michael douglas says he had a tough job transforming into Benjamin Franklin in his new Apple TV+ series.
Speaking with ET’s Cassie DiLaura ahead of the launch of her show, FranklinThe 79-year-old actor said that when it came to taking on the role of the Francophile founder, he decided the best way to transform would be to keep things simple and let acting do the legwork.
“Physically speaking, we did, I looked at that picture (on a $100 bill) and said, ‘Well, let’s try it with appliances and all the work.’ But, it kind of – the production half of my career took over and I started thinking, ‘Well, let’s see, the hotel is 45 minutes from the studio. There will be two, two and a half hours of makeup in the studio. back,’” Douglas said. “I hate these situations.”
The show was filmed in Paris, France, over eight months and, given the show’s intense filming schedule, Fatal Attraction star and his co-stars, the production team — including Douglas, who serves as executive producer — decided that a scaled-back appearance for the titular character would be best for everyone.
Douglas told ET that he thinks the decision not to delve too deeply into the world of prosthetics and film makeup “seems to be working out pretty well” and that he believes the cast and crew still achieved exactly what they set out to do. He also adds that there was a particular facet of the real-life diplomat that he took extremely seriously.
“I grew my own hair, but only to accentuate it. I had a half wig,” said the actor. He also commented that the hair journey on the set of Franklin It ended up being positive because it brought him back to his younger – and cooler – days.
“But it was kind of fun at the end of the day, yeah, I was flowing… I was a hippie in another generation, so (it) kind of brought me back to my roots,” he said, laughing.
Douglas was joined in the interview by his co-star, Noah Jupe, who plays Franklin’s grandson, William Temple Franklin. In the series and in real life, Jupe’s character traveled with his grandfather to France to ask the French for help in the Revolutionary War.
For his part, the 19-year-old British actor – best known for his role in John Krasinski’s A quiet place films – said that in addition to working with Douglas and portraying the young Franklin, who would become a diplomat in his own right, the show was an opportunity to sink his teeth into a period piece of epic proportions.
“I probably had the most fun with the costumes… I think I got the widest range of different, you know, I got to wear the wigs and I also got the Americana vibe,” he told ET. “I remember, like every day, one of the most exciting parts was walking around in my trailer and seeing what I was wearing that day.”
Douglas agreed, telling ET that it was fun to see what Jupe was wearing on set.
As for how Douglas – who admits he’s not as good with accents and languages as his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones – addressed Franklin’s voice, the actor told ET that he focused on intonation, speed and depth to achieve this.
“I predominantly slowed down my talking and articulated more,” he shared. “I mean, I’m not good with accents per se – Catherine, my wife, is Welsh and they’re very – she’s very good at all the different languages.” O Chicago the actress, 54, speaks English and Welsh fluently.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones married in 2000 and have two children, Carys Zeta Douglas and Dylan Michael Douglas.
According to Apple TV, the show – an eight-episode series – is an adaptation of the book by Kirk Ellis. A Grand Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America. The story focuses specifically on 70-year-old Benjamin Franklin as he worked to secure funding to help the United States gain its independence from the British.
In a trailer released last month by the streaming service, Douglas is seen in action working to move the needle on behalf of France in order to help America gain its own sovereignty.
“Without your help,” he says sternly in the clip, “America will be finished before it begins.”
Franklin also stars Marc Duret, Ludivine Sagnier, Thibault de Montalembert, Daniel Mays, Assaad Bouab, Eddie Marsan, Jeanne Balibar, Théodore Pellerin and John Hollingworth. Behind the camera, the show features producers Kirk Ellis and Howard Korder, known for John Adams It is Boardwalk Empire respectively. In command is Masters of the Air It is The Sopranos director Tim Van Patten.
Watch the trailer for the limited series below:
The first three episodes of Franklin launching on Apple TV+ on April 12. Subsequent episodes air weekly on Fridays.
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