Interview with a Belligerent Telmarine, Mirko Grillini, on Dawn Treader

We had a chance to interview the actor behind the character “Belligerent Telmarine” in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Mirko Grillini.  I met him on the set, and he’s a great guy.  I hope he has a great future, because he, like the others I’ve interviewed this week, is upstanding and very easy to get along with.  You’ll recognize him from the film, when he says of Reepicheep “He always talks!”

NarniaFans.com: Tell us about yourself, who are you, what role, or roles, did you play in the film?

Mirko Grillini: My name is Mirko Grillini, I’m an Italian born actor who currently lives in Australia. My role was originally called “Belligerent Telmarine” but is listed in the credits as Telmarine Sailor.

NarniaFans.com: How did you come to be involved with this Chronicles of Narnia movie?  Take us through the process for how you learned of the film and casting.

Mirko Grillini: It was a very interesting experience. Narnia has been one of the biggest productions shot at the gold coast and I was prepared to just be in as an extra to have a look at how these blockbusters are made. I had an opportunity to audition for an undisclosed role.  Michael Apted cast me in as the “Belligerent Telmarine.”

NarniaFans.com: How did you prepare for your role?

Mirko Grillini: It’s tough to prepare for a small role, because they don’t give you much to work with. The name “Belligerent” implied an angry /unhappy character but what made him angry? Was he an enemy or a trusted member of the dawn treader? Once I received the script and I had the chance of reading it a few times, I acquired a good feel of what I wanted to portray.

NarniaFans.com: What does having a role like this one entail?  Were you given the entire script, or just pages at a time?

Mirko Grillini: It’s an interesting question as a small role can easily be seen often without any dialogue, therefore I had to maintain my character energized in any scene, even if it was in the background. I was given the whole script with my name printed in every page.

NarniaFans.com:We know that they cut a lot of stuff from the final film, stuff that was shot.  Can you tell us about scenes that your character had that were deleted?

Mirko Grillini: Oooh… Well, there was a few scenes that did not make the cut, I’m hoping they will be in the DVD extended version (if there is going to be one). I had a scene in particular that I was very proud of and I think Michael really liked. I won’t disclose too much about it but it was a confrontation with Caspian and Drinian at one point in the film. Other bits were just very small, but cuts are part of the editing process, therefore I am very happy with what they have chosen to show of me.

NarniaFans.com: Can you tell us anything else that might have been deleted from the film, based on the final shooting script?

Mirko Grillini: It’s interesting, but there are always things that are added and things that are removed from a final shooting script. Actors and directors together bring the magic to the filming process. Some scenes are adjusted (minimally) because something may develop within the character or situation that in the scriptural composition could not be thought of. It’s just how the logistics work. The final product is never the script but what you see on the screen.

NarniaFans.com: What was life like on the set?  Give us a good ‘day in the life’ type of thing.

Mirko Grillini: Ha ha ha, a good day…. they were all good days. For me it started with waking up. You know, getting through the gates of the studios, saying good morning to everyone, making a few coffees for other actors and crew (we had a coffee machine and I love making coffees… True Italian blood I guess), then into my trailer were my clean ironed clothing would be hanging. Reading the scenes that were going to be shot on that day and go to make up to make me look more “belligerent”. From there, it was life on set. Rehearsing, blocking, filming, resting, getting wet in the storm scenes and very hot in the armour under the Queensland sun. I remember a particular funny episode with Caspian during the shooting of one of the storm scenes. Both Ben and I were hit by 2,000 litres of water pouring all at once from a very large tank, simulating a wave…. I have never had so much fun, it was like being in a gigantic water slide. The Dawn Treader was shaking and I was rolling on the floor like a doughnut. There is another very, very funny episode that happened in Ramandu’s Island but it’s very hard to explain in writing….. I’m still laughing thinking about it.

NarniaFans.com: Can you tell us about any pranks that were pulled while filming the movie?

Mirko Grillini: Honestly, I cannot recall any, I remember many jokes and funny stories but pranks….. There is a very important aspect of what we do and that is safety…. Many pranks can have bad (unwanted) repercussions therefore most actors stay away from it… Just in case. I have met people who suffered injuries because of pranks on set, I guess I’d rather have fun with jokes…

NarniaFans.com: What does it mean to you, to be a part of a production that so many will cherish for years to come?

Mirko Grillini: For someone like me, who did not speak English until 16 years ago and who started acting late in life (I was 32), the news of being cast in Narnia was unreal. I was in Italy, I was visiting my mother and I received an email confirming my role. I was humble at first but then I cried. They were tears of joy, of course, but for many years I heard that with my accent I would have not had a very bright future as an actor, I have been part of more than 30 unpaid shorts and independent feature films to prove I could do it. To have someone like David from Christine King Castings and Michael Apted choosing me to be the one for that role…. Well, it was overwhelming.

NarniaFans.com: What are you doing next?

Mirko Grillini: Since the end of Narnia I have been selected for 4 different roles in 4 different television series – Home & Away, Underbelly, Sea Patrol and East West 101. They are all guest speaking roles which contributed a lot in lifting my profile here in Australia. In December 2010 I was awarded with my first “best actor award” for my performance in a short film called “rain dance”. I will visit LA this year then go to Italy as I landed a role in an Italian feature film called “Suspended Chronicles.” Our life (as actors) is very unpredictable. One moment you are wondering what’s coming up next, then suddenly an audition can secure a few months of work…. It’s all an adventure. Most important thing is: I found at 32 what I really wanted to do in my life, 10 years later I’m in love with my job and I will do anything in my power to keep learning from other colleagues and experience so I can give to my audience a character to follow and believe.

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