London ---- For someone who is a relative newcomer to American film audiences, British actor Jeremy Northam has created quite a sensation in the US over the past two years. Starring in leading roles opposite two of Hollywood’s most popular young actresses, Northam has all but stolen the show both times displaying a wide range of versatility, refinement and charisma in very different yet demanding parts. First, he played a Machiavellian villain who seduced then tried to murder Sandra Bullock in The Net. Then, he turned around and personified the ultimate selfless romantic leading man as the gallant Mr. Knightley winning the heart of Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma. But in this month’s much anticipated Mimic, the actor faces not only the considerable talents of Mira Sorvino, who plays his wife, bus some otherwise unpredictable forces as well. In the film, Northam and Sorvino play husband and wife scientists whose research into a fatal pediatric disease disrupts the balance of nature.On a recent late evening in his London flat, Northam is casually dressed in a black T-shirt, jeans and open toe sandals as he sits on a sofa surrounded by tall, filled-to-the-rack bookcases. "I have to preface everything I say by explaining that I haven’t yet seen the film so I do not know what elements have remained and what have been eliminated. But what fascinated me about the script initially was that is was a hybrid – a strange mixture of science fiction and horror, and quite intelligent. Then, in the middle of those two elements was a relationship I have with my wife (Mira Sorvino), which was slightly dysfunctional. In the beginning, there is a certain coolness in their relationship and, as the story unfolds, they are faced with circumstances where nature becomes out of control. It’s really a bit of a fable in a way." That relationship between husband and wife was a significant factor in his committing to make the picture. "Personally, I know it sounds crazy but I consider Mimic a love story," he observes. "He loves his wife and because of certain circumstances, he’s at the end of his tether. But beneath their facades, they really love each other. That’s what appealed to me." Working with the Academy Award winning Sorvino was also an inducement. "I found Mira to be very dedicated and absolutely thorough. She was very interested in the scientific background behind the premise and she is an absolute perfectionist and very giving as a performer. "My tendency," he continues, "is to look for characters who are experiencing an inner tension and are pulled in various directions. They feel a certain conflict and texture. That’s how I view human nature." In Mimic, there is even a bit of flash to the role which did not escape Northam’s eagle eye. "It was also a chance to play a good guy who is not a conventional action hero," he explains. "I did not want to tear of my shirt bathing in sweat and shout, ‘Take this, you mother-----!’ " he jokes. "Sometimes, when you are preparing a role, it becomes a balance where you try to create a certain vulnerability – not weakness but a sensitivity which enables you to share a common experience." In that regard, filming Mimic under the direction of Guillermo del Toro (who also directed the acclaimed Cronos) was a fulfilling if unusual experience for the actor. "It was the first time that I had really worked on a project where I was unsure of what we were aiming towards," he admits. "There were a lot of changes to the script and sometimes we improvised on the day of shooting. So there were a lot of different ways that the film could be edited to produce differences in the plot. It was also the first time had to react to life or death situations so, at one point, I just had to throw caution to the wind and risk that the work might be completely over the top." One thing remains certain form Northam’s point of view. "Mimic WILL scare people," he promises. Dimension Films is very high on the project and should be since they have recently enjoyed phenomenal domestic and international success from another suspense thriller, Scream. The erudite actor is not fond of trivializing a film by pegging it as part of a genre per se and does not want audiences to consider the film to be just another horror flick. "When I think of horror in the sense that other people consider it a genre, I think of stakes, gore and bulbs of garlic," he says, laughing. From stakes and garlic the conversation somehow turns to steaks and garlic. Northam smiles, joking that that other kind of steak has not entered his kitchen for quite some time since he’s given up red meat. Northam grew up the carnivorous son of an English teacher/theatre professor father and mother who taught home economics. The actor attended Kings College Choir School in Cambridge and worked backstage in theatres in Bristol. After learning behind-the-scenes, he then gained extensive experience on stage in Britain, beginning with work in Salisbury. He subsequently acted with the Royal National Theatre. While playing Osric there in a production of Hamlet, Northam gained notice when he substituted mid-performance in the title role replacing Daniel Day-Lewis, who suffered a breakdown on-stage. Northam then worked in the Canadian film Voices from a Locked Room quickly followed by The Net and Emma. Northam is currently filming a romantic comedy entitled The Misadventures of Margaret starring Parker Posey and co-starring Elizabeth McGovern, Brooke Shields and Corbin Bernsen. "It’s about a young woman who is experiencing a late 20s crisis. It’s a bit like the Irene Dunne/Cary Grant comedies for the nineties."
Copyright Scene Magazine - James Grant - August 1997
(with special thanks to Bobbie Jo Scully)