Last week, our very own Ben Mortimer got to chat with the wonderful British actress Alice Eve who is is not only going to be appearing in the sequel to Star Trek next year but she’s also been very busy becoming the online face for Stella Artois. They were kind enough to arrange an interview with Alice and give us some time to chat about her latest projects.
Alice Eve is fronting the online Campaign for Christmas for Stella Artois harnessing uses some very clever online technology which allows you to you can enter your postcode and it’ll show her in a taxi coming to your house before delivivering a Christmas card to your front door. It’s one of the best technical virals I’ve ever seen and well worth giving a go. Read on to find out what she’ll be doing this Christmas, working with Barry Sonnenfeld, J.J. Abrams and Breaking Bad’s Brian Cranston.
Esteemed British actress Alice Eve stars in Stella Artois’ innovative Christmas Carole video greeting. Send a holiday message to your friends and family by visiting the Stella Artois UK Facebook page.
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Are you based out in the US now?
No I live between London and Los Angeles and I’m currently doing press for a movie that I have coming out next year.
Would that be a movie that starts with an ‘S’ and ends in a ‘Trek?’?!
Star Trek, yes! (*laughs*).
So you’re the new face of Stella Artois?
Yes, for the online campaign for Christmas I am. I thought it works really well actually.
So you’ve had a great year this year, we missed chatting to you at the Men in Black 3 premiere about impersonating Emma Thompson.
That was great fun. I sat down with her before we shot and she was very strict about what I should or shouldn’t do. It was a dream come true, I love a teacher and she’s one of the best so i was happy to follow her lead.
It must have been odd growing up with the Men in Black franchise then suddenly appearing in it and working with Barry Sonnenfeld?
I suppose I did, it was a bit of a non-event the first one the first one I think. He’s sort of a visionary Barry I think. I don’t know if you’ve seen any of the Adam’s Family films but they’re spectacular as well and unique. He’s got his vision and follows it quite specifically.
He came from the same school as the Coen Brothers and he was the cinematographer on Blood Simple and he absolutely invented that signature style and was part of the birth of that movement. But then he went over into that commercial world and of course for some reason we don’t acknowledge auteurs working in commercial cinema or anything commercial as much as we do in the independent world but it doesn’t mean that he’s any less really.
We need to address the space elephant in the room because you’ve also been working with J.J. Abrams on Star Trek: Into Darkness who also has a very distinct style?
He has, they’re both auteurs. I mean J.J. absolutely is capable of writing his material and wrote Regarding Henry in the 90s and they’re both the whole deal.
How different is working on these big budget movies compare to working on the small scale movies?
They’re like chalk and cheese. When you have a lot of money behind something I imagine it’s like working at Google’s office compared to a small office on the same road. One has a lot more amenities at your disposal and the other is an independent struggle. I just did a film with Brian Cranston called Eye of Winter and that was very low budget and there’s less creature comforts. It’s gorilla style filmmaking vs. incredibly subsidised supported film-making.
And you say you worked with Brian Cranston, did you pick up any tips?
He’s bad-arse isn’t he! His professionalism is endless. He’s spent a life-time on set and there’s always something to learn from other people. He had a real composure. He’s a gentleman, he’s full of knowledge and wants to share it.
Were you a Star Trek fan when you were a kid?
It was the only television show that my grandfather watched so I wasn’t unaware of it. In terms of a fan, I was a fan of My Little Pony and Care Bears but I don’t know if I was a fan of Star Trek but I was aware of it, it was in my universe.
So was it completely surreal stepping into that world?
You saying that has just reminded me that last night I had a dream about being back on the Enterprise again! Yeah, it was really surreal, it’s a world built by the most talented people in the world. You’d be hard-pressed not to have a realisation moment to say ‘you’re in it’.
What did you think of the trailer?
I thought it looked pretty amazing, the film – I’ll go! I’ve only seen the trailer so far.
In the trailer we see you wearing a blue uniform…
Am I?! *laughs*
Apparently so! And we’re sure contractually you can tell us nothing but are you able to tell us if we were to say you’re playing the part of someone we’ve heard of….
*Laughter continues* I would be unable to answer Ben I’m afraid unfortunately. As much as I can tell a fellow thirty something born and bred in London, I can’t tell you a thing!
I’m going to elude to it anyway, blue uniform, that’s medical… doctor or nurse?!
Is it, is it medical? I just can’t do it! We can play it all day *laughs*.
OK, let’s move on! You mentioned working with Brian Cranson but what else have you got coming up?
A little bit of rest over Christmas in London and then back to the grind in January. I don’t know what’s next in terms of shooting stuff.
I’m sure you’ll be taking on more big roles but will you be doing more UK based smaller movies?
I love working at home, I love it. We don’t make that much in film, we do a lot of good television but if the right film came up, I’d love to work at home.
Using Brian as an example, is working in TV something you’d want to pursue going forward?
I think in order to go into television you have to be interested in playing the same person because you play them for 5,6,7 years and I’m quite enjoying the film work because you get to investigate a different person quite intensely and then move away and do the same for a different person again which suits me for now.
Finally, with your Stella Artois work in mind and delivering carols, will you be carol singing this year?
Actually, I used to go to Dove Cottage every year up in the lake district and it was the highlight of the Christmas season for me, I just love it. So yes I will find a way to go it this year in London.
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Thanks to Alice for her time. You can see the Stella Artois Christmas Carol card in action and send to your friends by clicking here.
