'12 Years a Slave' Michael Fassbender talks slave owner role

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'12 Years a Slave' Michael Fassbender talks slave owner role
Published Tuesday, Sep 17 2013, 10:46am EDT | By Justin

Michael Fassbender has opened up about playing a slave owner in the upcoming dram 12 Years a Slave.

The historical drama stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a free African-American man who is illegally sold into slavery in 1841.

Michael Fassbender, London Critics' Circle Film Awards, BFI

© PA Images


In an interview with Flicks and Bits, Fassbender explained how he tackled portraying a villainous slave owner in 12 Years a Slave.

"He's a human being, so I approached him with a very human touch," he recalled. "I tried to find his voice first. I worked with a lot of different tapes and our dialect coach helped me out a lot."

The actor continued: "It was about finding the human being in [my character] Epps, because obviously what he does is pretty terrible, but... I don't know, there's something in there where I feel a little sorry for him. He's a victim of the time as well, in a way. He's in love with [slave] Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) and he can't deal with it, he thinks, 'How can I be in love with a slave?'

"So he sets about suppressing her and beating her to try to beat it out of himself. So I thought that there was a really amazing humanity in that alone. So that was my in - the love for Patsey and how he was processing that. I think I see Epps as a representative of the time, all the ugliness and despicable is culminated into this character."

Fassbender also discussed reuniting with Shame director Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave.

Lupita Nyongo stars as Patsey in 'Twelve Years A Slave'

Lupita Nyongo stars as Patsey


"It's just an incredibly special experience working with Steve," he declared.

"From the beginning of my career I've been seeking, looking for somebody like Steve - somebody who will bring the best out of you and take you to the limit of yourself and then beyond it, and then maintain that level of beyond the limit… if that makes sense."

He continued: "The focus on set is incredible, and not just with the cast but with the entire crew. There's just this sort of absolute do or die philosophy on set. It's just amazing,

"One of the many great things about Steve is that he allows you to believe in your instincts, and so whatever choice you make is the right choice, because you're in the right moment."

12 Years a Slave opens in limited release in the US on October 18 and debuts in the UK on January 24.