News
29 Sep 2007
Interview with Iris Prize Patron Matthew Rhys
by Jason Jones, Rainbownetwork.com
The gorgeous Welsh actor has finally joined Ioan Gruffudd and Rhys Ifans as a fully paid-up member of the Hollywood Taff Pack with his performance in Brothers & Sisters (Channel 4, Wednesdays, 10pm), a sort of
Rhys plays Kevin Walker, eldest son of the sprawling Walker dynasty (including Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe) and a mass of contradictions – hard ass lawyer with a killer instinct by day, sensitive soul looking for love by night; a bit of a slut on the lookout for a shag one minute, a thoughtful, loving son and brother the next.
What is noteworthy, though, is the fact that Kevin is also openly gay. Ok, so admittedly that isn’t exactly new, but what is groundbreaking is that he’s a proper fleshed out person as opposed to a camp stereotype or a tortured closet case.
Rhys portrays him as a well-rounded character with all the regulation-issue problems and hopes we all have who simply happens to be gay, which is revolutionary for conservative-leaning primetime American network television.
It’s also probably the reason why he’s been asked to be Patron of The Iris Prize, the inaugural international short film festival that kicks off in his hometown of
Why did you get involved in The Iris Prize?
I was approached primarily because of my role on Brothers and Sisters and, to be honest, I want to get involved in any festival that showcases and promotes film because making films is so difficult in itself I wanted to be part of it.
Also, because this festival is so progressive and is being held in
Why do you think it’s important to have prizes specifically aimed at gay and lesbian cinema?
That’s a tricky question because some would argue: ‘Why should there be a separate prize? Why can’t cinema just be judged on its own merits rather than the basis of sexuality?’
I think, basically, in the current climate it’s difficult to get any film made with interesting, engaging stories and involving characters. So if a film’s subject or theme is deemed a bit outside the mainstream, a bit different due to issues of sexuality and gender, then it’s doubly difficult to get the project off the ground. That’s why I was happy to say ‘Yes’ to being Patron because it provides an opportunity and platform for up and coming filmmakers who would perhaps otherwise find it hard to get their stories up on screen and seen by an audience.
Going back to The Iris Prize, how would you characterise the power of film?
To me, cinema is one of the most powerful mediums because it taps into the senses and takes us on a journey. It shows us different lives, tells us different stories, transports us to different worlds. That’s why prizes like this are so important: they show us lives we might not ordinarily see. They help take us out of the limitations of our own experience. That’s the power of film: it takes us to parallel worlds.