Interview with MATTHEW RHYS - Part I

by Andrew Major

Starting today, Wednesdays on “Bloggers & Sisters” will feature a series of interviews with the cast behind TV’s favorite family. I thought we’d kick off the season with one of my favorite actors – Matthew Rhys (Kevin Walker). 

I picked Matthew mainly because our readers seem to be very fond of him – but really I feared for the things you might say if I didn’t.  ☺   And be sure to check in with us next week, when we'll post the portion of the interview in which Matthew responds to a few of your comments.

I talked with Matthew last Friday in his dressing room around 7pm – where he was just about to start his day on set – and our last day of shooting Episode 207.

*****************

ANDREW:  Hey Matthew, how are you?

MATTHEW:  (Yawning)  I’ve been surfing all day so I’m exhausted.  I know, sounds pathetic.

ANDREW:  So, you’re HUGE on “Bloggers & Sisters.”  How does that make you feel?  Like you’ve arrived?

Yeah, you know, any kind of recognition is nice.  If that’s the truth, that’s nice to know.

ANDREW:  You have a movie coming out called The Edge of Love with you, Cillian Murphy, Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley.  What was that experience like?

MATTHEW:  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  Just to play Dylan Thomas was great – to play one of Wales greatest sons.  You know, to have that opportunity, with those actors, to shoot at home in Wales, some of my friends are in the movie – it was like everything came together.

Matthew with Sienna Miller on the set of The Edge of Love.

ANDREW:  What’s more fun – being famous in the UK or America?

MATTHEW:  I’m not famous in the UK. In fact, I wouldn’t say I’m famous in America either.  I’ve never been recognized at home.  I’ve been recognized twice, here, and one of the times was a woman who said, “How do they make your head look SO BIG on TV?!”  If that’s being famous – it’s not that great.

ANDREW:  There really isn’t a process for making your head big?

MATTHEW:  Yeah, it’s all mirrors and smoke.  They make me wear a special cap, it’s all “green screen” special effects.  It’s crazy.

ANDREW:  Do you have any good stories from playing opposite Kathleen Turner in the London production of The Graduate?

My best story is when we were first rehearsing the script. We were in a little rehearsal studio in London and I wasn’t really kissing her properly – because I was nervous.  I could tell she was getting really frustrated.  As we were getting through the scene, and I was gingerly half kissing her, Kathleen interrupted – “Okay!  Stop! Stop!  Come with me outside.”  I was like, oh my god, she’s going to ball me out.  She took me outside in the corridor and demanded, “Kiss me.”  I told her I was sorry, I’ll do it properly.  She said – “No!  Kiss me.  Now!”  I hesitated and she kept yelling, “Kiss me!”  and I kept saying, “I’m sorry,  I won’t screw up!”  “Kiss me!” “Oh god!” “I’ll do better!”  “Now!”  She finally grabbed me and (Matthew makes a loooong sucking face noise).  When we pulled apart she looked at me and said, “Okay, now do it like that.”  And that’s how we did it from then on.  She just took control of the situation, which I liked because it made it easier for me.

ANDREW:  What’s the best thing about working on Brothers & Sisters?  

MATTHEW:  It’s this group of actors I get to work with, the writing, the crew, the whole production as one.  I’ve never had a job this good.  We’re lucky we get along so well and have such a good time making the show.  We have too good of a time, sometimes.

The Graduate opened at the Gielgud Theatre in West London in 2000.

ANDREW:  What’s your worst day and your best day while working on B&S?

MATTHEW:  The worst was my first day, when all these rewrites came flying in and I was so insecure about the accent.  I was panicking and sweating and not really getting it.  Ken Olin was gingerly trying to get it out of me and I was just having a meltdown.  Finally, Rachel Griffiths said, “Come one, I’ll take you for a drink.”  And we did.  God bless her, it was a pretty bad day.  She was the perfect person – cause of her first year on “Six Feet Under.”  It was a great talk at the bar – she just said all the right things.

As for the best?  I think when we all jumped in the pool on the season finale.  That was a fun day.

**************

Thanks for reading.  Be sure to check in with us next week when we put some of your comments to Matthew and see what he has to say about them....

 

Comments

[Scott]

Matthew has done such incredible work on this series. He has inhabited the role of Kevin Walker with such integrity and skill that when he shows up on screen, you don't see an actor; you see a fully-dimensional person, with all his quirks and charms.

Can't imagine the show without him.

[trinity]

Awesome interview~!
I hope he gets to read my comment... but anyway..i am huge fan of matthew..yup..a shout out all the way from New Zealand! Brothers & Sisters started awhile ago over here. i really love the show as well as the cast. fav character will always be Kevin,love his sarcasm.its fantastic.~! no one can ever potray Kevin as well as you did,Matthew.You are the best~
Cheers

[CeCe]

Aww, Andrew. You like us! You really, really like us! (tm Ms. Field) Clearly, you embrace us in all our freakish fangirly (yes, I mean you too, will!) behavior, and you are too sweet to fuel our fires over Kevin/Matthew first! MUAH!

Matthew? is adorable! Is it wrong that I just want to stay up all night with him, just talking and laughing and talking some more? GAH.

And now I'm not going to be able to watch the show any more without looking for his freakishly large head!!! (Ooo, that sounded dirty!) Honestly...I hadn't noticed before!

[Tiffany]

Matthew - you are my favorite of the brothers and sisters. Other than the accent what is the most challenging part of getting into the mindset of Kevin. What is the easiest?

[Brian E]

Great interview! Nice to see such a sweet nervous side of an actor which is very rare. The Kathleen Turner story is priceless.

[will]

Matthew,

I love the way you artlessly submerge yourself, INVEST yourself psychologically (mostly in small ways) into the character of Kevin Walker. The (yes) weird & idiosyncratic choices you sometimes make as an actor are meaningful to me, do not go unnoticed and help to bring Kevin generously alive (you make the writer's written word flesh....although that sounds pompous & it's more than that....I feel you exceed the boundaries of a mediocre script, at least here as Kevin Walker).

I wrote this in January of this year, & I still think it's mostly true: "No matter what the homophobes on this blog say.... Kevin is bitchy, philosophical, romantic, self-centered, egotistical, irreverant, kind of wild & completely HUMAN. This is a revolutionary thing. Kevin (Matthew) has a major, ongoing storyline in a top 20 program. I'm no dreamy pie-in-the-sky personality, but I get kind of misty-eyed thinking about it. This is such a beautiful crossroads we're at. I have this wealth of positive goodwill. And I'm going to savor this feeling."

In those days I had this abundance of energy and - hope? A sense of possibility. You might have noticed, but not very many gay characters grace our television screens. It's scarce pickings & you take what you can get. But I had this preternatural sense that YOU were going to (somehow) change things in your own humble way... that you could change hearts & minds on the strength of your portrayal alone. Because your character went beyond "gayness"; you have a gift of being PRESENT, absolutely in the moment (ALIVE!) while onscreen & you suck us all into your drama. So, at any rate, I thought in those days that Kevin would spread a little humanity & sunshine around... & alter perceptions.

Bear with me. In March of this year I wrote this, which must have been before Jason and after Chad: "I want to see Kevin & this new guy giving me REAL SPARKS in their romance. No more psuedo-sparks & taking the crumbs we're offered & being complacent with the 'Chads'. I want it all. Everything. More than 'Chad'. And Kevin & the senator's brother should get to roll around & talk post-coitally just like Kitty & the senator do.
And show some skin too. We gays like man-on-man skin. Throw us a bone."

I was going through this trip that Kevin & whichever boyfriend he had at the time....should have parity! yes, equality! with those stupid schmaltzy love scenes that Kitty got. I was not totally aware that many americans - bristle? - at unconcealed man-on-man action, even in character, even with absorbing storylines.

Let me leave you with this. A post from March this year: "I'm thinking of Kevin and Chad at that secluded coffeehouse or bistro or whatever it was in 'Love is Difficult'. The scene where Kevin gave Chad the book of poetry. OF COURSE it was pure hokum. I laughed (snickered) because luggish Chad reciting poetry is pure cheeseball silliness. But that damned scene WORKED for me in spite of the schmaltzy camp. There was tenderness & honesty & a je ne sais quoi in the whole schmaltzy conception."

So you see, my overblown, profuse comments show that many gay men are, in fact, PERSONALLY invested in what you bring to the table as Kevin Walker. I don't think there's ever been so alive & INTEGRATED & unapologetically GAY & - yes, romantic! & impulsive & ROOTED (OK, I will not break open the thesaurus) a portrayal of a gay man on the networks before. So keep pushing the envelope....and going deeper....lots of us are on board & digging it.

[Suzette (The Netherlands)]

Thanks a lot for the interview and I can't wait to hear more of his stories...lol..! He's soo funny.

---------------------------
My question is if he has seen my website about him and what he thinks of it.

Website address is www.matthew-rhys.net

And just another question...how was the wedding of Ioan and Alice?
---------------------------

Thanks again...and the show is amazing....!

Big hugs and kisses from The Netherlands!

Suzette

[Blanca (from Spain)]

Hi, Matthew!

I'm a 26 years old Spanish girl who would like to know if you use any trick when you make a speech as a solicitor because actually I'm a lawyer and I need to speak in public (and that makes me very nervous). Since your are an exceptional actor and also an amazing lawyer, I would really appreciate your recommendations.

By the way, I have recently visited Cardiff and I have really liked it (and also other parts of Wales)! If at any time you come to Spain, I'll be your tourist guide!

Thanks!

Blanca.

[Cheryl]

Andrew -- THANK YOU for this interview! I was familiar with Matthew's previous work and started watching B&S because of him. I've come to love many of the cast members, but he remains my absolute favorite.

[Jude]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Absolutely superb!

Andrew, thank you for interviewing Matthew. As Cheryl has said before me, he was the reason I watched from day one. I adore his chemistry with Rachel and Sally, and the easiness between cast members translates well onto the screen.

Matthew, is there any information about where we here in the States can see or purchase that documentary you did on the Welsh in Patagonia? Could you divulge a bit more about directing that adventure?

Llongyfarchiadau ar y cyfar gan The Advocate. Da iawn. Cymru am byth!
Gyda phob dymuniadau dda,
Jude

[Martha]

Mathew, I didn´t know you before Brothers and Sisters and as is very common, it would seem as though you are a new commer when in fact you have quite a trajectory and have won some of the best awards for your acting. I couldn´t agree more... You
are a great actor.
I love the caracter they have given you as Kevin , and I am sure YOU have given it true life. You are a great asset to the show.
As you said in an interview.. your are just someone looking for the right person, going through the sames issues as any of us, but happens to be gay... and smart, and quick minded, and funny and sensitive and vulnerable....
Traditionally, I think gay people have been mostly shown in TV shows as funny characters or totally sexually driven... but never as a whole human being. Your character is just like any of us... And I just love that, I see the gay community with a totally different view and respect. I congratulate you and thank you for that.
I am looking forward to what your character will grow into in this season and the next to come.
I´m sure we will be seeing you in great movies as well. You already have me as a fan because I am sure as you chose this TV show correctly, you will choose the right characters in the right scripts, in right movies.
Looking forward to seeing more of you.

[Ashley]

Matthew, I was wondering how challenging it is to play a gay man on TV? Do you approach love scenes differently than you would if you were playing a straight character? Love your work on the show and I look forward to watching you throughout the season! Kevin/Kitty scenes are my favorite :-)

Thank you and good luck!

[Marella (The Netherlands)]

That's an truly amazing interview. I can't wait for part 2 and for the interviews with the other cast members.

I think it's amazing how Matthew and Rachel put on an American accent when they aren't even from America. I myself wouldn't even be able to do it and don't even know how they do it. So hats off to the both of them for being able to do that.

I can't wait to see 'The Edge Of Love' with Matthew when it comes out here in the Netherlands in April. I read the synopsis about the movie a while back and it made me more interesting in the movie.

Question for Matthew:

Since you play a good guy on TV and I was wondering... If you could play a villain on TV and/or movie, which villain would love you to play and why?

Roll on the next interview :)

Much love,

Marella

[marc]

Mr. Rhys

The biggest compliment I can give you is that you fully embody your character. I totally believe you are Kevin Walker, an American who has so much love for his siblings, mother and his lover. When I hear you speak in your natural Welsh accent with different intonations as well, it's so crystal clear how much you really transform into this other person whom I totally believe. Not to mention that you are quite funny as well. By the way the cell phone change with Rachel Griffiths this week was beyond perfect. Just one question: What is great about Kevin is that he is real, he is flawed (as all of us are), sometimes judgemental, bitchy, but loving and always funny. Was that all on the page or did you contribute some of that in your choices and the producers/writers then molded that more into the character. Thanks for reading this. You do a superb job as well as the entire cast and crew.

[will]

Matthew: Please fight to get Jason back on the show (we are all faithfully praying for his current show's demise). Or at least a partner worthy of your particular skills. We want to see relationships that are potentially compustible...that CRACKLE!.... that have something UNDERNEATH them, that generate & renew their own energy in a way that will never ever happen with kind, decent, puppy-ish, well-meaning & spark-less Scotty.

Fight for more nuanced dialogue! Catch LIFE in the butterfly net! Don't let the writer's give you the clumsy soap stuff that Kitty receives with her men! You (& Kevin) are both more complex than the dialogue would indicate. I love the combination of left-field humor AND emotional honesty you give Kevin. You can shift & spin the ingredients of dialogue - from practical one second ...to impulsive!....to catty-charming...to just plain weird....all in the short scene-space of 30 seconds, and all of it believably.... it seems there's always SOMETHING subtle going on in Kevin's head, you can practically read it across the eyes, and your line readings and reactions are a constant phantasmogoria of combative emotions and flickering half-thoughts.

OK I am getting crazy here. You get the drift. We love not just the "real" gay man you are portraying for us - but the extraordinary one. You've made your Kevin unique all unto himself. Fight for a unique journey that befits this guy.... & keep giving us reasons to get all that adrenaline going when you're doing what you do on screen.

[Sharon]

I also can't get over how you conquer the accent change. Rachel doesn't seem to have as strong of an accent. But when they did the show the week before the premiere of Season 2 I was totally amazed you had this strong accent. I thank the whole cast mostly you "kevin" for being that comedic break the show needs. You and Calista could really be brother and sister you do it so well.
Sharon

[Sara]

I absolutely love Matthew on Brothers and Sisters, Kevin is my favorite character. Anyways, I was wondering if you could ask him what his favorite medium to work in is since he has done theatre, tv, and movies? Thanks

[Mary (from Cardiff)]

Hi Matthew, I'm glad that you're doing well in USA, but would prefer i if you were doing well on UK tv!I love your acting (as I've told you after shows in Cardiff, Stratford and London), but unfortunately "Brothers and Sisters" isn't really my type of show. I'm sorry...
But work's work and fame and money etc..
Looking forward to the Dylan Thomas film (despite Kiera Knightly in it!)
I'll try to watch another episode just because you're in it! Hope you become as successful as you deserve (which is very successful!). love, Mary xx

[KimberlyT]

from the earlier postings,it seems as if other people have followed your career for a while. I have to admit that I had no idea who you were or if I had seen any of your work. For you to be a new comer(to me), you really hold your own with the vets that I know Sally Field, Ron Rifkin,and Calista Flockhart. Your accent is excellent. You have nothing to worry about.

[Carrie]

I had never heard of Matthew until this show, but I never would have guessed he had a Welsh accent in real life. I also had a chance to meet him this summer and he was the nicest guy.

[sylviane (from the Netherlands)]

Just wanted to say that I think Matthew Rhys is a very talented actor and that I have been impressed with him since I saw House of America a few months ago.
I wish I had known about this before, so I could have asked him his side of the story about a supposed attack on him by Ioan Gruffudd with a Hornblower sword, that so made me laugh when I wrote Matthews bio a few weeks ago.

I hope we can enjoy Kevin Walker for a long time and that Matthew continues to make other movies and to love Wales as much as he does.

[Debbie]

OMG!!!! I love Matthew Rhys. He's the reason I got hooked on Brothers & Sisters. I rewatch Kevin's scenes over and over again on TiVo and my B&S DVD. When is his movie coming out? Gotta go see it!!!

[Roobaby]

I was totally stunned the learn that Matthew had an accent he was trying to ditch for this part. Just goes to show you how wonderul this artist is.
Cheers to you Matthew!

I do like "Kevin" a lot. He seems very down to earth and real. This is a great show and with fantastic cast!

[ilovemylife]

I enjoy Brothers and Sisters overall, but I especially tune in because of Matthew's Kevin.

I read over the summer on a fan's website of Matthew Rhys, that Matthew had made a statement to his countrypeople to ask them to show their wonderful caring nature by supporting the Darfur people. I liked Matthew before this for his acting ability and this gave me a deeper respect for him as a human being for this proactive statement.

My question for Matthew is: Do you follow the plight of the Darfur people online?

http://ilovemylifebrothersandsisters.blogspot.com/
www.dreamfordarfur.org
Rhode Island Dream for Darfur Torch Relay Oct 27, 2007

[Rania]

Mattieeee,

Well, I don't know what to ask ..it seems everything's been covered.

BUT ..I do have some questions.

1- Where do u live L.A or London?

2- Are you single? Plz say yes..and all the rumors are not true.;-)

3- What is your most favourite thing..to do ...to eat..?

4-and last , How can we meet ?;-)

I just want to add ..I Love Your smile, your eyes and the colour of your eyes.

One last question .. Do u guys really read what we post???????

- Thank you Andrew for the interview and Knowing whom to choose first.

Thanks
Rania