Naomi Watts
Interview By: Edward Kasche
EdKasche@TheCinemaSource.com
Naomi Watts is one actress that seems not to have been devoured by the machinery of Hollywood during her meteoric rise to fame; which is why it was a pleasure to sit down with her for a chat. She stays close to her family and friends, and is, in her words, 'determined to carry on with my life,' which includes 'waking up with wet hair and walking to the local store.'
She may have a hard time continuing this ideal life after the opening of the next big blockbuster to come from the passion and imagination of director Peter Jackson. In the upcoming 8,000lb. gorilla of a movie, King Kong, she takes on the daunting tasks of starring in a remake of a 70 year-old classic, tackling the role made famous by the iconic Fay Wray, and acting alongside a 25 ft. gorilla, who was temperamental and never available on set. Surprisingly, she wasn't asked to audition for the role, nor was fellow star Adrien Brody, but she revealed that auditioning at this point of her career would be easier than earlier on because whoever asks her to audition would have her past performances to call upon. She's right, because she certainly has quite the collection of performances, for only being 37 years-old.
She's an Oscar-nominated actress, famous both in the indie world and soon to be world famous for acting alongside the most famous of the original movie monsters. A quick list of her films include Mulholland Drive, The Ring I and II, 21 Grams, We Don't Live Here Anymore, and the currently released, Ellie Parker, which is about a struggling actress in Los Angeles(does it ring truer'). 'Ellie Parker is probably the closest to the truth of my life. Letting people tell you who you are and driving around and freaking out. This is what you become if you're not careful and you don't trust the essence of who you are.' So, how does
Asked if it was daunting to act in a remake, the first of her career, she recalled, 'Yeah it was. When you take on any movie, and take in mind I didn't read the script for this one [Kong], you have to think of all the cons. This is the iconic movie! But once I had spoken to Peter and his team, I understood what they were going for and how they were going to make it work. Ann Darrow [her character] is no longer a damsel in distress. That comforted me.' Early on, she received blessing from the original Ann Darrow, Fay Wray, who recently passed on. Naomi said, 'She was wonderful. She still had lots of life in her, and great humor. We went to dinner, and afterwards, she whispered in my ear, 'You'll make a great Ann Darrow.' It really touched my heart.'
The character of Ann Darrow is a struggling/starving actress who gets lured into a film project that is to shoot on location on a mysterious island, which happens to be the home of Mr. Kong. Ann is kidnapped and sacrificed to Kong, and usually Kong would have eaten her or thrown her body away, but in the case of Ann, there is a different turn of events. A relationship blossoms between the ape and the woman, one that is thoroughly fleshed out in Jackson's updated 3-hour epic. Naomi apparently had quite the time carrying on the complex relationship with the CGI-gorilla. 'It was easier than you would imagine because of the amazing Andy Serkis [the actor who portrayed Gollum, via very complicated computer work, in Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy]. Before beginning the process, it was beyond my comprehension, but knowing there was going to be someone for me to connect with was great. It was mind-blowing Serkis' preparation and how much he threw into it. He transformed. He made it happen for me.'
Admittedly, much of the film was shot on stage in New Zealand, with numerous blue and green screens, but Naomi had her share of injuries and challenges. 'Physically, I was challenged. I was the only girl on set, and when I wasn't being thrown around by the men during the boat scenes, I was being carried by a gorilla or attacked by giant reptiles. I'm little, I'm not an action girl, really. I'm agile, but day after day it takes its toll. The most taxing sequence was the T-Rex fight with Kong; mentally, as well, because though Serkis was standing in for Kong, I had to completely imagine the dinosaurs. Peter [Jackson] was behind me screaming, 'He's biting at you, he's going to eat you!!!''
And what of the famous screams and their toll on her amazingly youthful and upbeat voice' After all, the scream helped make Fay Wray the iconic figure she is today. 'If you get too technical, trying to control it, you lose authenticity. After five or six takes, I would try to take a break. You'd be surprised how much all the grunting and groaning can dry you out as well. I used lots of honey lemon, lozenges, and gargling; they all help.' Personally, I wonder about the thousands of interviews she's giving in preparation for the worldwide opening of the film later on this month. Hollywood and worldwide fame shake even the most confident person down to their roots, so how does Naomi continue to thrive' 'I always have self-doubt. I think it serves you quite well. The moment you start losing that thing, you're in danger. With it, you're always looking for more and searching out. You need to trust your instincts to, but you need to grow. Being nervous feels right and familiar.' Still, she carries on with her winning attitude, reinforcing, 'I am determined to carry on as I always do.'
