STACK NZ Oct #67

interview

CINEMA

“I 'm happy in my skin, and I never think about whether my characters are unsympathetic or tormented in terms of wanting to play those kinds of roles. I look at every part as a way of expressing different aspects of their humanity,” explains Michael Fassbender, when asked about the contradiction of being seen as a sex symbol, when most of the characters he plays are complex and even contemptible. “The whole notion of being a sex symbol is a bit frightening and ridiculous – although it suits me!” he adds, laughing. His next role is certainly no different, as he takes on one of Shakespeare’s most tragic anti- heroes: Macbeth. Directed by Australia’s own Justin Kurzel and starring Gallic goddess Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, it is a rare opportunity to bring one of The Bard’s most famous plays to the big screen. Since his 2006 Hollywood debut as a young Spartan warrior in 300 , Fassbender’s career has gone from strength to strength. From embarking on a 600 calories-a-day diet to play hunger-striking IRA prisoner Bobby Sands in Hunger , for which he won a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, to taking on the world as the younger incarnation of super mutant Magneto in the blockbuster X-Men franchise, Fassbender has the kind of bankability and diversity that is incredibly rare. Shakespeare, however, is a new challenge altogether. "It was a rare privilege for me to be able to do a Shakespeare play, and Macbeth happens to be my favourite of his works. Both the language itself and the character are so daunting that it's almost as if you're being dared to take it on. I like taking risks, and this was one I couldn't pass up," says the actor. `Challenges don’t phase Fassbender, and even when he’s

• Macbeth is in cinemas on October 1

Macbeth

300

Hunger

Steve Jobs

I like taking risks, and [Macbeth] was one I couldn't pass up.

not acting, the daredevil star loves chasing adrenalin highs. Often seen riding his motorbike, he was recently spotted at the Monaco Grand Prix with his stunning Swedish actress girlfriend, Alicia Vikander. For him, motorsports are more than just a thrill: he uses speed as a survival tool to find control and calm amidst the intense chaos of Hollywood superstardom. “Being on a motorbike and concentrating while you're going as fast as possible is also a

as reprising his role as Magneto in X-Men: Apocalypse , we can expect to see more much more of this charming and mercurial actor over the coming year. But just what is it that draws him to playing men who seem forever doomed? “It might be because I'm really mad myself!” he laughs. “But I'm not mad enough to allow that to destroy myself. I think we're all a little mad and it's more interesting to acknowledge and portray madness than to ignore it. If you look at how we behave on this planet, there is no doubt that madness is everywhere...”

strange form of relaxation – your mind just adapts to what you're doing and you stop worrying about everything else that's going on in your life,” he explains. With several major

films in post-production, including the lead role in Steve Jobs , who Fassbender says was “an extraordinary man,

who changed the way we live on so many levels,” as well

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X-Men: Days of Future Past