‘I wanted to wear gray contact lens’

Iranian actor Reza Rouygari who plays a co-starring role in the series ‘Where to in Such a Hurry?’ talks with ifilm.

The actor has appeared in various roles, some of which, for example, in the two films ‘Tenants’ and ‘Boutique’ are memorable. He plays the role of Ehtesham in the series ‘Where to in Such a Hurry?’. In an interview with ifilm he talks about his role.

Below is a translation of some parts of his interview originally conducted in Persian by Seyyed Reza Saemi.  

ifilm: What do you think of your role in the series?

Fereydoun Ehtesham has a more prominent presence, which means that there were more opportunities to depict better such character. This is a gray character and the audience may even feel sorry for him in some moments! For this reason, when I read the script, I became interested in this character and told Director Talebi that I would play this role. I remember saying either this role or I would quote the project.

ifilm: So, Mr. Talebi did not like you to play this role or was there another one he had in his mind for you?

Mr. Talebi put this role aside for the late Khosrow. Unfortunately, Shakibaee passed away before the script was ready and the project was completed. For me, he chose the role of Hatef, which was later played by Ali Omrani. As I said, I fell in love with the role of Fereydoun by reading the script, and Mr. Talebi agreed, and after Khosrow’s death, the team decided to offer me this role.

ifilm: Why did you fall in love with this role?

As I said, in my opinion, Fereydoun Ehtesham was not an absolute negative role, but he had a gray personality, and this feature raised the ups and downs of the role, it was multidimensional, and it was not a flat and uniform character, but it was complex. Gray roles and characters are more challenging in terms of acting because of the same contradictions within them, and allow the actor more room in acting. Although such roles are more difficult on the one hand, you also have more fun and I liked and enjoyed playing and wrestling with the role of Fereydoun, which allowed me to do so.

ifilm: Can even the appearance of this character be considered as particular with different reactions in comparison to other characters in the series?

It is interesting to know that I even suggested to Mr. Talebi to wear a pair of gray contact lens so that the physical and behavioral characteristics of this character fit well, but because part of my role needed facial mimicry and gesture, Mr. Talebi said that the lens might affect my acting quality. Remember that the eyes and their movements, gender and the type of look are the most important dramatic use of face in acting that can convey different feelings and emotions of a character to the audience and boost the credibility of a role. However, acting with eye movements in cinema is used more than TV series due to close-ups for showing on the big screen, and in fact, this type prevails more in cinema.

ifilm: In retrospect, are you happy with your choice of character in the series?

I am definitely satisfied. When an actor can relate to a role in a screenplay, , he goes in front of the camera and plays the role with more energy. In fact, he goes to portray the role with prior consent. In addition to this love and affection, he has gained a better understanding of the role and before he brings it to life in front of the camera, he lives with it in his mind and imaginations In my opinion, Fereydoun Ehtesham had these characteristics.

Of course, this is not just true for negative and gray roles; the same rule applies to positive roles. Basically, the negative or positive role is not an issue here, it is more related to the attractiveness of a character for the actor. An actor may ruin a positive role , and this bad acting may even have a negative effect on the mind of the audience. For this reason, I believe that the issue is whether to play well or not , not whether you are portraying a positive or negative one as an actor.

ifilm: So now, after a decade of this series’ premiere on Iranian TV channels, do you still enjoy watching this role?

Sure. When you are satisfied with yourself in playing a role or that role has been noticed and appreciated by the audience, the enjoyment of playing in that role will always be with you and it will be repeated every time you see it.

AG/AG