Stephen Fry on Playing Lena Dunham’s Holocaust Survivor Father in ‘Treasure’ and Filming at Auschwitz: ‘Nothing Can Quite Prepare You for That Experience’
variety.comK.J. Yossman Stephen Fry has been described as a “quintessential Englishman” and, thanks to his Cambridge University degree and roles in films such as “Gosford Park” and “Wilde,” he’s got a resumé to prove it.
But it turns out his latest role, as Polish Holocaust survivor Edek in the upcoming feature “Treasure,” is closer to home. Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival this month, “Treasure” sees Fry star opposite Lena Dunham (who also executive produced the project) as a father-daughter duo who return to Poland to confront their family’s tragic past.
Despite the heavy subject matter — the Julia von Heinz-directed feature shot on location in Germany and Poland, including Auschwitz — there’s comedy too.
As well as speaking Polish throughout the movie (a language Fry is not fluent in) he even sings karaoke in it. Fry spent last winter taking Polish lessons on Skype in between shooting Season 3 of “The Morning Show,” in which he currently guest stars. “I did quite a bit of practice,” he tells Variety. “I wanted to try and do it for real.” How did you get involved in this project? I was sent a script.
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