Absolute pleasure to meet you.
Thank you!- -I loved the film. What a nail-bitter, I had
goosebumps throughout it.
-Had you read the book?
-Yes, I'd read the book. I got really bad sunburn because I didn't leave the beach...
-That's so funny!
-It was terrible but the film is incredible. I mean was it an instant ‘yes’ when you
got that script?
Well, it was a long time before I got the script, I mean there was a lot of, you know
it was a coveted role this and you know clearly you can see why because as a woman in a Hollywood
film you're often asked to - there are big parts, there are interesting parts but you're
often asked to play a very sort of, a version of being female, being a woman that's palatable,
that's sort of in the way of male fantasy of some sorts and sympathetic and sweet, obviously
there are exceptions but here is a part that sort of blows femininity, sort of the whole
door of femininity wide open and says look, you know this is a new way that you can look
at the modern woman. You know, are you going to like her, are you going to agree with her,
are you going to relate to her, is she like you? It's asking all these questions of us
and I just thought 'wow', this is something I've never seen before. So yes, the chance
to work with Fincher, the chance to do this, the chance for someone to take a risk on me
and say 'look this is nothing like you've done before but I know you've got this in
you. Come on let's gone on this ride together!’.
And you did have it in you. You were absolutely fabulous -- completely captivating.
Well, probably because, you know I think we've all got the darkness in us if we want to explore
it or go there, you know it's just when - as an actor you've got to make all of you available
some point, it's just when someone asks for which bit. Someone's going to ask for your humour.
Someone's going to ask for your rage. Someone's going to ask for your sort of romantic side
and that's you know, that's what's fun about it. That's what keeps me doing this job and loving it.
And a very challenging role, especially some of those sex scenes. That library one I was
like, 'OH!'.
I didn't think you were going to say that! Yes, it's a funny, in some ways you know those
are far less difficult than the, especially with Fincher work, than the dialogue scenes because
Fincher's sort of intense scrutiny of language and intense scrutiny of what people do to
each other with how they speak is you know, the multiple layers of meaning, you know
it really turns your brain into a knotted mass at the end of it but you know it's fun.
It was good to have some romantic scenes in there, come on we needed a bit of...
And I heard with Neil Patrick Harris, especially, you guys were in fits of laughter. You kind
of have to make it a little bit fun don't you when you're doing these scenes?
Well, Neil and I - Neil was just a wonderful guy to work with, he's just a dream sort of
partner to work with. He's dead professional and we did have fun and it was you know, we
had to have a lot of rehearsal because in order to make something look wild and abandoned
and free, it has to be technically quite precise and you have to make sure you - and it was
very corrupt. It's not a sex scene like you've ever seen it before. It's pretty corrupt,
pretty shocking - the kind of thing my grandmother will probably avert her eyes from. But you
know the experience of doing it is obviously very funny because you think 'god, can we
go this far? Shall we do this? Will that be too naughty?'.
It was very naughty, some of them...
And Ben Affleck, wow - working alongside a massive Hollywood star like that - what is
he like? Is he a really lovely guy?
Well, Ben is probably funnier than people imagine, you know because he's and he's totally willing
to sort of laugh at himself and David Fincher would sometimes say to him you know are you
not worried about your leading man status at the end of this job? And he said I wouldn't
of taking this job if I was worried about my leading man status and he's having this
moment in his career where he's, you know acclaimed sort-after as a director, writer
and actor and he's got all the confidence that goes with that, which is incredible attractive
but without any of the arrogance. He's a great, great collaborator and it was exciting. When
you're around someone and they just carry that energy
of this success with them I suppose, it's exciting.