Fame means leaving baby behind

Press, 6 May 1987, Page 17

Fame means leaving baby behind

Julian Sands is one of that rare breed among actors — a born romantic hero. Spectacularly goodlooking, with his thick blond hair and piercing blue eyes, he combines sensuality with strength, tenderness with just a suggestion of ruthlessness. The total devastating effect was released on cinema audiences when he was cast as George Emerson in the film, “A Room With A View” — Ismail Merchant and James Ivory’s beautifully interpreted screen version of E. M. Forster’s novel.

George, who woos and eventually wins Lucy Honeychurch (played by the striking young actress,

Helena Bonham Carter) is the embodiment of the dream hero who is rarely found in flesh and blood. “A Room With A View,” awarded both British and Hollywood Academy Awards, has been a runaway artistic and boxoffice success — a rare combination. But the fame it has brought to Julian Sands has changed his life, leaving him emotionally deprived as ambition drives him to build on his success by moving to America. And his wife, Sarah, left behind in London with their baby son, Henry, says: “There’s no chance of us getting back together.” He was by no means inexperienced when the Merchant-Ivory team chose him to play Emerson. He had already worked on such prestigious films as "The Killing Fields.” But “A Room With A View” is the one that made him a star.

“My ambition when I was young was to be in films, and I have now achieved that,” he says. “But if I hadn’t become an actor, I could have been lots of other things. Once my curiosity is aroused, I am very hardworking.

“I could have become a teacher, been a painter and decorator or worked in the City, I could also have gone into the law or become a professional footballer. “I don’t think I’ve been VERY good at a single thing, but I’m quite good at a lot of things.” At the time when “A Room With A View” began filling cinemas all over the world, Julian was

living happily with Sarah and Henry — then just a few months old —- in a basement flat in a large old house in London. The couple had worked tirelessly on it, with Julian doing everything from tiling the kitchen floor to putting up shelves. The flat was filled with lovely pieces of furniture, pottery and pictures, as well as rocks and fossils which Julian had found on archaeological sites. Until they had an au pair, he did his share of looking after Henry when Sarah was at work as a journalist. ‘T’ve given him his food, changed him, taken him for a walk with other babies and their mothers, and for check-ups at the clinic.” he revealed

proudly. “I’ve enjoyed it.” The change came, according to Sarah, when he was making the film “Siesta,” with Jodie Foster and Grace Jones.

“He wants to be a big star,” she said when their separation became public. “He had been happy working on quality films in Europe, and was planning to do a new film, “Maurice,” with the Mer-chant-Ivory team. But when he came back, he decided it wasn’t wild enough for him.” Julian had, in fact, already worked on a film, soon to be seen, which could be described as extravagant if not actually wild. It is Ken Russell’s fantasy, “Gothic,” about a week-end of drug-induced insanity at the poet By-

ron’s Italian lakeside villa. Sands plays his friend Shelley in a production which is bound to be controversial, given Russell’s bizarre reputation. Whether his decision to pack his bags and go to America proves to be a clever one from the career standpoint remains to be seen. He has already turned down a halfmillion dollar offer to be Madonna’s leading man in her next film.

Personally, however, the break has been traumatic, particularly because it means being separated from his son Henry. “The parting was mutual, and would have happened with or without my career,” he insists. Family life has given way to a nomadic existence in which he lives out of a suitcase but music and reading are still great sources of pleasure to him. “If I had a lot of money, there isn’t any single use I’d put it to,” he says. . “I’m not a spendthrift — I’ve seen too many people become completely housebound by their possessions. “After all, when you leave behind a baby, there doesn’t seem much point in taking the Rembrandts,” he adds sadly. Looking back, at 28, over his younger days, Julian reveals: “In my post-adolescent years, like many people, I was busy trying to establish how different I was from everyone else. "George Emerson, in ‘A Room With A View,’ is a pretty good representation of what I was a few years ago — I was quite volatile and excitable then. But I’ve mellowed, and it’s so nice, now I’ve got older, just to be myself." —Copyright DUO.