Adam Godley

Please introduce yourself.
What can I say? My name is Adam Godley…I’m a tall guy with big ears!

What got you into acting?
Well I started as a child actor when I was 9 I started doing radio plays for BBC and that led on to other work. I did that all through my school years and then my parents thought I should do a proper job. I went to university and did half of an English degree, then dropped out because I decided I wanted to be an actor and got back into acting. I had to start again which is probably a good thing because sometimes the transition between child actors and adult actors can be hard.

What future projects can we expect from you?
I’ve done a lot of theatre over the years and for the last 4 or 5 years I’ve really been concentrated on films so I am trying to steer my career in that direction. I’ve got a couple of films coming out next year. One is the second film by a director who directed the film about Elizabeth the first. It’s called Elizabeth the golden age which will come in autumn I think. Then also I just finished working on the first of the three Phillip Pullman trilogies. I’m playing Pantalaimon, well actually I’m just voicing. He’s actually a computer generated character. From what I’ve seen, it’s going to be an amazing film! I think it will live up to peoples expectations.

Do you prefer theatre or film?
It’s a question people always ask and I say, I just think its two completely different things. The job is completely different so you can enjoy them for two completely different reasons.

Who are your role models and why?
That’s a big question. There are different role models for different reasons. There are people like Nelson Mandella who is an incredibly firing man and I find his ability to forgive and his compassion very inspiring. I’m also obviously very inspired by great actors and I meet great actors who I admire and I’m just tongue tied around them. I find they’re just incredible human beings as well. I find that very inspiring. For example Johnny Depp who I think is brilliant and really imaginative. He turned out to be the most amazing guy. Geoffrey Rush who I recently worked with is just amazing. Emma Thomson who I admire as an actress and as a person. A lot of actors because they’re the people I mainly deal with. You know, you meet people on a daily basis who are dealing with the struggles of life in a really cool way.

What are your passions and concerns for the world?
That’s a very big and important question. I think passion is a pretty good passion. Embracing life because it’s very short and has a lot to offer. You have to grab it with both hands and I really try to do that. Obviously I’m concerned about the environment. I’m very concerned about how we treat each other. Whether it’s the colour of skin, what you look like, your sexuality, it all shouldn’t matter. That’s one of my big concerns. So I think just the way people treat each other. If they treated each other with just a bit of compassion and respect! And expect to be respected but also respect people back. We all deserve respect and to respect others. And compassion! When people are really annoying us, it’s easy to despise them and I think that’s the point where you have to realize you shouldn’t hate people. We don’t need any more hate in the world, we need to try and understand.

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Tall. Thin. Compassionate.

If you could do anything for one day, what would it be?
I would reverse some of the environmental damage we have caused to the world.

What has been the scariest thing you’ve had to do on set?
There have been a lot. I once played a character who was threatening to kill himself by throwing himself off Battersea Palace Station and I had to sit on a metal bar suspended between a chimney overlooking the Thames. I had a rope around my waist and the camera had to have a shot looking over my shoulder and down. It was just one of those moments where I hoped they had a tight grip of this rope.

What has been the most embarrassing thing you’ve had to do on set?
Well I did a play where I had to appear nude and it was in a very small theatre, the Royal Court Theatre in London, and the prospect of it was worse than doing it. It was me and two actresses just had to take our clothes off at the end of the play. It was terribly embarrassing but when we actually did it, it was okay. It was probably more embarrassing for the audience than us!

Which movie was your favourite to film?
Probably Charlie and the chocolate factory because a) Tim Burton is just an incredible guy and b) the sets were just unbelievable! Pretty much everything you saw in the film was actually there! I would walk into the set and at one end was the 100 foot chocolate water fall and then a real chocolate river floating through the centre of the studio! With everything you saw in the film actually there, it kinda took your breath away! And the film almost couldn’t capture just how incredible it was to be there! And all the other sets were like that but that one in particular just took everyone’s breath away! When we walked into the studio, we just couldn’t believe what we were seeing! And 5 months playing around on that was pretty cool!

Describe your character on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Well he was a very put upon dad with his son who loved playing violent video games. I think his dad was a bit in despair of him. The kid was constantly being rude, talking back and dissing his parents. But at the end of the day, you probably have to blame the parents.

Would you say you’re anything like your character?
I hope not! I sincerely hope not! I had a pretty unsexy hairdo in that one too! This horrible comb over and everyone would look like me like I was just a piece of rubbish. It was pretty hard on the ego but I survived. Thankfully my hair is back!

What made you enjoy it so much?
Well I just think it was like living in a fantasy world and for all that time with a really great bunch of people, I just couldn’t imagine having any more fun! You sort of live for those moments having the best time with the best people, working on something great and actually getting paid for it! Can’t see how it gets any better! I felt very lucky and blessed getting to do it! As an actor, whenever you’re working with really good people, you’re learning from them and it’s the best!

Have you kept in contact with co-actors from your movies?
I have actually. Some of my closest friends are from work and I’m actually staying in LA with my friend Missi Pyle who played Violet’s mum on Charlie and the Chocolate factory. She and I have become good friends. I love my close friends from films. It’s such an intense experience when you’re working with them, you get really close and sometimes that fades away as quickly as it came but sometimes you really make connections.

If you could change something about your life, what would it be?
The good stuff and the bad stuff has all taught me things so I really wouldn’t change anything.

What has been the toughest thing to do in your life?
To be true to myself. It’s very difficult as an actor, especially at the start, you want success so badly and there are so many people you feel you have to please to achieve that, that sometimes you get bent out of shape and loose a sense of who you really are and of course that’s the most important thing about you. I’ve only learnt that because I’ve been through that myself in every area of my life. So just that, to truly be myself.

How does it feel to be a role model and have people look up to you as a good example?
I don’t know that I am a role model…I don’t know. I’m a bit shocked. I’m not sure that I am.

If you could be a super hero, who would you be?
That’s a really good question…I would probably be Spider Man because I think he looks really cool. I guess Super Man can do a lot which is cool. I don’t know. Any super hero who has a really cool costume will do for me. Then again super man’s costume is really cheesy so I wouldn’t go for his costume but he has cool powers…Spider Man’s costume with Super Man’s powers!

What’s the nicest thing a person has ever said to you?
That my work inspired them. It’s nice to hear that sometimes, it makes it all worth it. Not that people say it often but occasionally somebody does.

Tell me random facts about you.