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Sir Ben Kingsley went into The Thursday Murder Club relatively blind. “I didn’t know the book and I didn’t know my fellow cast members,” he says. “All I knew that it was Chris Columbus.”Adapting a novel, he continues, “is a monumentally difficult task. Don’t underestimate this.”
In the Netflix murder mystery film set a retirement home, now streaming, Kingsley plays Dr. Ibrahim Arif, a soft-spoken former psychiatrist. At 81, the Oscar-winning actor is the oldest member of the starry cast that includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Celia Imrie. Here, he spoke with Town & Country all about The Thursday Murder Club, playing Ibrahim, and why audiences love murder mysteries so much.
Kingsley, second from left, with his costars Celia Imrie, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan. Courtesy of Netflix
What drew you to this project?
So many things now are not character driven, they’re plot driven and characters are invented to serve the plot. But this is the reverse. We the characters drive the film and create the plot. The plot doesn’t drag us along with it. So when I read the script and of course joined dear Chris in rehearsal and my colleagues, it was clear that this was a celebration of character, not necessarily of plot. Well, of course the plot’s important, but the people are very important.
What did you connect with most about the character of Ibrahim?
I hope I have his quality of listening. I hope I have his quality of empathy. I hope I have his authority and I hope I have his kindness.
The Thursday Murder Club is based on Richard Osman’s novel of the same name. How much do you turn to the book versus the film script as you prepared for the role?
The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel
I start with the script and I studied the script very carefully and see if I can define a genuine pattern of human behavior. If I can’t, it’s better I don’t do the film. If I can, as I did with Ibrahim, and so much so that I could invent it a whole backstory going back to when he was born and where he was born, then it’s a joy to inhabit that character and that journey because it’s a sharing of the human condition. It’s human; this film has a heart.
What were some bits of Ibrahim’s backstory that guided you?
I won’t divulge them, but they do involve loss and displacement.
How does your personal backstory for the character inform your choices on set?
It guides me. It guides Ibrahim to be, as he says, “If you want to be alone, you close your door. If you want company, you leave your door open.” What better recipe for happiness. That’s beautiful philosophy, perfect piece of philosophy. There are some gems in screenplays, and of course in plays, that one can keep in one’s pocket forever, and that’s one of them.
What has working on a film that centers themes of aging and retirement made you reflect about your own career?
Kingsley, far right, with his castmates. Courtesy Netflix
I’m not by nature very reflective, but I do sense perhaps the possibility of something entering my life, which I could loosely call wisdom, and that’s quite a surprise. I never thought of myself as a wise person, but I might be. And if there’s anybody listening, I might be worth listening to.
I can’t really give advice because not everybody is as blessed as I have been to find my perfect place in my tribe and in the universe, which is that of a storyteller and an actor. Not everybody’s that blessed, but if you can find something, however tiny, please hold onto it. It will grow and it will sustain you.
Why do you think audiences are so drawn to murder mysteries? Is it because we know there will be a satisfying ending?
It’s not only the satisfying ending, it’s with any conundrum that needs solving that’s part of a film or play—the audience can’t watch passively. They have to be engaged because the very nature of the plot thread, if I may use the word plot, demands that you pay attention, but audiences love to pay attention. They love their heart to beat slightly faster and for their intelligence to be complimented rather than insulted. I think this film ticks all the boxes.
The Thursday Murder Club is now streaming on Netflix. Watch now
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