[IMG:L]Claire Danes may be associated with serious films like Evening, The Hours, and Romeo + Juliet but those who think she doesn’t have a sense of humor have clearly forgotten Terminator 3. This summer Danes takes on the role of a falling star in the fantasy blockbuster Stardust, a movie that yet again proves that she is a fan on “fun.”
Danes sat down to talk about the tricks of getting into a fantasy character, working with Robert De Niro and her biggest challenge yet – starring in Pygmalion on Broadway.
Hollywood.com: Your co-star Charlie Cox was really impressed with your accent, the fact that as soon as he heard you speak, he bought it right there.
Claire Danes: Well, that’s very kind. I worked with a dialect coach on Stardust and I was pretty adamant that she be there as often as possible on set, just because I don’t trust my ear enough. But yeah, I like working with accents. They’re like a shoehorn into the character. It’s a technical skill that can distract me from the pressure of having to actually create something genuine.
HW: What accent are you doing in this?
CD: Well, this was a little different from Stage Beauty. It takes place in the Victorian Age, but we wanted it to read as contemporary. So my dialect coach suggested that I watch a lot of British television comedies, and I did and became kind of obsessed with them, because they’re great. Like Catherine Tate and Little Britain and Green Wing and Steve Coogan, just to get a sense of the rhythm, their comedic timing, and their expression of irony. It is different from the way we communicate humor. But it was really cool because I’d discover them and then get to act with them, because there were so many incredible British comedians in this movie, so I felt very spoiled.
HW: Was it obvious from the script that she would glow?
CD: Yeah, that was described. It really helped me out. It did a lot of the work for me. [Laughs] I wish that were true of all the characters that I’ve played and CGI could step in and enhance whatever feeling I was meant to be having.
HW: What about the character made you want to do the role? What did you like about her?
CD: So many things. I think she’s really bright. She’s kind of plucky. [Laughs] Some might say she’s difficult, but I think she’s just discerning. No. She’s strong. What I really like about the script and the movie is that it walks a line between being fantastical and realistic in its tone.
HW: When I think of you, I think of really serious movies, even your comedies are very sophisticated. But then, every once in awhile, you’ll do something really fun. Is that part of the plan, or is it just good material that happens to drop in?
CD: It’s kind of good material that happens to drop in. It’s not so calculated. I don’t have one particular aesthetic that I stick strictly to. I like genre hopping, I guess. But yeah, who wouldn’t want to have long blonde hair and ride a unicorn and be a princess from outer space? I mean, duh. [Laughs]
[IMG:R]HW: How is it to buy into the fantasy element? What sort of freedom does that give you?
CD: I guess quite a bit, but I wasn’t thinking about how to play her as a celestial being, because it just wasn’t required. A lot of that work was done for me with the costumes and the hair and the CGI. So really, my only responsibility was to play the scenes well. I scared Matthew [Vaughn] during rehearsals because he asked me if I had any ideas about how to approach the part. And I said “Well, I was thinking just like, for emphasis – I won’t overdo it – but occasionally, I might just incorporate some jazz hands, just like little flashes occasionally, a little star work.” And his face just dropped. [Laughs]
HW: Do you prefer a director be very frank with you, or say, “Well, just try a few of those,” even though they know they don’t want that, but they want to appease you?
CD: Well, often they’ll say “It’s a choice. It’s not the right choice, but it’s a way to go.” It really depends. I’m happy to experiment until I find it.
HW: What did you think when you saw Robert De Niro as a gay pirate
CD: It just subverts all of our expectations of him. And I thought it was such a generous clever decision for him to make, to take this part on. Yeah, it’s great.
HW: What was it like working with him?
CD: Well, it’s clear that he likes acting, because he really comes alive when he’s doing it. Have you met him? Have you ever interviewed him? He’s very internal, and he’s kind of receding and maybe even shy. He’s definitely quiet. But then, like a lot of performers, once he is in character he is really present and electric. But there is a kind of discrepancy between who he is as a guy and who he is as a performer.
HW: Is that intimidating?
CD: No. He’s very nice. Sure, it’s always a little odd to be interacting with a legend, somebody who you’ve grown up with and have all sorts of intense associations with. But that dissipates pretty quickly, and you just kind of concentrate on the task at hand.
HW: How important is it to have a rapport with an actor before you actually get in front of the cameras? Does that affect your performance?
CD: Not always. A personal relationship doesn’t always translate onto the screen. And you can have chemistry with a person and not have chemistry with them as a performer. So there are no hard and fast rules about that. As long as they’re there in a scene, the rest is irrelevant, and he is.
[IMG:L]HW: In the script you have a wonderful speech about being in love. How did you approach that?
CD: It’s just a really great little monologue. And again, it’s not so often that you have a chance to deliver a monologue in a movie, especially to a mouse. [Laughs] That was funny. But it’s the most critical moment for that character, because she recognizes her vulnerabilities and her limitations. And she’s honest with herself and the mouse for the first time. It’s such a beautiful idea that she’s pined for pining. She’s been seeking love, and now that she’s actually gotten to directly experience it, she’s able to grow, and that’s the idea. That’s what we all hope for, I suppose.
HW: How has your love and appreciation of acting changed over the years?
CD: Well, I’m always amazed. I’ve never played golf, but it sounds kind of similar to golf, in that you never get it. You’re always in pursuit of it. I don’t know any actor who has ever conquered acting. And it’s incredibly exciting for that reason. We do have reason to get nervous, because it can and does go wrong a lot, and it’s embarrassing. [Laughs] And you just have to kind of suffer that embarrassment until you land at a moment that actually happens to work.
