Vodka is our passion, and coming across someone with a love as great as ours is no small feat. We met the legendary Sir Ben Kingsley at the An Evening to Support Somalia event in August and we were pleasantly surprised to find that he was a true vodka fan (not to mention a new Kanon enthusiast, specifically). Naturally, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to pick the actor’s brain just a bit more about his passion for the American Refugee Committee and one of his upcoming films set to hit the States on Thanksgiving weekend. Read on!
What is your connection to the American Refugee Committee and why did you decide to get involved in this effort for Somalia?
The American Refugee Committee is a truly remarkable organization. There are a lot of charities out there, but the ARC has a team in Somalia right now - creating shelters and feeding people as we speak. They are providing medical support in Mogadishu, reopening a hospital in Dhobley (the hospital was shelled during the war, and is in desperate need of repair so it can serve families who are fleeing the famine). They are distributing food, water containers, cooking pots and other necessities. The ARC is actively helping people with the immediate needs to survive the famine, but are also looking long-term…to help provide the youth with job skills and training to build better futures for the people of Somalia.
Why do you think it's important for others to get involved?
I think it’s important that we advocate for the human needs of all people and inspire the world community to respond to their needs. To help people survive conflict and crisis. Rebuild lives of dignity, health, security and self-sufficiency.
When you're in New York like you were for our event together, what are your favorite go-to spots?
New York City provides an endless palate of opportunities to experience great works of art. I love getting lost in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or catching a stellar performance on (or off) Broadway. There’s also nothing better than exploring Central Park or “people-watching” from a great café on Madison Ave.
You've been in close to a hundred different TV/movie projects. What are you up to most recently?
I recently finished filming a movie with the great Martin Scorsese called, HUGO. I play Georges Méliès, who was one of the most important pioneers of early cinema (a master magician and filmmaker). HUGO is set in 1930s Paris, about an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. Our release is very soon in the States - November 25, 2011 (your Thanksgiving weekend).
After finishing a big filming project, how do you like to relax?
After working 6-day weeks, and shooting up to 18-hour days, I love to return to my home in Oxfordshire. There’s nothing more relaxing than the English countryside.
Sounds like a place we’d enjoy!
