Michael Fassbender is still promoting The Light Between Oceans, and possibly doing some advanced work on Assassin’s Creed, which comes out in December. He gave an interesting interview to the Guardian, although “interesting” might be a bit of an oversell. The thing about being a Fass-fan for so many years is that I’ve noted the changes in how Fassbender handles himself in the press. Circa 2010-11, he was unguarded, silly, open and charming. Then 2012-13, he was quieter, darker, almost whiney about not getting an Oscar nomination for Shame. Then he just barely engaged with the press for a few years, and now he’s trying out something new – he’s still really guarded, but he’s trying to be chatty. You can read the full piece here at the Guardian. Some highlights:
On lying: “I can lie pretty easily to journalists,” he tells me, and he says he’s good at it. “I have to be.”
He doesn’t want to switch places with any actor: “But then, you know – and this is dead true – I’ve never wanted to swap places with anyone.”
He worried a lot when he was a teenager: “I was a bit of a worrywart. I would just sit worrying.” About? “Anything.” Aids? Nuclear war? “Oh yes.” Getting someone pregnant? “Exactly, yes.” Failing exams? “Absolutely. And pimples. I had a lot of pimples. So yes, and then I’d be sitting there going, ‘I’m not worrying about anything – what should I be worrying about?’ But I’ve tried to work on not doing that. I don’t worry about things I can’t control. I don’t spend much time looking back, because I think it’s pointless. There are mistakes that have been made, perhaps, but mainly it’s just experiences. Things that gnaw at you, that you have no control to change, are pointless. And if you’re not careful, you can start almost to enjoy that self-obsessive martyrdom and self-loathing. Things can become patterns that become comfortable, because they become habitual. I learned that sort of stuff doing Shame – how patterns become safety blankets, even if they’re f–king killing you.”
The awkwardness of his ‘Shame’ promotion: “Well, I guess at times I was like, ‘Well, you know there’s so much more to the film than me with my c-ck out.’ One journalist kicked things off saying, ‘So what’s it like to have a big c-ck?’ That was the first thing she said to me. And then she said that I was flirting with her in the interview. Total bullsh-t, you know. The whole interview was so wrong. But again, you know, it sells more to paint that picture of me than of a guy who wasn’t interested and was nonsexual towards her. So I get all that. I suppose I took myself more seriously back then. My mum always says, whenever we’re watching a film, ‘Oh here we go again. The women are always naked, and the guy is always covered up.’ So I was like, this one’s for you, Mum.”
Getting rid of his TV: He claims to be “very good at doing nothing”, and got rid of his TV 10 years ago because “I end up watching sh-t – I’ll be watching the God channel at one in the morning. I could watch anything, so I thought I’d just get rid of it.”
Where he lives: He is still in the same Hackney flat he bought 10 years ago, but wants to move, and is toying with the idea of moving to the countryside. He took up surfing four years ago, and spends any free time he gets on the water, but doesn’t fancy moving to LA because it’s too much of an “industry town”. He thinks about San Francisco, and Austin or New Orleans. “But I like Europe, you know. I really do enjoy Europe.”
He considers himself Irish, not British: “I definitely still consider myself Irish. Yes, yes. And I’m definitely European.” After 20 years in London, does any part of him feel British? “I would never consider myself British,” he says firmly. Does he mind being claimed by our media for a Brit? He laughs. “Well, they only do it if I’m doing well. If I’m not, I’m Irish.”
I sometimes mistakenly refer to Fassy as “British” too, not because I forget that he’s Irish but because I have gotten used to the British papers referring to him as British. He has lived in London for a long time… and now I’m wondering if he’s going to Brexit, as in will he leave the UK? He is European, after all.
There’s also a lengthy conversation about forgiveness (one of the themes of the film) and whether forgiveness is the only way forward. Fassy says he believes that, but then he tells a story of watching a video of some teenage girls beat up another teenage girl and said, “I thought, ‘God, if I was that girl’s parent, I don’t know if I could forgive that.’ Because I was watching it myself, not as a parent, and I thought, God, those girls are vile.” As in, there are situations where he wouldn’t forgive, which I think is natural.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
To say an Irish person is British is an insult to the Irish person. Full stop.
Well, to call some people from Northern Ireland Irish is an insult to them as British people. He’s German/N Ireland. People in Northern Ireland self define. It’s not as simple as saying Norhern Irish = Irish when to the majority of people in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland = British. Fassy is Irish because he’s chosen to be, not because N Ireland = Ireland
Yes, but he grew up in Killarney (Kerry), and that’s where he was ‘formed’ and where he regards himself from. His mum’s place of birth really doesn’t have any relevance here.
Fassbender grew up in the Republic of Ireland (independent Ireland) so he’s not British. His mother’s nationality is ambiguous (she could define herself as British and/or Irish and/or Northern Irish) so it’s wrong to slap a British labrl on him.
He was born in Germany. His mother may be from Larne in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, but he has never lived there. He grew up in County Kerry in the South West of the Republic of Ireland. He is not British. In any case, many people in Northern Ireland consider themselves Irish; as they are entitled to an Irish passport, and to participate in all the Irish national sports teams, they are entitled to consider themselves Irish. I get a bit fed up of (a minority of) British people claiming successful Irish people. I have decided that Andy Murray is Irish, and is Ireland’s Wimbledon champ. Good man yourself Andy.
He was perfectly within his rights to react in the way he did about the infantile and tabloid response to ‘Shame’. I was enraged at the time on his behalf at the dumbing down, as if his nudity was the selling point of the movie.
Irish/European is how most Irish people in the UK see themselves. Never British.
I never considered/consider myself British. And now I’m Irish/American as I have dual citizenship.
eta: Ack! I’m making it about me!
I would get exceedingly miffy if people kept saying I was something I’m not. I mean, I know his heritage is pan European – is it Northern Irish mother and German father or the other way around? Can’t remember. But he was born in Ireland. He holds an Irish passport. He calls himself Irish. So he’s Irish, FFS.
My Sixlets might be Irish AND British soon, since they qualify for dual nationality and Brexit looks like turning into such a slow-mo car crash.
Do you ever get bored of relating every story on here to yourself?
Do you ever get tired of being rude?
Sadly for you, no! But feel free to point it out. I don’t mind rude.
Bored WITH, by the way.
(That’s a little bit rude too. Sorry!)
That’s how one connects to a story and in that connection, connects to other people. It’s called conversation and it’s called personal experience. What you said is just called “rude.”
Agree Blueberry
Woah, seriously?
Stay away from our Sixer!
Yeah, his mother is from the North so he might be eligible for a British passport, if he wanted, but he grew up in the Republic and obviously identifies as Irish.
The British media have a tendency to claim Irish people as British when it suits them, and it infuriates the Irish people. A big part of the problem is that so many British people are so ignorant of the history of British colonialism in Ireland, and don’t see why it’s so offensive to us when they claim Irish people as British.
I was out at dinner a few weeks ago and there was an English couple at the table beside us; they were talking about how similar the two countries were and the guy said it was because Ireland was ‘our country’. I wanted to lamp him, the bollix.
Eh, Ninks, you should have lamped him. No Irish court would have found you guilty. 😉
As a Brit, I cringe when my fellow countrymen do this – both the “branding” and the “ignoranting”.
Ninks, you should at least have thrown some Guinness or Jameson’s over the eejit.
Hell yeah, you should have given it to him!
Hi. Dumb american here. (Irish-German one no less). I’m confused. I thought you were English (and British ) if you were born and lived in England// Scottish, welsh (and Irish)AND/OR British if you were born in the British isles (United Kingdom)? Not trying to be rude just don’t understand.
Me, Kelly? In terms of birthplace: I am British and English with an English father and Welsh mother; Mr Sixer is British and English with an Irish (republic) father and Irish (republic) mother. So Mr Sixer and the Sixlets can claim dual Irish/British citizenship by descent – if they want to.
Generally:
English, Welsh and Scottish British people are just British.
Northern Irish British people can be Irish or British or both under the Good Friday Agreement.
Irish (republic) people are just Irish.
However, there exists a Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland (republic) which means citizens of both countries are entitled to reside and work in the other. The countries also have open borders with each other.
Hope that helps!
Kelly, it’s also important to note that the place of birth is usually less important than your parents’ nationality in most countries. The USA is one of the few countries worldwide to grant citizenship based solely on place of birth.
He was born in Germany, but moved to Ireland at 2 years old.
That’s…actually a really good interview.
I love his line about his TV (God channel, ha!). I still have mine but cut the cable almost a year ago. Don’t regret it for a second. If I want to watch something I hunt it down on streaming or I wait. That way I really know if I want to watch it. Cut down on the crap I watched tenfold.
Of course now I just waste time on the Internet so…. 😉
Hahaha. I love the “this one’s for you mom!” His mom sounds super cool. So true, let’s see some more male bodies please!
I think he’s trying! Not a bad interview.
Nice interview. I really like him. Hot and funny.
When my TV broke down, I realized how I was getting so much more done, so I didn’t replace it, which was a great move. I watch stuff on my computer now but not every day.
I’m Irish and if anyone ever called me British I’m pretty sure my ancestors would come back to give em a good smack. So insulting.
I love how he reflects on getting naked for Shame as, “This one’s for you mum.” LMAO
It just doesn’t get any better than that.
It’s weird to look at the immigration records of my grandparents, from County Limerick, Ireland. Race is listed as Irish and nationality is listed as British, since they came over to the U.S. in the early 1900s, when Ireland was still part of Great Britain. Made me sad. 🙁
That immigration record isn’t very accurate Jeanne, Ireland was in the entity Great Britain AND Ireland, the United Kingdom. When three- quarters of Ireland became Independent in the 1920s, the UK became the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it isn’t helpful when the UK media refer to Britain when they mean the UK. Brexit should really be UKexit, but that’s not as snappy. Particularly galling when NI is going to be dragged out of the EU against it’s will.
He is aging horribly.
He lost too much weight for Hunger and never recovered. Same issue with Mathew Mchonahay.
See, I think he’s aging like a normal man. We are used to Hollywood actors looking super young due to treatments, etc. or just naturally having a young appearance. Plus, he’s a fair skinned red head so that probably contributes to him looking like a 40 year old 40 year old.
nope. His hard drinking and chain smoking adds to the process.
Fassbender grew up in County Kerry so it’s not a surprise he considers himself Irish. When you add in that his mom is Irish and he’s talked about his childhood with the Irish Catholic church, I don’t see why anyone would think he considered himself British even if he lives in England. As someone above posted, I don’t think the extent of British colonialism in Ireland is that commonly known in England, Wales, and Scotland.
I think the Welsh and the Scottish know all about being subdjgated by the English ruling elite. I was taught about the oppression of the Irish by Britain in a British state school so I don’t think people are uneducated. How could they fail to realise there were “issues” around Ireland given the fact that as recently as the 70s, 80s, 90s we lived in constant fear of homeland terrorism from the IRA and in N.I. it was terrorism from both sides. Also plenty of British people have Irish ancestry and probably vice versa, we are closely related and connected, whatever people might like to think. Don’t assume because someone has a British passport or an English accent that you know what their background is.
I think what people generally don’t realise is that it was Norman invaders of 1066 and their descendants who made themselves the ‘English’ ruling class and stole land, property and oppressed the natives of both islands. They were the people who became the Anglo-Irish lords and ladies. They still have most of what they stole in Britain to this day, 1000 years later.
Re “homeland terrorism”. I think the term you are looking for is freedom fighters.
I think not. The atrocities by all involved – republican terrorists, loyalist terrorists, and in some cases the police and the army – were totally unacceptable and should not be defended.
Please come to Austin. You’ll love it. Will welcome you personally.