In
this section you'll find all the interviews, articles and reviews I
could find about Robert. This is really a huge work of research (and
transcription) to make it as complete as possible for those who want to
know him better by the interviews he has done all through his career.
I also wanted to add
artciles related to
him and reviews of his work. As this site is aimed to offer as much
information as possible, I decided to put all I found relevant. Even if
it's critical towards Robert Powell.
Below you'll find the list of all the articles, interviews and reviews
with a summary of the main points tackled on the article.
This page is still under construction, I'll be updating it as soon as I
can.
Feel free to discuss about the articles you've read in the Forum.
|
1970's |
After Jude: Obscure? |
- Interview from 1971 (Fabulous 208) where Robert
talks about his future projects and his desire to film or to produce
one day.
- Quote : “I’m
only 75 per cent a person when I’m not acting.”
|
Wanted: Dead or alive |
- Interview from 1972 (Films Illustrated) where
Robert complains about the playing characters who always end up dead.
- Quote : “What
I would really enjoy doing now is a cheerful role where I am still
alive at the end of the script. And it would be nice if somebody
offered me a comedy.”
|
Robert Powell, the man chosen
to portray Jesus |
- Interview from 1975 (Photoplay) where
Robert
talks about how he got the part of Jesus and how he's preparing the
role, mainly by reading the Gospels.
- He also talks about how he got annoyed by the
press about his relationship with Babs.
- Quote :
“(...) if I was 21 and (was) offered 'Christ’ and
no one knew me, I think I would be finished. I’d have to wait
ten years for a career. But I’ve been around for a while
(he’s 31) and people do know I do other things."
|
Robert
Powell: how portraying Jesus changed his life |
- Interview from 1977 (Movie Stars) in which it
describes how Robert Powell prepared the role of Jesus physically and
mentally.
- In this interview he describes the difficulties
while doing the Crucifixion scene and about his "Water and cheese diet"
(don't try it girls!).
- Quote : “An
actor has to be objective when interpreting a part. Nonetheless, after
playing Christ for all these months, it would be difficult not to
really believe in him.”
- Quote
: "After
this movie I would like to tackle a modern character. I
want to make people laugh."
|
Taking
Risks |
- Interview from 1978 (Films and Filming) where
he analyses his main films.
- Films and Filming was an excellent film
magazine, so if you want to read something really intelligent this is
one of the best interviews he has done.
- Robert talks about his aborted project : Man of
the match, about a soccer player.
|
I
feel like I'm king of the remakes |
- Interview from 1978 (Film Review) where Robert
talks about his recent films : The Thirty Nine Steps and The Four
Feathers, both of them remakes.
- He also talks about filming with Ken Russell
and about two aborted projects (Man of the match and Arab).
- Quote : (About having enjoyed playing
Jesus) “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever
done. It was also the most physically exhausting. I lost a stone during
the filming. There is no other part where in every scene you are on it.
There’s no other part where I’ve had to learn seven
foolscap sheets of script every day and there’s no other part
where I’ve been unable to use any of my own personality. "
|
1980's |
Why
Powell runs so hard? |
- Interview from 1980 (Photoplay) in which he
promotes his latest films Jane Austen in Manhattan and Harlequin.
- It also talks about another aborted project
(Campbell Black's The Punctual Rape) for which Robert wrote the
screenplay.
- Quote : “The actor is far too
dependent on all the other things that go to present him to be called
an artist in his own right. He does not exist per se as an artist on
his own. There are the cameras, the lights, the costumes, the director
and so forth. You’re just at the end of the line.
It’s a polarised viewpoint. I do feel strongly if people
suggest that actors are artistic.”
|
Happy
to be a jolly good chap |
- Interview from 1988 (TV Times) about the come back on British tv of Robert Powell in Hannay.
- Quote : “I was at a cricket match last year when a little girl came up to
me and asked for my autograph. ‘My mother says you’re famous,’ the little girl
said. "
|
Robert
Powell, tilting at windmills |
- Interview from 1989 (TV Times) about the broadcasting of Hannay's 2nd season.
- About how he was harassed by journalists when he was cast as Jesus : “I got so fed up with journalists at that time. A
man gets cast as Jesus Christ and they immediately tried to find something that
might preclude him from playing the role!”
- Quote (back to the little girl incident) : “I suddenly realised there was another
generation which had little idea who I was."
|
1990's |
Growing
older sexily |
- Interview from 1992 (Daily Mail) in which Robert talks about getting older.
- Quote : "Ageing doesn't worry me at all."(...) "The idea of looking into the mirror doesn't worry me at all. I still have one
enormous advantage in the fact that I have all my hair. And it's still dark.
Though I have to admit my beard is grey. I look a bit like Santa Claus these
days if I have a beard.'"
|
I
fell for the blonde in Pan's People but was so nervous that I asked the
all to dinner |
- Interview from 1995 (Daily Mail) in which Robert
talks about many personal matters such as his shyness, how he feels
guilt for his past selfishness, his relationship with his parents.and
why he didn't want to make a Hollywood career.
- In this interview he says he lost his virginity when he was 19 or 20 years old.
- Quote : "I always thought I was odd looking - a bit like a haunted parking metre. It was
only when I became an actor and got so many fan letters that I thought: hell,
I've been missing out, not using this to effect with women."
|
What
it feels like being an ageing heartthrob |
- Interview from 1996 (Daily Mail) where he talks about his childhood, his life and marriage.
|
Powell
and the glory profile Robert Powell |
- Interview from 1998 (The Scotsman) where he talks (again) about his childhood, life and career.
- Quote : "Americans are so literal as a people - they see me playing Jesus and they
really can't envisage anything else. They even seem surprised I don't have a
beard and long hair."
- About his only star whim : "When I toured in '95, I
had a clause in my contract that they simply didn't believe at first.
They laughed. But I said no. I mean it. I mean precisely what I say."
(the clause stipulated he would not tour unless there was at
least one member of the paid staff who had a golf handicap of 15 or
under.).
|
|
- Interview from 1998 (unknown source) during the tour of Kind Hearts and Coronets.
- Here you'll find Robert went to Manchester Grammar School.
- He talks about his expereience in a South American
church where he found his own picture portraying Jesus hanging over the
altar.
|
2000's |
Meet
the messiah |
- Interview from 2000 (The Express) made while Robert was touring the play Double Double.
- In this interview he discusses about his the Jesus of
Nazareth experience, how did he hesitate to go to the audition for
Jesus of Nazareth, about the acting tips given by Lawrence Olivier
- who called him "Bobsy".
- Quote (About filming Beyond Good and Evil just
after Jesus of Nazareth) : "I deliberately kicked the traces by doing
that picture. The censor, James Ferman, laughingly told me there would
have to be so many cuts there was no point showing it in England!"
- Quote : "I genuinely hope my obituary says: 'The man who played
Jesus.'"
|
In
search of a partner |
- Interview from 2000 (The Northern Echo) while Robert was touring Double Double.
- Quote : "I keep being badgered by my agent who says I should re-establish my classical
credibility. He thinks I'm having too much of a good time taking work that
entertains me."
|
Up
Close: Babs and Robert Powell |
- Interview from 2000 (Quokka Sports) while Babs Powell
talks about why he decided to take part on the BT Challenge and how
come Robert finally decided to do a leg.
|
My
diary: A day in the life of Babs Powell |
- Interview of Babs Powell from 2000 (The Daily Mirror) about the BT Challenge.
|
The
toughest role yet |
- Interview from 2001 (The Journal) to promote his
latest show Saints and Sinners. He talks about Babs doing the BT
Challenge and about his own training to participate in one leg.
|
Handcuffs
that chain Robert Powell |
- This is not really an interview, it's a little
article from 2001 (The Express) in which Robert complains about the
British television and why he can't carry on with his projects.
|
Why
Oscars mean little to movie Jesus Robert Powell |
- Interview from 2001 (The Insight) in which Robert
talks about his career, why Oscars are not important to him and his
views on the "new" British cinema with talentous directors such as
Anthony Minghella and, in a lesser degree, Guy Ritchie.
- Quote : "I don't have any attitude whatsoever on whether I'm a stage or film actor. An
actor is an actor."
|
From
Messiah to Murder |
- Interview from 2001 (Coventry Evening Telegraph) while Robert was touring with the play Murder by Misadventure.
- Quote : “To be honest nine times out of ten I say no to the things that are sent to me (...).”
|
|
- Interview from 2001 (source unknown) made during the tour of Murder by Misadventure.
- In this interview you'll know Robert loves making people laugh.
|
The
man of mystery |
- Interview from 2002 (UK Newsquest Regional Press) while he was touring Murder by Misadventure
|
Being
Blunt |
- Interview from 2002 (Yorkshire Post) during the tour of Single Spies.
- Quote : "I like to duck and dive, bob and weave."
|
Powell
and Glory |
- Interview from 2002 (Daily Mail Weekend) in which
Robert talks about filming Jesus of Nazareth. It's interesting to
compare this interview with those he did more than 20 years ago.
- In this interview you'll discover he loves singing!
- Quote : "Ten years ago, kids didn’t know who I was: if you don’t do soaps, you don’t
exist; the antithesis of 30 years ago, when soap opera was the end of your
acting career."
|
Robert
Powell swaps cinema for theatre |
- Interview from 2002 (Newsquest) promoting the play Single Spies.
- Quote : "Nothing on TV interests me anymore. It has all gone rather stale. I'm far
happier in the theatre."
|
My interview with
Krzysztof Zanussi |
- I contacted Mr. Zanussi in 2002 - 2003 to know more
about his experience of working twice with Robert Powell. He kindly
accepted to talk his work with Robert.
|
Picture
of a Wilde baddy |
- Interview from 2003 (icBerkshire.co.uk) during the tour of The Picture of Dorian Gray where he talks about his career.
|
My
Wilde Adventure |
- Interview from 2003 (The Evening Times) during the
tour of The Picture of Dorian Gray. In this interview he mainly talks
about the play.
|
The
picture of contentment |
- Interview from 2003 (The Herald) during the tour of The Picture of Dorian Gray where he talks about his career.
|
Why
Oscar is far more to Robert's taste than Hollywood |
- Interview from 2003 (Daily Post) during the tour of
The Picture of Dorian Gray where he explains why he didn't want to do a
career in Hollywood.
- Quote (about Hollywood) : " (...) in the 1980s, if you were a British actor in America you played villains and you
always played the part the American actor wouldn't do."
- In this interview he talks about that famous show he
did with Ben Kingsley in the 60s, which was "discovered" by Brian
Epstein, the Beatles' manager.
- Here you'll discover a hint of regret of
having done films in Thailand (The Long Conversation with the Bird???)
and Venezuela (What Waits Below???).
|
Picture
Perfect |
- Interview from 2003 (source unknown) during the tour of The Picture of Dorian Gray where he talks about the play and the tour.
|
New-Age
Powell |
- Interview from 2003 (ww.thisisthenortheast.com) during the tour of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
- In this interview he talks about a musical play he was writing and wanted to stage in the West End.
|
Just
Wilde about the stage |
- Interview from 2003 (The Evening Chronicle) during the tour of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
- Quote (about doing The Detectives) : "I had some friends who thought I made a big mistake doing it, and some still
do, but I have always gone with gut instinct and what I want to do."
|
My meeting with Robert Powell |
- Robert Powell kindly accepted to talk to me on
December 2003. In this "interview" he talked about his career and his
choices. I'd have loved to ask him many more questions! Maybe one day?
|