Paul Bettany attends the press night
(Picture: Dave Benett)Paul Bettany said his return to the London stage after 25 years was partly inspired by his fear of taking on the role of Andy Warhol.
The Avengers actor plays the artist in The Collaboration, which recreates Warhol’s relationship with up-and-coming young star Jean-Michel Basquiat in Eighties New York.
Bettany said he was “frightened” by the prospect of coming back after quarter of a century, adding: “Moreover I was scared by the idea, the project and the part in particular, so I thought I better get over myself and do it.”
The London-born star, who now lives in New York, said one problem was getting a sense of the real Warhol behind his trademark wigs and eccentric style.
He said: “It’s hard to find stuff of Andy speaking, he’s so monosyllabic in interviews, but I read his diaries which were dictated.
“He’d download every morning to his assistant and he speaks in these long circuitous sentences, so I thought maybe that was a way to do this otherwise you’re just playing this hesitant monosyllabic Andy, and I thought that wouldn’t work.”
The show was written by Anthony McCarten, whose credits include hit films such as The Theory of Everything and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Plans are under way to make a film version with Bettany and Jeremy Pope, who plays Basquiat, in the main roles.
Bettany said the movie version would “broaden out” the story.
Pope said it was “slated to shoot this year”, adding: “We’ve cut scenes that we know we’ll bring back for the movie so I’m really looking forward to having the different iterations of what this can be.”
Until April 2, youngvic.org
