Marsh told the UK arts and entertainment writer Pierre de Villiers that his movie would have lived or died by the quality of the actor playing Spud. “He (Sivan) is in every scene and his ability to draw us in and make us care is key to its success. Troye was a revelation – incredibly talented with an amazing singing voice. He lights up the screen and brings an honesty and intelligence to everything he does.
It’s not only the director of the adaptation of John van der Ruit’s coming of age novel Spud that has flattering words for Sivan. Award winning British actor John Cleese, best known for his role as Basil Faulty in the comedy series Faulty Towers has even nicer things to say.
In this month’s Indwe magazine, inflight magazine of the SA Express Airways, he exclusively tells Amanda de Lange Sivan knows more about acting than anyone has any right to know at the age of 13.
“Troye Sivan is adorable. I am negotiating to adopt him from his mother, but she has turned down an offer of $4 million,” he says with a laugh. “He is a very smart boy, yet he is extraordinary nice and funny and modest. He made suggestions for scenes and I thought where did that come from; how did he know that? And yet he is completely with his feet on the ground. So he is a marvelous little human being.”
Cleese said he has very seldom come across a script as good as Spud. “You read it and your reaction is quite authentic. This is so good; I want to be out there. It is as simple as that. I think it is the amount of variation in the story that I found so wonderful. There were very touching moments and there were very sad moments and kind of disturbing moments when young Spud is trying to make himself popular and then the whole thing is diffused by humour. And of course, there are some interesting eccentric characters with the private school that is the breeding ground for that.”
As Spud continues to vow audiences, Marsh is looking to the future with the possibility of a couple of big-screen sequels based on the two other Spud books. But the proof will be in the pudding. “The SA film industry is only as healthy as its ability to sustain itself,” he says.
That translated means if Spud is supported at the box office, we will see more Spud movies – without any doubt.