Entertainment Weekly published an article on Ironbark today, featuring an exclusive new official still and some comments from Benedict on the movie, which he described as “a story of a very average hero”. Take a look:

On his character, Greville Wynne, he said:

He was just a charming Welshman with the gift of the gab. […] He literally goes from being a rather charming businessman heading towards retirement, with a good sense of humor and a jolly manner, to being someone who is basically secreting Minox film cartridges about his case as he tos-and-fros to Moscow under the guise of being part of a British delegation of trade […] It’s a window into a world that’s not that far from our own, sadly, now, again, as far as how things heat up so quickly in politics and on the global stage. […] I think we forget how close we came to not existing anymore.

He also said that mastering his “sort of strange Welsh accent” which is “kind of upper-class, and not quite upper-class enough” was a challenge and so was having to lose a significant amount of weight in three months for just four scenes. He’s not complaining though:

It’s nothing compared to what [Wynne] went through. That’s the thing with these kinds of roles. People go, ‘Whoa, you did that?’ [But] you’re humbled by the reality, which is very far from what you have to do as an actor. And that helps you get there. That gives you all the motivation you need, frankly.”

He also expressed how thrilled he was to work with director Dominic Cooke again:

He’s very much an actor’s director, as well as a brilliant stager. I love his sensibility, and his take on character and relationship is key.

And told the magazine what he sees as the film’s ultimate message:

It is possible for us to be ordinary people that are capable of doing extraordinary things when the time comes, when the questions are asked […] I think that’s what it is — it’s quiet heroics in a very loud world.

You can read the full article on Entertainment Weekly’s website.