Jim Caviezel and Lennie James on The Prisoner, nervousness & working in cramped taxis

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I interviewed Jim Caviezel and Lennie James, the stars of AMC‘s The Prisoner at this years Comic Con and they were two of the nicest, friendliest guys.

We talked about their characters, why they chose to take on this recreation, if they still get nervous before a scene and more.

I hadn’t had a chance to see the show yet, but from the trailers and talking with them, I cant wait to see it.

The Prisoner premieres this Sunday on AMC.

Tell us a little bit about your character.
Lennie James: I play 147, who’s the local taxi driver for the village.  And he is kind of the first friend that Jim’s character, Number 6, makes when he arrives in the village. And the moment when we first meet him, he is a totally content villager.  He has a wife that he loves and a daughter that he adores, and that’s his whole life.  And that’s all he needs to feel secure, and he’s totally at home in the village.  He is exactly the kind of person that the village wants to be there and to be living there in the way that he is.  He knows what roads not to drive down.  He knows what questions not to ask, and in amongst that, he’s found his own happiness.  And then 6 arrives and throws the whole thing out of kilter.  And by the end of it, my character has some serious choices to make and a serious kind of price to pay.

So is it just by coincidence that the two of you meet then?
Lennie: Hmm… the way of the village is… nothing is a coincidence.

Tell me why you wanted to take the role after you read the script.
Lennie: There’s very few opportunities – or the stuff I like to do is I like the characters that I play to start off being one thing and end up being something else.  I like the movement of a character.  Something happening to them.  That’s my definition of drama.  And on the other side of it they are changed, they are moved, they have developed.  That’s what stories are to a great extent.  This guy has that journey.  And he has it in spades, as we would say.  And also the scripts were real kind of page turners, but there was a genuine sense of excitement within it.  It wasn’t just the, “Oh, I wonder what happens next.”  That’s not the only question that’s going on in this story.  There’s a lot of other things kind of going on.  And that’s what really interested me.  The central premise is a very good and tight one.  And then the way that Bill [Gallagher - the writer] has decided to tell his version of the story is really exciting.  And it’s good for actors.  And it’s not just about shifting story.  There are some great dramatic moments.

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