Canadian Shawn Ashmore talks his role in ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’

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TORONTO – When Shawn Ashmore arrived on set for the first day of filming “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” he couldn’t help but grin.

The Canadian actor played Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman, in the first three instalments of the popular X-Men series in the 2000s. When the story changed course with 2011’s “X-Men: First Class,” a prequel featuring all-new actors, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever reprise his role again.

“When I got that call and we were all on set again for the first time, I could not help but look around and grin and be excited,” he said in a phone interview. “And be like, ‘I cannot believe we’re back doing this again.’ We’re in our costumes, we’re about to go shoot a huge action sequence. It’s incredible.”

“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” available this week on DVD and iTunes, linked the two timelines by sending Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the 1970s to prevent an event that results in destruction of both humans and mutants. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy reprise their roles as the young Magneto and Professor X, while Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are their older selves.

Ashmore, a 35-year-old actor who hails from Richmond, B.C., praised the decision to combine the original and new stars of the franchise into one film. (Critics have also embraced the concept: “Days of Future Past” still holds a coveted 91 per cent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.)

“I thought that was a very interesting and smart way to continue telling this story. I think there are people that love the trilogy films and want to see those characters continue. There are obviously people that love the younger versions and finding out the mythology of these characters and where they’ve come from. So I think the combination of that made for an epic story,” he said.

Ashmore recalled being floored when he was first cast in 2000’s “X-Men.” Prior to nabbing the Iceman role, his most notable part was starring in young adult sci-fi series “Animorphs.”

“It was huge. I was so excited,” he said. “I grew up reading comic books, I grew up reading ‘X-Men,’ I was a huge fan of (director) Bryan Singer’s work from ‘The Usual Suspects.’ I knew that I was going to get to play across from Anna Paquin, an Oscar winner. So it was this huge culmination of exciting things for me.”

He added he never could have imagined he would still be playing Iceman — a mutant able to freeze anything around him and turn his body into ice — more than a decade later.

“I really didn’t think that far ahead. I thought, ‘Oh, this will be a couple scenes in a big movie, and it’ll be a good boost for me and a great opportunity.’ But I could not have possibly guessed that all these years later I would still be playing the character.”

Ashmore, whose twin brother Aaron is also an actor known for “Smallville” and “Warehouse 13,” said the original X-Men cast has grown extremely close over the years. He is especially tight with Paquin, who plays his love interest Rogue.

“We spent so many years together on set, travelling or promoting the films, that there is an automatic bond. Any ‘X-Men’ actor that I run into anywhere, we automatically have sort of a grin, because we’re back together again. And that’s what it felt like coming back for this film.”

As for whether Iceman will return in the next movie, titled “X-Men: Apocalypse” and set to open in 2016, Ashmore says he doesn’t know yet.

“I found out about ‘Days of Future Past’ probably about a month or two before I started shooting… I tend to find out about these things last minute, so I have no idea if it’s even possible for my character to be a part of the new film or not, just based on the storyline,” he said.

“I don’t know. I was excited by the potential to play the new character again and be a part of these films with everybody, but I honestly don’t know yet. I’ll hold my breath until I hear.”

— Follow @ellekane on Twitter.

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