Michael Fassbender: 'I Hope Humanity Has Changed'

Michael Fassbender’s third collaboration with director Steve McQueen might just earn him an Oscar. In “12 Years a Slave,” the actor plays a ruthless plantation owner.

In this interview, Fassbender expresses his hope that such cruelty is behind us — and admits that using such a role as personal therapy would have been “quite perverse.”

A Shattering Experience

For many, watching 12 Years a Slave is a deeply unsettling experience. Steve McQueen’s film tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South of 1841.

“Honestly, by the end of filming, I mostly felt relief. I was glad it was over and hoped we had created something worth preserving. Steve has this way of working where, by the end of the day, you leave everything on set.”

A Powerful Partnership

“Steve changed my life. I owe him everything. We developed chemistry very quickly. I draw endless inspiration from him — and I hope I give some back.”

What makes him different from other directors?

“He’s very demanding, but also deeply compassionate. He gives actors the freedom to follow their instincts. He creates a safe space to fail — and to fail better. Most of us actors have tricks we rely on, things that worked before. But Steve has this incredible bullshit detector.”

Has Humanity Changed?

Do you think slavery or such cruelty could ever return?

“I hope humanity has changed since then. History shows that people are capable of both incredible kindness and unspeakable cruelty. Even today, there are sweatshops where children make the clothes we wear in the West. That’s a kind of slavery too, I suppose. But I hope we’ve learned to work together for better purposes.”

Toward an Oscar?

“I couldn’t ask for a better place to be. When I started acting at 17 or 18, this was the dream. Now I get to work with the best people in the business. He’s made something truly beautiful — a film that moves people deeply. That’s the greatest prize of all.”

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Source: Original article on Ynet (Hebrew)