The Passion
James Nesbitt plays Pontius Pilate
James Nesbitt was looking forward to a well–earned rest when he was approached to play the pivotal role of Pontius Pilate in The Passion.
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"I was in the middle of shooting something else and my agent asked me to have a look at the script. If I'm honest I only skimmed it and didn't take it in. I was looking forward to a break," says Nesbitt, whose recent flurry of screen roles have ranged from Jekyll to Murphy's Law.
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But when his agent persuaded him to take a second look at Frank Deasy's script, Nesbitt soon found himself planning a trip to Morocco instead.
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"My agent told me to have another look and I'm glad I did. Reading it properly Frank's writing jumped out at me. I come from a country that is steeped in religion so this was a story familiar to me. But he has re-told that beautiful and complicated story in a new and exciting way that people will be able to relate to," he says.
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The strength of the drama, James believes, lies in the characters Frank has written. In particular, Pontius Pilate emerges as a much more defined character than he has in past versions of the story.
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"I read as much as possible about him and there are lots of stories! Many see him as a barbaric, cruel figure, some see him as a progressive man who tried to work with the Jews in Jerusalem, and some see him as a man who just wanted to get out of there. In the end, I tried to learn from Frank's text," he says.
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James's Pilate emerges as a world–weary soldier, a tough operator who would rather be anywhere other than Jerusalem during the chaos, religious fervour and tension of Passover. He could be a British soldier going on his fifth tour of duty to Afghanistan or Iraq.
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"He is exactly like that. He is a man thinking 'am I here again?'," he explains.
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The production's research revealed that Pilate spent little time in Jerusalem, living for most of the year with his wife Claudia in the coastal resort of Caesarea Maritima.
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"He has got extra pressure because he has his wife with him. He is just thinking 'get me out of here'. I'm building a villa back in Rome, I've done my time," he says.
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There is, however, no doubting Pilate's power – and his willingness to wield it ruthlessly. "He was not a man I would have crossed. At his core he was a steely man."
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For James, The Passion marks a return to the same dramatic terrain that gave him his first experience in a leading role, more than a quarter of a century ago.
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"My first big role was playing Jesus in Godspell at the Ulster Youth Theatre in 1981 when I was 17 or 18," he says. "It was quite an important production. It brought lots of kids from different backgrounds together. The story at that time had a certain level of poignancy – taking place during The Troubles."
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Telling the story of Jesus's last week on Earth is an exciting prospect. "It was exciting to get a chance to retell that story – even if you do have the weight of 2,000 years of history on you."
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The production took him out to Morocco, a country he had never visited before. "I took the family out with me, we spent a few days in Marrakech then drove out to Ouarzazate," he explains. "It was exciting being in a new country. And being in a place where so many epics have been filmed."
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In fact being in Morocco enforced why he is a member of the profession he is. "You can get a bit world-weary in this job and The Passion reminded me of what a fantastic job acting is and how lucky I am to be doing it."
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