Ben Barnes

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Imagine being a struggling actor plucked from near-obscurity to star in a blockbuster movie franchise that will make billions. That’s what London-bred Ben Barnes, 26, is experiencing, thanks to his breakthrough starring role as Prince Caspian in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” the second movie in a series based on the popular C.S. Lewis novels. Before getting his big break in “Prince Caspian,” Barnes had a small role in the 2007 fantasy movie “Stardust” and had a theater background (including a stint in the West End production of “The History Boys"), but “Prince Caspian” has vaulted Barnes to a whole new level of fame. (He’s also signed on to do the next two “Narnia” films, and he stars with Jessica Biel and Colin Firth in the 2009 romantic comedy “Easy Virtue.”) Barnes recently spent time with myLifetime.com and chatted about what he thinks about being made into a Prince Caspian action figure, his unforgettable “Spinal Tap” moment on the set and why you’ll never see him be in a boy band again.

Who was the first person you called when you found out you got the part in “Prince Caspian”?

The first person was my mum. And she was, if it’s possible, even more excited than I was.

You had to take some last-minute lessons in sword-fighting and horseback riding, so what advice would you give to anyone who has to take sudden training in these areas?

I’m probably the worst person to ask to give advice to anyone in that scenario. But [my advice would be] you’ve got to jump in head first. You’ve really got to go for it. And if you’re doing horses, buy some padded cycling shorts. [He laughs]

What was one of the funniest things that happened on the “Prince Caspian” set?

There was a one scene where I get woken up by Dr. Cornelius, [Caspian’s] tutor. It’s the first time [in the movie] you see me as Caspian, and Dr. Cornelius puts his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming; he wakes me up and he helps me escape me from the castle. And Andrew Adamson, the [“Prince Caspian”] director, came in and he said to everyone, “That was good, but we need to change something with the lights and we need to do it again.” And he was very convincing. So I went back into bed and shut my eyes, and I could feel these lips on my mouth. And I was thinking, “If this is my professor kissing me, I’m going to be furious.” But it turned out to be the director’s assistant, who’s a very pretty lady. So it was actually OK in the end. But there were pranks aplenty.

What about any “This Is Spinal Tap” moments with unintentional mishaps?

There was a day when they invited some journalists onto the set. You know the bit in the movie when they had us flying with gryphons? … I was on these wires next to Peter Dinklage [who plays Trumpkin in the movie], hoisted up by my ankles and shoulders, and holding a sword. And for some reason, Andrew likes to use a lot of music to set the theme … mood music … For some reason, Andrew was blasting out this rock music when we were hanging on these wires, and I was playing a bit of air guitar on my sword. And I looked over at Peter Dinklage, in full makeup, doing the same thing.

And all of the journalists are sort of lining up, watching us, just hanging … we were supposed to fly in and as your feet get released, you’re supposed to land. But the very first time, they didn’t release my feet, so I went headfirst, straight in. And the journalists were behind this wall, and I went crashing down and all they heard was this thud and this: “Ow!” And my face was grazed against the stone. And that felt a little bit like “Spinal Tap.”

What do you think you’d be doing with your life if you weren’t an actor?

I directed a lot of plays at university. That kind of thing really interests me. I write bits and pieces of stories but I never have the patience to see them through. I did music when I was younger — jazz singing. I used to sing in a function band, Stevie Wonder, things like that. All the career paths I would’ve chosen were just as precarious, so I think I’m in the right one, where I can actually pretend to be somebody else.