Colin Firth's no direction

12-09-2008 13:30

Colin Firth would never direct a film because it is "too much like hard work".The 'Mamma Mia!' star said he has no desire to follow in the footsteps of his 'Then She Found Me' co-star Helen Hunt, who also directs the romantic-comedy.He said: "I don't want to direct myself, it's just too much like hard work. I wouldn't just change my job description for the hell of it." The 48-year-old actor also revealed how difficult it was to work with children on the set of the film, an adaptation of Elinor Lipman's novel.He added: "This thing about not working children and animals isn't just a mindless adage, there's some wisdom in it."It's not because they're impossible but you're dealing with a kid of about four, and their needs are nothing to do with the filmmaker's needs. They're not going to time it conveniently, filmmaking does not happen to a schedule, you don't shoot something because you feel like it and you're ready, you shoot something because the camera guy is ready, the circumstances are right, the light is right and the producer is looking at his watch. That's why you shoot it. A four year old is very, very unlikely to have a temperament that's compatible with any of that."And so the chances are you're going to have people there who just ask a child to do that thing, now, and get going again. Also because you're going to lose them in a few minutes because of all the rules.