Interviews are sometimes a challenge. Ultimately, for a FILMSTARTS editor like me, it’s important to get as much information from the stars that you think might be interesting to the reading public in the shortest time possible. Ideally, you should also be able to give the other person the feeling that he or she is actually having a conversation and not just swallowing a verbal questionnaire.
Interview days, so-called junkets, are carefully timed. Editors are given an exact schedule of when their interview will take place – and must arrive at the right time to get the most out of their interview. Ideally, this is interesting information on the one hand and a pleasant, appreciative conversation on the other. A major challenge that requires full concentration. That sometimes it can be good to break out of this strict concentration… – I had this experience in 2019 when I met the stars of “Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw“met in Cologne.
“What’s your name again?”
Alongside Deckard Shaw actor and ‘Fast & Furious’ veteran Jason Statham I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with the villain of the action hit, Idris Elbato chat. I only had four (!) minutes with the actor. Besides a greeting and a farewell, there isn’t much time to get productive answers and create a nice atmosphere at the same time. But I will never forget the beginning of our conversation:
As a rule, the interviewers, who are placed in front of the stars on the fly, are briefly introduced in a kind of transfer, so that the so-called ‘talents’ know approximately who they are dealing with. “Next is Daniel Fabian from FILMSTARTS,” it says before I sit down, give the cameramen and women their “go” and the interview can begin. But not in this case.
Because Idris Elba didn’t notice when he was told my name – or they just forgot to tell him. In the end it doesn’t matter. Because I was first asked ‘What’s your name again?’ “I didn’t even hear your name” from him, to which I replied with an answer that the star clearly didn’t expect.
“Daniel. And what is your name?” I asked Idris Elba – the superstar from London, nominated for five Emmys, known for the hit series ‘Luther’, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, other blockbusters such as ‘Pacific Rim’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ and award-winning dramas such as “Beasts Of No Nation” and “Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom”!
Idris Elba looked at me in complete amazement. You could literally read on his forehead: “Did that really just happen? No one has asked me that before!”
For a brief moment, the charismatic Brit even reached out to tell me his name – before finally looking deep into my eyes, pausing for a moment and finally letting me know with a grin: “Ahh! I know exactly what you just did. Very good!”
Surprise effect as an icebreaker
Of course I knew exactly who I was looking at; After all, I had prepared long enough for the interview! It’s practically impossible for me to forget the star’s name. But as soon as I shook the Brit’s hand and he opened the chat, I could already sense the atmosphere the conversation would have – and so I spontaneously felt relaxed enough to ask a superstar his name.
Because one thing is clear: I have had many interviews where I would never have done that. Yes, even if I had actually forgotten the names of the people I was talking to, I probably would have followed the standard procedure that you learn over time – and of course I would have tried to cover up my memory gap as best I could. But in this one case, it was just the right way to break the ice – and turn a potentially hectic question-and-answer session into an entertaining, relaxed conversation about the first cars and the like.
You can read the FILMSTARTS interview with Idris Elba here: