Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Adrian Holmes, with director Catherine Hardwicke were in London to promote their new film Red Riding Hood, a twist on the well known fairytale, and we were invited along to a special round table with the cast and crew.

So how did you come on board this film? Did you audition or did Catherine Hardwicke already have to in mind from when you were almost cast in Twilight?

Shiloh Fernandez: I wish she had kept me in mind, but to be honest, she didn’t I think. I auditioned for her other movie Hamlet, which didn’t get made, but I had hoped that that would work out. Then I read this script, and heard she was directing it, but there was a British actor who had been telling all my friends that he’d been cast in it. So I went up to her, and was like “What the fuck? I mean, we were supposed to work together.” And she told me it wasn’t true, that he wasn’t in the movie. So I went to her house to audition, and Keisha Castle-Hughes was staying there, and I read with her. It was quite a rigorous process. I had long hair, and Catherine was really trying to make it work, because when there’s a studio involved it never really comes down to just the director, unfortunately, and if it did I think I’d get a lot more parts. So yeah, she took me to her hair stylist, and she started cutting my hair, slowly. I was like, okay, if you think it’s a good idea I’ll do it, and then I ended up like that (points to the poster out the door). I wouldn’t even dare do that in my real life.

How much time did you spend on the infamous casting bed?

SF: This time? There was no bed involved this time. We stayed in the garage the whole time. Actually, I think Warner Brothers didn’t want her to do that this time.

As a child, were there fairy tales you were afraid of?

SF: As a child, I didn’t really get read any fairy tales. After doing the first press junket where people asked me that, I had to talk to my dad. He made up these stories, called the Magic Boy stories. But the way that I was raised there wasn’t really any fear. My dad has a five year old and a three year old, and they feel so safe, and I think that’s how they’re raised. There wasn’t a lot of fear. The only fear was, like, school. I hated going to school.

So you didn’t read fairy tales, you read Playboy?

SF: Yeah.

Are you ready to be the next hot guy?

SF: I’ve been waiting a long time.

Like the next Robert Pattinson?

SF: Do I want to be the next Robert Pattinson? No. What I want is to be able to make movies, like he can make movies. But I don’t know how all the craziness and the fame would affect someone, I think he’s handled himself really well.

How do you react to seeing yourself up on posters, and on magazine covers?

SF: There’s no connection, I don’t really understand. It’s very separated from my life. I have the same life I’ve always had, nothings changed. Its not like I get recognized. But I don’t look like that, right? (referring to the poster)

Did you audition just for Peter, or for Henry as well?

SF: What happened was, they wanted everybody to read for both parts. I wanted to do a good job, and I didn’t think I could do a good job trying to memorize both. It would be the same, you know, you read the parts in the same way. So I came into the first one, and I only auditioned for Peter. Then I got a call from Catherine saying ‘everybody loved your audition, but we want you to come back for Henry’. I had to think about it, ‘cos I didn’t really understand that.

What was it about Peter then?

SF: Well, everybody wants to be the hero, or sees themselves that way sometimes. What I loved about him is that he’s good the whole time, even though you may think he’s something strange or wrong with him. But really the whole time he’s trying to do the right guy. It’s better to want to be something, and strive to be that, than saying that’s who I am and I’ll just be myself, I guess.

After not getting Twilight, what do you think of the movie as a viewer?

SF: I thought the book was cool, and the reason that I wanted to do it was because it was a great part, Edward was a great part. I thought he really did a great job. I actually saw it with Ashley Greene (Alice in the Twilight movies). It’s a once in a lifetime phenomenon. I didn’t see the other ones, I just saw the first one. And Catherine’s a great director. She connected with the youth in a way that’s unexplainable, and I’m really impressed with that. I felt I could fit in her world.

What’s next, Shiloh?

SF: I have a movie, called Skateland, coming out in May, I don’t know when its coming out in the UK. I really proud of that movie. There are five things that I want to do, that I’m attached to, but none of them have any money, so if you have any money… But there’s a British movie called Beloved that I really hope happens soon. Sandra Goldbacher is making it, and its got Andrea Riseborough.

<H2 class=fn>Red Riding Hood - Shiloh Fernandez interview

SHILOH Fernandez talks about playing Peter in Catherine Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood, missing out on Twilight to Robert Pattinson and dealing with newfound fans.

He also discusses his audition process, a surprisingly raunchy sex scene that didn’t make the final cut and why he got to kiss Julie Christie every day…

Q. How was your audition process? I gather there were eight auditions?

Shiloh Fernandez: It’s true. I almost said “f**k it” in the middle of that. I started with really long hair when I auditioned and Catherine [Hardwicke] basically started cutting at my hair because Warner Bros maybe wanted someone prettier and that’s what ended up happening. I wanted to be a dirty woodsman. It was a rigorous thing but I don’t think you can be affected by it. You have no control over whether you get the movie or not. So, to become obsessed or frustrated by it is pointless. If you want the movie you’ll do what you can to get it.

Q. I gather you were No.2 to Robert Pattinson in the Twilight auditions, but Kristen Stewart and Catherine chose Robert. Was missing out on Twilight a blessing or a curse now that you can reflect on it?

Shiloh Fernandez: I don’t know… it’s just life. It’s not life or death, it’s life. Would I want the opportunity to make the films I want to make? Yeah. That would be nice to be in a movie that made lots of money. Do I want to be known as one character for the rest of my life? No.

Q. Can you imagine being adored by teenagers the way Robert Pattinson is?

Shiloh Fernandez: No.

Q. Will you be willing to be open and communicate with your fans or will you be as mysterious as Peter your character?

Shiloh Fernandez: Fans… it’s not a concept I understand yet. All the movies I’ve done have been tiny. So, this is a very big thing that people are going to the theatre to watch this movie. That’s a new experience for me. I am most likely not going to be a Twitter, if that’s what you mean. But I think that’s a really special thing. That’s why I wanted to act because I’m a fan of actors. They made me feel things and communicated with me, knew what I was thinking. In that way if people have an interest in hearing what I say or can make someone’s day, that’s a beautiful thing to do. But I can’t imagine that.

Q. Has Red Riding Hood started to open more doors for you?

Shiloh Fernandez: Yeah, but I think it’s like a double edge sword, There are smaller movies that are maybe interested in me and I might get some offers for them. But you get to this level now where there are other actors who’ve done 10 movies like this… all very successful. Now you’re competing against people on this level maybe you didn’t have to before. It’s gotten a little bit more difficult at the same time because there are all those actors who’ve been doing it longer and you have to fight for your spot again after doing independent films and being a little bit successful. It’s become difficult again getting parts.

Q. But do you have more confidence going into auditions?

Shiloh Fernandez: When I was naive and didn’t know anything I had no fear and now it’s like strategy – how do I get that part? Now I’m just confused.

Q. What were your ambitions when you first started acting?

Shiloh Fernandez: I think there’s a certain feeling in some of the movies I liked and it was just to be able to communicate that feeling. And it still is.

Part 1

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Q. Do you want to be a movie star?

Shiloh Fernandez: I don’t know. This has been an eye-opening experience. I haven’t made a movie since I did this in the summer time. It’s become something different than making a movie and that’s a new experience. I don’t know … I need to make a movie again. I like talking and I like talking about movies, I like that aspect. I don’t get recognised, so I don’t have that problem or whatever it is. Maybe… I just want to make movies.

Q. What movies and actors influenced you?

Shiloh Fernandez: I really like River Phoenix. He was brilliant to me. I like A Thing Called Love. I love country music sometimes. I liked Gilbert Grape growing up. It just reminded me of my life. There were certain feelings that were touched upon. I’m from a rural, really small town and I had a different upbringing and just understood the family dynamic of that and how messed up it was. That was another reason I wanted to act.

Q. Wasn’t your uncle a monk?

Shiloh Fernandez: There was that influence in my life on my dad’s side. My mum lives in Mexico now. They are so opposite and I don’t really remember them together. So I’ve led two lives that are very different. My dad’s structured, my mum’s loose. They are both really creative. My town where I grew up is one of the wheat capitals of the world. So, there are a lot of farmers who are very traditional and a lot of like hip ranchers with a new crop of young hippies. It’s just a very strange mix. I grew up out of town. It had one high school. But I really enjoy that life. It’s simple. Being able to travel and do certain things make you appreciate it more. When I finished this movie, for instance, I did a play and when I moved back to LA I gave up my house. I want to make some money, get a place somewhere else and travel. A lot of people love LA and I think it’s really neat but I’m a simple person.

Q. How was playing Peter the woodsman?

Shiloh Fernandez: The difficult part was they made me gain 20lbs of muscle and I had to eat all day long and go to train, which I was never really into at all. It was fun. What I liked about it was there was a sensitivity that came through. I’ve never played a part like that before and I don’t know that it will happen again. I am happy to be cast in that part, I’ve never been cast in a part like that before. I think they took a chance and I’m grateful for that. I enjoyed it.

Q. Have you ever been the wrong one in a relationship like your character, Peter?

Shiloh Fernandez: My girlfriend in high school, her mother at times didn’t want me to be with her. But it was just because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was unaware how relationships should be, probably didn’t do the right things all the time. Even in Red Riding Hood, he’s always doing the right thing. The appearance might be that he’s bad or dangerous but he wants to love her and make sure she’s happy. And I wish I was more like that. If I was like that and mother said: “Don’t be with him…” I’d be ‘okay’. He’s really just a good person the whole time, trying to do the right thing. I definitely learned a lot, I would hope no mother would say that to me.

Part 2