Interview with Actor Jeremy Irvine
CHO: New York City, it is sunny and 45 degrees.</s>VELSHI: Balmy.</s>CHO: It's going up to a high of 46. We're going to go up one degree.</s>VELSHI: New York has been spectacular the past few days. Sun, it was perfectly clear skies. Wake up, all you people in New York. Welcome back. We're about to show ask you a sneak peek of one of the most anticipated new movies of the season. First, a surprising fact of the film's star as 20- year-old Jeremy Irvine plays the lead role in the new Steven Spielberg epic "War Horse."</s>CHO: And get this, it is his very first feature film, and he was handpicked by Steven Spielberg himself. So is this young actor any good? Take a look.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your name, lad?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Albert, sir.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How old are you?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 19, sir.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that true?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir. But I look like 19 and I'm bigger than most 19 and I'm strong, sir.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The law was very clear about the proper age for soldiering.</s>CHO: We are joined now by Jeremy Irvine. So great to see you. You're just 20 years old. Congratulations, by the way. I mean, to work with Steven Spielberg. Is this true that your last part was playing a tree with no lines on stage?</s>JEREMY IRVINE, STARS IN "WAR HORSE": Yes. I was walking the streets of going from there and having no lines to suddenly --</s>CHO: So, how did it happen? How did you get the part?</s>IRVINE: As I said, my best friend is a cameraman and we filmed a show reel which I was told is professional work. But, hey, it worked. I got an agent, whatever. You know, the second audition and two months later --</s>VELSHI: So, this role is remarkable. It came off of a stage show which used puppets as horses, telling the story of really World War One and a young boy and his horse and how he enlists in the war to find his horse after his father sold the horse to the army. It's a complex story that doesn't sound off the top of it, like, oh, that makes sense.</s>IRVINE: It came from a kid's book which, you know, back home is incredibly popular. I was reading it when I was eight or nine and I think most kids have. It was for families that writes for kids. And I think what he does so well is, you know, in his stories everything is very relatable. We can all relate to the idea of having a best childhood friend or brother and sister and what that's like taken away from you.</s>CHO: It took about three months to shoot the film, which is remarkable for a big budget film like this. It's a Spielberg film, I guess everybody wants to know what was it like working with him. You're a new actor. He wanted a fresh face and, boy, he got one. So, what was it like?</s>IRVINE: I mean, you know, it should have been the most overwhelming, terrifying experience ever. But what Steven Spielberg, when you meet him and when you're in front of the camera with him and this sort of very intimate, calm working environment, you actually feel very comfortable. And it's one of his greatest skills and putting actors very much at ease and you're not afraid of making mistakes and hopefully you do your best work.</s>CHO: Oh, that first day must have been nerve wracking, though.</s>IRVINE: Yes, terrified. But I turn up and hundreds of trailers and all the machinery that goes into making a big movie like this. When you're in front of the camera, it's just you and Steven Spielberg and the horse.</s>VELSHI: If somebody says, why should I see "War Horse?" How do you characterize it?</s>IRVINE: I didn't watch any of it while we were shooting. When I watched it for the first time, what struck me is the epic way it is kind of filmed. It's this beautiful, old-fashioned style of filmmaking that goes back to the golden age of Hollywood. It's ambitious. I don't know if many other people apart from Steven Spielberg and the world class crew that he has could pull this off. It's a big, ambitious movie.</s>VELSHI: I think a lot of people don't realize that you had to go through extensive training for this movie. Talk about that.</s>IRVINE: I've never been on a horse. That was a slight issue with this one.</s>VELSHI: But you can act.</s>IRVINE: Well, you know, I've been saying that. I look back, matter of fact, but that kind of paled in significance when I was thinking about just to act for movie, I never acted for camera and getting used to having hundreds of people around you when you're doing a close, intimate scene but a camera just in front of your face and people playing with your hair and makeup and things. It's a very different world from theater, which is what I was kind of more used to.</s>VELSHI: This was interesting because it was a show that was adapted from a book to theater to the movies, and your character need youth and naivete. You really developed this relationship with this horse mat your father accidentally bought and now you're being separated from. It's more than your pet or best friend --</s>IRVINE: It's his brother. What I defined it is this innocence and naivete that you don't really see any more. This is somebody, this is a 15-year-old but he hasn't been exposed and very isolated community. He probably hasn't really seen many people outside this little village and probably hasn't been much outside this little village.</s>VELSHI: We can't let you go before asking you about your other projects, because this role obviously got you noticed. And you just wrapped another big film, haven't you?</s>IRVINE: Yes. It's nice it be able to get work now. I just finished "Great Expectations" with Ralph Fiennes, and that's I'm really excited about.</s>VELSHI: Oh, my goodness.</s>IRVINE: Next year, you know, we have a great movie next year called the railway man. One of the best scripts I ever read.</s>CHO: Your problem is too much work.</s>VELSHI: Not bad for a guy who played a tree with no lines.</s>VELSHI: Well, congratulations. The movie is excellent and comes out on Christmas Day. Jeremy Irvine is the star of "War Horse." We wish you continued success and once you're big and famous you will still remember us.</s>IRVINE: Thanks so much.</s>CHO: Nice to meet you.</s>VELSHI: Morning headlines are coming up next. It's 45 minutes after the hour.