Interview with Paul Bettany - Vision from Captain America: Civil War

MAY IS HERE! And you know what that means? CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR IS OPENING IN THEATERS THIS WEEK!

I'm just a little bit excited because I will FINALLY have people (AKA my husband and daughter) to talk with about the film. It's been extremely hard keeping spoilers from them thus far... I seriously can't believe I haven't leaked— though my husband would never speak to me again if I did!

To count down the days to the opening of Captain America: Civil War on May 6, I have a few more interviews to share from the Captain America press event that I attended last month in Los Angeles. Up today is my interview with Paul Bettany who plays Vision AKA the voice of Jarvis.

First and foremost, Paul is a presence when he enters the room. He's tall and handsome— with a memorizing British accent, and is ridiculously funny. It was hard to take notes because I just wanted to listen to his voice...I suppose that's why he was originally cast of the voice of Jarvis! Good call Marvel, good call.

Paul's personality and humor is what took a standard interview to extraordinary. Here are a few of the highlights.

Interview with Paul Bettany - Vision

Can you tell us about the makeup process and the struggles with that?

Yeah, it was hot. You all come out of your air-conditioned trailers in your costume and makeup and everybody’s looking rather like super heroes and movie stars. And then in about point 5 minutes later in 105° Atlanta weather, you look a lot less like a movie star. Both me and Chadwick have this special suit that goes on underneath. Which pumps ice cold water through it. If you can imagine — close your eyes and imagine being inside a gin and tonic. It feels exactly like that.

vision captain america civil war — Photo Credit: Film Frame..© Marvel 2016

How many hours did it take for full costume and makeup?

Two and a quarter hours. And initially the makeup was somewhere between an hour-and-a-half and 2 hours when everybody’s rusty and they’re starting off again. Then they quickly get it down to about an hour. Which is frankly amazing for the transformation that they achieve. And then the costume is about 45 minutes. So, you really have to plan how you’re hydrating yourself because that’s a 45 minute reset.

Going off that, how much of it was costume and makeup? And how much of it was CGI effects?

It’s mostly costume and makeup. And then there’s some sort of circuitry, I don’t know how to describe it. They’re lines basically. What the CG does is continue the lines and circuitry into my eyes.

What was it like being his voice for all those movies and then finally becoming a character?

Well, I just love it. I mean, it’s a double-edged sword, of course, because I used to show up for 45 minutes, talk a bit and they’d give me a big bag of cash. Now I gotta go to Atlanta and wear SPANX. But no, It’s been so much fun. I loved doing it and I look forward to it when the date is set for the next one. It’s lovely. You meet a bunch of people that you know and it’s like coming back to a family.

How do you personally relate to Vision?

I have to relate to him as a human being, because I am. And I’ve never met a synthetic person. Although, in Los Angeles, I question whether I have or not. But, you know, it’s funny. I sort of think much in the way that I was just sort of describing, like imagining a child. But, just a naturally, clever child who can do anything, almost. And is forced into a situation of having to grow up very quickly. Hasn’t happened to me yet, personally. But, yeah, that’s how I do.

I read that you hadn’t watched the Iron Man movies in the beginning. Have you watched them now?

Oh, yeah. You know, when you enter an interview with a journalist where they ask you, have you seen the movies? And you say, oh, no, I haven’t seen the movies. And then you go on to say, but then I don’t really see 80% of the movies that I’m in. But they don’t use that bit because it’s a much more eye catching headline ‘Bettany doesn’t watch the Iron Man movies’. I did my homework and I watched them all. And I really loved them.

I think that the stories are becoming more and more rich and complex and I think you see that in this movie. Both in terms of the interpersonal relationships between all of the super heroes. Often these sorts of movies are just plain escapism. Actually this movie talks about some of the things that we sometimes want to escape from. Like unilateral intervention from a super power is really what on one level this film talks about. And the need for a strong regulatory body. That’s pretty topical stuff. Which is amazing for a movie that’s this broad and this much of a popular, a popcorn movie and this much of a popular franchise, I think to touch on those sort of subjects is kind of great.

How do your kids feel about having a superhero in the house now?

They love it, actually. My daughter met me as the Vision for the first time and I think she was just three. Or maybe just even about to turn three. And she just ran up to me and gave me a hug. She knew entirely who it was. I had been very worried about what her response would be. And then at the end of the day when I took it all off she had her first ever meltdown. And she went, ‘I want purple daddy!’ Which, as I’m sure you can all imagine, was a little depressing.