interesting and also how he y‘oices things. how he would put across an idea.‘
One of(ireig's signatures is his ability to find the uniy'ersal in the particular. His plays frequently embrace huge
geographical areas the whole of liurope in [firm/w. for example. 'l'hat's of interest to Boyd these days. since The Lord oft/iv Rings turned him into a global conunodity. He's filmed in .\'ew /.ealand trecently re-shooting scenes for the final part of the trilogy) as well as Mexico (for his next film. Master and ('(mqum/er: The Far Side oft/1e World. with Russell (‘rowel and attended pretnieres the world oy'et'.
Meanwhile on the internet — that ultimate symbol of the global village — warped surfers have been cattght adopting Boyd's name to lttre innocent dey'otees into who-knows-what trap — a phenomenon he can describe only as ‘ugly'. ‘l have mixed feelings about the internet.‘ he says. looking unassuming in his casual cotton shirt and worn jeans. his close-shaved heard not quite overriding his sweet hobbit features. ‘1 want to love it. but there's something about it that‘s slightly evil as well. People have pretended to be me when talking to young girls and that's scary. it‘s weird to think that a young girl in .\'ew York can be talking to somebody in India who’s a 50-year-old man pretending to be me in Scotland.‘
This is the uncomfortable side of fame. one that genuinely distresses Boyd. a man who is otherwise quite unfa/ed by the whole business of being recognised daily and screamed at ey'ery time he goes near a red carpet. He takes his life as he finds it. has no fiye-year plan and no driying ambition other than the desire to act in worthwhile things.
Of course. these days he frequently meets Hollywood actors with quite the reyerse attitude to life. ‘lt's such a weird mindset that I can't actually understand it.’ he say s. "l'hey ney'er really seem happy. 1 think I'm a wry happy guy. I enjoy
my life. i enjoyed my life before I was in "HM lun/ u/ I/n' Rings. i don‘t think of my career as the number one thing. ()l course. I‘m slightly in that world now. When you‘re outside l.os .-\ngelcs you can laugh at it. btit when you're in II. it‘s real. You get caught tip with it. But i can‘t be that person. “by do you want success so much".’ What happens when you get it'.’ if you're that driycn. the moment you're in means nothing. The only way to be happy is to enjoy this moment it's all you hay e.‘
He continues: ‘I know some .-\inerican actors who want to get into politics. I remember asking one why and he said it’s just the highest place I can see myself getting to. They don't want to get into politics to help people. btit because it's a powerful place to be. They doth want to use the power. they only want to be powerful. That's the weirdest focus in life that I can think of.‘
Indeed. it's impossible to imagine this easy- going actor from Easterhouse men in the same company as the driyen high-flyers of the Hollywood set. \Vhich isn't to say his best isn't still to come. He's written a comedy film script with his screen partner Dominic .\ionaghan. there's the swashbuckling .Wuyn'r and ('Ulnntunrlr'l'. directed by Peter Weir and. of course. there's the final instalment of the The /.UI‘(/ rift/iv Rings. 'Because of the success of the first two. Peter Jackson now had the power to do the reshoots.’ he says. "Hie Return u/ the King was always the best ltioyie anyway. and now he's had the power to say: "(iiye us some more money because it] really like Lt new scene." liillitlis one Hi the fettsttiis \\ it} [his is going It) be the liiti\ ie til, the Ii‘iittgy.‘
Royal Lyceum Theatre, 473 2000, 15-17 Aug, 7.30pm; 16 8. 17 Aug mat, 2.30pm, £74220.
THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 57
‘PEOPLE HAVE PRETENDED TO BE ME WHEN TALKING TO YOUNG GIRLS ON THE INTERNET AND THAT'S SCARY'