Julian Lewis Jones Interview

Anglesey-born actor Julian Lewis Jones has landed his first major film role at the age of 41 in Invictus – a film that revisits the moment Nelson Mandela united the South African nation during the 1995 Rugby World Cup – directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.

Back home in Llanarthne, Carmarthen, Julien is lamenting over a busy few days; first at the Sunday night premiere of Invictus in London and then at another audition the following day. “The treadmill never stops”, he says jokingly.

You grew up in Anglesey – what was island life like in North Wales?

It was a lovely place to live and incredibly rural. Welsh is my first language and I grew up in a Welsh speaking village, surrounded by farms and sea. It was an idyllic upbringing.

You had a series of jobs before becoming an actor – which were the more memorable?

I was an apprentice electrician at Anglesey Aluminium in the mid-eighties and I worked on a fishing boat in California for two periods of six months. I was only 21, 22 so I guess it was a time to discover who I was in the world.

And the least?

A security guard at a warehouse in Reading. I was stuck on site for twelve hours at time and it was pretty boring.

Nothing like your role as security guard Etienne Feyder in Invictus then?

Not at all. Etienne Feyder was part of the biggest security team in the world watching over Nelson Mandela. I’d rather watch over Nelson Mandela than a warehouse.

You studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in the early nineties – how did you find adjusting to life in the Welsh capital?

I had only been to Cardiff once before my audition when I was 17 but I was more familiar with cities such as Liverpool and London. I was there at the time when all the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay and the city centre was beginning. In the past ten years it’s changed beyond all recognition.

What was your first acting role?

I’d never acted before drama school and having come from a background of diverse jobs I found it all a bit weird. There was an element of ‘arty *****’ I couldn’t relate to – being asked to act like a leaf swimming in syrup puzzled me. As the course progressed though the roles developed and I got to grip with much tougher roles.

Is it true you wore a Scarlets tie to your audition for Invictus?

It is. I’m a big Scarlets fan and I’d like to think the tie brought me some luck. I was good friends with the late (Wales and Lions rugby player) Ray Gravell. He always championed my work and said I’d make it big in films one day. He always put a smile on my face and he was a truly great Welshman. I’d like to think he was looking down on me during the audition.

Do you find it strange that your first major role in a Hollywood movie happens to centred round rugby?

Very strange. My agent called me to go over the role and it sounded too good to be true. The South African accent is one of the most difficult to replicate but I managed to nail it. The story is fundamentally about how Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite the nation.

Did Morgan Freeman or Matt Damon know much about rugby before appearing on set?

They knew nothing at all. Matt’s only memories of rugby were from when he studied at college. He used to room with a few guys who’d play rugby every Saturday afternoon, come back to college with broken noses and then head out for a few beers in the night. I had a few beers with Matt at the première on Sunday night and we were talking about Scott Gibbs – he’s definitely more aware of the game after taking on the role of (former South African captain) François Pienaar. Matt had to put a lot of weight on for the role – he’s a hard working, great professional.

How much do you think the profile of rugby will be raised in America with the release of Invictus?

It’s still up against the big three sports of Baseball, Basketball and American Football and the subject matter is a million miles away from American culture. The film has broken box office records in France and has done good business in Australia. It could make an impact in America but it may be difficult for American film goers to get into.

Did Clint Eastwood have any sage advice for you about the Hollywood industry?

No, but he’s a lovely man and an icon of his generation. He’s 80 in May and is an incredibly hard working guy. The word legend gets banded about far too many times but it’s justified when it comes to Clint.

What’s your favourite Clint Eastwood film?

(Thinks for a few seconds) I’d have to pick all of them because he’s a boyhood hero of mine – I grew up watching all the classic Spaghetti Westerns. He was 78 when he made Gran Torino and was still a bad ***!

How do you think Wales will get on in this year’s Six Nations?

(Animated) Well I hope (Wales full-back) Lee Byrne is back for the opening game against England this weekend. How he was punished for the substitution error with the Ospreys is beyond me (Byrne’s initial two-week ban has subsequently been lifted). I think it’s going to be interesting – we beat England in 2005 and 2008 in our opening games and went on to win the Grand Slam. The players in the team have done it before so there’s no reason why they can’t do it again. The nerves are already starting to kick in!

You’re a keen fisherman. Do you have any tall tales about what you’ve caught in the past?

Ha – not at all. I go shark fishing with a friend of mine every summer off the Pembrokeshire coast – strictly for fun of course. During the shooting for Invictus I got the chance to go fishing in South Africa. I caught a bronze whaler shark that weighed 110lbs. I’m more into high-octane fishing but it can be tranquil at times.

Michael Took