Dan Stevens, best known for his role as Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey, is readying for a huge 2017. He stars in FX's forthcoming Marvel X-Men series Legion as David Haller, and also takes the title role of the Beast in Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast.
Coming from a British period drama background, both Legion and Beauty and the Beast required significantly more physical acting than Stevens was used to. The role of the Beast required Stevens to act on 10-inch stilts and wear a creature mask, and performing as that character changed how he's worked ever since.
"Physically, the Beast is the most challenging role I've taken on," Stevens told IGN at the 2017 winter TV Critics Association press tour, where he was promoting Legion. "The condition I had to have my body in to puppeteer that suit on stilts was like nothing else I've ever experienced, seriously. The kind of engagement -- and actually a lot of dance involved in that role, albeit on stilts; it was a very, very intense dance training process -- has gotten me more physically engaged with all of my performances in everything else since."
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Coming from a British period drama background, both Legion and Beauty and the Beast required significantly more physical acting than Stevens was used to. The role of the Beast required Stevens to act on 10-inch stilts and wear a creature mask, and performing as that character changed how he's worked ever since.
"Physically, the Beast is the most challenging role I've taken on," Stevens told IGN at the 2017 winter TV Critics Association press tour, where he was promoting Legion. "The condition I had to have my body in to puppeteer that suit on stilts was like nothing else I've ever experienced, seriously. The kind of engagement -- and actually a lot of dance involved in that role, albeit on stilts; it was a very, very intense dance training process -- has gotten me more physically engaged with all of my performances in everything else since."
Continue reading…
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