Sienna Miller
Spotlight By: Benjamin Lee
Gaining a reputation solely as the girlfriend of a Hollywood star certainly isn't the worst way to garner attention but it does mean you have an awful lot to prove when you're thrown out into the world by yourself.
Ever since the infamous split with Jude Law, Sienna Miller has been forced to rely on something other than who she's dating to continue getting press coverage. From her small role in Alfie to her first big role in Casanova her star is definitely on the ascendant.
Which brings us to Factory Girl. For the first time Miller gets the chance to truly possess the screen in a role tailor-made for an upcoming Hollywood starlet. The project was rumored to be in high contention amongst Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson and Scarlett Johansson but the 25-year-old British actress managed to secure what may be her defining film.
Miller stars as true-life socialite Edie Sedgwick who gained a reputation in the 1960s for becoming the muse to Andy Warhol. It's a tragic saga as the bright lights of fame and fortune soon dissipate into a vortex of addiction and self-destruction. But for someone who today's youth know so little about, what is it about Edie Sedgwick that deserves such attention'
'The way that I see it is she was really only in the spotlight for two years but she's still managing to affect my generation today' Miller tells, 'There's something really extraordinary about someone who has the ability to be that timeless therefore there must be something more to her than just being a socialite.' For those who may dismiss Sedgwick as a rich girl who took too many drugs, Miller is quick to jump to her defence. 'Once you understand the motivation behind why she became a drug addict then you understand there's more to her. I think it was a question of how to make her sympathetic'
One thing Sedgwick also became famous for was her daring sense of style. Miller is also known for her love of fashion and it was this connection which helped to lure her to the character. 'I look at her and I see photos and some of her outfits and she was so forward thinking' she believes, 'I mean John Galliano based an entire collection for Dior on her.' For a style guru such as Miller, she was keen to retain as many of the outfits as possible. 'I honestly loved every item of clothing!' she laughs, 'I'm still battling with the producers to find them because I haven't even got a leotard so that's something that I'm working on very hard!'
As well as the sense of fashion, Miller confesses that she felt an intimate, inextricable link to Sedgwick and her tragic fate. 'I feel like I am friends with Edie' she says, 'I've been with this project for two years now. I find her fascinating and I really empathize with why she turned out the way that she did. I think in the right circumstances she could have become a Marilyn Monroe. I feel like I understand her.' Although many are quick to judge her drug addled, sex fueled lifestyle Miller believes it all boiled down to a need for attention. 'I think she was very loving and had an overwhelming need to be loved' she states, 'She burned too brightly for this world'
When you play someone who actually existed some time in the past, there's a great deal of pressure in how you portray them. 'If you're playing someone who existed then there's a responsibility to immerse yourself in that character' Miller admits, 'I certainly didn't lose myself in her. I'm far too grounded. It's really hard to feel that pain if you've had a privileged upbringing like I have.'
The movie has managed to gain a great deal of controversy through the character of Sedgwick's love interest in the film, played by Hayden Christenson. He plays an unnamed rock star who many believe to be loosely based on Bob Dylan. Dylan has been reportedly angered by this and threatened the film's release. Miller is conflicted as to whether Bob Dylan was ever really involved with Edie Sedgwick.
'Everyone has different accounts of what happened' she says, 'You have to remember that this is a period of time where people did a lot of drugs. Some people say it didn't happen and others say absolutely it did. People in movies take creative license. It's a rumor we've heard from various sources that is true.' As for the reports of legal problems, she discounts their validity immediately. 'It's been exaggerated in the press. No lawsuit has been filed'
One of the toughest scenes in the film for Miller was the emotional confrontation where Sedgwick finally attacks Andy Warhol, played by Guy Pearce, for the way he has been treating her. She admits that it wasn't an easy day. 'That was a really intimidating scene because it was actually our second day of shooting' she confesses, 'I was very nervous because I didn't know anyone but in a way that kind of helped with the feeling of vulnerability. George [Hickenlooper] is very embracing of an actor's journey and he just sort of made me feel protected and reassured and comforted.'
The film is set in the swinging 60s' and it's this intense focus on the time period that Miller chose to highlight in her portrayal of Edie. 'We all had different opinions about what was important to each of us in the story' she tells, 'I think the 60s played a huge part in who these people were. It was a liberating period of time and I think people really pushed the boundaries. I'm fascinated by the 60s so for me that was very important.' Although the film is very much a 1960s tale, Miller believes Sedgwick's story is one that is transcendent through time. 'People are still inspired by her' she believes, 'I just kind of think she was a performance artist and she had magnetism that Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn had but she just destroyed herself'
In finally breaking out as the doomed Edie Sedgwick, Sienna Miller has silenced her critics with a brave portrayal which will surely lead to many more interesting projects for the actress. Meanwhile Jude Law mugs his way through a Cameron Diaz romantic comedy. Karma anyone'
