Jeremy Irvine Races to Stardom in ‘War Horse’

When War Horse, with Steven Spielberg (Red Carpet Coverage)at its reins, gallops into theaters on Christmas Day, newcomer Jeremy Irvine will ride the beautifully shot tearjerker into cinema history. (Film Review)

As he is wont to do, Spielberg took a chance on an unknown to star in what is sure to be another of his blockbuster movies, casting the 20 year-old Briton who had grown up in a small country village, much like Albert, the character he plays.

“I had never acted in front of the camera before, so that was the big challenge,” admits Irvine, who also had to get over his awe for his director. “It was the first time I had done it ever.”

War Horse is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against the sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. The film begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted at the outbreak of WWI, the film follows Joey’s extraordinary journey as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets before the story reaches its emotional climax.

In this interview, Irvine, who studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and has appeared in stage productions including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Dunsinane, talks about acting in front of a camera for the first time, his surprising discovery about performing with horses, the pressure of carrying the film and more.

What was the most challenging part of this film for you?

Steven didn’t want us reading through with actors a lot because he wanted it to be spontaneous. As an actor in that situation, it is stressful, especially for someone who is used to three months of rehearsal, which you get on stage. You have no choice but to be spontaneous and in the moment.

How did you prepare for the role?

In preparation, the main thing was to get Albert’s innocence that we don’t see any more. Here is someone who hasn’t been exposed to TV or the Internet. He lives in a very isolated part of Devon. He doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. He probably hasn’t seen anyone outside of his small community. This is before cars. This is someone with incredible naiveté and innocence and complete lack of cynicism. I really wanted to get that, so when the horse comes along, it is his brother. It becomes his best friend. The stakes need to be that high to justify going off and risking his life to get his horse back. I certainly don’t consider myself an animal person, but I have two brothers, so I sort of used that relationship.

Had you ever ridden before?

I’d never been on a horse. I’d never ridden a horse. I had to learn to do these things, well before we started. But seeing things in perspective, it was just a small part of the huge amount of things I had to learn to do.

You had the opportunity to work with some of the best actors in film.  What was that like?

I hoped it would rub off. Even when I wasn’t filming, I was on set because I wanted to learn from the actors. Who doesn’t want to learn from Peter Mullan and Emily Watson?

Did you feel any pressure carrying this movie?

There is huge pressure, especially because this is such an established story, such an established role… But it is a job like any other. You turn up every morning and do the best job that you can while you are there and you go home. In between that, you are at work. You can’t be there being, “Oh, it’s Steven Spielberg.”… Steven makes it so easy. He doesn’t have “Director” on the back of his chair. He has “Dad.” You think of him as the master of his craft, this living legend. But he was just very kind and approachable.”

They say don’t work with animals and kids. Was the horse a diva?

There were 14 horses that played Joey. They were the most highly trained, well behaved horses you will ever find. When you are in a scene with them, you genuinely do feel as if you are acting with them. I was skeptical when I first started training with the horses. I never thought I would get some kind of emotional bond with them off camera, but in reality, it was like a week and I was a complete sucker like everyone else. You would have to be stone cold not to see the human emotion in these animals. It is quite incredible. At the end of the day, they are incredibly powerful. They could kill you if they wanted to, but they let you go on their back and ride it.

Steven Spielberg is legendary as a director. What is he like? Is he very hands on?

He is one of the most approachable directors I have worked with. Of course, I haven’t worked with many. He is lovely. It was pretty overwhelming. There were some days I wasn’t feeling great and he would come over and we would talk about stuff. You really felt as if you were working with someone who was a master at their craft. I remember my first day, there were trainers and machinery all around – we had up to 1,000 people on the set some days – but when you got in front of the camera, it was you Steven Spielberg and the other actor or horse and that’s it. It was a nice environment to work in.

I read – and I am not sure if it is true – that you were a fan of Saving Private Ryan and fantasized about starring in a Steven Spielberg movie.

Yes. My parents had a VHS of the movie. What boy doesn’t fantasize about doing a war sequence in a film?

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