Toby Kebbell Interview For Steven Spielberg’s ‘War Horse’

‘War Horse,’ director Steven Spielberg’s epic adventure, is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. ‘War Horse’ begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets – British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter – before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse – an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. ‘War Horse’ is one of the great stories of friendship and war – a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. ‘War Horse’ is set for release December 25th in the US, and January 13th 2012 in the UK. The film stars Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy, Emily Watson, Toby Kebbell, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsan, and Peter Mullan.

What was it like getting the call to join this film, to work with Steven Spielberg?

Toby Kebbell: I was actually very lucky, it was a dream come true. I got given the role out right, I don’t know why (laughs). But I was finishing another film actually, a military film, and I got the phone call saying, “Steven’s gonna call you,” and I said, “Steven who?” And thank goodness it was Steven Spielberg (laughs), he called and asked me whether I would help him make the film, and I said, “I would love too.” It was very odd.

My favourite scene in the movie, and maybe the most profound, is when you and the German soldier walk on to No Mans Land to help save Joey. How was it actually working with the horse in general?

Toby Kebbell: When I heard it was about a horse, I had done ‘Prince of Persia,’ I had spent seven months riding a horse on that. The very first scene I shot, it was after the rescue, and I was leading him back. When I turned up on set, Steven said, “OK, I want you to walk him down No Mans Land, through the trench, and I want you to remember that he’s a prey animal, and that you’re a predator.” And all these guys in the trenches have their tin hats over their brow. So Steven said, “I want you to be aware that we’ve set up the shot without the men here, we lead the horse down but with none of the men in the trenches – and he’s very skittish of the men.” So my own heart was pounding (laughs), I had just met him. But then when I walked down there, the horse was the very horse I had learned to ride on in ’Prince of Persia.‘ So I had my very own ‘War Horse’ moment, as goofy as it sounds, it was true (laughs). So I hugged his neck, he has a beautiful Spanish neck, an arching big neck, he’s a huge horse. I hugged him, I feel like he recognised me, whether he did or not (laughs). We did that scene in three takes, he wasn’t nervous at all. The No Mans Land piece, that was mainly a fantastically puppeteered puppet. But there were moments where it was the real horse again. It was a great experience, that was a great scene.

How was it working on a movie of this scale, the set pieces alone are huge?

Toby Kebbell: It was phenomenal, just as a human being. They created No Mans Land on three acres of land, they churned that whole thing over. So when I went over the top, I could see the German trench, I could see them in there. There was two hundred men on set that day, in the acting unit. To spend fourteen hours a day in there, it meant that when I was going home, modern cars seemed bizarre, they seemed alien. A lot of people asked me, “Has it changed your life?” I don’t know if it has changed my career, but it certainly did change my life – working on something like that. I could never fathom what it might be like to be shot at on a battle field, fighting for my country, but I can say quite distinctly that fourteen hours was virtually enough for me.

What was the experience like working with Steven Spielberg?

Toby Kebbell: Steven Spielberg is fantastic. Although Steven is completely open to you having ideas, and he’s very appreciative of the sacrifice you make – which is literally your job, to work the hours in your private time to figure out the character. But he knows the story inside out, and that sounds very odd, but you very often work with a director who you say, “So for this, I think maybe this is what I’m intending to do?” And they’re like, “Yeah, that sounds good.” You think to yourself, “Do you know the story?” (Laughs) But Steven, he knows it so well, inside out. It sounds obvious, but he is a master craftsman. If you’ve ever seen a great blacksmith, that sounds like such a simple skill, but if someone’s a true master craftsman, Steven is that with film.