October 19, 2011
Actor Ray Stevenson has made it a point not to pursue any kind of public relations mission of celebritizing himself as so many of his colleagues have done.
“Sometimes, I have lost out on a gig because I was not high enough profile” Stevenson admits. “You just have a little faith and think, 'That's all right because if that is what mattered to them then that was not the movie for me.' We're doing a slow burn and joining the dots rather than one movie that is some kind of pop star hit.”
Those dots Stevenson speaks of include several films in which the actor has played what he calls “the character leading man,” which affords him an opportunity to play different characters with different directors. It is a technique that Stevenson believes very well could lead to longevity and – perhaps more importantly – an interesting career.
“I have been establishing a career because I am a lifer,” says Stevenson, noting that he does not want to do anything else life other than acting. “It is a tough business but if you get yourself in a situation like I, you can maintain a career over many years. That, to me, is a successful actor.”
So far this year, Stevenson has played mobster Danny Greene in “Kill the Irishman” and Asgardian warrior Volstagg in “Thor.”His latest role is that of Porthos in “The Three Musketeers,” a cinematic adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's classic novel. His costars include Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans, Christoph Waltz, Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich.
“Porthos is a sexy hedonist – with a tendency toward violence – who likes his cougars because they have got a bit of money and are more experienced women,” Stevenson says. “When I took the part, I thought, 'Maybe Porthos is not actually from Paris. Maybe he is from Marseille, which is where the Foreign Legions are. Maybe he has had a naughty nautical past and has been on ships.'”
The actor recalls the character's pearl drop earring, shaven head and lack of floppy hair or hat, describing his appearance as one that would be associated with a world-traveled mercenary. Of course, Stevenson notes that Porthos's path has drawn him to be a Musketeer, which is his spirit and the trait that resonates through.
“I think people are going to start stealing their nieces and nephews and insist that they can take them again to the cinema,” Stevenson says. “I think that it is going to be one of those. If it works, it is going to be tremendous. It is going to be a great visual piece of storytelling. People are going to walk away and say, 'Wow! I bloody enjoyed that.'”
Stevenson adds that there are a lot of young boys out there whose idea of adventure is sitting on the couch, playing their video games. He notes that the movie's primary protagonist – D'Artagnan – is the same age as those boys and that his story will likely resonate with them, encouraging them to finally get off of that couch and seek out something real.
“They are going to realize that there is a world of adventure out there and it is theirs for the taking,” Stevenson says. “Sling a backpack on and get the hell out. Just live life and enjoy it.”
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