Opening this weekend in limited release is director Peter Webber’s (Girl with a Pearl Earring) historical drama Emperor. The film takes place during the days following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II and stars Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur, the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces. Matthew Fox plays a leading Japanese expert on the staff of MacArthur who is tasked with deciding whether or not Emperor Hirohito should be tried as a war criminal. Fox’s mission becomes more complicated as he searches for a school teacher (Eriko Hatsune) who first drew him to Japan years before the war. For more on the film, watch these three clips and here's our interview with Jones.
A few days ago, we got to speak with Fox. He talked about the research he did, collaborating with Peter Webber to make sure the film was an accurate depiction and not a Hollywood version of the events, script changes, deleted scenes, working with Tommy Lee Jones, and more. Hit the jump to watch.
Finally, a huge thank you to Jami Philbrick for doing the interview for us. He stepped in for me last minute due to my recent surgery for appendicitis.
Matthew Fox
- How did he collaborate with Peter Webber to make sure the film was an accurate depiction and not a Hollywood version of the events
- What surprised him during research
- Deleted scenes talk
- How did the script change during production
- What was it like working with Tommy Lee Jones and did he ever get him to laugh
