First News interviews Jeremy Irvine

First News’ Adam Tanswell chats to Jeremy Irvine, the star of the new Steven Spielberg blockbuster, War Horse…

War Horse is based on a famous children’s novel. Were you aware of the book before you started work on the film?

My mum read me the book when I was about ten or 11 years old. Plus, I’ve got this very, very battered old copy, which I’ve had on my bookshelf since I was a child. I had not read the book in five years but, when I was auditioning, there were things I remembered so clearly. On the first page, I remembered a beautiful part about the first memories of Joey – the horse in the movie – where he was in dark stables with rats scuttling along the roof beams.

Why do you think War Horse stands out from the crowd?

I think the reason the story works so well is because it’s about the relationship between a boy and his horse. Our relationship with horses goes back centuries and, in a weird way, I think it’s written into our DNA.

Why do you think that?

Well, we’ve relied on horses for thousands of years and have this almost human relationship with them. A lot of people talk about their relationship with their dog and things like that but I think horses are just on this other level. I think that’s probably why the story speaks to so many people. 

Did you have to do much training for the film?

We spent two months of really intense horse training with some Spanish stuntmen. It’s incredible when you see them ride because they look like they’re part of the horse. I had learned to ride a horse but I basically had to learn all over again because this was very different. It was the difference between learning to drive a scooter and being put in an F1 race car.

Was it fun to work with the horses in the movie?

The horses were great. They’ve all got completely different characteristics so, just because you ride one horse, it doesn’t mean you can ride another. You have to spend a good two or three days learning to ride each horse because you’ve got to get them to trust you. That’s a huge part of it.

Can the horse tell who’s sitting on it?

The horse knows who’s riding it. If you’ve never ridden a horse before, it knows you’ve never ridden a horse. You’ve got to connect to it in a human way or it’s not going to do what you want. And, if a horse doesn’t want to do something, you’re not going to make it.

What other research did you do for the role?

I did loads and loads of research. I’ve always been fascinated by the First World War, which is the time period where the movie is set. I have a big collection of military stuff at home. You can read diaries of the soldiers and somebody went and recorded them, too. 

Where did you shoot the movie?

We shot a lot of the movie in Dartmoor, which is one of my favourite places in the world. I go down there about twice a year on holiday. It’s a peaceful, barren wilderness but, at the same time, it can be gorgeous on a summer’s day. It’s beautiful – and the light you get down there is fantastic.

What can you tell us about your character in the film?

I play a character called Albert. Albert is incredibly innocent. He’s never left his village because people didn’t back then, especially in Dartmoor, which is where Albert grows up. He has been working on his farm most of his life and his whole future is set out for him. He will inherit the farm from his father and he will work on it until he dies.

Are you similar to Albert in real life?

When it comes to Albert, there are a few things I can relate to. I grew up in quite a small village – just like him. I also think that nearly everyone can relate to Albert because we’ve all wanted to escape from things and find something else to put our passion into. For Albert, it’s the horse. For me, it was acting. 

What was it like to work with Steven Spielberg, who directed the film?

It was amazing! The most incredible thing about working with Steven Spielberg is that you get the best people in the world working with you. There’s no doing things by halves. Everything is done the best way it can possibly be done.

Catch War Horse in cinemas now.

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