Webchat: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel's Ronald Pickup!

NanRex

Hi, I'd like to know what you thought of India? Had you been bfore the filming started and would you like to go abck again? I've always wanted to go but haven't made it yet.

I was hugely lucky to go to India at my age, not that age comes into it, but I felt tremendously lucky. The people are astonishingly wonderful – their work ethic is wonderful and they were always so eager to help. It is an extraordinary country but it is also a very challenging country. One moment you are experiencing incredible beauty, and the next such hideous poverty and deprivation, while always being in awe of the energy and people’s desire to help. In terms of visiting again, I am now 75 and there are still so many places I haven’t seen - I was very lucky to get a job to take me there, but I think I will look to new places and countries - I suddenly realise how little I’ve seen of the world!

housecat

Hi Ronald, I would like to know what it was like to work alongside Judi Dench in Behaving Badly?

Ah well this was many, many years ago and the first thing I had done with Judi, though we had met once or twice before and have worked together many times since. It was terrific. She is just so relaxed and jokey, and she has a way of making you feel that you’ve known each other for ages. She is always ready for a stupid giggle, while never losing site of the seriousness of the work and doing the job well. She is immediately delightful.

Peonygran

I've always found Aslan such a powerful character in the Narnia series ... how did you approach playing him for the BBC adaption?

A wonderful question. The thing that is most interesting is that it is now nearly 30 years since I first played Alsan and people still come up to me - I get more comments about Aslan than anything I’ve ever done – which is very sweet and something I’m very proud of. It is a wonderful script and story, but in terms of my approach with the character - having the microphone very close helped with creating such a wonderful purr for the friendly creature, so in that sense it was quite a technical thing. But it was lovely to do and lovely to read - the character wrapped itself around me.

narrowboat

did it amuse you that your film pushed Fifty Shades off the top slot? I can tell you which one I preferred (and it wasn't 50 shades!!!)

On which note - if I am allowed a second question. Sex scenes - funny or embarassing to film?

It did! Not that I’ve seen Fifty Shades, but I get the drift…we were all very pleased! It depends on how explicit they are – if you are doing a love scene where it is hopefully clear that your character has a passion for your partner (their character rather than the actor!) then they are wonderful to play. If more explicit then yes they can be embarrassing, but I didn’t have to worry about that with this film.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

melodee

Hello Ronald I have been a fan of yours for a long time. I wondered do you prefer stage or screen?

I enjoy both at different times and for different reasons, depending on what it is I’m working on. And certainly, when the material is as good as it is with the Best Exotic films then I think I prefer filming, but when I’m on stage then I like that too. When the material is good, and the cast is good and you feel that you yourself are doing a good job, then you enjoy whatever you’re doing at the time. At times there can be something a bit more private about filming, which can be rewarding, but then you get a buzz every evening when you’re on stage. Both are equally exciting.

NanSue

We saw the second film and loved it. I actually preferred it to the first. We would to visit India one day and even more so after watching both films along with the TV series Hotel India.

Will there be a third?

Not as far as I know!

Liz46

I also loved the first one but didn't manage to get to the cinema for the second one so will definitely buy the DVD. We have been to India ten times and I can just imagine it all really happening.

Did you have fun making the films? I imagine all the cast got on well together and had a laugh.

Of course it was great fun, and I knew all the cast from many years before – it was very hard work and great fun. I bounced around an awful lot on the tuktuk – which wasn’t always comfortable but exciting and dangerous fun.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.