To coincide with the release of Halo: Nightfall on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD (read our review here), Ben Rayner sits down with Steve Waddington to talk all things Aiken…
Ben Rayner – How did you first get involved in the series?
Steve Waddington – You know it was in the traditional sense, my agent gave me a call and said that there was this interesting script for, originally we thought it was a film, a feature film. Such is the pace of the new media, the way things are made and the way people are actually viewing things, we just assumed it was a feature, because it came from Ridley’s company together with Xbox so there was a lot of cache even before I was a part of it. I went for the audition, had a recall which went very well and just from the audition process really.
So I got the role and then we found out it wasn’t a feature and it was in fact what it is, which is still quite unclear to me. The industry is changing so much, we had a launch in LA, which was the initial launch just to get it out there and show it to the fans and even then it was hard to understand, it didn’t go through in the conventional sort of channels.
BR – Yeah, when it was announced it certainly felt like a bit of an experiment with how to distribute a series through a games console or forum.
SW – Thats right, I mean I’ve only seen episodes one and two thus far, I think you can see more online but I made the decision that I wanted to see it in its entirety when its on DVD or whatever.
BR – Do you think feature films are slowly on their way out with all the focus now seeming to be on TV shows as companies like Netflix and Amazon are commissioning their own originals?
SW – I cant really predict the future but it’s definitely evolving. I was looking at news today that the ODEON cinema chain is essentially up for sale. You do start thinking because its an industry you’re working in, what life do feature films have? That was always the best thing you could do in my industry, a feature film but now its all changing as you say. So it’s up to yourself and your agent and people within the industry to try to keep one step ahead.
BR – So, with the Halo series, were you a fan or aware of it before working on Nightfall?
SW – I wasn’t. I’d left the gaming thing behind at Lara Croft so it was a completely new world for me! To be honest, I remember those days when I did play those games and they were quite addictive, and I write as well so I need a lot of time to get on with what I need to be doing and those kind of games can really suck you into a different world. So it was a conscious decision really to avoid that distraction so this was kind of like dipping my toe back into that water. We did have a go on the Xbox and play some of the game, so yeah it’s a world I’m cautious of because its very easy to get sucked back in but its brilliant to be associated with it and having the opportunity to work within the sci-fi genre its something I hadn’t really done before.
BR – Doing sci-fi for the first time, was this also the first time working with Ridley Scott’s team?
SW – I worked with Ridley about 20 years ago in a film about Christopher Columbus called 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Gérard Depardieu played Columbus and I played his brother, but 20 years went by in the blink of an eye and I’m working with the same company again. But as I say, its a very prestigious company and that was one of the reasons that I leapt at the opportunity.
BR – Is it quite a unique experience working with that team?
SW – I dont know how it differs apart from because its Ridley’s company it has that seal of quality. You know, Prometheus was filmed in Iceland by Ridley and we sort of went over the same territory so you just have this feeling that what you’re producing is quality. You can work with other great production companies but theres just something about him, you know he’s a god in the industry. Everybody was aware of that and that’s part of the reason everyone was so excited about the project.
BR – So your character Aiken, as well as Nightfall he also spans some of the comic books… considering that did you feel any kind of pressure with regards to paying respect to the character or were you focused on your own performance?
SW – The weight of responsibility when you’re playing a character that has those expectations and it has such a wide fan base, you do feel that. The only way you can handle that is to put your own spin on it, you can do your research and you can have a look around but ultimately its you at the end of the day. You get direction from the producer who says ‘we want you to play this role’ so you interpret it from the page as you do any other character that you play. So I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the weight of responsibility, I did, you just sort of get on with it anyway. Obviously everything’s open to criticism but you don’t want to be thinking of that kind of thing when you’re going through the process and creating that character.
BR – When you got the role, did you have any input with your character or was it much more directed with a clear vision before you joined?
SW – I sort of felt it instinctively I think, it was such a well written script. The writers have done such a great job on this, I like anything if the story is good and I think the story is one of the main strengths with this piece. He’s managed to get all the principle cast with their own motivations, it just so happens that all their motivations clash. *SPOILERS* You’re given this device if you like, the premise that there’s one ship to get back which only seats two people and there’s eight on the planet *SPOILERS END* so it puts pressure on the characters right from the start which I think equals great drama in any genre. So the strength of the script was immediately apparent to me and when its good writing you really don’t have to think too much about it, you can get a handle on the character quickly. The director really liked what I was doing in the audition process so it felt like we were on the same page which again is thanks to the script being so good I think.
BR – There’s somewhat of a debate in the industry about credibility of comic book movies and satires pulled from other mediums. Having worked a little bit with stories adapted from games, do you feel they have something credible to offer?
SW – I think you’d have to look at each individual project on its own merits but speaking broadly, I think there is a new wave of this happening. And I guess we only hear about the successful ones like Marvel, but they’re big box office titles, and it’s business at the end of the day so its all about the money and kids like it. So I think the studios and the people who are creating these projects will continue to go with them. They have an already existing audience don’t they? And that seems to be the foundation to making anything. Any project is a risk, it all comes down to the dollar, but if you have a fanbase online or within the game itself you’re kind of onto a winner so I can see why people are doing it and they’re being done with a lot of success. As an actor, luckily, you don’t really get locked into one genre, there are lots of different avenues and directions to go into so I don’t see it as any sort of crisis, I just see it as the latest fashion and the way people are getting their projects funded.
BR – Have you had much feedback surrounding this series just yet?
SW – It’s again unlike anything I’ve ever done. Usually you’d go to a screening of a film you’d made and you could feel the vibe in the room. You could tell if people enjoyed it or they would tell you if they enjoyed it but you would be watching the project in its entirety and so the results were very clear but the launch we had in LA, we only saw a couple of episodes. The audience obviously really enjoyed it and we had this venue set up after where we were surrounded by games so after they watched the first two episodes they could get online and play the games. So it was a very exciting atmosphere and everyone we spoke to there really enjoyed it and all of the cast were there, we were quite psyched by it. Watching it on a large cinema screen, it seemed to be a success, we certainly all liked it. We had high hopes for it and enjoyed the process of making it and I’m dying to see the final result but the first two episodes I was very encouraged by.
BR – If you could have been a part of any movie past or present, what would you have loved to have had a hand in?
SW – Wow! I could answer a million times. I’d probably say The Deer Hunter, with Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep. It’s one of my favourite movies and favourite performances! So yeah, I would say that, if I could have been part of that or privy to it that would be the one I’d choose!
Many thanks to Steve Waddington for taking the time for this interview. Halo: Nightfall is out on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD in the UK today, read our review here.
Ben Rayner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONsp_bmDYXc&feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
