James Griffin: A short act of negotiation

James Griffin. Photo / Dean Purcell

Transcript of the first actual, face-to-face meeting between Sir Peter Jackson (SPJ) and a representative of Actors' Equity (AE) to discuss the dispute over terms and conditions on the proposed feature film, The Hobbit.

AE: First of all, thank you for agreeing to talk to us.

SPJ: No, first of all, I agreed to talk to you ages ago, so it should be me thanking you for now agreeing to talk to me.

AE: No, we said we wanted to talk to you first, that's all we've ever said we wanted, so we should thank you.

SPJ: No, you told everyone else you wanted to talk to me but when I wanted to talk to you, you didn't talk to me, so the thanking must be done by me or, quite frankly, this meeting is over. I'm a busy man, you want me to listen to you, then talk to me - what do you want to talk to me about?

AE: Terms and conditions. It's not about money. Well, unless you count money as a term or a condition - but we'll get to that later.

SPJ: Okay, fine, terms and conditions, got that - but can you be more specific, please?

AE: We want better ones. Or more of them - but, like I say, we'll get to that later. We just want to be heard, Sir Peter, to be heard and treated with respect.

SPJ: Good for you, but can you give me some examples of these terms and conditions you seek and how, specifically, they relate to The Hobbit?

AE: Oh. Right. Well, just to start on the ground floor, as it were, we want shoes.

SPJ: Sorry?

AE: For the actors playing hobbits in The Hobbit, we feel they should have shoes. A lack of shoes in the workplace is not only potentially dangerous for an actor, in terms of stubbed or even broken toes, but it undermines their status on set when actors playing other characters have really cool boots to stride around in.

SPJ: But hobbits aren't actually known for wearing shoes. In fact, in the book, they are rather noted for their feet and their lack of shoes.

AE: That's in the book, Sir Peter. I'm sure you're well aware of the difference between a book and the filmic adaptation of the book.

SPJ: Yeah, I do kinda have an Oscar on my mantelpiece that says I do know this difference.

AE: Okay, maybe the shoes weren't the best place to start. Because what actors really want, Sir Peter, apart from to be listened to, is opportunities to display our craft, our talents - to be taken seriously as performers ...

SPJ: With the right amount of terms and conditions.

AE: Yes, yes, we'll get back to that, but all we're asking for here, apart from the listening thing, is a chance to be seen. For instance, in The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins sets out on a quest with a whole bunch of dwarves, right? No offence to dwarves and to dwarf actors - that guy from In Bruges is awesome - but do they all have to be dwarves? There are, what, 13 of the little guys, right? How about we mix them up a bit to make them more a reflection of the New Zealand acting community? There can be some dwarves but the rest of the gang should be made up of taller actors. And women actors too, because it's very boys' club at the moment, Peter. You hear what I'm saying?

SPJ: You want me to completely rewrite Tolkien's book, is what I hear you saying.

AE: We just want to be heard, Peter, and seen, as I mentioned before. And the full range and depth of New Zealand acting talent can't really be seen or heard, on the world stage, in a film full of dwarves, can it?

SPJ: Hmm, intriguing. Now that I've heard you, I will consider what I have heard.

AE: Look, I think I see where you're going when you say that and you should know that we feel strongly that any terms and conditions that apply to human actors should also apply to completely computer-generated actors.

SPJ: The terms and conditions you're after.

AE: The better ones.

SPJ: I hear you. And I'll think about it. I'll think about it on my jet, as I'm flying to the Czech Republic, to scout locations for my new film, The Hobbit.