What was it like wearing that outrageous costume?
It was very uncomfortable, all our costumes were uncomfortable. But the costumes helped my performance. For me as an actor, it easier to play an extreme character like this with the costume and the sword and hair. Wearing the costume gets me into the personality of the character and 90 percent of my work is done once I put it on. The costume transforms you.
But the novelty of wearing the costume wore off around Week 2, when I realized I had several more months wearing it, as we were moving into the hot humid days of July in New York and then it did become hard work.
We were always having a good time making the film but it was definitely important to have a sense of humor while we were filming. It took ten or fifteen minutes just to get my costume on, I had to really manage my time especially in terms of bathroom breaks. If you needed to get out of the costume, things would have to stop and shut down for twenty minutes - just to get the suit off.
What was it like working with the computer-generated chipmunk, Pip, who has a substantial role in the film?
He was never on the set, he was always relaxing in his trailer! Seriously most of the time it just involved using my imagination, the trickiest part involved pretending to have a conversation with the chipmunk, who of course is not there while you are filming. I had to pause long enough to get the chipmunks reaction.
It involves focusing on exactly the right spot with my eyes, to make it realistic and convincing, it is quite difficult and there were some times when Kevin the director would use a little stuffed chipmunk and he would bounce it around and I would have to focus and watch it.
That was the least enjoyable part of the process for me, because you never know what it will look like and it feels so strange. But luckily there are a lot of artistic geniuses who made it look great in the end.
Did you do your own stunt in the very amusing scene in which you get run over by a cyclist in New York?
Yes I did and the good story about that scene is that it was the last shot of the movie for me. The cyclists in the scene were stuntmen. There was a mat for me to fall on and the idea was that the cyclist would bump me and I would fake a bad fall and it would be funny. I said can we just do one take where you really knock me hard so that it is convincing, so I can really react naturally?, I thought it would be much funnier if he really hit me (not to get hurt of course) but just so that it was real.
I joked that if I did get hurt, it would not matter because the movie was finished. It was done. So he really hit me hard, he whacked me and luckily I did not get hurt at all and I think it worked really well and was funny on screen. It looks like it hurts when you watch that scene he actually grabbed me and yanked me on his way down and my voice squeaked.
I love that scene. There is a perfect picture of a romantic prince and then we just squash it; that is what the movie really does, it juxtaposes that fantasy fairy tale world with the faster-paced more cynical and dirty New York.
What were Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams like to work with?
Everybody had a very healthy sense of humor, which was important on this film. For a film that looks as though it would be very light and fun, it was actually really hard work, so when the camera was not rolling, it was crucial that we could all laugh at ourselves.
We all got on well. Amy and I clicked; she can actually be dark and sarcastic and so much fun. I enjoyed working with Susan; she is such an amazing actress. There was one funny moment when we were both in costume and she was in her gown, which has pointy silver bits on the front that are like little daggers. I was yelling at her during the scene and I spun around and turned away from her and my sleeve caught hold of the spike and almost pulled her whole top off. That did not happen but we all laughed.
It was surreal for me working with Susan Sarandon, although the first time she came on set she was dressed as the hag with the hunchback and scary face. We were doing a scene in the ballroom and she wandered on set in character and started waltzing with me and it was so odd. I said: its going to be great to meet you properly without all the makeup, because she was practically unrecognizable.
She was great though, she is an icon and I was thrilled to be working with someone of her caliber and she is so normal and down to earth. It fascinates me when a star like her is so normal, she is just a mom. We talked about her kids.
It sounds like there was a great atmosphere?
Everyone was great, no egos on the set and it was a really collaborative effort. I worked much harder on this film than on many of my others though.
What were the biggest challenges?
There were dance lessons and singing lessons and sword play lessons, there was a lot to do, there were long days of shooting in the hot, New York summer, it was tougher than I thought it would be starting the project. I am not complaining because it was also fun I had a great time and love the film.
Are you yourself cynical or an incurable romantic like the Prince?
I am probably more of a cynic, I would call myself practical rather than cynical though. I just dont subscribe to the idea that romanticism has to take the form of flower petals on the floor and boxes of chocolates. That is all lovely, but to me that is by the book romance.
My idea of being romantic is when I wake up in the morning with a screaming two year-old and let my wife sleep an extra few hours, or when I fill the car up with gas. I used to think the jewelry and flowers were what romance was all about, but really it should just come from your love for your partner. Very early on in my relationship with my wife, there was a lot of guitar playing, ballads and strawberries on the beach. So I suppose I am still a romantic, but I am cynical too, I am a hybrid.
Have you ever imagined yourself playing a Prince Charming like Edward, or actually being a kind of dashing prince-like figure in real life? You are so convincing in the role.
No not at all, never because that would involve being charming first of all (he laughs) and having some success with the opposite sex and that is something I never had growing up.
Really that is very hard to believe?
It is true, I grew up in Oklahoma, I did always have the blue eyes, but I was pudgy until I was 13 or 14, then I got tall and skinny, but I grew up in an area where girls liked athletic football players and I was never that kind of guy.
That was their version of Prince Charming and it was not until fairly recently that I became reasonably happy with my appearance and the way I am. I think it is all psychological, but I was never really comfortable with the way I looked and dont see myself as handsome. I see myself more as Tim Spalls character, (Nathaniel) the fumbling valet, who is insecure about himself.
What does Prince Charming mean to you as a concept?
When I was younger I would try to mould myself into an image of what women wanted and now I am interested in being comfortable in my own skin. I think it is important to have confidence in who you are and embrace that, rather than trying to be someone else. Prince Charming is an idea or an ideal - and it is different for everyone. My princess would be different from another guys princess.
You actually get the girl in your next film 27 Dresses - with Katherine Heigl?
Yes for once, thank God. Except in that movie everyone will expect that I do not get her, because historically, that is what happens to all my characters, I have all the bad luck.
In all my recent films X-Men, The Notebook and Superman Returns and Enchanted, I play nice guys, but ultimately the audience wants to see the leading lady with somebody else. So in that film, it was different and unusual for me, it was great and I finally do get the girl. Although I do not feel I am qualified for that, so I am more comfortable in this role! (laughs).
Enchanted is released 14th December.
Tagged in James Marsden