How did you choose Bob Hoskins as Mr. Micawber?
I did The Changeling with him and Hugh Grant and my wife, Elizabeth McGovern, and I was eager to work with him again. I think there’s something about Bob that kids like, and I thought he’d have a lively relationship with David. Micawber is the role that W.C. Fields famously played in the 1935 film version. How did that performance affect you? I wanted to go with a real actor as opposed to a comic. I think the relationship between the Micawbers at its most touching is proof of the value of having a real actor. Similarly with Mr. Dick — Ian McNeice — he transformed that character from the moment he arrived on the set. I wanted people to enjoy playing these parts. I wanted people to feel free to go for the comedy and the eccentricity in the characters, but I always wanted their feet on the ground and it to be psychologically truthful. What is your interpretation of Uriah Heep? Heep is interesting because he’s not so different from David. They’re both young men trying to make the best of
