Question: Luke and Rebecca are very different aren’t they? How did you make the relationship believable?
Hugh Dancy: “I think that it is perfectly credible. We see quite quickly in the film that Becky is not just crazy; there is something very down to earth about her, something endearing, honest and appealing, even while she is making up her stories and getting into a mess. She is an unpretentious person and very charming. Luke is quite different from Becky. He is not remotely interested in clothes and shopping, he is in love with the world of finance, which is an area that she has a bit of a problem with. Luke is quite severe and strict, but he also has a sense of fun. When they get to know each other they do have a lot in common. You see very quickly that they are more suited to each other than you would initially think. Would I fall for someone as crazy as Becky? Yes. I have done it several times with no regrets.”
Question: You have modeled for Burberry, doing a campaign for them, did that give you more awareness about fashion?
Hugh Dancy: I learned a lot when I did the Burberry campaign five years ago, I found that it was good fun. I spent a day sitting in front of a car wearing a nice suit, with the amazing photographer, Mario Testino taking my photograph; people pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for that kind of thing in charity auctions. So it was quite an honor and I can’t complain. I appreciate a good suit that is comfortable and fits well, but fashion is not something that I spend much time worrying about on a day-to-day basis. “
Question: Can you speak Prada?
Hugh Dancy: No, I'm still on chapter one.
Question: What was the last thing you bought with a credit card?
Hugh Dancy: I took my friends to dinner. Good meals tend to be my extravagance.
Question: Playing journalists seems to be quite a popular career choice for actors. How much did you enjoy it and what kind of research did you do?
Hugh Dancy: I did visit Fortune magazine in New York and also the guy that does the Forbes 400 list. It was interesting to see the pace and the competitiveness and the deadlines. But more relevant to the guy I was playing was, I think, his commitment to the truth telling aspect. I guess I saw a little bit of that exhibited in those offices, but it was clearer in the script.
Question: Can you draw comparisons between the scale and the expense of a Hollywood movie compared to the kind of movies and TV material you started out on? Does it seem like anything goes in an industry this huge?
Hugh Dancy: Well, I think I've worked on movies and TV shows of all different scales where money felt like it was being spent unintelligently. And I've worked on very big movies, like this one, where the attention to detail is incredible. There's no sense that the door has been flung open wide and the cash was just flying out. But then I don't think we're necessarily in a position to answer that because we're obviously not the ones writing the checks. So, what it comes down to are just a few people in a room and the work that they're doing. So, it was myself, Isla Fisher, PJ Hogan, the director, and Jerry Bruckheimer, and that is true of a small TV show or a huge movie.
Quest ion: But what about in terms of the scale of the production?
Hugh Dancy: Oh yeah, it's different entirely. It's like a space launch. It's really how it feels sometimes. I've worked on a couple of other movies of Jerry's and particularly the larger, more action type movies... they feel like a small town. There's a fire engine, sometimes there's a crèche... I half expect there to be a church. It's a community.
Question: How was working with costume designer Patricia Fields on your wardrobe?
Hugh Dancy: I had the odd experience of working with Patricia Fields, who is obviously known for making women look fabulous and yet here we were trying to make me, a guy, and look kind of scruffy. I think that was probably relatively new to her. Jerry Bruckheimer is right when he says that she's collaborative and interested in character and how you feel. So, it was a very productive work experience.
Question: Do you have any money saving tips?
Hugh Dancy: Don't spend it! I know it sounds stupid but the essential truth of the books and the movie is really that - put the credit card back in the wallet, or cut it up!
Question: What are your shopping temptations?
Hugh Dancy: Mine are books. I will go into a book shop... that's the only shop I really like to browse in to kill time and will come away with too many.
Question: What are you doing next?
Hugh Dancy: I have a movie called “Adam”, which will be coming out on an as yet unknown date later this year.
CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC is on Blu-ray and DVD June 23rd!
