The Mists of Avalon (2001) -Hans Matheson (Mordred)
An interview with Hans Matheson about the role of Mordred
Do you think Mordred is an inherently evil character?
He's been rejected and abandoned, and that's what is behind the evil he does. I think that is the case for a lot of people who have been hurt in their lives. Their pain ends up coming out in an indirect way. Good and bad are conflicting within him, but there's evil in his blood from which he just can't run away.
What is his good side?
He just wants to be loved. He wants a normal family life. He's a loving soul, but somewhere along the line things go horribly wrong.
Why is he after the crown?
It's his destiny. It's his fate. He's very bitter about the fact that his mother, Morgaine, and father, Arthur, don't "own" him because he is a child of incest. So that automatically puts something dark into his character. Mordred embodies the real pain of their separation. He realizes late in the piece that he has nothing to live for but to kill his father -- that he was put on earth to kill his father.
Was it intimidating to work with this powerhouse of women actors?
Not at all. They're all very nice. I think we all had a very good time making this movie, learning to swordfight and ride horses. And Uli's fantastic. He's an actor's director.
So is it every boy's fantasy to walk on a set like this Camelot and play this role?
I don't know, really. I'm just interested in interpreting character's truths and emotions. I could be in Camelot or Soho, it really doesn't matter. But, then again, it is nice to be on a set with swords and castles.
From the official Mists of Avalon site
An interview with Hans Matheson about the role of Mordred
Do you think Mordred is an inherently evil character?
He's been rejected and abandoned, and that's what is behind the evil he does. I think that is the case for a lot of people who have been hurt in their lives. Their pain ends up coming out in an indirect way. Good and bad are conflicting within him, but there's evil in his blood from which he just can't run away.
What is his good side?
He just wants to be loved. He wants a normal family life. He's a loving soul, but somewhere along the line things go horribly wrong.
Why is he after the crown?
It's his destiny. It's his fate. He's very bitter about the fact that his mother, Morgaine, and father, Arthur, don't "own" him because he is a child of incest. So that automatically puts something dark into his character. Mordred embodies the real pain of their separation. He realizes late in the piece that he has nothing to live for but to kill his father -- that he was put on earth to kill his father.
Was it intimidating to work with this powerhouse of women actors?
Not at all. They're all very nice. I think we all had a very good time making this movie, learning to swordfight and ride horses. And Uli's fantastic. He's an actor's director.
So is it every boy's fantasy to walk on a set like this Camelot and play this role?
I don't know, really. I'm just interested in interpreting character's truths and emotions. I could be in Camelot or Soho, it really doesn't matter. But, then again, it is nice to be on a set with swords and castles.
From the official Mists of Avalon site
