A Friend That Sticks Closer Than A Brother: Paul Bettany SOLO Interview #HanSoloEvent

A few weeks ago, I was invited by Disney to attend the premiere of SOLO: A Star Wars Story.  While attending the press trip, we (24 bloggers and I) had an opportunity to interview several members of the cast which included Paul Bettany. 

Photo Group: Louise Bishop @momstart.com

Paul Bettany is an English actor. He is known for his voice role as J.A.R.V.I.S. and as Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically the films Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War.

In SOLO: A Star Wars Story he plays Dryden Vos.  Dryden Vos heads up an emerging criminal syndicate known as Crimson Dawn. This organization has quickly cemented a reputation for ruthlessness. This is true of its leader as well, though Vos is no crude cutthroat. He surrounds himself with luxury.

 

He walked in and said “wow look at you lovely people” I knew then that I was going to enjoy our time together…and I did.  We talked about everything from his wife’s photo on his phone, how proud he is of his children, to his love of Star Wars.  It was fantastic! 

 

Photo Credit: Louise Bishop @momstart.com

During our time with Paul there were several answers that truly inspired me.  What I also found interesting was, a few of the answers were from different questions but had a common denominator his friend, Ron Howard.

Question: How did you become involved in the project?

This is a hugely embarrassing story which I shouldn’t tell you, but I’ve got to tell you anyway.  I heard that my old mate, Ron, was doing it.  I literally texted him this, I said, hey Ron, have you ever spent long winter evenings, like I have wondering why you’re not in the Star Wars franchise?  And he said, give me a moment.  And two weeks later I was flying to London to shoot it.”

Question: Were there any special moments on set that you really enjoyed? 

Oh, you know, there are a few.  One is watching an old friend, somebody who I really love.  Ron is as close to family as you get in this business.  He’s put his hand out and helped me out so many times I can’t tell you.  Seeing him be so accomplished and so welcomed in what could potentially have been a very tricky situation for him, he’s just a fine, fine director.”

And he’s amazingly inclusive and genuinely interested in everybody’s opinions about how things should be.  That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his own vision.  He’s just so confident that he is able to be really open and collaborative.  And, you know, I think that’s a sign of a really strong leader is when they’re listening.  So, that was beautiful.”

 

Photo Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm

Friendships are like the Millennium Falcon – a ship.  Some people get on board and off very easily.  Others will stay as long as everything is smooth; but when the inclement weather come, they will jump ship without question.  A true friend sticks closer than a brother.

That’s what inspired me about Paul and Ron’s friendship.  Paul described it in a way that was very much like family.  As a matter of fact, he said, “Ron is as close to family that you can get in this industry” and I imagine that is saying a lot.

I’ve said this before, one of the major benefits of having friends is they improve our lives.  Paul Bettany is living proof, and so am I…except I didn’t get to play in SOLO: A Star Wars Story (in theaters May 25th) as a result of my friendships.  Wait, I may need new friends.  LOL!!  No, I’m kidding – I have great friends.  My good friend Dorinda Walker will cast me in her movie about her life…let me send her a text. WHAT?!?! It worked for Paul.

 

 

I love to hear stories of authentic friendships.  Friends make our lives more interesting and fun.  True friendship is costly. It’s not easy to maintain a real friendship.  You must be willing to pay the price. But, finding a true friend and being one in return is one of the best investments you can ever make.

How are your friends improving your life? How are you improving theirs? Tell me about the impact of friendship in your life.

 

[latoyia]

Please follow SOLO: A Star Wars Story onTwitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And you may find the following related articles of interest:

Decisions Determine Destinations: An Exclusive Interview with Ron Howard

5 Tips From my Exclusive Interview with Emilia Clarke

Exclusive Interview with Alden Ehrenreich: Han is a Real Person

We Are Better Than We Think We Are: Solo Movie Review

 

 

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