MEDIA > ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS > 2004

MAN ON FIRE INTERVIEW
from Man on Fire website, 2004
Q: How did you approach this role?
FANNING: Oh, I mean I loved being down in Mexico and I got to work with some great actors and director Tony was unbelievable and you know, everybody was great. The writer, Brian, everything was just amazing about the whole experience.
Q: What was the most surprising thing for you in making the "MAN ON FIRE"?
FANNING: I mean I definitely just enjoyed every minute of being there and doing the movie and everything, so, I mean, just it was a great learning experience, you know, being in Mexico and also I learned so much from the directors and the actors and everything.
Q: How was it with Denzel? In the film you give him a new lease of life-
FANNING: Yes. Right.
Q: That's not easy to do when you have only a week of rehearsal, but how was it working with Denzel?
FANNING: Oh, I mean, it was like a dream come true, you know, I learned so much from just watching him, the way he drove the car, you know what I mean? I just loved observing and everything that he did and, you know, he's just one of the best actors in the entire world.
Q: How would you describe Pita?
FANNING: Um, she's a very smart girl and she just wants to be friends with people, and she sees something in Creasy and she really wants to change him and she kind of gets a little bit lonely, you know, when her mom and dad go away on business and stuff and so Creasy kind of becomes a father figure for her.
Q: Both characters are in the same spot, would you agree with that? How do they help each other?
FANNING: I think Pita definitely helps Creasy live life again and be, you know, have fun with life. And I'd say Creasy helps Pita just with everything, you know, he's kind of her parent in a way.
Q: In the big kidnapping scene, my heart was in my throat.
FANNING: Yeah.
Q: It was really tough. How was that sequence to shoot?
FANNING: Well, I mean I got I got really sad, you know, when I saw Denzel, blood gushing out, I got sad and it really like helped me, like the kidnappers, the actors, everybody was good that it was it just really helped me, you know, cause I got really scared and sad and all these emotions.
Q: Did Tony do anything special to help you along in terms of getting that truthfulness out on screen?
FANNING: No, I mean Tony is an unbelievable director, he's an artist with all his cameras and his neat shots and everything. And he would have a camera under water, swimming along with me and everything, he's an unbelievable person and we just got on the set and he just kind of said "lets go" and you know, we kind of did it and then we would add stuff or drop stuff or change and he was very open to that.
Q: Would you say this was the most challenging thing you've done so far?
FANNING: I mean I just always I always have fun, you know, so I don't really look at it like that, I just kind of think of having fun.
Q: I think people want to know that you came out of this okay, because I think any actor that has---
FANNING: Okay! I'm alright. I'm here.
Q: How was it learning Spanish? I was impressed with your accent.
FANNING: Oh, thank you.
Q: What kind of preparation did you go through to get into the feel for this?
FANNING: Um, well I kind I was doing a lot of Spanish when I was doing "CAT IN THE HAT", and also down in Mexico, so I did it for a very long time, and I want to keep on taking.
Q: You should, it's like singing. It's one of the best languages to learn.
FANNING: Yeah, yes.
Q: Is that really you swimming in the film?
FANNING: It was me. Tony thought it was very important that, it really be me and really be real. And it was.
Q: What does the title me to you?
FANNING: Well, I mean "MAN OF FIRE". Denzel's kind of, the man on fire he kind of wants to make everything okay again, so he's kind of the "MAN ON FIRE" in terms of what he does. He's looking for redemption, you know, and so he just wants everything to be like it was.
Q: Being that Mexico City is one of the most Catholic cities in the world, and the movie has a nice thread of spirituality in it how did that come across to you?
FANNING: Yeah, I think it was, Denzel read the Bible a lot, practically had it memorized, Mark was in that room with all those, you know, statues and everything. So yeah, I definitely know what you're talking about.
Q: Did you learn something out of that? The environment wasn't something you were used to.
FANNING: Yeah, I mean it definitely was, I mean it was it was, Mexico City is different, than the United States and I just learned so much about the Spanish culture and everything about it, and it was a great learning experience for me to be down there.
Q: Was there ever a sense of fear?
FANNING: Never. I never did. I mean, I loved being down there and everything was fine for me, I just enjoyed being down there.
Q: What was your reaction when you saw the final film, because normal people your age would not be seeing this film.
FANNING: Right.
Q: Which I always found to be an interesting thing.
FANNING: Yeah.
Q: What was your first reaction to it? Where you surprised?
FANNING: I didn't know how it was going to end because they filmed a couple different endings, so, when I saw it, I had tears going all down my dress and down my legs and everything, I was sobbing.
Q: One of the executives blew it for me before I saw the film.
FANNING: Oh, they told you?
Q: Isn't that the worst? Going to a film and knowing the ending?
FANNING: Yeah, yeah. But I was like, I knew it was going during the movie. I knew the scenes that were coming next and everything, still it was like I didn't know what was gonna happen. I was like on the edge of my seat, I was like, "oh my gosh," and I mean I knew, it was so funny. And it was like when I was watching it, it wasn't even like a movie, it was like, you know, you were watching all that happen like right there.
Q: It was real life.
FANNING: Yeah.
Q: So what happens next for Dakota Fanning? I hope your doing a comedy, I know your doing "HIDE AND SEEK" with Robert DeNiro.
FANNING: I just finished that a couple of weeks ago, so I'm excited about that. And just got back. And right now I'm doing all the interviews and stuff for "MAN ON FIRE".
Q: Is it fun being Dakota Fanning? I have to say I've never met a child more adjusted or articulate than you.
FANNING: Oh wow, thank you. I just have fun with what I do.
Q: How do you keep it real?
FANNING: Yeah, everybody's always been so nice to me and I always go to the set and can't wait to go and love what I do.
Q: What can people expect when they go to see "MAN ON FIRE"?
FANNING: That they'll never imagine what will happen next and that they'll be on the edge of their seat the whole time. And you think that you know, something's gonna happen and it doesn't happen that way, and so it definitely keeps your attention.
Q: A nail biter, a page turner.
FANNING: Yes, definitely, definitely.

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