Bertie Carvel: "I feel an artistic responsibility to always tell the truth."

RIMINI – He played former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the hit series The Crown . He entered the world of Game of Thrones in the prequel spin-off series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . He will next be seen as Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the television adaptation of Harry Potter . Whatever role he plays, Bertie Carvel always feels "an artistic responsibility to tell the truth and keep alive the imagination of himself and the public." The British actor spoke to CinecittàNews during the second edition of the Italian Global Series.

Carvel is the protagonist of a conversation at the Fulgor Cinema in Rimini to discuss his artistic journey through theater, television, and series.

How would you define your career?

My great fortune. I love the work I do. I'm very fortunate to have discovered my calling and to be able to pursue it. I let others summarize my journey. I feel alive as an artist, and it's fantastic when people connect with this aspect of my craft.

Why do today's audiences, more and more than in the past, follow TV series so closely?

TV series offer audiences the opportunity to use their imagination. Once upon a time, you had to wait between episodes, letting your imagination run wild. It's a bit like when I was a child, reading a book, and my parents would come and tell me to turn off the light. Sometimes, under the covers, I'd sneak another chapter, or I'd have to wait, letting my imagination flourish and the world unfold.

You played Prince Baelor Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and will also play Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Did you feel a certain responsibility in taking part in sagas as important to audiences as Game of Thrones and Harry Potter ?

Partly, yes, but I felt fortunate to have done projects I loved. An artist's job is to honestly interpret a character, pursuing their own dreams, but also those of the audience. Whatever story I'm part of, if it's beautiful and means something to me, then I try to bring it to life as best I can. I combine my imagination with the artistic side. That's why I'm also interested in the entire costume and makeup side of things when it comes to roles like this, trying to create something truly realistic, to bring it to life.

The Fulgor was one of Federico Fellini's favorite places. Are you a fan of Italian cinema or Fellini's films?

At university, I took a course on European cinema, including Italian cinema. I remember being inspired by so many films, including Fellini's. It's wonderful to be here in the place where this great auteur was born. The Italian Global Series is a festival that celebrates the art of television at a time when no one, for example in my country, is protecting culture. My people don't respect culture. People take it for granted, without funding it properly. Politicians should take art and culture more seriously.

You have given body and voice to politicians several times in your career.

In The Crown I played Tony Blair, in the theater I played Donald Trump (in Mike Bartlett's play The 47th , ed.). I enjoy these challenges. I believe there's an artistic responsibility to the truth. My father was a journalist, as was my grandfather. We all have a responsibility in the way we tell stories, even if we do so differently.