I think that there was a freedom, not that it was accepted, but somewhat more accepted because of just the artistic front that was happening in the 30s. And even though people never talked about it, it was definitely lived. I think today that has definitely changed because people are talking about it. But I think that anything like that, anything on the human basis that those three people go through, I think is timeless. I think in 100 years from now, no matter where we are, if we’re still around, we’ll still be struggling with the same things.
You think we’ll still be struggling with gay rights and other issues?
I do. I think that any love, the meaning of life, what we’re here for, I think it’s just in our individual nature to always question these things. I don't think we’re ever going to be a society that’s just going to be okay with everything. There’s no pleasing everybody.
How was working with Penelope Cruz?
Amazing. If she called me tomorrow, I would do anything with her. In my next life, I want to come back as her, as a Latino girl, because I think they have way more fun than any of us. She’s incredible. She’s an incredible actor and it was so important for that [to work]. Sometimes - most of the time - you only have to deal with the fact that there’s one love interest. And in this, it was so important to have the three of us have great chemistry with each other.
There are a lot of days where you have to just kind of be open. There’s a scene, and it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, where she has to do this dance for us, which is just one of the hardest things to do as an actor. Not only are you putting on a show for the people watching the movie, but you’re putting a show on for the people in the movie. And I just had such admiration for how she dealt with that and how well she pulled that off, and how much fun she had with everything.
How much time did you and Stuart work on this movie separately?
Not that much. We kind of dived into it together. Rehearsals, we were always together. I mean, John always made himself available for us one-on-one if we wanted to. But I love hearing other actors talk about their characters and playing off that. It’s not an isolated experience for me as an actor. I find it much easier if I can sit at a table with actors and just talk about it.
Would you come to set when it was just a Stuart day?
Oh no. I take my off days. I was shopping.
How much location shooting was there, versus set shooting?
We shot for about…maybe seven weeks in Montreal and then Stuart and the rest of the gang shot for about two weeks in London. And then we were in Paris for, I think, three weeks doing exteriors in both those places. We did some exteriors in Montreal as well. Paris was amazing. Unfortunately, we shot a scene at Sacré-Cœur on our last night [and] it didn’t make the film, which was really sad. But that was just incredible to just have that entire church closed down. It was two in the morning and just kind of watching the view and shooting the scene. It was pretty spectacular, and then having your wrap party right there was really nice, very special.
Did any movies or characters influence your development on this?
I watched a lot of movies like “Little Foxes,” just great Bette Davis [films]. She was such a strong, vivacious, in your face, conflicted character. And there was a way about her speech and the way she walked into a room that I really liked, so I watched a lot of her movies.
What’s going on with producing?
I’m producing a film next year called “The Ice At the Bottom of the World” with Kimberly Peirce directing. Bob Berney and all those guys from Newmarket [are] financing it and distributing it.
What’s it about?
It’s a family drama. It’s about a man who comes home after 30 years of being in the Navy and having to kind of readjust with his family after being away for so long.
Are you and Stuart looking for more projects to do together?
No. This came very organically. It wasn’t planned. It was something that he was going to go and do and the way of the world turned out that the actress didn’t do it. There was a shot for me to do it. I think if something like that was to happen again where material kind of fell into our laps that way and we felt, like I said earlier, where we feel that the fact that we are in a relationship can actually add something to the material instead of just, “Come and watch Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend on screen,” then I’m totally open for it. I love working with him. Putting aside that I’m biased and he’s my boyfriend, I think he’s a phenomenal actor, and I’m always up for working with good actors.
