Ryan Gage – The Musketeers

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) The first project that I am deeply excited about is the last of The Hobbit films. It’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. It’s a project I was thrilled to be a part of and I think lots of people are going to be excited for the third installment. I’ve only seen some of my scenes that I had to ADR so I am really looking forward to seeing the whole thing. I’ve also just completed Season Two of “The Musketeers,” which is a show that we film Prague and is a British show. We make it for BBC America and it is shown all over the world. It should be released around January the 1st in the UK. That will be early January in the UK and I am not sure of the American release. I’ve also got a movie that I am in called One Hundred Streets with Idris Elba. I’m actually playing a drug dealer in that, which is slightly different from my role as King of France in “The Musketeers.” Then, I have a movie coming out called Scottish Mussel. These two films I managed to slip in between the filming of “The Musketeers.” Scottish Mussel is a British comedy that I couldn’t resist.

Q) What was your audition process like for being a part of The Hobbit?

A) It was a funny process. I was in a play that was only for fifty people. It was in a room above a pub and I was not making much money from the play. I just loved the play and it was written by a fantastic playwright. I couldn’t resist it, but I had no expectations for it at all. Seemingly one of the casting directors for The Hobbit saw it and was asked to come in for the audition. The casting director and I got along well. We had a great giggle together and she gave me the sides for Alfrid and said to come back. She said she was doing auditions for the whole year and said I could come back when ever I wanted. I said I’d better come back in a month so she didn’t forget about me. So, I sent of went away and had loads of time to read it. I had six pages or something, but I didn’t have the script because it was sort of “hush hush.” I came back though and did my audition. They seemed to like it and wanted to see me audition again. I auditioned for a few different roles and I think they liked me for Alfrid. They wanted to make sure that they might have me somewhere else. At one point, they wrote me a little bit part to be in the film. I think they came to their senses to give me the role I auditioned for and that’s what they ended up doing.

Q) Throughout your experience on the film, what have you taken away from working on this project?

A) It’s extraordinary. As I said, I was a theater actor before so it’s all sort of new to me. Certainly from making the movie, what I take away is it that something that size is an extraordinary machine. It’s a huge industry to make that movie, but because the people involved are so creative there is never a day when something brilliant or jaw dropping or eye popping isn’t present. Particularly with that fantastical world of The Hobbit every day we would come in to the most beautiful sets, props and special effects. It was just a treat to be in that world. I suppose I have sort of taken away an insight into movie making from the inside. It was all new to me. I was like a kid in a candy store. I just loved every part of it!

Q) What were some of the most challenging or memorable moments that stood out from being a part of the film?

A) My character has a hunch so it was sort of quite painful because I had to manipulate my body and neck in a way in order to sustain myself when I would stand up. It became very painful and I was having to receive a lot of massage and chiropractic treatment in order to correct me and sort of even me out a bit because I was in a small amount of pain. I think that all added to the general nastiness of the character.

Q) What can fans expect from this second season of “The Musketeers?”

A) I think we’ve gone a bit darker and a bit more dangerous. Everything just seems to be a bit more difficult and a bit more dangerous. Certainly my character goes through a very harrowing experience at certain points and certain episodes, which you haven’t experienced in the first season. It still has many of the sort of fun elements and the swashbuckling we saw last season. But there is a bit more darkness to them.

Q) Was there anything you added to your role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I add things in all the time. I think you have to bring yourself to these things. You have to take the text off the page and make it your own in whatever way that is. I test stuff all the time and try it out. If the director says, “That’s an absolutely terrible idea, what were you thinking?” I think, “Then I won’t do that again.” That’s my sort of philosophy. I try things all the time and try to inject humor into things that maybe wasn’t on the page or try to inject sort of pain and pathos if they aren’t there, but I sense the room for it. You always try to find things. I think it is your sort of job to do that to try and see what you can find and present that to your director. Then, it’s there job to say, “That’s a terrible idea. Don’t do that.” or “I loved it!”

Q) You are a part of social media. How is it getting that instant fan feedback and fan interaction when the episodes premiere and your films are released?

A) I love it! I love that people can tweet and send screen shots and pictures and drawings they have made of the characters. Sometimes people will combine the characters so they’ll draw an Alfrid and King Louis together and throw them in a certain scenario together or they’ll dress up the characters in cosplay. I love all that! I think it is fantastic that we have the opportunity to connect to people in that way. I think it is a really positive thing. When I first did the premiere for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug I had never experienced fandom on that scale before. At the big Berlin fan event as soon as I got out of the car and stepped towards the fans there was just such joy and warmth emanating from there and all my fears of “goodness me, there are so many people and they are all dressed as elves” – that sort of fear of that disappeared and I realized they were fans of the show with great senses of humor and great joy. They were having a great time and I have enjoyed being in the company of them on the cyber sphere. I am endlessly inspired by their creativity.