We Speak Actors

Actor Adam Basil on stunts, Spielberg and Orcs

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2023

Hollywood actor and stunt performer Adam Basil has appeared in movies and TV shows including ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘No Time to Die’ and ‘Game of Thrones’. His other credits include ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’, as well as several ‘Fast & Furious’ movies. He talked to us about his gruelling stunt work, the celebrities he gets to work alongside, the secrets of prosthetics and how being big and bulky has been the making of his career.

How did you get into the film industry?

After working in the theatre and in other jobs (including yacht delivery!), by coincidence I happened upon a stuntman and actor who told me about the British Stunt Register. In the UK, there’s a qualification process for stuntmen and women – you have to be at national level in six different sporting disciplines. It took me many years to complete my training and qualify as a stuntman.

Which celebrities have you worked with?

I’ve worked with lots of well-known actors and directors – Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Samuel L Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, and many more.

What have been your favourite projects?

My favourite project so far was working with Andy Serkis when I played Venom.

“I also played the Beast in ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and Baloo in ‘The Jungle Book’. Playing a death trooper in ‘Rogue One’ was a challenging role due to the costumes being very restrictive.”

And I really enjoyed playing the body double for Will Smith in ‘Aladdin’ – yep, that big blue body is mine! I did four seasons of ‘Game of Thrones’ and stunt-doubled for the Hound and the Mountain. I had four hours of prosthetics from the great Barry Gower, the mastermind who created the amazing characters you see on those programmes.

Who’s your inspiration?

I grew up on a diet of films like ‘ET’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ and always loved the work of Steven Spielberg. His epic adventures gripped me from an early age, and I had the luck of working with him on ‘Ready Player One’.

What advice would you give someone who wants to become a stuntman and actor?

I’d say think long and hard if it is the job for you. The hours are gruelling, and after long days at work you’ll usually find us in the gym. If that excites you, then get involved by contacting the British Register, or if you’re in America contact SAG to find out how to join us!

What’s your most recent project?

This year, when Penguin released the new Judge Dredd audiobooks, I played the voice of Judge Dredd. We recorded three audiobooks in three days, and one of the scripts alone was 160 pages. I also acted in ‘The Beekeeper’ with Jason Statham, I’m an Ork in the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise and I’m in HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’. I’m also a guest lead in ‘Django’, a new Sky Atlantic series coming out in February.

What training do you do to prepare for films?

Films are intense – we work six days a week, sometimes seven.

“When working on ‘Beauty and the Beast’, I worked 21 days straight. The days are long – 10 hours minimum, plus travelling to and from work – and we sometimes have to change our body weight for a role.”

For example in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ the Beast is very big, so I was encouraged to bulk up for the role to make the character more menacing. I’d eat 4,20 calories a day and lift weights twice a day, five days a week. For other roles we can be asked to lose weight to fit into costumes that can’t be changed to accommodate the performer. My size has worked well for me, as I’m 6ft4in and weigh 110kg, which helps me get roles and has meant I have travelled all over the world with my work.

Featured photo credit: Andy Serkis

We Speak Actors

Why spooky movie ‘Behave’ starring Georgia Viero and Christian Vit is a must-watch

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

Anna Sutton

The psychological horror film ‘Behave’ follows a group of young people whose friend has been killed in mysterious circumstances. They escape to a country house, but something has followed them there… This creepy movie is co-written by Georgia Viero, an actress, producer, screenwriter and TV host who started her career in Rome, appearing in TV shows such as ‘Don Matteo’. She also hosted the well-loved soccer programme ‘Il Processo di Biscardi’.

As well as co-writing ‘Behave’, Georgia also stars in the film as lead character Polly, a young Italian mother who is trying to protect her son. Polly is pivotal to the suspense of the film, leading the audience through a harrowing journey of survival. Nothing is as it seems, and some terrifying scenes make the viewer doubt the very basis of human values.

Georgia was partly inspired by the classic Italian book on human behaviour, ‘Galateo’, which she twists to bring real horror to ‘Behave’. This helps shape the film’s narrative, infusing it with elements of psychological terror.”

“The film is not just a slasher film, as it pays homage to the Italian ‘giallo’ (murder mysteries/horrors) of the past, which are a big influence in Italian film culture.”

“It also recalls the atmosphere of famous 1990s horror movies such as ‘Scream’ and ‘Urban Legend’.”

Because she was both writer and star of ‘Behave’, Georgia said her experience of working on the film was intense: “Working behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ‘Behave’ was a real challenge,” she said. “I had meetings with director Francesco Gabriele and my co-writer Dan Sproson to explain my ideas about the story and characters. Even some aspects of the mask [that the killer wears] were born from my crazy mind!

“Also, in order to prepare myself to play Polly, I had to study with my vocal coach David Gwillim to balance RP English and my Italian accent. Along with Christian Vit, the co-executive producer, and Francesco, I was also a casting director, and it was hard to find a couple of actors for two roles in particular, but I think we made the right choices.”

When asked if it was easy to play the character of Polly because she wrote her, Georgia said: “I can’t say it was easier for me to play Polly just because I created her on a page. To be honest, maybe it was even harder. One of the most beautiful things about this job is that you have to make choices; sometimes you are on the right path, but sometimes you aren’t, even if you know by heart all of your character’s nuances. The director then has the hard work of changing your path if you are on the wrong one. And you can start again from there.”

She added: “Halloween is a perfect time to watch ‘Behave’. It will appeal to horror lovers, but also those who love mystery stories. And for sure, the movie will make you think a lot about the unpredictable complexity of human behaviour, and how sometimes you can really trust no one!”

Also appearing in ‘Behave’ is Italian-born actor Christian Vit, known for his roles in ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘FBI International’ and ‘Holby City’. In ‘Behave’, he plays the role of Charles, a central character who faces unspeakable horrors throughout the film. Charles is the gardener and guardian of the countryside retreat where most of the film takes place. He is very reserved, and has a sinister and imposing presence. Due to tragic events in his past, he chooses to live a tranquil and secluded life, but switches between his love of nature and heavy drinking sessions.

Christian brings a powerful performance that adds to the film’s intense atmosphere. With a strong mix of awkwardness, danger and vulnerability, Christian creates an aura of mystery around his character.

In addition to his role in ‘Behave’, Christian is also starring in the latest season of Netflix’s ‘Vikings: Valhalla’, which was released in August 2024. He plays the recurring role of The Emir of Syracuse during the siege of the Byzantine empire. He is involved in the first big duel of the season and to prepare for the role Christian had to study classical Arabic; he also had several weeks’ training to learn the long and complicated fight sequence.

Christian enjoyed the contrast of acting in a smaller independent movie like ‘Behave’. He said: “Filming ‘Behave’ has been a terrific experience. When you’re filming an independent movie, everything has to be optimised and made effective in the shortest possible amount of time. This means a lot of responsibility, especially for those behind the camera. Every single member of the cast and crew gave their absolute best to add value to production.

“Every role I have played has something unique.”

“In the case of ‘Behave’, it was the first time in my career where I had to act with a northern English accent.”

“That was a challenge for me, of course, especially considering I didn’t have much time to learn it, but also it allowed me to explore the character from a different perspective. I really enjoyed it.”

Christian added: “I think ‘Behave’ is the perfect Halloween movie: it has the atmosphere, the chills, the plot, and the classic horror-movie elements. It all makes ‘Behave’ the perfect choice for a scary night in front of the telly.”

You can watch ‘Behave’ on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Fawesome, Movie Central c/o Youtube…