AN INTERVIEW WITH CANADIAN ACTOR SHANE RIMMER, JUNE, 2012

Interview by Anders Frejdh, Editor of From Sweden with Love.

How did you get into the business? Started as a singer in Toronto – formed a trio called the Three Deuces then sailed to England – played a mix of Theatre, Club and T.V. dates and recorded 6 sides for Philips and Columbia – then a further 4 LP sides (as solo singer) in a salute to top Broadway and West End musicals. Returned to Canada as a solo singer to head a CBC TV musical series ‘COME FLY WITH ME’ travelling to and saluting the high profile Capitol cities of London, , New York, Chicago, Brussels and Rome. The Canadian film industry was still in its infancy but there were enough opportunities through a number of television roles to hang on and be ready for the next move. And that was to England.

What advice would you give to anyone getting into the business? What and wherever your next move takes you, be as totally ready for it as you can possibly be. Don’t trust a last minute inspiration. Know your stuff!

Describe an underrated and/or often neglected part of your profession. The ‘voice artist’ is certainly one – When a ‘star’ fails to deliver, a voice artist with the talent to imitate, often steps in and saves the production…

Which are your favourite films of all time? Red River, starring Montgomery Clift and John Wayne was maybe the best Western of all time and the chemistry between Clift and Wayne was magic – ‘The Lives of Others’ from East Germany was unbeatable, in filming one of the most dramatic and secretive Episodes of the Cold War – the performances were superb.

What were the biggest challenges of your involvement with Bond? Getting out from under a deluge of white hot embers of ceiling paint in the Control Room sequence – due to over loading the explosives mix in the Bond film ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’.

What are your memories of and ? Both Lewis Gilbert and Guy Hamilton were generous in how much you were allowed to stray even slightly from the written script. But you didn’t try to do it too often.

What are your memories of and Cubby Broccoli? Saltzman and I never met, but Cubby Broccoli was always a welcome presence in whichever Bond film was shooting.

What are your memories of and ? Connery had one of the strongest presences of any actor I ever worked with – the danger was he could blow you over with it. Roger Moore used finesse and bundles of charm to work his way through the script, meanwhile keeping the ‘studio’ floor a happy place to be.

Can you tell us an anecdote, a special memory of your time on the Bond films? When Barbara Bach had her shower scene in Captain Carter’s cabin, more Pinewood personnel turned out for it than had attended the last fire drill. Popular girl.

How do you feel about your involvement with the Bond series today? Why do you think they have lasted for 50 years? I think any actor would relish a role in a Bond picture – the character roles are extremely well written – it’s the Big Leagues – and they are a very generous company to sign up with. The pictures are the last word in style.

What do you think about the current Bond films with Daniel Craig? I think with Daniel Craig in the driver’s seat the films have regained some of the edge that made them so compelling in the beginning with Connery.

Did you ever read any of ’s original novels? I’m afraid not.

Have you ever visited Sweden and/or any of the other Scandinavian countries? I filmed in both Sweden and Denmark – in Stockholm a drama documentary playing Herbert Hoover, the American president in ‘Ivar Krueger’ – the other a Russian/American thriller called ‘White Nights’ in Copenhagen.

You’ve had a long career, have you ever worked with any Swedish actors? I worked with Max von Sydow – one of the most striking and gentlemanly performers I ever had the pleasure of working with, in ‘A Kiss Before Dying’ in London. And of course there was Maud Adams in Norman Jewison’s 1975 film ‘Rollerball’.

What do you think about the ‘From Sweden with Love’ website? From Sweden with Love is an excellent compilation of all the Bond films, the casts and directors. It is attractive, detailed, constantly updated and an invaluable reference to anyone associated with the film business and the fans. A great site.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, SHANE, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

Interview © 2012 From Sweden With Love. Not to be reproduced without permission.