Prince of Persia London press conference in full, ostrich (or Austrian) racing, & Jake Gyllenhaal's body 'a piece of art'

I realise that this is the second post of the day - there's so much going on, you should just be thankful it's not the 13th! However, Geek Syndicate has published the entire London press conference, winning for themselves a giant tick on my Thank You chart. I'd also like to thank the friend for the heads up. So here are all seven videos that take you right through the event, from introductions to apologies for Jake's slightly controversial comments - for instance, saying that he'd heard that real Persian princes didn't like Jake's accent in the film, but did like the hair. And then there was something about Austrians and barbarians.



'I have been studying Parkour since I was a young child so it was really a good role for me, a perfect fit, as well as I've always really wanted to play a prince. Some people might say that I am, in a lot of ways, a princess and so I thought that playing a prince would be fitting.'



'No doubt, speaking in an English accent was the hardest part for me. I think it's daunting trying to do any service as an American to such a beautiful, fluid speechpattern that you all have and we are just barbarians in comparison... It helped being surrounded by an all - an international crew - but primarily British cast and somewhat British crew and so I would speak every day... I would get out of the car and I'd have the accent on all day and would sort of journey from one region to region around England with a different person I would talk to. And I would mimic them and sometimes I would sound like them in takes and Mike would say 'Dear boy! You don't sound right! Do it again!' 'Smashing!' That's my favourite line. 'Cut!' - that's when you know he's excited about a take. So I would say that the accent was most daunting, particularly in front of the British press.'



The ostriches... 'The most terrifying day of the shoot for me... They seem like they have eyes similar to mine but really they don't, they do dangerous stuff to you and so I would like to stop that from happening again.'



Gemma Arterton on her costume: It was quite loose 'thank goodness. You'd have got an eyeful otherwise, Jake.' 'It would've been hot' was Jake's response.



Gemma: 'I took the piss out of Jake and he took the piss out of me. We all take our work very seriously but I certainly don't take myself very seriously and I think that Jake's the same. So we had fun and I think that you definitely can see that in the film.'



Gemma tells ET a bit more about working with Jake: 'As for Gyllenhaal's body in the movie, she tells ET it was like "hugging a pillar." "It's amazing, really. He was in such amazing shape and worked very, very hard at it," Arterton says of her sexy costar. "It's like a piece of art." After a series of near kisses in the film, the actress says simply of the actual smooching scene, "It was a moment I suppose."



Talking of ostriches (or was that Austrians?) the offical Prince of Persia site has released more footage from the Mighty Ostrich Race. We are assured that no animal was hurt in the making of the film, but we're not so sure about Jake and his post-ostrich trauma.



The NYMag meanwhile has been proving the verity of Jake's medieval Persian locks and muscles - as if any were needed.


Thanks to IHJ for the Russian pic! A little different from Mayfair...