Interview: Nicholas Hoult Talks Starring in TOLKIEN
By: Kaitlin Milligan Apr. 26, 2019
Nicholas Hoult stars as the titular character in "Tolkien," which explores the formative years of the renowned author's life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including Tolkien's tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt, until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.
Hoult took a moment to speak with us about what it was like playing Tolkien and getting to share his story with film audiences.
Were you a Tolkien fan going into this project?
I was, but I didn't know much about him. I was given one of his books on the set of About a Boy, The Hobbit, by the director, so I read that, and I'm a huge fan of the original Lord of the Ring film adaptation, so I knew the world he created, but I knew nothing about him. So to learn about those formative years of his life--his friendships, his relationships, and the experiences that kind of all stemmed from was incredible.
I think that's what makes this film so great, is for fans to really learn about what he was like and why these stories came to be.
Precisely. And thinking about the friendships that he lost and made when he was off in the place where he was inspired, and shared his work, and also the language. That was something I didn't know much. These fantasies that he created all stems from wanting to create languages, and then realizing that to create languages, he needed to give them people to speak the languages, and then give those people histories. All these different creatures and worlds are formed from just a love of wanting to speak and create languages.
How did you prepare for this role once you found out that you got it?
I started reading his work, but reading biographies about him, and watching interviews, and listening to recordings of him, and trying to recreate paintings that he had done, or visit places in Oxford that he had been, and pubs that he liked to drink in. It was trying to catch the essence of who he was. I wasn't trying to do an impression of him, because there's no recordings of him as a young man, so I could develop how I saw him in this story, in this tale in his life.
In watching the film, you realize it is really about friendship, and how his stories came from those close bonds he had. How was it to work with the cast and form those bonds yourselves?
It was incredible. Dome, the director, was really passionate about the story, about rooting these relationships in a reality. So there was time for all of us guys to spend time together and develop those characters and bond. And with Lily Collins as well, who plays Edith, she was Tolkien's wife. For that relationship I spent time developing on scenes with her. Forming that love was really important to the story as well.
You can feel those connections in the film and how important they were to Tolkien's, making them that much more meaningful because you learn what they're about.
That's what I loved about the script, and I think that's translated onto the film, how everyone has similar relationships or can understand and relate to his tale, and that's saying, regardless if you're a Tolkien fan or not, I think this is a story that ultimately is about friendship, and I think we can all relate to that.
You want people who aren't necessarily fans of his books to still go see the film because, even without knowing the stories, there is a universal message.
Ithink ultimately, even if you're not a fan, you can still find this kind of standalone story just to appreciate what his life was, because he did have an incredible journey himself. I couldn't believe- he had this huge contradiction to him, going to Oxford and growing up in Birmingham, it was quite idyllic in this countryside to suddenly being transported to World War I and the Battle of the Somme, so it's quite a juxtaposition within this film. And for the fans of the books and him, there'll be little moments and things that they'll pick up on, little Easter eggs, if you will, hidden gems about him.
There has yet to be film or television about Tolkien himself, so it must be great to finally get his story out to more people.
Nicholas: As a fan, I would like to see it, so it was just very exciting to be a part of it, and learn about him, which was a great thrill. My prep and homework was reading his work, and learning about him, and just getting to disappear into that.
What would you say was the more difficult part of playing this character, something you found was challenging in terms of the role?
It's always difficult playing real people, because people have a notion of what they should be or how they should be played. But then for me, I think, a difficulty would be his languages that he created, we were very lucky, we had Andy Orchard, who has the same position at Oxford at the moment that Tolkien took on from Professor Wright. He was our guide to creating languages, and how to pronounce and speak them, so that was definitely something that took a fair amount of time, and homework.
What do you hope people take away from this film?
I think what Tolkien had discovered in this film is that these young boys, the fellowship, and how they're on a mission to change the world. In terms of World War I, Tolkien really realized how important art can be in the healing process, and the escape and creative people inspire people, so I hope people will watch will get a sense of that, and feel those things.
Tolkien stars Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins and will have a Fathom Events screening on May 7 and will be in theaters everywhere May 10.
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