You should really know about Michael Fassbender; the term ‘rising star’ was probably coined with him in mind. With his vast acting range and natural charm, Fassbender is a strong candidate for the coveted ‘next big leading man’ slot.
The German-born, Irish actor is currently starring alongside Dominic West in Centurion and like his previous role in 300 (in which he famously uttered the phrase ‘then we will fight in the shade’), this is a highly physical role which Fassbender admits he enjoyed. “I like sort of running around and pretending to be a Roman soldier, its fun.” Somehow, between roles in huge box office hits, Fassbender has managed to fit in performances in critically acclaimed arthouse films. In the same year, he starred in a lauded, independent film, Fish Tank and in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds as the very British and slick Lieutenant Archie Hicox. Fassbender explains that working with Tarantino was a “very surreal and wonderful” experience, especially for an actor who put on his own stage performance of Reservoir Dogs in his teens.
When asked how he got into acting, Fassbender laughs and replies “through not knowing what else to do.” After a series of drama workshops held at his secondary school, Fassbender joined a professional theatre company and went on to study at the Dublin School of Acting and the Drama Centre in London. He made the transition from stage to film via roles on television including a part in the acclaimed mini-series Band of Brothers. And the word ‘acclaimed’ pops up regularly when reviewing Fassbender’s career. His harrowing performance as Bobby Sands in Hunger earned him multiple awards including the London Critics Circle Film award for Best Actor. For the role, Fassbender embarked on a dramatic weight loss programme and he admits that it’s the role of which he is most proud. “The commitment towards Hunger, over a long period of time was a very special experience for me on many levels…I think that one will always be special.”
Fassbender explains that he picks his roles based on the script and director but that he also looks for difficult parts. “I like to challenge myself and keep on my toes; do things that scare me a little bit.” And between the battle scenes in Centurion and a 17 minute, unbroken scene in Hunger, Fassbender is certainly being challenged by both the nature and frequency of his acting roles. It is obvious that the actor’s work schedule is densely packed and when asked what he does in his free time, he says “I like to travel and…sleep, I’m a big fan of sleeping when I’m not working.”
And Fassbender’s career shows no signs of slowing down. This year will see the release of the highly anticipated Jonah Hex in which Fassbender stars alongside John Malkovich and Josh Brolin as Burke, a psychopathic killer in a bowler hat (a costuming decision made by the actor himself, influenced by “a clockwork orange…and Frank Gorshin’s The Riddler.”) The actor is also currently shooting an adaptation of Jane Eyre and is due to start working with David Cronenberg on a film concerning the relationship between Freud and Jung. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So for those who didn’t already know all about Michael Fassbender, believe me, in the next few years you will.
