly be on the dialogue. It is a visual party you are going to.”
When asked whether doing a superhero movie as a classical actor was a bit of a cop out, he replied: “The straight answer is that I am an actor and 90 per cent of actors have regular periods of unemployment. I didn’t work for seven months after 'Thor'. I am open to any kind of work so I can pay the mortgage.”
In what must be a doubly disappointing volley of dissent for the 'Thor' press team, Eccleston echoes recent sentiments from Anthony Hopkins, who has played Odin in both the 'Thor' movies.
Speaking at the D23 Disney Expo about 'Dark World', he happily proclaimed to an assembled crowd: “I haven't seen the movie and I've forgotten it.
“It's hard to follow the story in the script. This is not really my world. I've come to Marvel at a late stage in my life and I'm used to doing more conventional films. But it's interesting.
“All I was concerned about sometimes was to turn the dialogue that I had into something that was more human. Instead of too overwritten. Mock Shakespeare.
"I knew (the first 'Thor' director) Ken and he said 'Would you like to play Odin?' I said, 'Yeah, okay'. At my age if they offer me the phone book to read, I'll read it, as long as they pay me.”
