Tights, Corsets, and Directing: Alan Rickman Talks “A Little Chaos” at the London Film Festival

Male Voice: Can you tell us what attracted you to the project and also what encouraged you to take on not only an acting role but a directorial role as well?

Rickman: Well it’s the usual boring answer - I loved the script. That is the only thing that makes you ever do something because with writing of that quality you start to see images and then it becomes a kinda roller coaster you can’t avoid. And in terms of playing [King Louix XIV], I wasn’t allowed to avoid that because, as much as I would have wished not to play it, they didn’t have to pay me!

Male Voice: So how was directing this time around and your experience with the cast?

Rickman: Well, what you find out about film making, if you didn’t know it before, is that it is an unbelievable team effort but you know, some of them are here tonight, you’ll never know who they are, but the incredible skill and support I had behind the camera, as well as wonderful actors in front of it... So when you are working together in that kind of harmony, it’s a kind of heaven.

Male Voice: And just finally, what what you like audiences to take away once they’ve seen it?

Rickman: I’d like them to take away their own experience and not the one that I tell them too. It’s all there, it’s all possible and they’ll latch on to it in their own way, they’ll be moved in their own way and I wouldn’t want to legislate for that.

Soho Picture Book: What was it about the film that made you want to do a period drama?

Rickman: I didn’t think of it as a period drama, I just think of it as a story that happens to be wearing those clothes. [laughs] They’re just a bit longer and less comfortable and so you have to get used to that so the poor women have to get used to getting tied up in corsets.

MuggleNet: You've attributed the delay to going back into directing to Potter, just not have the time. Were you approached with the script during Potter? Was this something you have been working on for a while?

Rickman: I can’t even remember now! Once you’re doing something like Harry Potter, even though I was only doing seven weeks a year on it, it just makes it impossible to direct another movie. You need a year and a half of your time.

Empire Magazine: What did you like most about portraying Louix XIV?

Rickman:  I’m not sure. It was hard to enjoy because it was too worried about my directing hat but fortunately I had a big wig to cover that. I think in many ways you kind of feel sorry for him. You think, that’s a lonely job being Louix XIV. It might be powerful, but it’s lonely.