My Park Magazine interview: Martin Clunes

Martin Clunes stars in a brand new comedy drama set in New Zealand for ITV1, The Man Who Lost His Head, on Sunday 26 August 2007.

Martin flew to Auckland to film The Man Who Lost His Head, a comic story about a straight laced museum curator whose life is turned upside down when he has to travel across the world to negotiate with a dysfunctional but passionate and determined Maori community.

Martin (Doc Martin, Losing It, William and Mary) plays Ian Bennet, a curator at the British Imperial Museum. The drama follows his journey from the dusty backrooms of the museum to the seductive and wild scenery of the West Coast of Northlands, as he gets out of his depth in the wrangling over the return of a carving.

Martin Clunes fell in love with New Zealand, just as his character does in the comedy drama The Man Who Lost his Head.

Although a busy filming schedule meant there was little time for sightseeing, he was wooed by the magnificent wild scenery, and fascinated by the Maori culture at the heart of the story.

"I fell in love with New Zealand. It is a lovely country. It is a great place to work, as well as to visit as a tourist. The people are genuinely friendly.

"I had a bit of a holiday with my wife and daughter before I started filming, but not much time for exploring.

"As we were filming in the North Island, near Auckland, we took a trip to the South Island, to all the places which look quite Cornish. So it was a bit like being in Doc Martin, but with more reggae!

"We took a helicopter trip from near Nelson to Kaikoura, flying over the alps and vineyards, which was terrific. Then we went on a boat to see whales and a pod of dolphins, seals and albatross.

"We definitely want to go back and explore the North Island, to see the Bay of Islands, and to see more of the far south, including the glaciers. There is so much to see in New Zealand."

Repatriation claim

Martin plays Ian Bennet a curator at the British Imperial Museum who has to deal with a repatriation claim from a Maori community in New Zealand for the return of a sacred carved head.

"Ian Bennet is an honest, decent man. His life experience is limited, although he is very knowledgeable because he studied ancient Egypt and the civilisations.

When the story starts he is about to marry this very nice, but bossy woman, who happens to be his boss's daughter. Without realising it they have fallen into a rather loveless pattern of life because it is all either of them knows.

"It is not until Ian meets Lollie, a Maori woman in New Zealand, that his passions are awakened. It is not until he is shown the great wide world that he realises there is more to life than he has settled for."

The journey Martin's character takes as a museum curator on a repatriation mission, proved to be a steep learning curve about Maori traditions. Martin learnt to his cost what it can mean if you don't observe Maori rituals.

"I was attracted to the idea of my character being a fish out of water and I could relate to his ignorance of the Maori culture. Before I came to New Zealand I was ignorant of all things Maori.

"I learnt a bit about the culture while I was there. For instance you don't wear your shoes when you are in a Maori marae, you can't eat, and you can't sit on a table.

"I made the mistake of chewing gum and got hit on the nose by a carved head. We were filming a scene where a carved head is being thrown around the marae (meeting place), and had been using a rubber head for rehearsals. I didn't take in the fact that the rubber head was switched for a wooden one and took it on the conk.
Quite painful

"It was actually quite painful; you could hear the crack when the carving hit my nose. It cut my nose and made it bleed. But it didn't stop the filming. The make up designer managed to disguise the injury.

"Some people said it was punishment for chewing gum in the marae. They told me I was not supposed to eat. But I said I didn't swallow it! Anyway, I straightened everything with the spirits. I think, or else people have put in a good word for me.

"We'd had a traditional Maori blessing before we started filming, and we had Maori advisers with us every step of the way, just so we got everything right, and most of the cast were Maori. So I wasn't unaware of the Maori customs. But I had thought that chewing gum would be alright.

"I am sure I am all square now. I was promised that the spirits wouldn't be cross with me because I was a welcome influence, bringing fun.

The traditional Maori greeting came as something of a surprise to Martin too.

"The hakas, the greetings, are all quite in your face, and people stick their tongues out at you. Then you press noses with people so you breathe the same air. The idea is that it puts you on a level playing field with people.

"Poor old Ian Bennet doesn't know any of that, and neither did I. Sometimes you'll kiss a woman, and not press noses. He ends up kissing Lollie on the nose because he doesn't know whether to press noses or kiss.

Straight-laced fella

"He is learning on the hoof and so was I. Here is this lone, straight-laced fella, and events really accelerate around him, and he just gets wooed by the whole thing."

The film is an interesting insight into the Maori culture. But it is not the culture on ice, it is a living community, warts and all. It is not irreverent, and there is nothing spooky about the whole thing. It is quite matter of fact, therein lays a lot of the comedy.

"When a country speaks the same language as you, you are lulled into thinking there are an awful lot of similarities, which there are. Then you suddenly notice the chasms that separate you. On the North Island it seemed as if we were living in a Maori country, and there was a lot of respect.

Filming a scene where his character has to ride a horse bareback along the beach re-fuelled Martin's love of riding, even though the horse bucked and flipped him off.

"Shadow, the horse we used, is a film horse, which has appeared in Xena Warrior Princess, and Hercules. He picked up on the language on set, and when 'action' was shouted he got excited and ready to go.

"I had no saddle or stirrup and the horse just bucked. I flipped off and found myself standing next to him. Luckily the wrangler had been holding on to him.

"He's a lovely horse and we actually got on well together because I had been for an incredible two hour ride on him with my family.

"I can ride to a certain degree, nothing special. We have horses at home, but I don't have my own. But I will be getting one now."

Martin's role as the grumpy doctor in Doc Martin, proved as popular in New Zealand as it has in Britain. The comedy drama was being aired when he was filming The Man Who Lost His Head, prompting comments and autograph requests from locals when they saw him in Auckland.

"The week we went out to film in New Zealand they showed eight hours of Doc Martin in a row. William and Mary had also been shown there. It was quite strange being known in somebody else's country, but very nice.

"What I hadn't realised is that the cast on The Man Who Lost His Head are the A list of New Zealand actors. They are all big movie stars in their own right. Nicola is a national treasure following her role in Shortland Street. Nobody warned me, and I asked them to make me tea!"

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