Sir Ben Kingsley
Hugo

On connecting to Hugo’s imagined tale of the real-life filmmaker Georges Méliès: I honestly think the historical man is brought to life by the addition of this beautiful piece of fiction. What it did for me was link me to the ancient, beautiful story all of us have come across somewhere, I think, in our lives: one of the six or seven great, ancient myths of the man in exile—sometimes he’s even a blind man in exile—led back into life by the hands of a child. That central myth fueled me throughout the whole film—the beautiful simplicity of that image.

The moment he knew he had no choice but to be an actor: I remember when I was in my very late teens, desiring to be an actor but not knowing how to put one foot in front of the other. I went to Stratford-upon-Avon, and I saw a performance of Richard III. Ian Holm had the title role, and I was so taken by his performance I fainted. I was revived with a glass of water, went back, and watched the rest of the performance, and at the end I went around to the stage door, determined to meet the actors. I even was allowed to go for a drink with them. I thought, These are my brothers! I would, in a sense, go into battle with them. That was the precise moment I realized, I have to do this. It wasn’t that I wanted to, but that I had to.

The behind-the-scenes awards-ceremony memory he treasures: At my first Academy Awards ceremony, I was standing offstage as Mickey Rooney was receiving a special award. He gave a gorgeous speech and was treated with tremendous applause. He walked into the wings, straight into me, and he said over and over again, “Did I mention my wife?” I said, “Yes, Mickey, you did.” He said, “Oh, thank God!” It was such a beautiful moment. It’s all there: the one person you want to thank, the kneeshaking moment, standing there, and then you think, Oh no—I forgot to mention my wife.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARRY BORDEN/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES