"Idol Conversation: HDi’s Exclusive Interview with Hugh Dancy"
A Hugh Dancy.Info Exclusive!
By Anna Altheide
November 1st, 2007

November 1st, 2007 will live on as a great day for HughDancy.info. It isn’t often that a regular fan site gets an exclusive interview with the person to whom their site is dedicated. However, at just a few minutes after nine, I received the call and spoke to Hugh one-on-one. For a little over a half hour, we spanned everything from his career in movies, theatre, and television, to all the little bits in between.

Hugh Dancy has been in mainstream film for about five years now, though he has just recently received notoriety and “street cred” due in part to his performances in Evening, The Jane Austen Book Club, and “Elizabeth I” (an HBO/Channel 4 production which swept the Emmys and Golden Globes).

Additionally, he recently starred as Dennis Stanhope in the critically acclaimed Broadway play, Journey’s End, for which he received a Drama League Awards nomination for “Best Distinguished Role,” as well as comparisons to Laurence Olivier, the man who originated the role in New York City in 1929.

Despite its final curtain call on June 10th, 2007, (incidentally, the same night it won the Best Play Revival at the 61st Annual Tony Awards), Hugh expressed his interest in continuing to do theatre both on Broadway and the West End. That led to the question of where he’d like to be in five years. “I’ve never been very good with these questions, because I think five years ago if I’d answered, I wouldn’t have been anywhere near where I am now. But I suppose you could say if I had my choice, I’d like to keep exploring new material for myself. I feel like I haven’t [done projects] entirely to my desire, to my love; and also [I’d like] to be able to move between film and theatre.” (Ask any fan and they’ll agree in unison that he already seems to be at that place in his career, but I kept that to myself and continued the interview.)

In his day-to-day life, Hugh is very impressed by what he calls “good, solid writing,” calling it “magical and way outside of my own reach” [as an actor]. As to who would make him star struck? “I can’t think of anyone in particular. I mean, Philip Roth, I don’t think I could string two words together.”

When I asked him his favorite show on television that everyone should be watching, he turned the tables. “Have you ever watched ‘The Wire’ on HBO? You should watch all five series.” He added enthusiastically, “It’s the most brilliant TV [show] and some of the best writing bar none. It’s sort of a cop series but not really normal 'Law and Order.' And it’s so good. When TV is at its best, you can do work that wouldn’t be possible in a movie. As opposed to an hour and a half long film, they tell a story in fourteen hours.”

Switching gears a bit, I asked him if there’s ever a question that journalists pose which really annoys or bores him. He thought about it for a moment before stating that the “craziest moment on set?” questions frustrate him, because he always feels as though it’s “compromising somebody … as well as a typical journalist thing of ‘please tell me what to write.’” Elaborating a bit, he continued, “I’m not too comfortable talking about my life, my private life … certain journalists feel obliged to ask anything they want.”

When I meekly asked if that was the case with the interview he was currently having, he assured and/or pacified me with a chuckle. “Not at all, you’re doing great.”

Phew.

In the meantime, Hugh ought to get used to dodging more of those questions. His future looks bright, including a few completed projects as well as a role in Savage Grace, a controversial Tom Kalin-helmed indie set to be released in 2008.

Hugh could hardly wait to talk about his new film, Adam, bringing it up at the beginning of our conversation and again at the end. He will soon begin filming the project in New York City, and like The Jane Austen Book Club, it will be another quick shoot which will wrap before Christmas. Hugh’s role calls for more range from him than ever before. Adam has Aspergers Syndrome, a misunderstood and little known type of autism which isn’t always physically evident in a person, yet prohibits them in many ways from making true human connections. He candidly expressed being nervous to begin shooting and went on to describe the part as “not very showy…and difficult in the sense that there is no real physical evidence of it [Adam’s condition].”

As we ended our interview, I asked him if he had any messages for the viewers of the website, as well as his fans and supporters. “Yeah, absolutely. I’d like to say that even if there isn’t enough contact, I’m really aware of the fan site and very appreciative. It feels really great to know people are enjoying the work I’m doing and it’s a really big motivator for me. Thank you and a big hello out to everyone.”

And thank you, Hugh, for that token of appreciation.

Special thanks to Jenny for proof reading as well as Ciara Parkes, Emma Breidahl, and Hugh for the incredible experience.

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