Matthew Good Interview, Leap Year

Matthew Goode (Watchmen, Match Point) and Amy Adams (Enchanted, Doubt, Julie & Julia) headline an on-the-road romance that follows one woman’s determined quest to get married to the perfect guy…despite what fate has in store for her. Goode plays the ‘diamond in the rough’ romantic interest that Amy’s character gradually learns to like, then fall in love with.

When her four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna Brady (Adams) decides enough is enough. Investing in the ancient Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on Leap Day, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) from Boston to Dublin and get down on one knee herself. But when unreliable airplanes, inclement weather and bad luck leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, she must enlist the help of the carefree-but-surly Declan (Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover something they should have known all along: the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

Matthew Goode made his feature debut with the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty and has gone on to garner notice in films from Match Point and The Lookout to 2009’s Watchmen. Most recently he starred opposite Colin Firth and Julianne Moore in the highly acclaimed A Single Man.

MoviesOnline sat down recently with the British actor to talk about Leap Year. A handsome guy with a roguish look to him, Goode fits the role of Declan perfectly, showing the talents of both his dramatic range and his comedic timing. Here’s what he had to tell us about his new film, working with Amy Adams, and taking advantage of all that Ireland has to offer:

Q: I have a burning question to start with. Who is a better kisser: Amy Adams or Colin Firth?

MATTHEW: Why would you put me under pressure like that? They’re both pretty good. I think I’ve got to be honest. I mean, I would still say that my other half kisses the best. No, both lovely. It beats work.

Q: Well, to be serious, we’ll see you this week in a very different sort of movie and then next year this comes out at the beginning of the year. What’s it been like for you to have two different experiences coming out so close together?

MATTHEW: Really great. I mean, I don’t know, I always feel lucky to work. You try and make some good choices but at the same time you never know if a good script is going to turn into a good film. I think with that one it was a pretty easy decision. Certainly, with “Single Man,” it was like Colin Firth is doing it and so is Julianne Moore.  I would love to work with both of those people and yeah, it’s just nice to continue. If you look at “The Lookout” going into “Brideshead,” going into “Watchmen,” going into “Single Man,” they’re all quite different. You might be sitting there going, no, he gave the second performance. (Laughs) So that’s what you try and look for. So, when this came up, I think I was ready to try and do something that was a bit more going down the entertainment line and I’d always wanted to work with Anand (Tucker) who I think is a fantastic director and I loved “Hilary and Jackie” back in the day. And the fact that I had a kid on the way, I was like well Ireland seems like a very good option really. It’s far enough away and yet you can pop over on weekends. I’m very lucky that “Single Man” is really getting a lot of buzz. Colin’s performance was just beautiful, I think. So, I’m running on the coattails of that.

Q: Can you talk about your experience shooting in Ireland and what it was like visiting that country?

MATTHEW: Yeah. I’d been to Ireland. The last time I’d been to Ireland was on a stag tooth that went terribly wrong or right. It was a stag tooth that did exactly as it said in the tin. But I had never filmed there before and I certainly hadn’t been to the West as they’d say over there. It was beautiful and it does hark back to films in certain places. They had shot “The Quiet Man” and “The Field” so it’s quite evocative of…I mean, it’s a standard romantic comedy. Let’s not beat around the bush so to speak. It was lovely and I loved the people. The Irish people are fantastic and it’s a nation of great storytellers. After work, you can really relax and [let] everyone else amuse you, and the Guinness tastes better in Ireland. Yeah, it was great. I had a really good time.

Amy is such a lovely girl. She’s really very pleasant and easy to work with. I don’t know what she was saying about me. She might be saying the opposite.

Q: Not very nice.

MATTHEW: No, not very nice. Okay, well she’s a bitch and I hate her. (Laughs) No, it was just fun, really. I know that sounds like a kind of boring, dry answer, but it’s the truth.

Q: This film is about some traditions and some superstitions. I was just wondering, for you, a lot of actors have superstitions. Do you have any? Also, do you have any special traditions in your family?

MATTHEW: I don’t really have…I’m not like I must go ‘round in a circle twice, touch toes, and then say my lines or anything. I don’t have any particular method of must find my shoes first or something like that. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. It’s just how it works for me. But as far as family tradition, it’s be together as much as you possibly can be. But now, I have my own family so everything has sort of changed a bit. I tend to spend a lot more time now with her family because they live just outside London as opposed to my mother who lives in Devon. Generally, try not to kill anyone at Christmas is our tradition. And that’s a big capital “T” on the try. There’s been a few punch outs.

Q: Did you take advantage of …?

MATTHEW: …of Amy Adams? Well you can see she’s pregnant.

Q: Really? Did you take advantage of the nightlife that Ireland….?

MATTHEW: …had to offer? Yeah, I’m not stupid. Yeah. You finish work. It’s not like I’m a slave to the job, you know, and you’ll only do it when it’s right to do it. Yes, of course, going out and relaxing at the end of a day and listening to traditional Irish music and being there until 3 in the morning hoofing down a few Guinesses is something that... It’s hardly a break from Britain. We’re fairly steeped in that tradition as well. Every man has got to relax.

Q: You got pissed?

MATTHEW: Yeah. Nothing out of the norm.

Q: It’s a normal day then?

MATTHEW: Yeah. There’s a reason the pubs open at 11 because you’re allowed to drink then. That’s from my standpoint.

Q: Did you have to audition for this role or was it given to you?

MATTHEW: I did. I did. It wasn’t given. It’s funny, I remember Anand… I got the script originally and I was like, I don’t know. I’m not sure. I went in just to meet Anand because I love him and I really like his work. So I went in and he was like, “Well, you know, just come over and audition.” And I did and then he flew me over to meet Amy and it all seemed to go – I was always like “What are the other Irish actors doing? Why are you banking on a Brit here?” But it turned out right in the end. Kind of, I think, sort of…

Q: Do you remember what you did for your screen test with Amy?

MATTHEW: You mean which scene it was? No, isn’t that awful. I can’t actually. I don’t remember at all. I’ve got a shit memory though. It’s probably still what you were talking about. I don’t know.

Q: Did you have to work on your accent for that? Was it easy for you to…?

MATTHEW: No. I didn’t find it easy at all. The West of Ireland is – I felt much better about it because the same guy, Gerry Grennell, who works with everyone – he’s absolutely brilliant and he’d done “Dancing at Lughnasa” and he worked with Meryl Streep and Meryl Streep was crying over it which made me feel a lot better because there are certain vowel sounds that just seem quite unnatural. But even then, when we started filming, they were like, “Take it back. We can’t understand a word you’re saying.” It became not as strong as I’d like to have done it but at least people can understand it now so that’s good.

Q: Your character, Declan, is rather chivalrous in terms of taking this woman he doesn’t even know all the way to Dublin.

MATTHEW: Well he is doing it for cash in the beginning.

Q: But at a certain point obviously his feelings change but it is a rather chivalrous thing for him to do and he really puts himself out for her. I’m just wondering if you’re the type of person that would do something like that for a stranger just to help them out to get some place?

MATTHEW: I don’t know. It’s a bit difficult. If an attractive woman turned up and said “Would you like to take me all the way across the country?” Now that I have a child of my own, I live with someone, I think she might be left thinking “What the hell is he doing?” “It’s alright, darling. I’m just doing it for the cash.” Yeah, so different considerations really in my own life, but think I’d go a million miles for my girl. That sounded sickly, didn’t it? But, it’s true. I’m forced to.

Q: With the holidays approaching, what Christmas gifts are you hoping to get?

MATTHEW: That’s a good question. I’ve actually asked for some – God, this is sad – but some fishing gear I really need for winter fishing. That’s what I’ve asked her for. I’ve asked for all-in-one waterproof suits with shearing inside to keep me warm during the winter when I’m fishing. There’s that and obviously a hefty amount of booze. From all the brothers, it’s booze. And then, Mom keeps me sweet with some bit of moisturizer and smellies. That’s her job. And socks. So, socks, smellies, booze and something for fishing.

Q: I heard that booze can actually act as a moisturizer.

MATTHEW: Well, yeah, probably not as a moisturizer, but what’s the other stuff that comes that you use afterwards, an aftershave, I don’t know. I’m not that guy really.

Q: A toner, astringent.

MATTHEW: A toner. Yeah, Vodka would probably work, wouldn’t it? That would close up a few pores. You sort of opened up the pores with the Vodka and then you can also close them again. Oh God, I’m going to look 60 when I’m 40. That’s great.

Q: Do you know what are you’re doing next professionally?

MATTHEW: After this? I don’t think I’ll work ever again. I don’t know actually at the moment. I’m doing a film with Ricky Gervais which comes out in April.

Q: He co-directed it?

MATTHEW: Him and Stephen (Merchant) wrote it and they directed it together. It’s the first feature film they have directed. I know Ricky did “The Invention of Lying.” I didn’t see it.

Q: What was that experience like?

MATTHEW: Really good. They offered that to me while I was filming this and so I didn’t actually meet them properly until the first day of filming. That was a bit odd and a bit weird. I love them both very much, particularly Stephen makes me laugh. They work so well together. You’d think that one of them might get uppity if someone says, “Why don’t you try this?” “What do you mean? I haven’t…” It doesn’t. It’s very easy.

Q: Who do you play in that?

MATTHEW: I play a nasty – not a nasty piece of work but Ralph Fiennes plays a complete asshole and I play this sort of asshole in waiting. I’m an apprentice asshole. So that’s that one and it should be good. It’s got these three great kids who are sort of the unknown ones and Felicity Jones, who I worked with in “Brideshead” – No Knickers Flickers as we like to call her.

Q: Why?

MATTHEW: I can’t go into that. It involves Michael Gambon and I’ll leave it there. I don’t know actually what I’m going to film next. I’m always waiting to be surprised.

Q: Have you seen any cuts of the Ricky Gervais film yet?

MATTHEW: No, not yet. But, it should be good.

Q: It’s Sony Studios, is that right?

MATTHEW: It could be. I honestly don’t involve myself with that.

Q: What surprised you most about fatherhood?

MATTHEW: Just how tired I was going to be. No, I love it. I think it’s kind of basically an exercise in trying not to kill something every single day. You know, it’s still alive, great. There we go. I didn’t necessarily have a great bond in the beginning because you feel a bit distanced from it. You haven’t been carrying it and also I’m a bit klutzy, so it’s kind of like don’t come too near. What’s amazing is you go away for a week or longer. It kills you a bit, although you sleep better, and then you come back and they’ve changed so much. It’s sort of surprising how upset you feel about when you do have to go away.

Q: How old is she now?

MATTHEW: Matilda is 9 months. I wasn’t naming her after me. We always loved the name of Matilda.

Q: Why?

MATTHEW: Probably due to the Roald Dahl thing (referring to his book, Matilda). It’s just a lovely name. It was one of the first English queens as well.

Q: I’m trying to think of what her nickname would be at school.

MATTHEW: I can think of a few.

“Leap Year” opens in theaters on January 8th.