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#Divergent Fansite Set-Visit: Ray Stevenson Interview

Posted on Mar 13, 2014 in Divergent | 0 comments

Chicago Set Visit Report- Ray Stevenson

Marcus Eaton isn’t exactly on any Divergent fan’s favorites list, but much to our excitement Ray Stevenson is actually very pleasant and fun to talk to. He had some interesting takes on many of the themes of Divergent and like his on-screen son Theo James, he is hilarious!

How does it feel to be a dad of such a handsome young man?

Ray: He takes after his mother, unfortunately. For sure. He’s great actually. He is a really nice guy.

How was it working with Neil?

R: I love working with Neil. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do this, was to work with him. He’s great. He’s doing this whole damn thing really well.

You know it’s funny how Marcus was part of Abnegation faction but then he turns out to be so, I don’t know, so… what are you using to kind of display that duplicitousness about him?

R: Well, because he is Abnegation, he always wears gray. I kind of caught 85 shades of gray (laughing crowd).. No 50. It’s been a dark course actually. There’s a bit more than meets the eye and you know that he is, you know, I think he’s got this thing about his son and he was probably a bit too much like him, I don’t know. You know people, who hold high office, of positions with power, especially who are taking care of a much larger group of people, like he can be a father to them, and actually act in the height, innovate, eternal way, but when it comes to their own family, they kinda fail… because they are actually, called for the much broader picture. And I think it’s a very real thing. You know, I’ve seen in real life as well, and also with doctors. They’d be great with other people’s children. Really paternally caring and everything. But when with their own kids, It’s like I’ll take aspirin so it’s gonna be fine. You know what I mean. You took care with these people but, so I think there’s a lot of that.

And I think that with his own son, I think there’s a bit of Marcus that he is trying to control in himself, and keep a grip on, in order to be in the position and exercise his duties. But I think he sees in Tobias a bit too much of himself, and I think that’s one thing why he wanted to turn and whip that out of him. You know not have his son exposed. It’s a bit of like tough love. You know?

Very tough. (laughs)

Are there any scenes that are just wonderful or memorable that we can hear about?

R: My involvement with this movie is sort of very fraction or very bitty. And although we are like halfway through, literally had a day here and a day there. I mean we have done some running on trains and stuff like that… you know running across rooftops and there’s a lot of stuffs still to come. So, you know the scenes I’ve been involved in are… they haven’t been so Marcus-centric?

Tony told us a lot about his, the abnegation housing and his costumes and stuff.

R: Boring.

(Laughing.)

R: I mean. It takes Scandanavian to a new level.

He took the minimalist approach then. Laughing.

R: Oh, yes. That’s quite Zen, Zen and the art of architecture. Really. Less is more, they say. But this is less.

What faction would you be in?

R: Well, I think I would be factionless. I haven’t met the factionless yet. But I got an idea that they dress better. That they are done and sort of sexy and that would be interesting.

(Laughing.)

At least you know where they come from. I don’t know.. I think, I am… you know.. personally, I don’t think I would fit in to any faction. Just to get to know people. I think it’s… I probably would be cast out, or just run out and just live happier.

How’s your chemistry with Theo James?

R: It’s great. He’s really really funny. I didn’t realize, but actually we went to the same theater school as I did. In Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. It was weird that we sort of have connections as well. But, now from what we have done together, what I’ve seen is great. Yah.. it’s gonna be interesting to play the dynamic, between father and son, in the days to come.

Are there any specific scenes you are looking forward to filming with him?

R: The one that we first meet after so many years apart. We meet for the first time since he left for Dauntless. And he’s harbored all this angst and pain inside. And it’s the first time that we actually sort of seen each other. So I’m looking forward to seeing how that’s going to play out.

What’s like to work with Director Neil Burger?

R: He’s great. He really is. He really has a very strong vision for this. And his taste lifted from the book and his film is much more gritty, with realistic sort of environments. And you can see the scale of the movie itself. He’s basically staring into a huge behemoth and their intention is to do three or four movies.. and you know.. he is basically putting down the foundations and the bedrock of this world that we’re living in. I respect his work so much and I’m delighted to work with him.

Have you signed on for all the movies? Was that premature?

R: No, not premature. The option is for the other movies as well so I am all signed on. I just got a hold of Insurgent so that should be very interesting. It’s gonna be interesting to see as we get further into the series of movies. There’s going to be a battle between the movie and the book. Although I think Veronica Roth is working very well, very closely, with the writers as well.

Speaking of Veronica Roth, why do you think subjects like these are so popular and interesting to people now?

R: Well I think the world we live in now is in such a state of, the world itself, what we grow up to believe about the world is distorted and the reality isn’t what we were presented with. It’s fractured, its damaged, its hurting and it’s a natural human thing to strive and think about how much more there is and where the underlying problems are and how they could be solved. Addressing it through the medium of movies is a great way of exploring that. So I think everybody thinks of sort of.. why are they doing this.. why are they.. you know.. tearing the world and their selves apart. It’s not one quick fix and its taking so long to get here and people don’t wake up in the morning wanting to break the world; but it’s a little bit broken. o I think it’s quite natural to explore that.

Would you describe Shailene’s character as heroic?

R: Heroism is a strange thing isn’t it. She’s got the sort of genes within her that she can’t deny. That’s something that been coming through. It comes from her mother as well as her father and from her. She reaches a point where she realizes that you don’t really have a decision to make. That you should be true to yourself, you know, it’s not a sort of should I do this, should I do that. It’s more a let it all go on what my true direction is. I think for some people, that would be heroic. But it’s in her nature to be Divergent, in the sense.. to have all the qualities of the various factions and to bring that to bare and.. you know.. courage is a strange thing. Courage is having the will to follow your heart.. your instincts.. Be true to yourself. So I think, there’s heroism in there. It’s like lead by example. She’s not dictating how people should be. She’s just trying to find out the best way to be who she is. In some respects, that is heroic.

So would you make it through Dauntless initiation? (laughs)

R: Oh God.. Dauntless. No. No. No. I got my own train.

All: Laugh.

(Ray gets called to head back to basecamp)

R: Thank you very much. Have a great day.