Viewties #66 – Paul Bullion

DEC. 2021

Viewties

PaulBullion Photographed by SNHFOTO

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TABLE OF CONTENTS VOL. 66 - DEC. 2021

FEATURES

ON THE COVER PAUL BULLION

BY SNHFOTO FOR VIEWTIES

Paul Bullion, p10 The actor is Lambert in The Witcher season 2 and he chats all about it!

Paul Bullion

Editor's letter Welcome to the December issue! This is a very special time, it's the last month of the year and we wanted to conclude it bringing you the best experience while you’re reading about your favourite artists through the pages of this magazine. Last month, we introduced you to our individual issues, booklet style, one artist at the time, to have a more intimate insight on the talents featured. Remember this is a fast read digital publication to appreciate and celebrate art by knowing the other side of the story including the amazing photography by the outstanding photographers that kindly collaborate with us.

Stay tuned because this month Viewties goes on bringing you the latest on film and television introducing artists whose passion is to make you feel something with their dedication to the job of bringing a project / character to life. As I always say, If I can take something from my job, I strongly believe you will take something from it too. Enjoy the ride and prepare your heart for being touched by our content.

Happy month!

Founding editor-in-chief @vanmiraglia

Viewties

Paul Bullion

K nown by viewers across the world by having played loved characters that still stay close to the audience’s heart, award-winning actor Paul Bullion is back on our screen to show he still can do more to delight us.

Paul’s theatre background led him to pursue a career as an actor after participating in local theatre productions, where he discovered his love of bringing characters to life on stage. He has appeared in live productions for

the

world-renowned

Royal

National

Theatre

in

London

and

Shakespeare's Globe. Some of his television and film credits include British period crime drama "Peaky Blinders", Kurt Sutter’s "The Bastard Executioner", "Jamaica Inn," "Patrick Melrose," and "Endeavour." He has also appeared in Legendary Pictures’ "Dracula Untold" opposite Luke Evans, and starred in the short "Oscar’s Bell," directed by Chris Cronin, which was successful on the festival circuit, winning Best Horror at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in 2019 and Paul securing a Best Actor win at the British Horror Film Festival in 2018.

Next up, Paul can be seen playing Lambert in season two of Netflix’s global hit series "The Witcher". His character in the series is Geralt’s close childhood friend, brothers through a shared experience and fellow monster hunter.

In conversation with Viewties, Paul answers all our questions about the show, his character and his personal journey to keep himself healthy and happy in his craft.

Photography SNHFOTO @snhfoto Words Vanesa Miraglia @vanmiraglia

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V: I’ve been following you on social media for a while and I love you’re constantly encouraging people to do sports, you show yourself regularly in triathlons and you also take the opportunity to raise awareness for various charities. How do these acts impact your life?

At the end of the day, I do not want my value to come from my career.

PB

Paul - They impact me in very positive ways. Building a career in a creative industry is very difficult to do. There is no blueprint for how do go about it. This can cause anxiety.

The uncertainty etc. I think it's very important to have goals outside of the acting world to keep things in perspective.

Exercise clears the mind. I enter races regularly because I believe that there can only be 2 outcomes and both are positive:

nate that I have brilliant agents who are like my teammates. They have stuck with me when I wasn't as busy. That relationship is important. It's about trust. I enjoy variation in my career. That takes time.

* Either the race goes well and you give yourself a mental boost for achieving a goal you have set...... Or it doesn't go to plan and you can learn something from it. Endurance sport is very humbling. At the end of the day, I do not want my value to come from my career. Endurance sports create calluses in your mind and helps you deal with other challenges in life.

V: Now, I can’t really wait to see your character Lambert in the second season of Netflix’s The Witcher. What do you remember about auditioning for this role?

Paul - I remember really understanding what the scenes were about. I reluctantly admit that parts of my own character are in Lambert! Sophie Holland and her casting team are brilliant at bringing out the best in actors. Keeping them relaxed in the room. Leaving my final audition for Lambert, I walked out into central London and straight into the gym. I ran on the treadmill for an hour because I had to get rid of the fire I was feeling in my chest. The adrenaline.

With regards to raising money for the charities, I believe as a whole that people are good in this world. It doesn't seem that way with the bad things we see and read in the news.

Getting involved with different charities reminds you that many people are trying to help others. To quote Harry Baker "It is only ever people who are able to inspire" V: As an actor you’re always taking it to the highest levels, giving and giving more of yourself with originality and dedication. In an industry that tends to typecast so many actors, how do you do to get variety in your roles? Is it easy for you to choose what projects to be a part of, or to even stay away from?

V: What particularly drew you to the role and the script?

Paul - Lambert on the surface is a bit of a prick-ly character. But it is rooted in insecurities. He is so many things rolled into one. That is fun to play. I wanted the part.

Paul - That is kind of you to say, however it's not always been busy. To reiterate the point again, I make the effort not to take my value from how well my acting career is going. Whether I am in work or haven't worked in a while, I am still a creative mind with an opinion. Therefore, if I am not excited by a certain audition, I will respectfully decline. I often say "Availability is your best asset." Stay available for the stuff that gets you excited. Don't take a job out of fear of not working again. I am very fortu-

V: How did you prepare to approach him? Did you need to research and catch up with the books or the video games to connect with the storyline and the fantasy world?

Paul - I read the books first. I then dabbled in the game. I had the added benefit of being cast just be-

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fore season 1 dropped on Netflix, so I was able to enjoy that and get to grips with the world they were building on screen.

Physically, playing a monster hunter, I wanted to look and feel like I could scale a building. The weight training and sword work became a regular fix in my routine.

V: Your character Lambert is Geralt’s close childhood friend, which means most of your scenes are opposite actor Henry Cavill. How did you and him work together to develop a genuine friendship on screen? Did you both have conversations to have a natural chemistry in the scenes together?

Paul - Henry is a gentleman. He is very passionate about the show and like me, he is always looking for the clearest way to tell the story. We would often discuss each scene before shooting to make sure we weren't missing anything. This was the same with other cast members and all the creatives. We were all working towards creating the best series we could. It was brilliant.

The weight training and sword work becam e a regular fix in my ro utine.

PB

V: Even when the series is about wicked people, the cast seems to be very kind and down to earth. How was your experience on set with your castmates?

V: What kind of reaction would you expect the audience to have after watching your character on this second season??

Paul - I loved it. Kim Bodnia bringing the smiles. His energy is infectious. Yas (Coen) always making sure I had enough food. He is a feeder. He is also responsible for my nickname on set. "Lambchop". He has called me that since before the cameras even started rolling. Freya would like to crack jokes and keep us on our toes. I could list everybody with their great attributes. The point is, there was zero ego on set. That is when the good stuff happens!

Paul - I hope they can see the struggles in Lambert, under his humour and sharp tongue.

V: Last question, as my nationality is Argentinian, I’m curious to ask you if you have ever seen or experienced any type of art/culture from Argentina?

V: By the way, I believe most of the action scenes may have been very hard to tackle, is there one of them that was particularly taxing for you?

Paul - It has always been on my list of places to visit. I hope to do this at some point. So rich in history.

One thing I do remember is when I was young training at drama school, "The Secret In Their Eyes" won the academy award and I became aware of the talent in Argentinian cinema.

Filmmaking is global and stories travel!

Paul - I may have felt tired if I had been swinging a sword all day. But it is such an enjoyable part of playing a Witcher.

The Witcher season 2 drops on Netflix on December 17

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