PODCAST| Chiara Nicoletti interviews Stellan Skarsgard, actor of the film Gordon & Paddy.

To listen to the interview, click on the ► icon on the right, just above the picture

Stellan Skarsgard is back at the Berlinale, the 68th edition, as the voice of a frog in the children’s animation film Gordon & Paddy written and directed by Linda Hamback and screening in the Generation Section. The actor describes how different and more natural it is to go back to acting in his mother-tongue as he hadn’t done that since Borg McEnroe. As his youngest son (among the actors) Walter’s successful acting in Lords of Chaos at the Sundance Film Festival is the perfect occasion to ask Skarsgard about his family, he declares that he hopes his sons will be totally out of his shadow quite soon as he believes in parents not having to interfere in their children’s life and careers. Giving his voice to Gordon the detective frog in Gordon & Paddy gave Skarsgard the opportunity of working with two women he had successfully and happily worked with before: director Linda Hamback and actress Melinda Kinnaman. Skarsgard then finally talks about how it was to go back to the Mamma Mia! set after 10 years and the fun they all had in continuing this film’s journey. Since he worked with Lars Von Trier several times and the director was among the ones accused of sexual abuse, Skarsgard comments on the #Metoo movement, its positive effects and its negative sides.

Gordon & Paddy:  As benevolent, work-weary Detective Gordon bites into an afternoon biscuit, the frog’s mind is filled with visions of retirement. For many years he’s kept the peace in his forest community, while protecting its citizens from the dreaded fox. In his eyes, the clever and ambitious mouse Paddy would make an excellent successor. But as soon as he has sworn her in she finds herself facing her first challenge: two young children have gone missing and the other animals are in a panic. Will Paddy be a match for the fox? Based on the book series by Ulf Nilsson and Gitte Spee, with a sly nod to the Scandinavian detective fiction genre and featuring the voice of Stellan Skarsgard, this film explores what it means to grow into roles, challenge prejudices and uncover truths.

To discover more about the film, click here.