Actor royalty muses on hip-hop, giving praise to undeserving talent and how acting gets him high
If you’ve ever wanted to see a distinguished knight of the British crown fire up the water bong and get high as a Boeing jet to the thumping beats of Notorious B.I.G., “The Wackness” is your chance.
Suffice to say, this is not a standard role for Sir Ben Kingsley.
The movie, which opens Thursday, feels a bit like “Kids” meets one of those hand-held-camera Amy Winehouse videos. Set in New York in the summer of 1994, it follows hip-hop-loving, high-school pot dealer Luke (Josh Peck) as he hustles for cash, strikes out with women and forms an unlikely friendship with stoner psychologist Dr. Squires (Kingsley), with whom Luke trades weed for therapy.
Kingsley phoned in to talk about his foray into American street culture.
Is American hip-hop culture foreign to you?
Completely. Especially because during the years [in which the movie is set], I was off in Europe with Steven Spielberg filming “Schindler’s List.” I was off in Paris with “Death and the Maiden.” I came to hip-hop fresh. I discovered it in the film. My character discovered it with Luke, so I discovered it with Josh and the cast. It was a joy to inhabit that world fresh and meet it for the first time.
Drugs are central to the film. how do you feel about them?
If the real world meets the expectations of the world in your heart, then I think there’s no need to resort to drugs. I haven’t ever. But I’m fascinated by [this character, so] of course, I’m willing to explore the culture. I know it’s a very important part of the story, and all the accoutrements that go with it – the bong and the pipe. But no, the actual drug scene terrifies me. I have my own drug. It’s called acting. I get completely stoned on it. It’s true, I do.
How did such a young director [jonathan levine] persuade you to be in his movie?
It took him about 30 seconds. He came to Vancouver and sat down with me, but his screenplay had already persuaded me. It’s such delicious writing, and we did not stray off the screenplay. What you see is what was on the page.
What do you like least about showbiz?
That’s difficult to answer, because overwhelmingly, there’s so much I love about it. What I find distressing now is that some young people are told they’re actors and they’re not. That’s distressing because it can lead to terrible disillusionment, crushing disappointment and it’s unfair to exploit a young person who may look quite good on a magazine cover and say they can be in movies, then make it happen for them when they can’t do it. The consequences can be dire and tragic, because you’re lifting their expectations so high and then pulling the rug from their feet when the audience gives them a collective thumbs down and says, “The emperor’s got no clothes on.” It’s cruel, but it’s happening a lot. We throw people away too easily, but we should never invite them in the first place.
Do summer blockbusters interest you?
Well, I’m in one. I’m in “The Love Guru,” and I’m sure I’ll be in next summer’s blockbuster, which I’m about to start [filming], “Prince of Persia.” So I love them. They’re the grand arena in the Roman Empire, they’re the chariot race, they’re the mass entertainment. They’re the Colosseum, not the little Greek tragedy in the corner. Very important and wonderful.
PICKING hIS BRAIN
“I like food that has a kick to it.”
“I have a wonderful kitchen at home, and I love cooking. It’s a very sensual and gratifying thing to do. I enjoy a little French cooking, some Italian, some Indian. I like to be quite inventive, adding certain things one wouldn’t normally add. Because I grow them at home, I use red chilis. We even grow garlic.”
“I’d like to be on ‘Sesame Street’ because my children loved it so much.”
“I’ve met Her Majesty [Queen Elizabeth II] on a few occasions, and it’s thrilling. She is the heart of our culture. When she knighted me, she used her dad George VI’s sword. He, with his wonderful wife, the Queen Mother, stayed in London throughout the Blitz. They never left. You’d find them out in the streets of the eastern part of London treading through the rubble and talking to people. Astonishing courage. And to know historically that that sword belonged to her father when he was commander of our forces during World War II, it was an extraordinary moment.”
“I thought [a guest role] on “The Sopranos” was quite perfect for me. I didn’t see the final episode though. I’ve never caught up.”
“I get very homesick. We have this gorgeous old country house in Oxfordshire, England, and beautiful gardens around it. The garden is kept [up] by a great gardener, who’s now become famous, because every time I do the Craig Ferguson show, Craig insists I talk about my garden.”