I ask him if it felt like a metaphor for the Hollywood industry as a whole, this set of great actors (that also includes Toby Jones and This is England’s Johnny Harris) playing the dwarves, with the beautiful people playing the leads.

“Not really, not with any feeling of resentment,” he says. “First of all, Charlize [Theron, who plays the Queen with a fear of growing old] is much more than just beautiful, she’s a very accomplished actress, and she’s terrifying in the film. Kristen’s a very lovely girl, and she’s very, very conscientious. She’s one of the boys. Those separate levels disappear when you’re working together.

“I understand your metaphor but it’s just the way the business is. Making a film is like a ghost train ride. The audience sits on the train with the protagonist, and that character becomes quite neutral in a way, they almost disappear, because the story’s being seen through their eyes. My career is playing the guys who go boo, that’s what I do.”

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