Rupert Friend on The Young Victoria, Emily Blunt, and British Accents

I appreciated that the film didn't simply make Albert a saint -- we saw the ways that he sometimes bristles in his role. Was it important to you to show those sides of him?

I'll tell you, there's no goodies and baddies in the world, there's just people with intentions that sometimes clash. Victoria and Albert were a very real, lively young couple and he had a lot of ambition. Had he not married Victoria, he would have been king of his country, and I think that his drive coupled with her ambition and forcefulness inevitably would lead to a clash. What was extraordinary about it is that every time they did have arguments -- and they argued a hell of a lot -- they did make up, and I think it made them stronger. They didn't give up, and I was inspired by that.

What is it about Emily that makes her such a good scene partner?

She's got a really great balance between being committed to the work and making it absolutely as good as it can be, and being great fun. She's not dull, she's incredibly excited by her work and everyone else's work, and she feeds off other people's passion, laughter, and excitement. It's infectious, and she set the tone for the whole cast and crew: We were going to work hard and play hard, to use the worst cliche. She's a joy to work with.

Victoria's story is well-known, but as an Englishman, did you know Albert's story before you made this film?

No, I had no idea, only that his name was often paired with hers and that he had buildings and statues and monuments erected to him all over London. I didn't know of the man at all, and I sort of went on this massive journey of discovery where I found out just how much he did that we don't give him credit for. I think because he died so young, and she continued to reign, it's often forgotten how many contributions he made to the marriage and the monarchy.

You've made so many period films, but I'm curious whether Jean-Marc was able to bring something new to the table.

To be honest, they've all been as different from one another as I could have hoped for. Each period is so vastly different -- the Restoration is worlds away from the Belle Epoque, for example. I've enjoyed the time-travel elements certainly, but Jean-Marc has very much of a rock attitude to filmmaking, which I loved. He's very big on music and we had music on the set all the time to use in scenes you might not have expected -- where you'd normally expect to find soaring strings, he'd play the Rolling Stones. I found that very refreshing. The way he thinks about scenes, he has this irreverent attitude. The truth is that this is about two teenagers who've never had a relationship before -- probably never even been kissed -- and they're trying to figure out their feelings for one another. The fact that they're kings and queens is simply another layer.

Jean-Marc may be irreverent, but the screenwriter Julian Fellowes is something else entirely.

Julian is very excited by newness, while having one foot very firmly in the past. His research is exhaustive and his knowledge is incredible -- it's absolutely encyclopedic. It's extraordinary! Julian was there, but we also had the real-life queen's adviser there every day, the man who tells the queen how to use a knife and fork. We had this combination of Jean-Marc trying to get at the truth of everything and Julian making sure everything was true to form the way it had to be. Behind closed doors, we just don't know what they did. We have so many resources for the public face of these people, so we wanted to make sure that side was accurate, but for the private side, we hoped to get at some truth.

Was it stunning to be in some of those locations?

Growing up in England, you're sort of spoiled, in a way. You sort of take it for granted that within a half-hour's drive, you could be walking around a stately home from the 1700s. It's not very hard to do -- in California, you've got to take a flight! My father is an art historian, so I was taken to some of these places when I was young -- admittedly, somewhat unwittingly. There's a great sense of history that lies in those stones.

[Photo Credit: Munawar Hosain, Fotos International/Getty Images]

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