Neil Gaiman's 'Stardust' Finally Comes To Big Screen, Thanks To 'Layer Cake' Director (http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1562691/20070618/story.jhtml)
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By Jennifer Vineyard
Gaiman was also initially reticent about expanding the role of the sky-pirate ship captain, called Captain Alberic in the book and Captain Shakespeare in the film; he's played by Robert De Niro.
"It was one of the only things I was really nervous about," Gaiman said. "Not that I was nervous about him — he's marvelous. But I was nervous about what they did to him." Gaiman refers to the decision to make the character comic relief by turning him into a cross-dresser who teaches the story's hero, Tristan, how to fight with a sword.