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The British actor stars, along with Helen Mirren, 'The great lie', a dark thriller that hides a great final surprise

With the great lie , Ian McKellen (Burnley, Lancashire, England, 1939) adds his fourth participation to the orders of Bill Condon , who considers him his fetish actor after having directed him in Gods and monsters , Mr. Holmes and Beauty and the Beast . Now, this veteran performer seen in sagas as The Lord of the Rings or X-Men faces a character full of edges in a thriller with a surprising final twist .

'The big lie' trailer

How did you get the opportunity to be in this project? It was very simple. My friend Bill Condon called me and told me about him. I asked him if he could participate and he said yes. And that I hadn't even read the script ... And what did you think after reading it? I loved it and couldn't let it go! Although he talks about people who lie, he never cheats the public. In that sense, it reminded me of the movies that Hitchcock was making. What would you highlight most about Roy Courtnay, his character? The vigor it has. Something that, by the way, I don't share with him. In fact, I think both Roy and Betty have a great passion for living. They are people who know what they want. Although I think it is better not to reveal what they are pursuing, I would like to point out that this thriller embarks on a journey with two people who enjoy turning every corner and accelerating when you no longer see them. How would you define your artistic relationship with Bill Condon? Bill and I have many points in common. He, like Helen and I, loves and still works in the theater. It is curious that sometimes you come across directors who have not seen a play in their life. It makes me feel somewhat lost ... That's why Bill is not a stranger to me.

Roy (Ian McKellen) and Betty (Helen Mirren) sign an agreement to join their fortunes.

How do you value having worked for the first time with Helen Mirren? Although we had only done a play on Broadway, we felt as if we had been working together for some time. It may have to do with what we have been, at different times and individually, in The Royal Shakespeare Company. Who knows, if we had agreed, maybe we would have played Romeo and Juliet, Antonio and Cleopatra or Macbeth. Did you have trouble getting into Roy's skin? Luckily, I can say that I have no emotional connection with my character. I can't be further from Roy, so I used my imagination from a great script. The appeal to the public who goes to the movies is that it is a thriller in which you see people behaving reprehensibly. And, best of all, is that, even if you see everything as a spectator, the plot gets you involved. Have you lived a big lie? It's funny, but I just turned 80 and I didn't want to celebrate it. In fact, I had decided that day to perform in a play in the town where I grew up, not knowing that my best friends had been involved to be there. It was exciting to see everyone. I didn't realize that they were able to lie to me convincingly, and to the face! Are you able to lie? I am not a person who lies. Therefore, I think I would not be able to do it even if it benefited me. Lies of this kind are the worst. The same, by the way, that can be seen in this movie.

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