Tall, dark, and smoldering Welsh-born actor Ioan (pronounced yo’-an) Gruffudd broke out from his period-piece specialty in 2005. He played the ringleader Reed Richards aka the supercharged Mr. Fantastic in the feature adaptation of Marvel Comics’ “Fantastic Four,” returning later this year.
Before that, he was best known for reeling through fictionalized history from an early bit part in “Titanic” (1997) to co-starring as the romancer Lancelot in “King Arthur” (2004) on film and anchoring the prestigious British-flavored A&E television miniseries as Commander Horatio Hornblower.
The 33-year-old thespian returns to form and to uniform as turn-of-the-19th-century reform crusader William Wilberforce in this week’s “Amazing Grace.”
Here’s what he had to say during a recent publicity blitz:
Examiner: It must be in your contract or something that you have to wear a fancy getup in your movies. No?
Gruffudd: “Definitely! I have to have a costume of some sort. No, really, people often ask if I’m concerned about being typecast. I’m not because these have been great, noble characters in history and literature that I’ve played. … With Wilberforce, I thought it would be great to play a hero that’s not a physical hero like a war hero. He’s not a man of action but a man of his words, morals and beliefs.”
Examiner: With ferocious old English acting lions like Albert Finney and Michael Gambon in “Grace,” did you ever worry about them scene-stealing?
Gruffudd: “I don’t get worried about scenes being stolen from me. It bolsters your own performance. And if they’re taking some of the burden of carrying the movie by being so brilliant, it all adds to the power of the movie. … The sad fact was that I only had a couple of days to work with Albert Finney. But what a pleasure! The guy is just a legend, a real lesson not just in acting but in humanity.”
Examiner: You have to sing the big title song in “Amazing Grace.” How was that?
Gruffudd: “I enjoyed doing it. I love singing. In Wales, we have big festivals for singing. I won the whole national competition, called The Eisteddfod, for folk singing in the under-age-11 group and then again 10 years later in the under-age-21 group.”
Examiner: What will excite fans most about this summer’s sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”?
Gruffudd: “The title itself. The arrival of the Silver Surfer is huge for them. And they won’t be disappointed. Also, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) and I attempt to get married. Several times. But then the end of the world comes along to spoil our little party.
Examiner: When they call you Mr. Fantastic, um, does that apply in all areas?
Gruffudd: “Well, of course. That was part of the audition.”
Examiner: What did you have to do?!
Gruffudd: “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
Examiner: You’re finally set to marry your fiancee of seven years (actress Alice Evans) this September. Does she call you Mr. Fantastic?
Gruffudd: “Every day. I insist on it.”
