Rhys Ifans on Playing Parkinson's in 'Onwards and Sideways'

Rhys Ifans spent weeks learning to "wear the Parkinson's costume" for his lead role in Onwards and Sideways, which opened in U.K. cinemas on Friday. The film, directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) and written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011, follows Tony, a primary school teacher told by a doctor he has "five good years" before the disease takes over his life.

At the same clinic, musician Emma, played by Laura Linney, receives the same diagnosis. The story tracks both characters as they come to terms with a condition that, as they know, will only worsen.

Less than a year after I Swear explored Tourette's Syndrome on screen, Onwards and Sideways aims to do the same for Parkinson's. The film is by turns moving, upsetting and frequently funny, and it surfaces aspects of the disorder most viewers know little about — including compulsive spending and gambling among the side-effects of medication.

What did the preparation involve?

Ifans, known for Notting Hill, Mr Nice and a BAFTA TV award for playing Peter Cook in Not Only But Always, described the responsibility as unlike anything in his 30-year career.

"We were representing a vast worldwide demographic of people who live with Parkinson's day by day, and will live with it for the rest of their lives," he told Variety. "So there was no question that we had to do everything in our power to make the portrayal as authentic, real and tangible as possible."

His preparation included:

• Devouring the entire back catalogue of the podcast Movers and Shakers, on which writer Mayhew-Archer appears, while driving across England and Wales.
• Two to three weeks of work with two neurophysiotherapists, Laura and Anna, from the group Neuro Heroes, before filming began.
• Attending a dance class for people with Parkinson's in North Wales, with a harpist and a support dog present.

The process was, by his own account, intimidating. "We mapped it all out and it was daunting and frightening. Both Laura and I wanted to run away," Ifans said. "But slowly, it starts to fit. You begin to wear the Parkinson's costume, if you like."

Linney, whom Ifans called "literally heaven-sent," attended similar dance classes at Juilliard. "I wouldn't have been able to achieve what we've achieved here without Laura and me being able to make ourselves completely available to each other in a way I've never experienced before," he said. "We had to be able to say to each other, very early on, how frightened we were about entering into this."

How much do audiences misunderstand the disease?

Ifans said there are up to 40 Parkinson's symptoms, and counting. His character Tony does not shake; he freezes and cannot move forward. Medication side-effects, the film shows, range from gambling and sex addiction to constipation. "You're constantly trying to stay on top of symptoms that could literally floor you," Ifans said.

The actor drew on personal history for the role: his father was a primary school teacher, and Ifans remembered his final day at school. "The film is twofold: it's an homage to the courage of people with Parkinson's, but equally an homage to great teachers," he said.

He also praised co-star Monica Dolan — "like the cavalry... a master craftswoman" — and noted that Richard Curtis, a friend of Mayhew-Archer, joined the actors for lunch during rehearsals. Ifans described Curtis as "Christmas in trousers."

Ifans believes cinema is uniquely placed to explain illness, citing a line from the film: "You need to know the person behind the symptoms." Everyone he has spoken to after screenings, he said, has left knowing more about Parkinson's. "For me, that's job done."