interview Famke Janssen
chatted with Nathaniel R on April 25th, 2008 @ Keystone Cinemas

 

Continued from Page Two
Famke Janssen on Turn the River and the search for good roles

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FAMKE: When I did the first one people kept saying ‘Oh Jean Grey. Jean Grey turns into the Phoenix!' So I looked into the story and I thought ‘Oh wow, I hope one day they’re doing it.'

They did it. They didn’t do it the way I would’ve liked to have them do it. But…

NATHANIEL: Yes, that’s what I wanted to ask you about because it was basically your big moment but there were so many subplots.

FAMKE: I know.

NATHANIEL: And I kept thinking ‘This should be Famke’s movie!’ when I was watching it.

Dark Phoenix. Still the greatest story arc from Marvel Comics.
Not the greatest story arc from Marvel Movies.

FAMKE: That’s not the way it works. The way it works is that some people get paid a lot of money on those movies and I’m not one of them. And they need to give them as much screen time as possible. That’s really how it works.

NATHANIEL: That’s crazy because all the drama was yours. And yet, there was all this other... stuff.

FAMKE: Yes and I kept fighting it, too. I said ‘Look you set up the character like that in the beginning of the film. You have her kill Patrick Stewart’s character. You have her kill her own fiancé in the film. And then where do you take it? You’ve got to follow it through. You can’t just leave it dangling there.'

NATHANIEL: Yeah.

FAMKE: But they did.

NATHANIEL: It’s good to hear that because as I watching it I kept thinking This is the Movie. What is all this... other stuff?

FAMKE: People who I know who really like the X-Men comic books really love that story arc. It felt to me like a missed opportunity. People ask ‘Are they going to come back and do it and I say, no that’s now done. It was done in that way.

NATHANIEL: You’ve worked with Jon Favreau several times.

FAMKE: Yes.

NATHANIEL: And now he’s made Iron Man.

FAMKE: I know. He directed Iron Man and I’m so proud of him. I haven’t seen the movie yet but just the fact that he, as an actor has made it all this way and now is making big studio films with a great cast.

NATHANIEL: No cameo for you?

FAMKE: No cameo for me. It would have been a little bit weird if all of a sudden Jean Grey turned up in Iron Man. That’s the thing. You’re in a comic book movie and people just associate you with that character. So…

<--- Famke as Xenia Onatopp in the Bond film GoldenEye (1995)

NATHANIEL: That’s true. That’s true. So, James Bond. You’ve already done one. How do you feel about the new direction that series is taken?

FAMKE: I loved Pierce [Brosnan] and I thought he made a great Bond. I think Daniel Craig makes a great Bond, too. The only way to keep repeating this franchise –the Bond franchise-- is to make it new. Get new guys to play James Bond, make it fun, make it hip… they’ve been around since the 60s. You have to keep it fresh.

NATHANIEL: New energy.

FAMKE: ...breathe new life into it every once in awhile.

NATHANIEL: What genre haven’t you done that you would really love to do?

FAMKE: I’ve never been in a period movie. I think --just to get me out of this century and put me into another one. It think it would be interesting. Just because I think –not just the costumes –but with that would come a whole other way of speaking, mannerism and all of that.

NATHANIEL: Who would you like to work with, actors… directors?

FAMKE: I want to work with Wong Kar Wai and I want to work with Tracy Letts. Did you see August: Osage County?

NATHANIEL: I haven’t seen it yet but I saw Bug on stage a few years ago

FAMKE: Yeah?

NATHANIEL: Amazing!

FAMKE: This guy... genius, he’s a genius. His dialogue. His characterization. When I saw –really go see ...Osage County.

NATHANIEL: People keep telling me I’ll love it.

FAMKE: You will love it. I really shouldn’t say much more about it because I hate seeing things and everybody having said all those great things about it. Then it’s sort of ‘ How can it possibly live up to that?’ But the great thing about it is it’s a three and half hour play. It’s about a dysfunctional family. We’ll all been part of that. It’s so dark and yet so funny that you just –you don’t ever want it to end. I’ve seen it twice. I loved it.

NATHANIEL: Do you want to do stage work?

FAMKE: I’d love to do stage work. I’ve been New York based forever and I just haven’t... I’ve been offered one or two things but they just weren’t the right thing or not at the right time. I really want to do it. I love –I go a lot.

NATHANIEL: It’s the best experience in New York.

FAMKE: It is. I think especially for actors. I think that what happens on film is ...you know, you never know what’s going to happen to your performance.

[the time comes to wrap up]

NATHANIEL: Are you doing the festival circuit with Turn the River?

FAMKE: We’re going to Boston tomorrow. Then a screening in LA.

NATHANIEL: You’re going to hear over and over how good you are in this. Which I’m sure is a good feeling.

FAMKE: For the five seconds that it lasts I’ll take it. Before we know it this will be over.

NATHANIEL: You have another movie coming out this year, too.

FAMKE: I have a bunch.

NATHANIEL: The Wackness...

FAMKE: I have Taken with Liam Neeson. I have 100 Feet with Bobby Cannavale and Ed Westwick. I have Kiddie Ride with James Gandolfini. I’ve got a bunch of movies. I’m starting another one.

NATHANIEL: The Possibility of Fireflies?

FAMKE: It hasn’t come together yet. We’ve been trying for a year.

It’s tough with the indies, you know? You’re attached to them. You think you’re going to go and a week before you’re supposed to go start shooting it’s like ‘Oh, they pulled the money. We have no money'

NATHANIEL: So how do actors, successful actors like yourself who do get work regularly... how do you fill your time when it's so random? Do you have to keep yourself open?

FAMKE: Yes, you just have to be extremely flexible. Don't make plans. Or do make plans because the moment you make plans you know that something is going to come up.

I love the whole thing of this unpredictable life. I would not be good behind a desk.

Unless it's for a movie role, Famke won't be behind a desk anytime soon. If there's justice in Hollywood, Turn the River will open new eyes to her versatility in front of the camera. The film opens in limited release in New York on May 9th and in Los Angeles, May 16th.

 

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