The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Cast Talk Suits, Spies & Family Ties
Cary, you’ve done quite a few films recently [“Operation Fortune,” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”] where you seem to be the man who knows the guy that can do the job, which is great.
González: [laughs] That’s amazing.
Elwes: [laughs] Thank you for pointing that out. It’s true. It’s true. You’re right.
I read that you actually have quite a connection to the character, familially with your grandfather. I was just wondering, did that sort of impact the character and differ from the previous ones that you’ve done that are quite similar, but in terms of “knowing a guy”?
González: [laughs] Now you know more guys than ever.
Yeah, your contact list must be amazing. But was there any sort of extra detail that you wanted to put in because of the connection?
Elwes: Well, but yeah, obviously it’s personal for the first time for me. My grandfather was my hero growing up, and he was hired by the character I play in the film. So I felt a little bit more of a responsibility because I felt him on my shoulder, and I felt him guiding me. I went to the Imperial War Museum and found my character’s diaries, and sure enough, he had an entry where he met my grandfather for lunch. So that was kind of cool. And yeah, it was the first time I’ve ever had a role where it was personal like that for me.
“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” sneaks into theaters on April 19. This interview has been edited for clarity.