He was playing a tree until Spielberg cast him

IRVINE. Extraordinary break. RUBEN V. NEPALES

LOS ANGELES—He was playing a tree when Steven Spielberg gave him the role that would drastically change his life and career. Yes, Jeremy Irvine was waving two branches as a tree, albeit with the Royal Shakespeare Company, when he landed the lead part in “War Horse,” Spielberg’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s young adult novel published in 1982.

Also adapted into an acclaimed play, “War Horse” centers around the titular character, a farm horse named Joey who is sold to the British Army at the outbreak of World War I, and Albert, the boy whose bond with the steed endures even through the war that separates them.

Jeremy, 21, never expected to get the role. “I wasn’t even getting the little commercials. To go from that to such a wonderful role as Albert in ‘War Horse’ is extraordinary. I sometimes feel guilty being offered this role because I think, do I really deserve it?”

The favorable reviews must have relaxed Jeremy by this time. He has gone on to other big roles—he will be seen next in “Now Is Good,” with Dakota Fanning; “Great Expectations” with Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter; and “The Railway Man” with Rachel Weisz and Colin Firth. Excerpts of our interview:

How did you become interested in acting?

At 14 or 15, I had a great drama teacher who said going to one of the top London drama schools was a tough, grueling task. That appealed to me. I went and worked backstage at some London theaters.

So, you went to drama school?

I only did a year there. I wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t want to train. I was lucky enough to get an agent but for about a year and a half, I didn’t get any work at all. In fact, when I got the job in “War Horse,” I was playing a tree in the Royal Shakespeare Company. I’d come onstage with two branches and I’d wave them. It was deep emotional acting but maybe on a wooden level (laughing). I had no lines. But, I did think at the time that this is as good as it got. I was on stage with some of the best British theater actors.

Can you talk about that moment when you heard for the first time that you got the role?

I had been auditioning for about two months. One day, I got a phone call from my agent saying, “Steven Spielberg wants to hear your accent. Can you come in and go on tape?” So, I rush to London where I go in front of the camera in my agent’s office. They give a script on a piece of paper and they say, “Steven Spielberg wants this speech spontaneous. Don’t turn the script until we say ‘Action.’” Fine.

They say “Action,” and I turn the script. I start reading and I go, “Joey, Joey, Steven Spielberg wants me to play Albert in the feature film, ‘War Horse!’” I’ve got the whole thing on tape but the whole thing hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s not going to sink in for a while. All this seems very surreal.

What was it like being directed by Spielberg?

I got a phone call saying could I come and meet Steven Spielberg for tea in Claridges Hotel in London at nine o’clock the next morning. Naturally, like any actor, I was absolutely terrified! I went into the room—and, within five minutes, it was completely relaxed.

This ability to put you at ease is one of Steven’s greatest assets. When you’re comfortable, you do your best work. You turn up on these film sets and they’re huge. But, the way Steven works is incredibly intimate. You come to the set, you present what you’ve brought to the table—your homework—what you think you should do. He’ll watch that, tweak it, mould it and maybe tell you to do something completely different. From that, you get a performance.

Can you give a specific example of a scene that you felt like you were having trouble?

The scene when the horse is sold to Captain Nichols. We didn’t rehearse. You shoot the first take. Steven calls this taking the virginity of a take. That’s how you get the freshest performance. So, I turn up and the scene is Tom Hiddleston buying Joey from Peter Mullan. I’m running as fast as I can to the village to try and stop this. I’m in such an emotional state when I get there that it all comes out at once. It’s this huge emotional vomit, I guess (laughing). Steven came up to me and said, “Okay, now all that emotion, do everything you can to hide it. Don’t let them see it.”

As soon as I did that, the scene suddenly made sense. Yes, my character is incredibly upset. But, you can’t talk to people when you’re emotionally choked up. You’ve to kind of control it because it’s also really important to be able to talk.

What did you have to go through to get that bonding with Joey?

The relationship between my character and the horse isn’t something that you can fake. For a horse to be on screen and act with you, you must have that relationship. A horse is a big and powerful animal. It could kill you if it wanted to. Yet it lets you get on its back and ride it. You’ve got to have that relationship or it’s not going to do what you want it to do.

How many Joeys were used?

There were 14. I’d never been on a horse. Before we started filming, I spent two months training, learning to ride. I was never an animal person, so I was a bit skeptical. Like, I’m not going to fall for these horses. Within a week, I was a sucker like everyone else. You have to be (laughing).

E-mail [email protected]. Follow https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.