Source: myLifetime

In our exclusive interview, the rising star of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” opens up about hilarious pranks on the set and how he’s dealing with the pressure of sudden fame.

Imagine being a struggling actor plucked from near-obscurity to star in a blockbuster movie franchise that will make billions. That’s what London-bred Ben Barnes, 26, is experiencing, thanks to his breakthrough starring role as Prince Caspian in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” the second movie in a series based on the popular C.S. Lewis novels. Before getting his big break in “Prince Caspian,” Barnes had a small role in the 2007 fantasy movie “Stardust” and had a theater background (including a stint in the West End production of “The History Boys), but “Prince Caspian” has vaulted Barnes to a whole new level of fame. (He’s also signed on to do the next two “Narnia” films, and he stars with Jessica Biel and Colin Firth in the 2009 romantic comedy “Easy Virtue.”) Barnes recently spent time with myLifetime.com and chatted about what he thinks about being made into Prince Caspian action figure, his unforgettable “Spinal Tap” moment on the set and why you’ll never see him be in a boy band again.

Who was the first person you called when you found out you got the part in “Prince Caspian”?
The first person was my mum. And she was, if it’s possible, even more excited than I was.

You had to take some last-minute lessons in sword-fighting and horseback riding, so what advice would you give to anyone who has to take sudden training in these areas?
I’m probably the worst person to ask to give advice to anyone in that scenario. But [my advice would be] you’ve got to jump in head first. You’ve really got to go for it. And if you’re doing horses, buy some padded bicycling shorts. [He laughs]

What was one of the funniest things that happened on the “Prince Caspian” set?
There was a one scene where I get woken up by Dr. Cornelius, [Caspian’s] tutor. It’s the first time [in the movie] you see me as Caspian, and Dr. Cornelius puts his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming; he wakes me up and we escape from the castle together. And Andrew Adamson, the [“Prince Caspian”] director, came in and he said to everyone, “That was good, but we need to change something with the lights and we need to do it again.” And he was very convincing. So I went back into bed and shut my eyes, and I could feel these lips on my mouth. And I was thinking, “If this is my professor kissing me, I’m going to be furious.” But it turned out to be the director’s assistant, who’s a very pretty lady. So it was actually OK in the end. But there were pranks aplenty.

What about any “This Is Spinal Tap” moments with unintentional mishaps?
There was a day when they invited some journalists onto the set. You know the bit in the movie when they had us flying with gryphons? … I was on these wires next to Peter Dinklage [who plays Trumpkin in the movie], hoisted up by my ankles and shoulders, and holding a sword. And for some reason, Andrew likes to use a lot of music to set the theme … mood music … For some reason, Andrew was blasting out this rock music when we were hanging on these wires, and I was playing a bit of air guitar on my sword. And I looked over at Peter Dinklage, in full makeup, doing the same thing.

And all of the journalists are sort of lining up, watching us, just hanging … we were supposed to fly in and as your feet get released, you’re supposed to land. But the very first time, they didn’t release my feet, so I went headfirst, straight in. And the journalists were behind this wall, and I went crashing down and all they heard was this thud and this: “Ow!” And my face was grazed against the stone. And that felt a little bit like “Spinal Tap.”

What do you think you’d be doing with your life if you weren’t an actor?
I directed a lot of plays at university. That kind of thing really interests me. I write bits and pieces of stories but I never have the patience to see them through. I did music when I was younger — jazz singing. I used to sing in a function band, Stevie Wonder, things like that. All the career paths I would’ve chosen were just as precarious, so I think I’m in the right one, where I can actually pretend to be somebody else.

You were in a boy band called Hyrise, which competed to be on Eurovision in 2004. [Says jokingly] Will there be a Hyrise reunion in case being an actor doesn’t work out for you?
[He laughs] Absolutely not! Hyrise only lasted five minutes the first time around.

Do you see yourself doing music and acting at the same time, and if so, what would be your dream project?
I don’t see myself doing both at the moment, but if the right thing came along, I would. I started acting in musical theater. So if something really exciting and new came up in that arena, I would be interested. I think the music that I love, like Donny Hathaway and all the music that I grew up listening to, like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, no one would approach me to do … I’m just a huge music fan, and it’s nice for me to be at home, sit in my room and play my piano with no one else listening.

What’s the best advice that you’ve gotten on how to deal with the fame you’ll get because of “Prince Caspian”?
For me, people are sort of preemptively asking because of the success of the first [“Narnia”] movie … I don’t really know until I get there.

Speaking of handling fame, when we saw the advance screening of the movie for the first time, people were swarming around you as soon as you came out of the restroom. What was going through your mind when that happened?
Caspian’s gotta pee, too! [He laughs]

Were you also thinking, “Are my pants properly zipped up?”
[He laughs] Exactly. I was thinking, “[When these fans take their pictures here], they’ll see: fan, Caspian, men’s-room sign. That’s not cool.”

What do you think of the Prince Caspian action figure and video game?
It’s scary, isn’t it? When someone says you’re going to be an action figure, you’re like, “Yeah!” But actually, what this entails is probably some six-year-old smashing my head against the table, because that’s what I did with my Transformers and He-Man [action figures] … Chewing on the [action figure’s] fingers, that’s the reality of it. And with the video game, it’ll be like, “Die! Die, Caspian!” … Kids can be grim, pretty morbid. I think the Prince Caspian video game looks amazing.

How has your family reacted to you being an actor and this success you’re having now?
They’re very supportive. My parents before were a little bit hesitant but now they’re behind me, and they’re a very grounding influence. They won’t let me get my head in the clouds.

If you could rule the world as a real prince and have every wish at your command, what would you do to make a perfect day?
A perfect day for me is [having] time for a proper breakfast.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 17th, 2008 at 3:14 am and is filed under Interview, Narnia, Prince Caspian.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.