Eric Bana was picked to star in 'The Time Traveler's Wife' because of his "obvious decency".
Decent guy, Eric Bana - "The Time Traveler's Wife" New York City Premiere - Arrivals - The Ziegfeld Theater, 141 West 54th Street - New York City, NY, USA © Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos
The Australian actor - who plays Henry DeTamble, a man who involuntarily travels through time - was chosen for the romantic film because of his homely nature.
Director Robert Schwentke revealed: "We sat down with Eric and were taken by his obvious decency. He's very grounded, a very committed family man.
"We felt those qualities would enrich Henry's character, because we were adamant about Henry not feeling like a victim."
The film follows Henry's marriage to a girl called Clare - played by Rachel McAdams - and the difficulties his constant passages through time present for the couple.
Eric, 41, said he was wary of how the film - adapted from a novel by Audrey Niffenegger - could be adapted for the screen, and worried how fans of the book would react.
Referring to his earlier sci-fi summer blockbuster, 'Star Trek', he said: "I was just joking yesterday that I'm way more scared of 'Time Traveler's Wife' fans than 'Star Trek' fans.
"You're adapting a much longer novel, and it's a really difficult novel to adapt. I was very concerned."
Rachel, 30, accepted elements of the book would be dropped from the film as long as it didn't detract from the central love story.
She told USA Today newspaper: "Yeah, it is scary to attempt it and it's going to be different and you'll lose some things along the way, but can you maintain the point? This was about the love between them. I think that's what the book is about, too."
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