INTERVIEW: Discovering the true story of Moby Dick in Animal Planet movie

Animal Planet has dramatized the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s classic whale tale, Moby Dick. The Whale: Revenge From the Deep, starring Martin Sheen as Old Thomas Nickerson, will premiere on the animal-themed channel Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m.

The story features the tale of the Essex whaling vessel, a ship that went to sea, like so many ships of the day, to try its hand at the bloody battle for the open ocean. According to a press release from Animal Planet, this was a time of many epic struggles pitting man vs. whale. The Essex faced a whale that refused to die and eventually caused the humans on board to test their limits and will to survive. Before today’s efforts to save whales and protect their habitats, these majestic creatures were in the crosshairs of sailors.

The feature film also stars John Boyega of the new Star Wars film and Attack the Block and Charles Furness of 24: Live Another Day. Furness plays a younger version of Sheen’s Nickerson character. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Furness on the whaling adventure. Answers have been slightly edited for style.

Were you a fan of Moby Dick before working on the film? Were you aware of the true story behind the tale?

No, not really. I didn’t learn about the true story of the Essex until the audition. I hadn’t even read the story of Moby Dick at school, but I had seen old versions on TV growing up. I was amazed to find out it was a true story.

How difficult was this production compared to other projects?

Well, this was actually my first profession[al] acting job, so I had nothing to compare it to. I was really thrown in at the deep end … literally.

Did you get to work a lot with Martin Sheen? Did you talk about the character together?

I didn’t work with directly Martin at all since we’re essentially the same character and didn’t film together. I did meet him during his part of the filming in England, which was an honor. He’s a [lovely] man, and he gave me some gifts, which he didn’t have to do, since he knew it was my first job as an actor. He’s a true gentleman. I love Apocalypse Now and Badlands, and he answered all of my annoying questions.

In your mind, what kind of person is Tom Nickerson?

Tom is a true innocent, he is full of ambition. But throughout the film we see many of his other qualities shine. He’s also an outsider or a ‘coof’ as people from Nantucket would call him, and this label makes him even more willing to prove he is just as capable as everyone else.

What does Tom’s story say about survival and the human spirit?

It says a lot. These men had to survive mentally, physically and emotionally — some people will judge some elements of how they survived, but until you’re forced into that situation you don’t know how you would react. These were strong men with a difficult job; they had families to feed, and to fight their ways back to. As long as you have hope and something to live for, your willingness to survive and human spirit will carry you on.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• The Whale: Revenge From the Deep premieres Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. on Animal Planet.