‘Game of Thrones' Actor Iain Glen on Tackling Philippine History in New Film ‘Quezon': It ‘Makes You Appreciate the Era That You're in'
'Game of Thrones' veteran Iain Glen's latest role is portraying Major General Leonard Wood in 'Quezon,' the upcoming historical drama from acclaimed Filipino director Jerrold Tarog.
In an interview with Variety from the film's set in the Philippines, Glen discussed his preparation for inhabiting the role of Wood, who served as governor-general of the Philippines from 1921-1927 and was instrumental in Manuel L. Quezon's quest for Philippine independence from the United States. The film is a biopic that chronicles the life of Filipino lawyer and soldier Quezon, who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944.
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'Quezon' stars Jericho Rosales in the title role of Quezon and the cast also includes Mon Confiado, Benjamin Alves, Karylle Yuzon, Romnick Sarmenta, J.C. Santos and Cris Villanueva.
'I was sent the script and, hold my hands up, I didn't know a great deal about Philippine history and I didn't know much about Major General Leonard Wood either,' Glen says. 'I read the script as a script, realizing that it was a kind of historical depiction of that period, and was just very taken by the words, taken by the role.'
The film is part of Tarog's historical trilogy, following his previous acclaimed works 'Goyo: The Boy General' and 'Heneral Luna.' Glen reveals that watching these earlier films served as 'a crash course in Philippine history' that helped him get ready for his role.
'The production sent me research material, writings of Wood from that period, other writings about that period, as the Philippines reached for their independence,' Glen says. He also studied archive footage and voice recordings of Wood himself, which he found 'very useful' in bringing him 'very close' to the historical figure.
Glen praises Tarog's meticulous approach to the material. 'Our director is incredibly thorough in everything that he does, and he's very, very well researched, and he imbues the script with all that material, so it's kind of there for you,' he says.
Discussing the process of portraying a real historical figure, Glen explains his process: 'Once you've done your research, once you prepare, once you feel you've found the voice for him… then you kind of have to not let go of that, but hope that sits with you, and then just play the scene for what it is.'
Glen highlights the film's potential impact, saying that it 'makes you appreciate the era that you're in, because you look at the battles that were fought to allow you to live in, in this case, the democracy that is currently being enjoyed in the Philippines.'
The actor was impressed by the production value of 'Quezon,' praising 'the period, the art direction, the costumes, the sets that we're shooting in.'
'It really takes you on a wonderful journey,' he adds.
Working with Tarog and a predominantly Filipino cast has been a unique experience for Glen, who describes the director as 'an auteur' with 'an extensive encyclopedic knowledge of the territory.' He likens Tarog's directing style to composing music, noting that 'everything is orchestrated' with a clear vision of 'where the highs and lows are, where the quiet moments, where the emotional thrust must come.'
Glen also praises his Filipino co-stars, calling them 'consummately good performers, very talented, very suited to the roles' and says he appreciates the 'playfulness on set,' adding, 'There's laughter, there's fun. And that I really enjoyed.'
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