London, Dec 14: Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law might be the most recognisable faces in Guy Ritchie's latest Sherlock Holmes opus, but the new cast members are generating plenty of interest too.
Pre “Game of Shadows,” Noomi Rapace's most well-known role was as the lead in the Swedish version of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', released in 2009.
Her performance caught Ritchie's eye and he decided to cast her as Madam Simza Heron: “I saw Noomi in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' and she just felt very fresh.” Ritchie explains. “And once I met her she was very enthusiastic. Enthusiasm can do all sorts of wonders and her enthusiasm really took her into the role.”
Rapace admits she had a touch of new-girl nerves on joining such an established cast, especially as she's only been speaking English for three years: “I was very nervous before we started but I am really good, I always hide when I am nervous, people don't see it I think but I was really terrified inside.” she admits.
“But then after a couple of days I just forgot about everything outside and that Robert was an amazing star and the language thing because they work in a very open, playful, easy, searching way. It was so joyful and they really took care of me and just grabbed me and hugged me and it felt like they just opened the Sherlock Holmes family for me.”
And being part of “the Sherlock Holmes family” meant doing many of her own stunts, a challenge that Rapace jumped at: “I really like doing stunts. I think that the physical part is really fun to do, I try to do as much as they allow me. If I can do it, it is possible for my character to do it.” she continues.
“So I don't want an amazing stunt woman to come and do the most fantastic things, and be like ‘really, I don't think (the character) would be able to do that.' But the hard thing was to fight in the corset because it really squeezes your ribs and it is quite hard to move in, you can't bend over and you can't really breathe, you can't kick, so sometimes I was like ‘can someone release me?'”
For well-known actor and writer Stephen Fry, who plays Holmes' brother Mycroft, it was less about lacing up and more about stripping off.
A scene where Watson's wife Mary (played by Kelly Reilly) visits Mycroft at home called for complete nudity. “When I arrived on the day for the nude scene I hadn't slept for two nights because I was just thinking ‘Oh my god, I'll be standing around nude, it is going to be so embarrassing, I haven't got the best figure in the world. Let's be honest, nobody is going to want to look at me.'” Fry divulges.
“Much better off layered and clothed and tweed, that is what they expect. Many people maybe even think I am made of tweed underneath. But the atmosphere was so good, and the scene was so right and also I was shocked because Guy said ‘So are you really going to go for this nude, do you really mind doing it?' He really gave me the option on the day so oddly enough that freed me up to say ‘Yes.'”
