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Did you grow up in a Protestant or a Catholic home?

Gruffudd: Protestant. Sort of Welsh non-conformists.

Your career includes a lot of historical roles. Hornblower was fictional, but very much history-based. You were an officer on Titanic, you were Lancelot in King Arthur, and now Wilberforce. Are you a history geek?

Gruffudd: (Laughs) You know, I've wondered if I was going to be typecast throughout my career, but I keep telling people that these are just such great characters to play. I just have an affinity towards them. They are such great stories and characters, and that's what I'm interested in as an actor. And I guess I have a face and a look that sort of lends itself to period costume!

As Horatio Hornblower

Now how many Hornblower films were there?

Gruffudd: We made eight, two-hour episodes, so I guess you could regard them as a mini-series really.

And that's done?

Gruffudd: Well, it's done as far as A&E [which produced the series] are concerned, yes. They decided they didn't want to make any more. I guess it's such an expensive venture; the production value was so high. But I hope it's not done. I have a sort of burning desire to play him on the big screen one day. I think they'd make for a great trilogy of movies even—a big franchise. Maybe one day if my star keeps rising, then maybe I'll be able to get a studio behind that sort of project.

In the role of Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic

That would be fantastic. Speaking of which, you're also Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four movies, and the sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, is coming out in June. The trailer looks great; are you excited about it?

Gruffudd: I'm very excited about it. We finished the movie before Christmas, and I was very impressed with the story and the way we shot this one. It's a much better movie, I think, than the first one.

I'm glad to hear that—which is my way of saying I didn't think the first one was that great, and I think a lot of the comic book fans were disappointed?

Gruffudd: I suppose it's hard because we were introducing the characters for the first time to a broader audience. We had to go through that rigmarole of showing how our powers came to be. But I think the benefit now of having that established, we can start the story from the word go—no messing around, just straight into it. And it's a much more of a roller coaster ride in the vein of the comic books.

When you make a movie like Fantastic Four, you just want people to enjoy their popcorn and have a good time. But when you make a movie like Amazing Grace, what do you want the moviegoer to walk away with?

Gruffudd: I hope people will walk away feeling inspired—and inspired to do good things, to do good deeds. I hope people feel uplifted, and that all things are possible. So if it inspires one person, somewhere in the world—or if it's the start of a movement—to stand up for injustice, it'll be worthwhile.

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That's how acclaimed director Michael Apted describes William Wilberforce, the subject of his latest film, Amazing Grace, which opens this week.