'Given my early...': Ben Kingsley says Shakespeare influences his performances
What's the story
Veteran actor Ben Kingsley, who has portrayed Mahatma Gandhi, characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Salvador Dali, says Shakespeare continues to shape his performances. In an interview with Variety India ahead of Desert Warrior's Lionsgate Play premiere, he said he's fascinated by timeless archetypes beneath every great character. "Given my early diet of Shakespeare...I'm very attracted to the animal in its pure form."
Character interpretation
Kingsley on how he approached the role
Kingsley, who plays an emperor in Desert Warrior, said he didn't just see his character as a historical figure but as part of a dramatic tradition.
He said, "You have this emperor, who in the myth has his place in the archetype."
"There's the warrior, there's the queen, there's the madman, there's the devil, there's the holy man, there's the seducer, the poet and absolute power dropped into this wonderful mosaic of archetypes."
Director's influence
Director's understanding of archetypes helped Kingsley
Kingsley also credited director Rupert Wyatt for understanding that the film's characters operate on a mythic level as much as a historical one.
He said, "Rupert understands the archetypical value of the character in the myth."
This philosophy has guided his over five-decade-long career, where he has often gravitated toward characters whose emotional truths transcend their time periods.