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Getting Into Character as the Queen of Spain: Rachel Weisz plays a woman in contemporary times dying of cancer as well as a gorgeous Spanish Queen, complete with elaborate period costumes. “It was great because I got to be Queen. I've never been a Queen before, and I had this incredible dress. I mean, this dress was incredible. It took about two hours to put on with the corsets, the bones, the skirts, the under-skirts and the wig and the crown.”
Weisz’ Queen costume weighed about 35 pounds. “It was very, very heavy, and then I would walk to set in these very high heels underneath,” said Weisz. “An assistant director would always say into his walkie talkie, 'The Queen is coming! The Queen is coming!' He was very, very serious, too.
On the set of the Queen's Court, it was so beautiful. There were a million candles in this room, and she's in a cage and Hugh just looked very hot in his conquistador outfit, I thought. It was just incredibly romantic, this story. This Queen, who is secretly in love with her conquistador, sends him off on a mission for the tree of life. I mean, what a thing to do, to get up in the morning and tell that story? It was really something to do.”
The Status of The Mummy: Rumors have been circulating for quite a while that there will be a third Mummy film. Addressing the possibility of another Mummy movie, Weisz said she hopes to be involved. “I’d like to get the family back together,” said Weisz, adding, “There is a script. I haven’t read it and there isn’t a director at the moment.”
Other Future Projects: “I did a film with [Asian director] Wong Kar Wai called My Blueberry Nights, his first English language film. We shot it in Memphis. I play David Strathairn's wife. He's an alcoholic cop and we have a very, very messed up relationship. We brawl in bars (laughing).
Making the film was an amazing experience. Wong is definitely a genius. He's definitely a poet. He's like Darren. He's an auteur. He makes movies that no one else could have made. It's their vision, and it's kind of visionary. They don't look like other people's movies. I don't know if it's different because he's Asian or just because he's who he is. He is just a law unto himself. He's a very unique, visionary director. The lead is Norah Jones, her first acting role and she does an amazing job. She’s traveling across America and she’s heartbroken and she works in bars and diners, and witnesses different stories. I’m a messed up ex-Southern belle, good time girl not having a very good time. I have a very tragic love story and Norah Jones witnesses the story about me and partner.”
Rachel Weisz on Choosing Roles: “I haven’t really changed what I want to do which is to keep telling different stories. I’d been wanting to do a comedy for a long time and I just did a role in a comedy. I’ve been really wanting to do that because that is a newish colour to me. …It’s called Definitely, Maybe and Adam Brooks wrote and directed it and it was shot in New York. It’s with Ryan Reynolds and he has three different girlfriends: he has me and Isla Fisher and Elizabeth Banks. And he has a daughter – Abigail [Breslin] from Little Miss Sunshine. Her father is divorced and she goes back to the 90s to tell the story, to try to guess which one could be her mum. It’s a romantic comedy and it’s a boy-meets-girl who gets divorced. The girl tries to guess who the mother is… It’s a cute story.”
