Behind The Cover: GQ's November Issue with Michael Fassbender

http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2013/10/behind-the-cover-gqs-november-issue-with-michael-fassbender.html#ixzz2iZ0hUYmI

On October 23, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Behind The Cover: GQ's November Issue with Michael Fassbender
By Jian DeLeon
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GQ creative director Jim Moore speaks to us about how the concept for our November cover man Michael Fassbender came to be and why the actor made an ideal subject for shooting. In his own words:

"Well, I think Fassbender's set at this point as such a GQ guy and we've been happy to partner with him on his rise to being a leading man.

Very early on we put him on the cover in a shirt and tie, and did that picture with Mario Testino where he was suited up with the girl and kind of got to his "cool, sexy side." Obviously, he had done that movie Shame, so we wanted to walk away from that a little bit and look at the side of him that was not the suited man, that playful part of him.

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We're image-makers here, trying to always push the limits and create characters with these people. I think that all actors want to play a character. We started having talks with him and it was very clear that he loved motorcycles and cars. So I did a little bit of research and looked at pictures of two icons: Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, and I think there's two vibes you get. It was more like when they were racing their cars or on their motorbikes, it was a different level of joy. It wasn't like a set of a movie; it was like kids and their toys. It was very unbridled, it was extremely joyful, and it was very realistic—and it still felt cinematic, in a way.

We wanted to experience the joy and the gravitas of Michael Fassbender by giving him something he could have a little bit of fun with. We thought it was a perfect match up. I think what you get from these pictures is a big dose of joy from Michael Fassbender: He is a really great, nice, funny, happy person, and I don't think you see that a lot of times in his roles, so we just wanted to get to something that would turn up the smirk a little bit.

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In between each take, we would do a picture in a vehicle or near a vehicle. He would jump in the car and go for a joy ride either around the dirt track or just around the asphalt areas, and I think he really enjoyed those moments. Instead going back to the trailer and putting on the next outfit, there was a little bonus after he did each picture. To the average person, it seems like a day of fun, but actually posing for pictures is very taxing and very straining. A lot of actors have to bring their own selves to the table, which is a little bit hard for people. It's not difficult for him at all because he can just be himself in a picture, but I think that the addition of all the playthings–the vehicles—just made it more joyful for him. We really wanted there to be that moment where he just takes off and has that big smile on his face.

There were a lot of looks in the end, and it was one of those things where if you have Michael Fassbender, get as many pictures as you can on him because he looks great in everything, and there was a certain authenticity to him when the clothes were on. Obviously we're over-accessorizing the environment little to drive the point home, but you can just see the joy in his face, and how something as simple as a V-neck sweater and a pair of motocross jeans can suddenly make you look like a movie star, too."