In April 2018, a group of fellow journalists and I visited the set of Artemis Fowl in England. The film, which arrives on Disney+ on June 12th, follows young Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) and his trusted guardian Domovoi Butler (Nonso Anozie) as they cross over into the world of faeries to rescue Artemis' father (Colin Farrell).

During our visit, we got to talk with Anozie about the film. We discuss his martial arts training to play Artemis' protector, reteaming with director Kenneth Branagh, the look of his character, his character's relationship with Artemis versus his niece, the benefit of practical sets, and more.

How are the contact lenses? Are they a pain in the arse?

NONSO ANOZIE: No, they're pretty surprisingly good. They've got a great company called Eyeworks who develop the contact lenses and they provide someone who comes and puts them in for me. So, it's really good.

Butler is a martial arts expert, so what have you learned for this role?

ANOZIE: We did quite a considerable amount of training before we started. I wouldn't call myself a kendo expert, but I've definitely done a lot of kendo training, a lot of hand-to-hand kind of fights that you will see, hopefully, in the movie. It's so funny that so much training goes into a fight that might last for 20 seconds. But, it's necessary and it really works really well.

When you're asked to do it again and again, to be safe in it and to make sure you know not to hit the other person or for them not to hit you, you need to know it like the back of your hand. So the training is necessary. We do a lot of kendo fighting, hand-to-hand fighting and there's a bit of shooting energy beams at fairies. You don't need that much training for that, just an imagination.

You worked with Kenneth Branagh before, so was that a really nice thing that you knew who was in charge of this? Was that part of the attraction coming into this project?

ANOZIE: Yeah, absolutely. I worked with Ken in 2003 in a play called Edmond at the National. He told me when we did the play, he said, "I really think you've got some talent. I really want to work with you again. When I'm doing something, I'll think of you."

Jack Ryan happened and Cinderella, which was also for Disney, and this now. It's almost like coming back to another coach that you're familiar working with and you know that what you're going to be doing is really top notch.

He won't let a scene go until he's done it a million times, a million different ways, and he's going to get what he wants from the scene. I like that. I like that. It gives you a chance to play and it's a structure within a structure. He's very structured with his work. For me, I like the way he works.

He said you were the only one he pre-cast in his mind, that he knew he wanted you for Butler and did he-

ANOZIE: He did tell me that. He told me that. He said that him and Lucy Bevan, who casted it, they were both thinking of me when... Lucy's also casted me in quite a few movies. They both thought of me when casting Butler. I take no claim over that. You take it up with them.

How do you view the relationship between Butler and Artemis?

ANOZIE: I think Butler and Artemis' relationship is one... He's kind of a father figure at times and sometimes a older brother. His duty is to protect the Fowl family. Domovoi Butler, my character, is a part of a long line of generational butlers who have looked after the Fowl family. There's a backstory to that, but it's so long I won't go into it, that we came up with. It's not really in the books, but we came up with a backstory to that.

It's his duty. It's something he loves doing. He loves the Fowl family, but he also has his own family life. He also has his own family and niece. In the books, it's his sister, but in the film it's his niece. Because she's so young, I don't think it would have worked if they were brother and sister. The relationship between them is one of respect, of protection, of loyalty and, in some ways, of love as well.

How does this relationship with Artemis compare to his relationship with his niece?

ANOZIE: I think he guides Artemis in a way, but he can't really... With his niece, Juliet, he's training her to become the next butler, to become the next person who's going to look after the Fowl family. So he's much more strict with her. He can talk to her in a much more domineering way. Whereas, with Artemis, I wouldn't call him subordinate to Artemis, but I would say that he has a respect because he's next in line. So he works more closely, almost as an equal.

Have you developed a similar relationship with the young boy playing Artemis, Ferdia Shaw, looking after him in a way, because it's his first film role?

ANOZIE: Yeah. Ferdia's a great kid. I read with him when he did his audition and I spent a lot of time with him off-set when we were waiting to go on. We talk about different things. He likes Dungeons and Dragons. I played Dungeons and Dragons when I was a kid, magic cards and those kind of things. I was very much a geeky kid and he likes that kind of stuff, so we found a lot of things that we have in common. So it's a cool relationship. He's a fun kid.

We've seen a bit of this troll-attack scene you have today. What can you tell us about the scene and how Butler fits into it?

ANOZIE: I think watching it's going to be... After a while it probably... because it's going to take so many different intricate parts to make what is going to be a really exciting scene where he breaks through all the different parts of the house. I think Butler is really trying to keep order. I think from the beginning of the movie, Butler is somebody who has got icy-cold control over every situation.

But, all of a sudden, Artemis' father has gone missing and he's trying, almost for the entire film, to grasp that control again, to pull the reins in. I think this is where it comes to a head. It's like can he keep all the eggs in the air or is he going to falter? I think this is where everything comes to a head.

Does Butler ever question Artemis' actions in terms of how villainous they may be or how questionable?

ANOZIE: Yes. He's constantly asking whether he thinks it's the right thing to do or maybe we're taking too much of a risk. I think because Artemis does so much research and he's so diligent with knowing his enemy, I think that he trusts some of the choices that he later lets Artemis make for himself. Then he's almost following in his wake I think he does question it, but I think in the end it's for the good of everybody.

You describe him as being in control and icy cold, but he's now in a world where he's coming face-to-face with fairies, trolls, and sprits. How does he react to these creatures?

ANOZIE: I think the same way that most people would react. I think he's got a lot of training and focus when it comes to dealing with day-to-day situations. But, I think, anybody would be shocked to see a flying fairy or 17-foot troll coming at them. I think there's a certain way that, as an actor, you've got to look at how the character would react.

I would probably scream and run for the hills, but he's got a job to do. So, as an actor, I would make my character convey the fact that he's shocked. Maybe a little afraid, but he's still got that job to do of protecting the Fowl family.

It seems in the movie that Butler has more of an impact on Artemis, such as how he is dressed just like Butler. Does that fall into the father-figure relationship that Butler sets into after Artemis Sr. disappears?

ANOZIE: I think Butler's quite a stylish guy. I think Artemis sees that and wants to follow in his footsteps a little bit. I think it's just a little... He actually starts to dress like him quite early on in the movie, although there's lots of different looks and outfits when he's on the [inaudible] and when he's doing lots of different things. I think it does reflect the relationship and it ties the relationship in together. I think it's a good way to keep them tied and does it for free for me as an actor. I think it's quite cool when you have that symbolic similarity. It helps you convey the story more deeply.

There's a great shot of you two when you're walking on the street in the suits.

ANOZIE: Oh, in Vietnam?

Yeah.

ANOZIE: Oh, that was a funny shoot. I don't know if you saw us riding on a scooter. That was an experience because riding down the street in Vietnam with thousands of other bikes around you that don't know you're even filming is an experience. We did a lot of training on motorbikes before we actually went out there, but I don't think anything could prepare you for it. It was an amazing.

So it wasn't a closed set when you were riding on the street?

ANOZIE: No, they were real. They did have eight bikers that were around us to protect from any unexpected sideswiping or anything like that. But it was really unexpected.

So you guys are about halfway through shooting the film. Do you have a favorite moment from on-set or a favorite scene you've filmed so far?

ANOZIE: I would say, for me, this is actually really fun. Today, we've been shooting the bit... Have you seen any of the singing that we've been doing? I won't spoil it, but it's a comedy moment that came out of... there's a moment where... Can I talk about it? Where Mulch is trying to sing the troll to sleep. It was supposed to be just him doing it and just a moment in the script, but then we improvised and I started singing and Artemis' dancing along. It turned out to be a really funny moment. That's probably my most favorite moment in the film.

Josh Gad, we heard earlier, was very good at improvising. Is that something that you're fairly comfortable with?

ANOZIE: Yeah, I think you'll see in that scene. It's almost turns out like the scene from Saturday Night Live or something. It's really, really fun. It's really, really fun. We had a lot of fun doing it. I love improvising, especially, when we do a lot of different takes, to do things in different ways and try something that you wouldn't have thought of before. I think that's fun.

You became very good at allowing that to flourish.

ANOZIE: Yeah, especially if you talk to him and say, "Look, I want to try it this way," but if you've locked something in and filmed it one way, you're going to have to keep on reproducing that. But I do like to improvise a lot.

Is it turning out to be all that you thought it was going to be?

ANOZIE: The great thing about this is that there are moments of great drama and moments where it gets really, really serious. Almost like a really heavy drama. Then you get to the moments where it's almost slapstick comedy. So it's got something for everybody. I think it's going to keep parents and children, alike, entertained.

Is that dye or a wig, your hair?

ANOZIE: That's a wig.

Did you all have input in the character design? Because it's very different, of course, than what we see in the book.

ANOZIE: We decided that the Butler family have this recessive gene, almost similar to albinism or vitiligo that gets passed through the family. I don't know if you've been through the house, but you see some of the other portraits of the butlers. Some of them have white hair, some of them have blue eyes, some of them are bigger and smaller. It's different traits that have been passed down.

I think it was something that we talked about, what his look would be. Maybe he would be bearded or maybe he would be totally bald. This came up... I think Carol, our make-up and hair head, had some ideas and showed us some pictures. I was like, "That." Ken loved it. Then he said, "But the beards got to go," and I was like, "Oh, I don't want to lose my beard." But it went and I actually really love the look. I really love the look.

Does that impact how Butler lives in the world because he looks so distinct?

ANOZIE: In this installment of Artemis Fowl, I think you don't see as much. Maybe in Vietnam you get to see a lot of people looking at him strangely, but you don't see as much the way he interacts socially in that way. The story is so tight, it really focuses on us trying to get his father back.

We focus on that story, so it's mainly action packed and the drama within those characters. But it would be interesting to explore the social effects of him being perceived by others in the street. That would be interesting.

I've seen pictures that you described. Until you're sitting right here, you're like, "Oh, that is actually striking."

ANOZIE: Yeah, that's right. It is quite striking. It's quite striking. I love it. I love it. I love that it gives you the character for free. As the actor, you're always looking for a way into a character. When you look in the mirror and you see someone else that you don't normally see, you're almost immediately transported into that character. So, for me, I look in the mirror after they've done their thing and I'm like, "That's awesome."

As you said, the sets we've just been on are incredibly detailed. You could practically live in that house. Does that help you when it's not always greenscreen?

ANOZIE: Absolutely. I've done a lot of different productions where they've used blue screen and little tennis balls and X's. We do use green screen here, but mainly for scenery stuff. I think having the house and walking through it, a week before we started filming, and inhabiting it and seeing all the different artifacts, pictures and portraits, it really puts you in that world.

I just did an exercise of walking up and down the stairs really fast and seeing how out of breath I got and just how that made me feel. As an actor, those kinds of things and being in an actual house, as opposed to a set... Well, it is a set, but the actual house is not a cross section of a room on a soundstage. It really is helpful for your imagination, as an actor, to inhabit that world.