Initial Reaction to "The Jacket" Script: "It was incredible. I just thought it was absolutely so cool and really so many things. People have asked me what it is and I said, 'Well, it’s a love story and it’s very futuristic and it’s sort of science fiction and it’s very suspenseful, and it’s kind of a thriller.' Depending on how you feel about claustrophobia, it might be scary. But I thought it was really original, basically.
I read this and I thought it’s like nothing I’ve ever read. And John Maybury, the director, is a really great friend of mine through the years so the opportunity to work with him is really tempting as well, because we’re friends. I think he’s a tremendous artist. He’s never done anything for any other reason than the art. He’s turned down a ton of work and a lot of money to do things. He’s really a true artist."
What Director Maybury Gave Her as an Actor: "Well, he gave me a lot of confidence. He laughed. My character’s very tragic but I tried to imbue her with a bit of physical comedy where people kind of snicker in a way. It’s so bad for Jean that you have to laugh. I tried to make people feel comfortable with that, and feel okay about kind of laughing. And he was cracking up and saying, 'Yeah, try that.' I fell on the ice and it’s almost like a physical comedy part with tragedy all around me.
I’m an actor who works from the outside in and he’s very specific about how he saw the way she looked. I love talking to directors about that. Some people see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, and John is that way. I’m that way, too. I’m really into the details of the movie’s moments and the character’s hair and what’s in my handbag and what’s in the backseat of my car. I go crazy. So yeah, we got into that minutia, which was great."
If Someone Offered Her a Letter Warning Her About the Future...: "I’d read it. I would read it."
The Same Letter Delivered Prior to Doing "The Jacket:" "I don’t know. Probably not, actually. That’s an interesting question. Probably not. When people have told my fortune or whatever I’ve always kind of not really listened. I don’t really want to know. But I think you still have free will and who knows what’s in the cards for us, you know? If it was possible to really know, you could still change it. It’s always up to you."
Upcoming Projects: "Well, I’ve got this amazing character, Ivan, on 'The L Word' that I play. I’ve got a few more episodes this year – I’ve done three this year. I did two last year, which I adored working with the girls and the character is so amazing. It’s the most challenging and fun thing I’ve ever done, so I’ve got more of that. And I’ve got a movie with Martin Donovan I just finished called “The Visitation.” It’s probably coming out next fall."
What is the "The Visitation:" "It’s a scary movie sort of about the second coming of Christ – or not, or yes or no…"
Choosing Scripts with Ambiguous Storylines: "I think right now in the world we’re feeling like there’s no solid ground beneath our feet, you know? I think we’re exploring this idea of the end of the American Empire, according to Hunter S. Thompson, and a lot of other things. Things are changing technologically, obviously. Things have been changing quickly. Every 10 minutes you have to get another iPod because the other one’s full of songs or whatever it is. I just think we’re living in a time of massive, amazing change, like the Industrial Revolution on acid. So movies where things are shifting, whether it’s physics or relationships or whatever it is, we’re right in there some way."
ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS FROM "THE JACKET" PREMIERE:
Adrien Brody / Massy Tadjedin / Brad Renfro / Kris Kristofferson
