The 70th annual Golden Globe Awards took place on Jan. 13, 2013, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Here is what these Golden Globe winners said backstage in the Golden Globe Awards press room.
Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
HUGH JACKMAN
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
(“Les Misérables”)
The music of “Les Misérables” is so infectious. Do you ever hope to put it out of your head?
Tom Hooper (director): No, because I stand here with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, who created this extraordinary work, and the lyricists Herbie Kretzmer and Alain Boublil. And with such glorious lyrics and such glorious music, who would ever want to get it out of your head?
You temporarily shut down production of the movie when Sacha Baron Cohen lost his voice. Did you have to do that for any of the other actors?
Hooper: I love the idea of shutting down for every actor, as there were 204 actors in the ensemble. That would’ve been 204 times that we would’ve shut down, which means we would still be shooting it right now. Only one man proved not to have the vocal stamina. Ladies and gentlemen, Sacha Baron Cohen. [Baron Cohen smiles and takes a bow.]
Hugh, how does it feel to win? Did you think you had a chance? And how are you going to celebrate?
Jackman: How does it feel to be on stage with this incredible group? It is unforgettable. I thank my lucky stars every day that I got this role. I stalked this man [he points to producer Cameron Mackintosh] for way too long and luckily didn’t piss him off too much and he cast me and all these guys.
I didn’t get a chance to thank Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil and Herbie Kretzmer, who with Trevor Nunn and Cameron Mackintosh, created the original show. It is the Mount Everest of filmmaking, making a movie musical. These guys are crazy enough to do it. Universal, Working Title were crazy enough to give us a go at it.
I think Tom Hooper and the gang have redefined the movie musical. And just to be a part of that is unbelievable. And honestly, how will we celebrate? I’m Australian. Come on!
Tom, did you film “I Dreamed a Dream” in one shot? And what was the most painful cut you had to make in “Les Misérables”?
Hooper: The body of the song was a single shot, a single take. And the greatest respect that I could pay to Annie [Hathaway’s] extraordinary performance was to hold that shot and never cut, because who would want to cut away from that amazing face?
And the most painful cut? That’s a good question. I’ve never been asked that. It was a little scene where after Gavroche was shot dead, Eddie Redmayne [as Marius Pontmercy] took revenge on the soldier who shot him dead and shoots him dead. And I cut that all in the mission to get [the movie] in under two-and-a-half hours.
Hugh, is it true that you stopped drinking water to make your eyes look sunken? How difficult was that to do?
Jackman: It was crazy. Don’t ever do that again. My trainer had been a bodybuilder and he said, “You know, by the way, if you want to lose 10 pounds really quick, and particularly to make your cheeks and eyes really sunken, just don’t drunk any liquid for 36 hours.”
And about 20 hours into it, I was like, “This is crazy.” I was not a good guy to be around that day. I had a headache by hour 16, and by the 36th hour … Do not, anyone, try this. Do not do it.
Hooper: Can I just point out that any suggestion he is making that he was grumpy is a complete lie? This guy has never been grumpy. I’ve never seen this guy grumpy in 14 weeks in a year of knowing him, so let’s put the record straight. He could probably go for water for 70 hours and still not get grumpy.
You’re in awards season. How does that affect how you sell “Les Misérables”?
Eric Fellner (producer): We made this film because we loved it. We wanted it to work. So that was the first thing. Second, we wanted people to go and see it. And that’s now what’s happening. We’re actually right in the middle of our release pattern rather than in the middle of the awards campaign. They happen to be coinciding.
But the critical thing is to get people around the world to go and see the picture. And that’s what’s happening. And today, what happened today with the Hollywood Foreign Press recognizing the picture, giving it three awards, giving it three prestigious awards, it’s fantastic for the release.
So in terms of the continuing release in the U.S., it just opened in the U.K. to record box office this weekend. It’s opening up all through Europe and the rest of the world. It’s a brilliant thing. Everything else, it’s all icing. From here on, we all consider ourselves winners in every shape and form already. I hope that answers the question.
Hugh, does anyone in your life tease you because you’ve done a lot of musicals?
Jackman: All my mates at home make fun of me constantly. The first show I was in, I said, “I’d love for you to come and see it.” And they said, “We are not paying for a ticket to come see it. We were in the school choir with you. We were in school productions. I’m not paying money to hear you sing.” That kind of thing happens.
But, for the record, the idea that singing and dancing is not masculine is about the craziest thought I ever heard in my life. I don’t know how in history we got off track. I mean, 50 years ago, if you were a man and couldn’t dance, you basically weren’t ever get a girl.
The thing about [Jean] Valjean is, to me, he’s probably one of the great literary characters of all time and one of the great men ever put down in fiction in musical theater. It doesn’t matter, it’s rare to be able to play someone who you look up to. It’s how I feel about Jean Valjean. To me, he is the epitome of a man.
Anne and Amanda, which designers are you wearing?
Anne Hathaway (co-star): I’m wearing Chanel.
Amanda Seyfried (co-star): I’m wearing Givenchy.
Hathaway: And I helped design Amanda’s dress.
Seyfried: I helped design Annie’s dress and we helped each other get into the dresses.
Hathaway: I painted her nails.
Seyfried: And I …
Hathaway: Well, we can’t say what Amanda did to me. No, for me, you just find the dress that makes you feel the most yourself. And I do know from experience at this event that it’s best to go with a dress that doesn’t have train.
For more info: Golden Globe Awards website
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