John Lynch talks about acting with some of the biggest stars in the world, why Gauguin appealed to him so much, and what it's like to be a woman's worst nightmare.
Film Projects
Both you and your sister are actors. Does it run in your family?
'No, not at all. I don't know where it comes from. We both did it in school. There was a lot of local drama in our area – a lot of local drama in our area that was very vibrant, and very attractive to us as kids. We just got caught up in that. I think that's really to blame.'
Your big break was in the film Cal, in 1984. What ever happened to the actress [Helen Mirren] that you were playing opposite in that?
[Laughs] 'I don't know, she didn't amount to much. I was thrilled when she won the Oscar. She's a terrific actress.'
You've also co-starred with, among others, Robert De Niro. Do you ever get star struck when you kind of act with people like that?
'I did with De Niro. He's just such a major star. He was great though. Very much about the work, very professional. He's somebody I've admired for a long, long time like a lot of people. That was great for me, getting to work with him.'
You played a very unsympathetic character in Sliding Doors. Did you ever get a hard time from people after that?
'The odd time I did. The odd woman would say something to me jokingly if I met them at a party. He certainly was a pretty unpleasant character. Especially for women. A woman's worst nightmare I suppose. Slippery, untrustworthy, and just the worst type of male.'
You've also acted with the great Olympian Carl Lewis. Did you actually have scenes with him?
'Yeah. He was fantastic, it was a real privilege. He was amazing. He must be 6ft 2 or 3 or something. Extraordinary. Very sweet, very nice guy, terrific athlete.'
I know you have written and directed for the screen, and have also written a novel. What other ambitions do you have left? Are there any areas you don’t want to conquer?
'I'm working on the second novel, so my immediate ambition is finishing that. But I think writing and acting is enough for me. I'll stick with the writing as well as acting, though. Writing a novel is a long old commitment.'
The Yellow House
What made you want to get involved in the Yellow House? It's not a massively populist topic. So why did you take it on?
'I thought the script was fantastic. I read the script and thought it was a really unusual way of looking at it and thought, it was also something I didn't really know anything about really. I knew that Gauguin stayed with Van Gogh and I knew that Anthony Quinn had played Gauguin in the film Lust for Life, with Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh.
'I remember seeing it as a kid, and I remember Anthony Quinn arriving and saying this kitchen's a mess, I remember that. And I adored the character Gauguin. I mean he was an extraordinary piece of work, as was Van Gogh, obviously. And then I heard John Simm was playing Van Gogh, and I’ve never worked with John, so that was tempting as well.'
Am I right in saying that you were filming on location where the paintings were actually done?
'Yeah we were on location in the south of France, so we filmed in some of the exact spots where they stood and painted some of the most famous works in the history of art.'
What do you do in the way of research? Do you look into what Gauguin was like and what their relationship was like, or do you trust the script in what is down there in black and white?
'I read bits and pieces. I got Gauguin's letters and read all of them. It's really interesting to learn about it and look at it. And John and I also did a bit of painting, which was interesting.'
And what were you like at painting?
'Crap! Then again, I shouldn't think Gauguin was much of an actor. It was great fun to paint though. You just realise how incredible these guys were with a brush in their hand. It gives you a fresh perspective on just what amazing painters they were. Creating a painting and starting from scratch it's a real achievement.'
Gauguin
Do you think there was a jealousy or a rivalry between Van Gogh and Gauguin?
'Yes I think so, I think there definitely had to be. I think Gauguin expected it to be his own way all the time. He would be the tutor and Van Gogh would willingly listen. What he saw in Van Gogh is something I think that he hadn't seen before. Maybe he recognised that he did not have to the same degree whatever it was Van Gogh had. I think what blew Gauguin's mind was he arrived in Arles, in a studio with a guy who could complete a canvas in 45 minutes which would take Gauguin anything up to a week and beyond. It was amazing.'
Their own relationship wasn't always the healthiest but artistically it was hugely influential for both of them, wasn't it?
'Yes absolutely, and there was tremendous respect there. They did love each other and they both admired what the other was doing, and it was the most productive period in their lives. It was a stunning turning point for both of them. After that Gauguin left France himself forever.'
And is their evidence that Gauguin was paid by Theo Van Gogh?
'I think he was. He was good at self PR and getting himself looked after. Theo was his agent I think. It is blurry, but I think Theo worried about Vincent and wanted to help Gauguin a little bit to make his mind up.'
Do you think that as a writer you understand the creative process they went through better than most?
'I'm not sure about the creative process but I understand the length of time involved, and I understand the isolation. I think that's why both of them jumped at the chance of working together. Rattling around with something on your own in isolation is tough.
'Gauguin said in the film about having to leave everything, in order to be together and paint together. Two artists who admired each other enormously. Their hearts must have really hoped it would work you know.'
Do you think that Gauguin was heartbroken by what happened to Van Gogh? And do you think he felt responsible for it?
'I think he was heartbroken and maybe felt responsible. But Gauguin was good at making the world bend to suit him. He was a tremendously flamboyant character. If he felt responsible he would never let anyone know. He really would have never shown vulnerability.
'But after the night Van Gogh cut off part of his ear, they never saw each other again. I think that Gauguin stopped it dead. Van Gogh wrote to him, and he didn't write back. He could recognise the madness and he had to look after himself. He was a master of that.'
