Eddie Marsan on Mediative New Crime Thriller 'All The Devils Are Here'
the acclaimed character actor delivers a bold leading turn in a thrilling chamber piece.
Actor Eddie Marsan has carved out a legacy for himself as one of the most prominent character actors of our time. With an extensive career spanning credits in upwards of 115 feature films, and numerous TV and theatre credits as well, Marsan always provides a sense of gravitas, no matter how small the role. Notably, Marsan is known for appearing in many gangster films, having collaborated with genre mainstay Guy Ritchie in five feature film outings, as well as other auteurs like Martin Scorsese in Gangs Of New York. In his new film, ‘All The Devils Are Here’, Eddie steps into a leading role with ease, playing aging gangster Ronnie Blake, who is forced to lay low in a rural home with members of his team after a botched criminal operation. Ronnie is far from your average gangster protagonist, operating as a more mediative protagonist who struggles with the moral consequences of a life of crime.
Eddie spoke with FilmSpeak about All The Devils Are Here, explaining how the film finds its niches in a tried and true genre, and how he strives to find pathos in a genre usually concerned with excess.
Marsan acknowledged his prominence in the gangster genre, going so far as to revealing that he “gets asked to play gangster movies all the time, I literally get three a month sent to me, because I come from the east end of London, and they think that I’m the right kind of guy to play those kind of parts.” He also lamented the loss of the old-school gangster films, those with a sense of genuine pathos, claiming that, “Within the U.K, and maybe in the U.S as well, we’ve kind of lost the way of gangster movies. Gangster movies have kind of become wish fulfillment avatars for that genre.”
These factors influenced Marsan’s decision to sign onto All The Devils Are Here, which he feels is a return to a proper sort of gangster film, claiming, “We used to make great movies where gangsters were vulnerable, and full of regret, movies like The Long Good Friday, or Mona Lisa, or Get Carter. They were much more nuanced and complex. The reason I decided to do this role is because it harkened back to those kinds of movies. I think you can imagine Bob Hoskins playing this part, or Michael Caine playing this part.”
He further explained that the film felt authentic to him, understanding the moral conflicts of the gangster profession, in line with those he knew growing up, claiming, “I’m not interested in playing ‘cool gangsters,’ I knew real gangsters when I grew up, and they’re not cool. They’re tragic figures, and these characters in this story, they’re tragic figures”.
Marsan also spoke about how he discovered the truths within the Ronnie character, playing on his own career origins and anxieties. “To play a man who’s served a life in prison, who couldn’t read himself when he went to prison, and when he went to prison, could finally read someone else’s thoughts… I kind of understand that because I left school at 15 and I had no qualifications. I’ve transcended the original idea of myself, which is what I think Ronnie did as well.”
All the devils are here is now available on digital.
for The full interview with eddie marsan, click below.
