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| Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh The Hateful Eight by Tarantino |
30 MINUTES WITH
Jennifer Jason Leigh: 'Until Tarantino, I had forgotten who I was as an actress'
The Hateful Eight and Anomalisa actor on why she thought she was out of touch, and how to wash fake brains out of your hair
Friday 8 January 2016 11.36 GMT
Hi, Jennifer! How would you characterise your past year?
I would characterise it as: a hell of a year.
I would characterise it as: a hell of a year.
What accounts for this comeback you’ve had (1)? Was it a change of management or just good fortune?
I am well over 40. I feel like the door was closed, and I had made my peace with it and I was fine. I worried a little bit about money. “Am I going to work again … Maybe I’ll go more into writing.” But I’m very happy being a mom. I just thought I had a great run and that’s that. Anomalisa we voiced two years ago!
I am well over 40. I feel like the door was closed, and I had made my peace with it and I was fine. I worried a little bit about money. “Am I going to work again … Maybe I’ll go more into writing.” But I’m very happy being a mom. I just thought I had a great run and that’s that. Anomalisa we voiced two years ago!
We did that two years ago, they lost the financing; or not “lost”: they ran out of money. I didn’t know if the movie was ever going to be completed. Charlie [Kaufman] didn’t know. To have that and then getting The Hateful Eight was beyond surreal.
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| Jennifer Jason Leigh The Hateful Eight by Tarantino |
That shouldn’t be surreal for someone like you. Sure, Tarantino’s great, but you’ve worked with the Coen brothers, David Cronenberg - the list goes on …
Thank you, I appreciate that, but a lot of times, this town, or this business, really only looks at your last three projects. Quentin is the exception to that. He looks at your whole body of work. He would talk to me about moments I had in Flesh+Blood as though they were yesterday. He’s that thorough and that’s just how his brain works. When he looks at you, he doesn’t see just what you did the last two years and he doesn’t think you’re not that person you were in, whatever, 1985.
He doesn’t think in terms of box-office draw.
Thank you, I appreciate that, but a lot of times, this town, or this business, really only looks at your last three projects. Quentin is the exception to that. He looks at your whole body of work. He would talk to me about moments I had in Flesh+Blood as though they were yesterday. He’s that thorough and that’s just how his brain works. When he looks at you, he doesn’t see just what you did the last two years and he doesn’t think you’re not that person you were in, whatever, 1985.
He doesn’t think in terms of box-office draw.
He just sees you and what you’re capable of. That’s such a blessing, and it really made me remember who I was as an actress; I just had forgotten. Not in a bitter or sad way; it was just like I didn’t feel particularly meaningful or relevant right now. I was OK with it, I had other things going on and that’s fine. It’s just the way things go.
This is really remarkable for me. Honestly, I still look at the poster for The Hateful Eight and I can’t believe I’m in the movie. I love it so much and the experience was so grand. It really was exceptional.
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| Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) |
It clearly lit a fire under you. Did making it make you more ambitious going forward?
I’ve never been a careerist and I live in the present, so I don’t know where this is going to go, but I know I just had this experience and now it will live on forever and I feel really lucky.
I’ve never been a careerist and I live in the present, so I don’t know where this is going to go, but I know I just had this experience and now it will live on forever and I feel really lucky.
Funnily enough, you were in the audience for Tarantino’s staged live reading of his initial draft of The Hateful Eight (2). Did he invite you?
No, I just happened to go. I didn’t think he was going to do it as a movie. Then, when he decided to do it as a movie, I was one of a handful of people that he was thinking of to come in and read.
No, I just happened to go. I didn’t think he was going to do it as a movie. Then, when he decided to do it as a movie, I was one of a handful of people that he was thinking of to come in and read.
Talk about a fluke!
Yeah, right!
Yeah, right!
Daisy gets a beating in The Hateful Eight (3). Were you at all apprehensive about how that might be perceived?
She’s one of the Hateful Eight. She happens to be a woman, but it’s not about that. I never felt like the set was about that at all either. She’s as tough as they come. She’s seen a lot of violence in her life and you can tell by the way she takes a punch. She gets her sense of self from that, too.
She’s one of the Hateful Eight. She happens to be a woman, but it’s not about that. I never felt like the set was about that at all either. She’s as tough as they come. She’s seen a lot of violence in her life and you can tell by the way she takes a punch. She gets her sense of self from that, too.
She seems to enjoy it, somewhat.
Yeah, because she’s tough. They’re not going to break her. I don’t consider myself very tough. I could be this tough in this movie, because I was working with Kurt Russell and I knew I would never get hurt. He’s the best dance partner in the world. I really felt I was in safe hands, so I never anticipated one single blow.
Yeah, because she’s tough. They’re not going to break her. I don’t consider myself very tough. I could be this tough in this movie, because I was working with Kurt Russell and I knew I would never get hurt. He’s the best dance partner in the world. I really felt I was in safe hands, so I never anticipated one single blow.
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| Jennifer Jason Leigh |
You never got one?
I never did. Really, that’s a credit to Kurt. A lot of my performance is a credit to Kurt – Quentin, too, of course, but Kurt, a lot. He was so there for me.
I never did. Really, that’s a credit to Kurt. A lot of my performance is a credit to Kurt – Quentin, too, of course, but Kurt, a lot. He was so there for me.
I’ve had a competitive streak and sense of focus from a very young age – I can really focus in. Daisy has that. She’s not going to let them see that it hurts her. She’s not going to let them see her vulnerability. She’s not going to let them win in any way. She’s going to win.
Was that your real hair in the movie?
Yeah …
Yeah …
I’m asking because the brains and vomit must have been a pain to wash out.
Yes, it was all a bitch to get out, but luckily, we had dressing rooms. Luckily, that stuff was done on a stage here, so even though the stage was freezing, when you walked out of the stage, it was not freezing (4). We had these little bungalows with good water pressure.
Yes, it was all a bitch to get out, but luckily, we had dressing rooms. Luckily, that stuff was done on a stage here, so even though the stage was freezing, when you walked out of the stage, it was not freezing (4). We had these little bungalows with good water pressure.
Sitting in a chair at the end of the day and getting all my makeup taken off and the black eye, and the facial massage, was like a little luxury.
Did you relish the opportunity to get all mucked-up on screen?
I loved it! Also, there’s a funny thing that happens. There are moments where Daisy’s covered with blood with teeth missing and it’s maybe one of the prettiest images of me that’s been done, because it’s Bob [Robert] Richardson, and the light just happens to be beautiful. In that moment, that character shines. What is beautiful changes from moment to moment. Yeah, there are moments in the movie where it’s just like, oh, my gosh, right out of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and it’s “the ugly”, but I love every second of it. It never even occurred to me to …
I loved it! Also, there’s a funny thing that happens. There are moments where Daisy’s covered with blood with teeth missing and it’s maybe one of the prettiest images of me that’s been done, because it’s Bob [Robert] Richardson, and the light just happens to be beautiful. In that moment, that character shines. What is beautiful changes from moment to moment. Yeah, there are moments in the movie where it’s just like, oh, my gosh, right out of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and it’s “the ugly”, but I love every second of it. It never even occurred to me to …
… think about how you would look?
Yeah.
Yeah.
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| Jennifer Jason Leigh |
Were the fake teeth painful to wear?
At first they hurt, but then you got used to it and they didn’t hurt at all.
At first they hurt, but then you got used to it and they didn’t hurt at all.
You’ve done your fair share of theatre over the years.
The Hateful Eight is like theatre.
The Hateful Eight is like theatre.
Did Tarantino ever talk about doing it as a play?
Yeah. I think it would be an amazing production, to see that kind of violence on stage. If you could figure out a way to do it, it would be such an exciting theatre piece. Even just seeing the reading was an exciting theatre piece and that was just people sitting down and reading.
Yeah. I think it would be an amazing production, to see that kind of violence on stage. If you could figure out a way to do it, it would be such an exciting theatre piece. Even just seeing the reading was an exciting theatre piece and that was just people sitting down and reading.
You strike me as a director-centric actor. Is that how you typically sway when it comes to projects?
Yeah, I do. It’s the director’s medium. There have been been some mistakes I made in the past, which I wish I hadn’t, because either I was tired at the time, or it was a great director I wanted to work with and I, for whatever reason, didn’t want to do the project. Now, with time, you realise: oh, that was dumb. If it’s a great director, you always do the project, so these were life lessons learned. Still, given that, yes, I’ve been really fortunate and worked with some of our greatest directors.
Yeah, I do. It’s the director’s medium. There have been been some mistakes I made in the past, which I wish I hadn’t, because either I was tired at the time, or it was a great director I wanted to work with and I, for whatever reason, didn’t want to do the project. Now, with time, you realise: oh, that was dumb. If it’s a great director, you always do the project, so these were life lessons learned. Still, given that, yes, I’ve been really fortunate and worked with some of our greatest directors.
Pick your favourite working experience.
I would think it was this, really. Georgia is very personal to me, Anniversary Partywas great. Anomalisa is also another one that, particularly, is in my heart and will be forever. I do think it’s a masterpiece, I really do. This experience, doing this … I wish we were still filming.
I would think it was this, really. Georgia is very personal to me, Anniversary Partywas great. Anomalisa is also another one that, particularly, is in my heart and will be forever. I do think it’s a masterpiece, I really do. This experience, doing this … I wish we were still filming.
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| Jennifer Jason Leigh and Quentin Tarantino |
Footnotes
(1) Leigh has had many roles in movies over the years, in addition to recurring turns on the TV shows Revenge and Weeds, but her role as Daisy Domergue, a foul-mouthed criminal in The Hateful Eight, marks her first major role since Margot at the Wedding in 2007. Last year, she also received major acclaim for her voice work in Charlie Kaufman’s animated romance Anomalisa.
(2) Following an online leak of Tarantino’s script for The Hateful Eight, the film-maker hosted a staged reading of his screenplay in front of a live audience in Los Angeles in 2014.
(3) Leigh’s character, Daisy, is chained to a bounty hunter, played by Kurt Russell, throughout The Hateful Eight.
(4) To achieve authenticity, Tarantino had his set chilled to mimic the frigid temperature inside the cabin.
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