Nigel Barber – The Host

By starrymag | July 27, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the film The Host.

 

A) “A chance opportunity arises for Robert Atkinson, a London banker who risks the bank’s money to leave the mundane behind to start a new life. To take advantage, he unwittingly signs up with a Chinese cartel to transport a briefcase to Amsterdam. But all is not as it seems in a city veiled by dark secrets. Fueled by power players, drugs, seduction and violence, Robert awaits his turn in a deadly game of choice and consequence.”

My character, Herbert Summers, is a DEA agent who has been chasing a major Triad leader Lau (Togo Igawa). When Summers learns that Lau is planning an upcoming heroin transfer in Amsterdam and using an English banker to be his patsy by paying off his gambling debts, he steps in hot on the trail of the transfer of money and illegal drugs.

Summers has an eloquent and formal but friendly way of presenting himself; someone who is able to blend into the crowd, yet always alert, always taking in his surroundings. He can be described as driven and as having a charming personality; however, he doesn’t let up – even when his job is at risk for overstepping the Dutch police and his boss demanding the case is to be closed. Throughout the film he is passionate about solving this case and takes a caring and devoted role.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the film?

 

 

A) I like supporting young filmmakers. When I was growing up and working in California these young filmmakers were the George Lucas’s or the Spielberg’s. So, I volunteered to do things and went to London Film School offering to work in graduation projects and shorts. I worked on a project for LFS and met Zachary Weckstein, our producer on The Host. He was doing his Masters there and producing this film where we just clicked. He’d spent many years in San Diego, as did I, and we had a lot of mutual connections and similarities. I just loved his work ethic. There was no drama with him despite being responsible for the shoot, managing the actors and keeping everything moving. After we finished shooting, I told him I’d love to work with him again in the future and we stayed in touch. Fast forward five to six years later and I get an email from Zach about a new feature he’s writing and producing and there was a part for me if I’d accept it. I said yes immediately before even reading the script – you just say yes to things like this –

and that’s when we started working together. I spent five incredible weeks shooting in Amsterdam, two weeks of pick-ups in London and what a treat! Plus, I took my fiancé out there and proposed. So, Amsterdam is a special city for us.

 

Q) How was your character Herbert Summers originally described to you?

 

A) Herbert Summers’ job was to use the people around him to achieve a result. As Herbert is of an age, it was almost like a swansong for him, as I like to say. This was his last big case. He was just a normal administrator basically, a field worker. You have to surround yourself with assets and you run those assets as Herbert uses Robert (Mike Beckingham). It’s like anything – if you’re a carpenter you need a hammer, a saw or a screwdriver and then you know which ones to use on what job. He’s very pragmatic and as the script evolved and as the shoot evolved, we started making connections with more of a paternal side to him, that he was trying to protect his assets. It wasn’t just running for the sake of the end result of getting the bad guy, it was also about caring and this brought many more layers to his character, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Q) Was there something you added to this role that wasn’t initially in his breakdown?

 

A) Everybody has feelings. They feel joy and love and hate and jealousy and bliss. I think what separates us is what triggers those feelings and that’s how I approach a character. What is the same with Nigel Barber, I don’t mess with, that’s just me. I work on the things that have different triggers. That’s basically what I do. I don’t do acting techniques like Meisner or Stanislavski, am I method or not method – I’m a storyteller. My job it to take somebody’s fictional events and make them believable and that’s what I do. That’s what I really like about it. I don’t need a bump, a funny leg, an eyepatch or any of those other gimmicks. I mean it depends on make-up and hair design. If they say you have an eyepatch, you have an eyepatch, but it’s so simple really when you think about it.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your co-stars before working with them on the film?

 

A) I hadn’t worked with my co-stars from The Host previously, but I definitely was aware of them. Dominic Keating, of course, from the “Star Trek” franchise, Tom Wu was incredible in the “Marco Polo” series and then picked up a spin off called “A Hundred Eyes,” of course Sir Derek Jacobi. Togo Igawa is one of my favorite Japanese character actors and I’ve seen a lot of his work, besides being a great voiceover artist and doing a lot of “Thomas the Tank Engine!” And, of course, Dougie Poynter for his position as lead in a very popular boyband, McFly, but I’d never worked with any of them. It was very exciting. It was one of the few films I worked on where there weren’t any egos, no prima donnas, nothing. It was just fun. I think that had a lot to do with Andy Newbery, our director, and also of course Zachary Weckstein, the producer. Everyone involved, including the sponsors, were all so generous and open. You had to be prepared, learn your lines, study your stuff, tow your mark and you stand there twelve hours in the rain or whatever’s required and that’s what our job is – that’s who we are. It was very exciting and I’ve become close with a lot of the people that I worked with. It was very special.

 

Q) Herbert is a DEA agent determined to catch Robert. What motivates his search – his thirst for justice or a hidden agenda?

 

A) Herbert Summer’s case is to catch Triad Leader Lau Hoi Ho. After a series of unforeseen events, his case for fighting for justice turns into much more…

I think this was an incredibly important case to Herbert because this was probably the end of his career, basically, and he had to go out with some success on one hand, but needed to do the right thing for the people involved on the other.

 

Q) What advice did director Andy Newbery offer during shooting that you took to heart?

A) Andy was very cool. He is young in the business but certainly wise in his interpretation and his ability. There was plenty going on. We were in the back of cars, we were shooting in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, we went through customs and they closed sections down and they still had people flying in from all over the world. I don’t know how Zachary arranged all the logistics, but it was one of those things where you had to stay focused and pay attention because we had limited timeframes involved. Andy was very easy, never going in a corner and punching anything or freaking out or pulling his hair out. From an actor’s point of view, we’re looking for direction. That’s why you call them “directors!” You don’t need somebody coming up to you saying “that was rubbish” without giving you an alternative to try. You need something more than that. You need to be directed. You need to agree with the director and producer on the thrust of the character. I supports the storylines, it supports the other character’s agendas as well and then normally you have flexibility within that structured parameter to work with and Andy did that. He’s a very nice man, a gentleman.

 

Q) With such an intense storyline, how did you shake off a long day of filming?

 

A) It was so fun. You almost make is sound like a punishment! It was so fun that the time between the lines “that’s a wrap” to “we’ll pick you up at six o’clock in the morning” felt very blurred – we just continued. We enjoyed each other’s company and stayed in some incredible facilities, including Hotel 27 in Amsterdam next to the Dam. Then, later on, in a few other places as we progressed into other locations. It was just such a joy. We were taken care of, everybody was around, nobody was neglected and then you also had space to wander off. I mean London and Amsterdam, talk about eye candy! Two incredible cities and the weather was absolutely brilliant. The locations that we filmed in, some of the houses, these mansions, these places that production was able to arrange for us were incredible. We all had drivers, we were all taken care of. We didn’t feel stretched. You had to stay focused. Of course, there wasn’t a lot of partying, but there was definitely a feeling of being taken care of because once you’ve got that you don’t have to worry about anything else. You didn’t need to dwell on questions like when am I going to be picked up, when are we going to be fed, what about costume – none of that. It was just like good, you do your job, I do my job and it gives you a freedom and that’s what I thoroughly enjoyed about the production.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film?

 

A) Ah, that’s a tough one! I loved the airport scenes. I loved getting on the airplane and pretending I was a little stupid and sitting down next to Robert and the back and forth of “hey where you going?” and “sexy weekend huh?” all while Robert is starting to sweat more and more. I thoroughly enjoyed that. The latter scenes as well when we’re breaking into the house on the canals and discovering what’s going on behind closed doors. It was so well done, so well lensed and so well filmed. I felt very comfortable with that – so they’re probably one or two of my favorites without giving away any major spoilers!

 

Q) What did you personally take away from working on this project?

 

A) A feel-good feeling. You come back from some projects thinking, “Wow, that was an effort! But I didn’t want this one to end.” Zachary surrounded himself with the best that he could find in the business and allowed them to play. He brought them to the circle and allowed them to dance to their ability and it was a positive working environment of trusting decisions, trusting choices and trusting professionalism. For a first effort for so many people, I would have to say bravo! We’ve had mixed reviews, some people didn’t get it, other people did. But all in all, I applaud everybody involved.

 

 

THE HOST is available NOW to rent or own on all major VOD platforms including iTunes, Amazon, VUDU, Fandango Now, Redbox on Demand and Google Play, and major Cable VOD platforms including Comcast, Directv, Cox, Charter / Time Warner, Dish and Verizon.

iTunes: https://apple.co/2z3xLfk

Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/3gUvkwN

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Host?id=6-JlBnJp8Bw.P

Assets: http://bit.ly/34D6hXy

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=189nXuUc31E

Instagram: @TheHost_Movie

Facebook: @TheHost2020

Twitter: @TheHost_Movie

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