English actor and singer Ben Barnes chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his acting, as well as his upcoming EP “Songs For You,” which features the lead single “11:11.”
American track and field legend Jesse Owens once said: “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” Ben Barnes is an actor, singer, and individual that embodies this quote by the late four-time Olympic champion.
As an actor, Barnes is known for playing Prince Caspian in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” Billy Russo in Marvel’s “The Punisher,” Logan Delos in “Westworld,” and Neil McCormick, Bono’s best friend “Killing Bono.”
He described “The Chronicles of Narnia” as an “amazing life experience.” “I was 25 at the time, and it was 15 years, and it was the most incredible experience from being chosen to be in it, and that was affirmative,” he said. “I also met my best friend in the world in that show. It was a very formative experience for me, and it was extraordinary to be given that opportunity. I say thank you to the director on a yearly basis for choosing me for that role.”
More recently, Barnes played the lead role of General Kirigan in the No. 1 Netflix show “Shadow and Bone,” where Season 2 has been green-lit. “The cast of ‘Shadow and Bone’ is amazing, and our showrunner Eric Heisserer is such a great, smart man. He takes these stories and focuses on the things that are the most cinematic. I am excited to get back and do more,” he said.
On his daily motivations as a performer, he said, “I have a love for storytelling and a love for escaping into people that aren’t me. When I was a kid, I always tried to sound like other people, and through the course of my acting career, I just loved disappearing and learning other things.”
“Then, it started to be about me, and I wanted to express things more authentic and more honest,” he added. “Also, I chased things that I found thematically interesting. I started to seek out stories about hopefulness and balance in them, and stories about the human experience, and that’s what motivates me now.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Exactly Who I Am.” “I’ve spent most of my life pretending to be other people,” he said. “Doing something creative that is so authentically me has encouraged me to be exactly who I am.”
The digital age
On being an actor and singer in the digital age, he said, “I think the digital age makes things more viable in some ways, and it reaches the people who it reaches. It also brings you things that you might like in life, and that’s important.”
“When I am making TV and film, I am thinking about who is going to watch it, what they are going to think and how they are going to feel, and how I can encourage all that. With music, I wanted to make something from me and release it into the world, and it did feel like a release, where I just let go. It was totally cathartic,” he explained.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for 20 years, and I almost tried to do it 20 years ago, but it didn’t quite work, and I sort of gave up on it a bit. This is me reclaiming that dream a bit,” he added.
Advice for hopefuls who wish to go into the entertainment field
For young and aspiring actors and singers, he said, “I am always encouraging them to enjoy what they are doing at the moment rather than thinking of it as a platform or a springboard for another job. Uncertainty is definitive always, and you will only have the choices that are in front of you.”
“You need to be authentic to yourself in each moment, and make the most out of what you are doing, really,” he added. “Enjoy it and commit to it. Be present and have perseverance.”
Breakthrough EP ‘Songs For You’
His highly-anticipated debut EP, “Songs For You,” will be released on October 15 via Label Logic, and it will be distributed by Ingrooves.
On the song selection process for the new EP, he said, “It was a body of work that all seemed connected thematically in terms of the five songs that eventually made it on the EP. They have a line of hopefulness to them. Also, there were songs that looked at things from more than one perspective.”
“I am always looking for balance in the dark and light in everything. I find stories about hope that have struggle in them so I am tempted to try and express something about them,” he added.
The lead single “11:11” earned a glowing review from Digital Journal. “11:11” is available on digital service providers by clicking here. “Honestly, the video was one of the most rewarding, creative experiences,” he said.
The video features actress Evan Rachel Wood. “I wanted to use people in the video that I’ve worked with before,” he said. “I wanted to use acting and storytelling in the video.”
“11:11” has been well-received by fans, listeners, and viewers. “Watching people do ice dancing routines to the song or pole dancing, or drawing sketches from the video, and being encouraged to be creative, is a huge reward,” he acknowledged.
Dream duets
Barnes shared that he would love to do a dream duet with such legendary artists as the late Whitney Houston, Etta James, Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway, and Freddie Mercury. “Whitney was always one of my heroes,” he said. “I’ve always liked big vocalists with big, interesting voices. These are some artists that have captured me in music.”
“I love duets and I’ve always loved duet albums,” he added.
“Songs For You” is available for pre-order on digital service providers by clicking here. “I hope this album makes people feel hopeful and I hope it encourages them to listen to things in more than one way, and look at situations in their lives from the other person’s perspective and practice empathy, and be true to themselves and know that whatever they are dealing with, will turn out all right,” he said.
Barnes defined the word success as “feeling content and at ease with yourself.” “The bonus includes happiness, which I believe is like a place where you can visit, but it’s not a place where you get and you can stay there, that’s not how life works. Contentment is something where you can feel at ease with yourself and at ease in the world,” he concluded.
For more information on actor and singer Ben Barnes, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
