15 Michael Hirst Quotes for You to Enjoy

Michael Hirst

English Writer

Born: Sep 21, 1952

Love Me People Think Writing You

Related authors: Arthur C. Clarke D. H. Lawrence Douglas Adams Gilbert K. Chesterton John Ruskin Ricky Gervais Rudyard Kipling Thomas Paine

The Vikings certainly didn't write anything about themselves; it was not a literate, but rather a pagan, culture. So what we get was written later by Christian monks. But there were occasional reportings and recordings of people who had traded usually with the Vikings. Michael Hirst

For 'Vikings,' we have to do so much outside shooting, and it's normally - I think with American shows, it'll be 60 or 70 percent inside and a little bit outside, but with us, it's almost 70 percent outside, and that's huge and really difficult. Michael Hirst

Difficult Think Bit Inside Percent Outside Almost Huge Normally American Shooting Little Little Bit Us Much Really Shows

I've found that using historical material and being rooted in historical material is liberating because I always think to myself, 'Well, this actually happened, and this is fantastic!' That's why I don't like fantasy, in a way. Because it's sort of in emptiness. Michael Hirst

When you're a screenwriter working on a film, you're not really even welcome on set, even if you know... When I wrote 'Elizabeth' and Shekhar Kapur was a friend of mine, but I wasn't really welcome on set, because the director is God and it's a very difficult position for a screenwriter who's put so much passion into that, into the writing. Michael Hirst

God You Director Welcome Writing Passion Difficult Mine Put Know Wrote Because Friend Very Screenwriter Much Really Working Even Film Elizabeth Set Position

When you're making a TV drama, the showrunner is God, and so however onerous and difficult and consuming that responsibility is, you're being treated with respect, so it changes your whole outlook to the production. You're being asked about costumes, set design, music, every aspect of the show. Michael Hirst

Music God You Respect Responsibility Design Difficult Every Changes Drama TV About Costumes Outlook Consuming Making However Being Asked Aspect Production Your Show Whole Treated Set

My instinct is to absolutely recoil when talking about writing in a mechanistic way. Nothing could be dumber than writing a film or TV script based on prescriptions, on other peoples' ideas of what character should be. Michael Hirst

I got interested in the Vikings, and then you realize that there isn't much to be read about them because they did not write their history. It was written by hostile witnesses, by Christian monks and so on. From what I could see and understand, I was really excited about it. I loved their culture and loved their gods. Michael Hirst

History You Culture Christian See About Could Write Hostile Written Excited Read Because Understand Witnesses Got Did Gods Loved Interested Them Realize Then Much Really Monks

With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people interesting and, to a point, sympathetic. Michael Hirst

People Point Had Making Task Interesting Sympathetic

The American obsession with 'Downton' amuses me slightly because it's such a fiction. I've always been questioned about my historical veracity, and 'Downton' just flies past, when it's completely made up. Michael Hirst

Me Made Past Slightly About Obsession Because Veracity Always Been Questioned Historical Up American Just Fiction Flies

TV drama - not always, but on the whole - were pretty appalling and very secondary, too. No one expected it to be like watching a movie; that was the point. But I think when you start watching 'Vikings,' it is like watching a movie - you're taken somewhere else. Michael Hirst

You Somewhere Think Too Secondary Drama Else TV Pretty Point Somewhere Else No-One Taken Like Always Were Very Expected Movie Appalling Whole Start Watching

You have to create characters - certainly in series TV - who people engage with. They don't have to be nice; you don't have to agree with them. But they do have to be compulsively watchable and believable and human, and you want to know what happens to them. Michael Hirst

You People Be Nice Nice Characters TV Know Human Want Happens Them Create Engage Certainly Who Agree Series Believable

First episodes are difficult things to write. Michael Hirst

First Difficult Write Episodes Things Difficult Things

I wasn't setting out to write a documentary; if I had, I would have done it in a completely different way. I was asked to write a drama that would appeal to a big audience in America that had no knowledge or interest in The Tudors at all. Michael Hirst

Knowledge Big Setting Drama Way Out Would Write Had Documentary Audience America Done Different Interest Asked Appeal Different Way

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