By: Izumi Hasegawa February 6, 2016
Its not easy being the new hunk in Hollywood while fighting off zombies and tight pants; but British actor and star of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Douglas Booth does it with easy. Booth plays Mr. Bingley, a would be suitor for Jane Bennett (played by Bella Heathcote). Although Bingley is a “lovable, puppy character” states Booth, he also admits he was fun to play. Check out our interview with this handsome and talented zombie hunting romantic.
Q: Did you read the book before or after?
I hadn’t read the book. I heard of it because it was on the list of best-sellers and had friends who were fans of it. But once I got the script, I read the book and I read Pride and Prejudice at school. So I revisited that to learn more about Bingley and, he may not necessarily say this in the film, but why he listens to Darcy to close up and get back to London? Just try to understand that. To get the backstory and fill my head with thoughts.
Q: Do you think this film is good way to introduce classics to young people?
Yeah, we’ve been saying that. I remember when I was 14, I wouldn’t have necessarily gone or I wouldn’t have gone to a cinema to see a Jane Austen film or classics like that. But I definitely would have gone to see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. So it’s kinda great to introduce, hopefully introduce, an audience that would not necessarily visit this material into this kind of stuff and I’d love it if then they’d be intrigued and my pick up this material. Yeah, it’s a cool way to introduce us to this kind of classics and engage them on some sort of level.
Q: Did you enjoy your character’s wardrobe ? Obviously very different attire from what is worn today, especially the pants.
They didn’t leave that much space. [laughs] We had a great costume designer, Julian Day. I’ve done a few Period-pieces but he did things really poppy. It felt kind of young and sexy, but still being stylish but yet Period. I loved to see these dresses and great kind of lace-up boots, and knives holding there. It also could have Asian influences because they were training in China or Japan, so they could bring Asian influences as well, but he played with it.
Q: There is a great deal of subtle humor in the film, how did that work while combining a romantic classic and zombies?
Zombies kind of allows for a lot of funny moments to specific care. And I think, that’s what’s funny about it, to see how that story would play out. We all know the story or a lot of us know the story, so how would this story alter with such a strange circumstances? And that’s what makes it interesting. Like I would be interested, well, not necessarily in zombie films like a lot of other ones, where somebody is chasing and they stop the van and get in the back seat. I’ve seen all that. This isn’t about that. It’s about a love story, taking place in the most weird settings, which allows some great humor.
Q: Is there any improvisation in the film? The scene where you were in front of Lady Catherine, you tripped…
Yeah, both times. I did [laughs] My trip wasn’t in the script. That was… a slippery floor, I think [laughs] It was the last day of shooting. I was struggling with it, with walking in because it was kind of convenient that he was there and she was there (Jane), so I was like, how is this…? It was just too convenient. I was struggling. And luckily, that happened and made a little moment there.
Opening weekend for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies begins Feb. 5th.
