IN CONVERSATION WITH GWILYM LEE

interview by JANA LETONJA

Welsh actor Gwilym Lee is best known for his starring role as legendary Queen guitarist Brian May in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’,  as well as his role in Hulu’s ‘The Great’. Currently, he can be seen in Sony Picture’s ‘Here’ with Tom Hanks and Robyn Wright. Most recently, he joined the second season of BBC’s ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’ on BBC iPlayer, and will next be seen playing Gareth Southgate in ‘Dear England’ at the National Theatre from 10th March.

You received widespread acclaim for your portrayal of Brian May in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. How did you prepare for such an iconic role, and what was the most rewarding part of the experience?

There’s an endless source of material in which to lose yourself when approaching a well-known character like that. I watched hours and hours of footage of him, and was able to create the exterior of the man physically and vocally. But the challenge is to imagine his inner world. Brian was very generous with his time during the process, so I was lucky enough to get to know him, which was a real gift in building that picture. 

Having a relationship with him and Roger Taylor, and being given a small window into the life of that band was, without doubt, the most rewarding part of the experience. It has also been amazing to see how much the film means to so many people and how passionate and loyal they are in their appreciation even now. But, while our film certainly chimed with a wide audience, it’s really just a glimmer of the universal power and timeless appeal of Queen. 

With such a diverse body of work, from period dramas to contemporary pieces, how do you choose your roles?

I always hope to be able to find a new challenge in any role I take on. The next job you choose so often depends on the one you’ve just done and wanting to find some kind of contrast with that. Your choices so often depend on where you are at any point in your life, as well and what resonates with you at any particular moment. But there is also a huge amount of luck involved, and so often it is less a matter of design than chance according to what opportunities present themselves. I have been very fortunate to have found the variety and range in the roles I have taken on. 

Joining the second season of ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’ as Bill Stirling places you at the center of some intense wartime drama. How did you prepare for the role, and what was it like stepping into this world created by Steven Knight?

I was excited and daunted in equal measure. I had watched the first season avidly and loved it. So, as a fan of the show, I was anxious not to let the side down when I came on board, but thrilled to step into the world Steven Knight had created. The Second World War has always fascinated me because the allies were fighting a common, irrefutable foe in Fascism. There was no ambiguity about the goal, which was to defeat Naziism. And everyone had to play their part. So, this period of history asks the question like almost no other, “What would I have done?” And Stephen places us in that question so brilliantly. He portrays the moral ambiguities, the camaraderie and the simultaneous thrill and horror of being in that moment. It’s a privilege to get to work with Stephen with the body of work he has created. 

‘SAS Rogue Heroes’ tackles a pivotal period in history. What aspects of Bill Stirling’s story stood out to you, and how does this season differ from the first?

Bill Stirling is a fascinating character from this period of history. He is the older, more measured brother to David Stirling, something of an enigma who operated more in the shadows as a planner and strategist with a background in espionage. What was noticeable as I began researching this role is how comparatively little there is written about him in contrast to his brother. But I quickly realised how telling this was in itself. I think Bill was less concerned with legacy than his younger brother, who wasted no time after the war writing a memoir in order to cement his. Rather, Bill had a quiet, steely determination, a sharp intellect and a focused vision for what the SAS should be and pursued this without fanfare. 

This second season of ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’ follows the regiment as they move away from North Africa and into a new theatre of war in Sicily and Italy as they embark on the liberation of Europe from the Axis Powers. This stage of the war comes with some different challenges, not least that the SAS have to coordinate with a much larger liberating force and behave in a more conventional manner for a period of time. They also encounter civilians in a way they didn’t in the desert, so we see the impact this has on these characters and the toll that extended periods of combat takes on them. 

You’ve worked on notable films like ‘Top End Wedding’, and most recently ‘Here’. How did each of these projects challenge you as an actor?

In some ways, they were two ends of the spectrum. 7Top End Wedding’ was a beautiful Indie rom-com that we shot in the wilderness of Australia’s Northern Territory, and tells a heartfelt story of a woman trying to connect to her community and her indigenous roots. You really feel the sense of community and camaraderie when you make a film like this because there often isn’t as much money involved, so you’re all in it together, digging in with each other, helping one another out and all equally invested in the storytelling. 

Here was a different prospect. It was with Hollywood legend Robert Zemeckis at the helm and writing alongside Eric Roth, and with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in the lead roles. It was such an unbelievable privilege to get to work in this company, I could only pinch myself. And the film itself was totally unique in that it tells the story of a specific space and all those who lived there over a period of hundreds of years. There is no camera movement as the characters move in and out of frame and meld from one era to the next. It’s a truly original film, but came with very specific acting challenges, namely that there was no coverage. The take that you shot was the take that would end up on the screen. So we all had to achieve the “perfect” take and then be bold enough to let go of that and trust in the process and in Robert’s vision. I think it’s a totally original and boldly creative film and I’m so proud to be just a small part of it. 

You’ve portrayed a wide range of characters across film and television. How do you approach building a character, especially when the role is based on a real person, like Brian May or Bill Stirling?

With any character, I initially try to build up a profile of who they are by creating a history for them. With real people, this is clearly much more straight forward because all of those facts are laid out for you. Then I look for similarities and differences between the character and myself. Where there are differences, I try and imagine what they might be like to live with or find equivalents in my own life to connect with. 

What I have found interesting about playing characters from real life is that you usually have to work from the outside in. As I mentioned earlier, you often start with the physicality and voice, which is so recognisable, and work backwards from there to fill in the interior world in the hope that you can move beyond simply mimicking the person. 

I really love the challenge of having the physical and vocal choices made for you when playing a real character, but playing a fictional character allows you the freedom to play around and find these for yourself. 

How do you view the evolution of the entertainment industry, particularly in the rise of streaming platforms and their impact on storytelling?

At some point it felt like there was almost too much being made. And as a consequence, some really good stories were getting lost in the volume of work out there. I feel like that balance has been redressed somewhat now and I think there is a proliferation of brilliant stories out there. These days, an individual could be holding onto many narratives at the same time as they watch a series, or maybe a few at once, listen to a podcast, listen to an audiobook, read a book, perhaps all simultaneously. And I think that has given us a really good sense of what works in a story and what engages us. So, the quality of writing and production has had to reflect that. And the content of these stories has become, I hope, more inclusive with much more diversity of stories because it’s a bigger market place. 

Reflecting on your career so far, what has been the most fulfilling part of being an actor?

It has always been the people that attracted me to acting, the sense of camaraderie you feel from getting together with a bunch of like-minded people to tell a story. You live in each other’s pockets for a period of time, living the lives of these characters and so share these really intense, joyful experiences. And then you move on to the next little troupe. It’s a privilege. I love it and I feel very lucky to be able to do it for a living.  

Looking ahead, are there specific genres or types of roles you’re eager to explore?

I have never done a musical professionally before, so I would love to do that, either on stage or on the screen. I am very keen to start developing my own projects and I have something I am trying to get off the ground at the moment. There are some Shakespearean and other classical roles I would like to play. And there are some other real-life characters whose stories I would love to explore as well. I also have a long list of writers, directors and other actors who I would love to work with. So, there’s plenty to be getting on with.

Besides ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’, what can you share with us about your other upcoming projects?

I’ll be taking on another real-life person in my next role when I play Gareth Southgate in James Graham’s play ‘Dear England’ at the National Theatre. I start rehearsals very soon and I have loved delving into the world and into the character. He’s a deeply likeable, decent man who did so much for English football and wider society, regardless of what you think of him tactically or technically. And the play is about more than football. It’s about identity, leadership, overcoming fear and storytelling. It will be my first time on stage in 7 years and I can’t wait.  

TEAM CREDITS:

photography DAVID REISS
styling SARAH HARRISON
grooming EMMA WHITE TURLE