From the GATW Archives: Interview: Nick Frost (PIRATE RADIO/THE BOAT THAT ROCKED)
Last, but certainly not least, in my interviews for PIRATE RADIO, Mr. Nick Frost. Of course, this guy needs no introduction. If you’re a movie geek like the GATW crew, then you’ve seen some of his funny performances and know who this teddy bear of man is.
I have to admit, I was pretty nervous meeting Nick. Biggest reason? He’s just a regular-looking guy like myself - except a lot funnier, a lot richer, and with a little more charm. When Nick came in the room, sat down, and started talking, those nervous jitters quickly went away. The guy really is just a regular dude. Before he got his start as an actor, he was a restaurant manager for years. He literally went from working for the man to telling the man where he can stick it.
When interviewing Nick, our roundtable covered a lot of different topics. Some strange (his long hair and mustache), and some very interesting (being naked, American fans, and watching himself on the big screen). Check out the interview after the jump, and let us know what you think.
Also, I want to point out how great of a guy Nick is. After confirming his Twitter account is in fact him (@NickJFrost), I sent him a tweet telling him it was nice speaking to him. Just a few moments later, he directed messaged with this, “Nice to meet you too. Have a good flight.” Gentleman, scholar, and all-around nice guy.
On being half-nude with Tom Sturridge:
I don’t mind being nude, I don’t have a problem with it…you know I have that kind of weird reverse body dysmorphia where I look in the mirror and think, “Man, you are hot” (laughs) and then go and try on to buy jeans in a size 30 and think, “why can’t I fucking get these things on? Why can’t I get these over my knees?” (laughs) I’m very happy with the way I look.
On funny on-set stories:
Just kind of holding Tom Sturridge and I, being naked, and I was holding him like a small dead bird (laughs)…if you had to show an alien race, just how different human bodies can be, Tom would be at one point and I would be at the other
On the first bedroom scene, shared with Talulah Riley:
I think as beautiful and sophisticated as Talulah is, you forget that she’s actually fairly young…I like to think I’m a gentleman, and I think it was important to make her feel comfortable…I think it can be quite tough for a young lady being semi-naked in front of forty cameramen and sound men and electricians, you know it’s not a natural state of affairs really.
On being famous in America:
Over here it’s a bit difficult with the camera phone world, now it’s slightly annoying. I don’t see myself as a celebrity. If someone takes my picture with a camera phone without saying, “Hey, do you mind if I have a picture?,” I see that as tremendously annoying…I don’t see myself as public property. I’m not out there for the celebrity. I never go to parties or premieres…I think if you start to go down that road you open up a can of worms because you are then public property and people can stand outside your house and take photos of your wife while you’re having lunch, and you know, that’s not why I started doing this. Yesterday…I started smoking again, like a fucking idiot, and I was having a ciggy last night after we finished here [PIRATE RADIO press party], and there were paparazzi outside and that [snapped] me smoking, and that kind of upsets me because you know, if my mother-in-law sees it, I’ll get a fucking flea in my ear. (laughs)
On watching his own performances:
Yeah, I think everyone does, even the people who say, “Oh, I never watch anything I do,” it’s a lie…I think every actor is fairly egocentric enough to watch themselves at least once. But once is usually enough…I’ve never seen PENELOPE or WILDCHILD…Last time I saw “Spaced” was eight years ago…I’ve never watched it again. But yeah, once is enough. Just to see if it’s funny, or if I’ve done a good job.
On his long hair:
The 80s are back now…it’s the 80s (laughs)…I think a lot of it is because I am unemployed…Simon [Pegg] and I took like a year to write PAUL and then we started shooting PAUL, [and] my hair’s long in that and we’ve been wrapped on that like six weeks, so I just haven’t cut it…I’ve grown a terrible mustache to annoy my wife, which is now being kept for a role that I’m doing so my wife will be very upset…slightly.