SPOILER ALERT: if you haven’t seen the movie, the interview includes key plot points from the movie.
Images courtesy of Louise from MomStart and Disney
James Spader as Ultron
How Did James Spader, 80’s Icon End Up as Ultron?
JS: His kids. Have you seen some of James Spader’s films” I have seen most of what he referred to “perverted little movies.”
Between his older son who was really into comics and superhero movies and his three year old playing with his older brother’s action figures, he just wanted to make a movie for them. After having reached out to his agent who is Samuel Jackson’s agent, he met with Marvel President and Avengers producers Kevin Feige and Jeremy Latcham only after expressing that he was really interested in a role. After two or three years after the initial meeting, Joss Whedon came in “You know, I don’t really have anyone else for this role except for James Spader.”
Convincing Spader to Take the Role
After years of not finding the role, Spader wondered “What the hell can I bring to, to an eight foot robot, you know? That’s not my skill set.” Whedon ended up sending him scenes that were “ threatening, intimidating, crazy, funny, quoting Emily Dickenson.” Guess what, those were not even scenes from the movie. According to Joss wrote the scenes so he would have a sense of the character.” Spader commented “ what a lovely thing to do, you know, that he just wrote these scenes as this is what this character’s going to be like, an example of sort of who he is.”
And there you have it, sometimes it does take awhile and convincing before the actor and role come together. And now, Spader’s children can go to a movie their dad is starring in.
Process to Become Ultron
The party scene is the first time the Avengers encounter Ultron for the first time and it was also the first time that Spader was on set with the rest of the cast. “When James showed up on set for the first day, he had this tracking suit on and a metal ring with a big light a few feet above his head so that the other actors knew where they should look,” explains Chris Evans. “As ridiculous as he looked in person, he was just so powerful and that is one great actor who can captive all of us looking like that.”
JS: The motion-capture experience was completely new and somewhat intimidating for the actor. Explaining the very first day he went to the studio even before visiting the set, he had to go a large room set up with people with laptops. “They had me go through a range of motions, fingers, everything, head turns and all the rest of it.” All of which was put into a program and after a time, I could look at a monitor and see a sort of formative stage of Ultron doing everything I was doing.
Paul Bettany as Vision
On Finding He Had Been Cast as Vision
PB: “It was sort of vindication really because I had done, I had just come out of a meeting with a producer who told me my career was over. This is a true story. And I sat on the curb in Hollywood with my feet in the gutter and my phone went and I looked at it and went, “Hello?” I didn’t recognize the number and it was Joss Whedon. He said, “Do you want to play The Vision?” And I went, it’s so quick these days, “yeah, I kinda do.” One minute you are up and the next minute you are playing major role in big action picture.
Difference in Voicing Jarvis and in Playing Vision
PB: “I was brought in at the last moment to solve any clarity issues with the film had which was my superhero power as Jarvis. I had to go to the gym, had to stop eating carbs. I finally got to be on set with a bunch of really lovely, creative, talented people. However, it also means that I have to show up at junkets now, you know? The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” Lucky for us.
I just have to mention that James Spader was a truly delightful interview, very engaged and very talkative which was so wonderful to be a part since I have been a fan/had a crush on him forever. Remember 80’s hearthrob!!
Around the end of the interview, they signaled that they needed to move onto the next group of journalists, James Spader said “Is that it? Oh my God. It seems like we should dump something else and just stay here for a little bit.” And his publicist, answered him, “See I told you.” I mention this because I am sure he was talked into being interviewed by mom and dad bloggers.
Haven’t seen the movie, read my 10 reasons why you must see Avengers: Age of Ultron review.
Avengers: Age of Ultron Interviews: Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Chris Evans (Captain America), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (QuickSilver) and Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Director/Writer Joss Whedon and Producer/President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige.
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Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was provided with a trip to the Los Angeles for the Avengers: Age of Ultron, Disneynature Monkey Kingdom and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. press events. Opinions are 100% my own.
