Olivia
there’s a trust, but you don’t really have to
COLMAN ★
don’t communicate a lot orally so you just feel like you can be more at ease even while you don’t have to say a lot. So of and better.
LANTHIMOS ★
feel more and more comfortable. I already
course it helps knowing the person better
Yo r g o s ★
think about it much or discuss it, you just
★
★
You had a sort of wacky rehearsal period, but Olivia, I understand you’re not a huge fan of rehearsing. How did that play out? Colman: Well, it’s different. I love rehearsal
The star of The Favourite piled on the pounds and dove into her director’s odd rehearsal process B Y N A N C Y TA R TA G L I O N E
for theater; that’s probably more fun than doing the play… even then there’s still a chunk of time when people have to talk about stuff in a really irritatingly intellectual way. Rehearsal for screen stuff I’ve never
FTER COLLABORATING ON 2015’S THE LOBSTER, YORGOS LANTHIMOS AND OLIVIA COLMAN reteamed for this year’s twisted take on the court of Queen Anne, giving a jolt to the period cinema genre, and picking up accolades all along the awards season trail. Lanthimos has said he wouldn’t have made The Favourite without Colman, whose character is the linchpin of a trio of strong women at the center of the movie. Director and star recently hopped on the phone with us to riff on the road to The Favourite, their working process and the friendship they’ve established over the years.
A
liked before because it’s sitting down and talking, which I don’t really like doing. This was really good fun because it was basically theater rehearsals. And it took us a while to realize, but then all six of us actors doing the rehearsals said, “Oh, right, this means there’s no embarrassment, there are no inhibitions.” We know each other so well by the time we start filming. It was joyous, and you end up knowing the whole film chronologically in the back of your head or psyche without having to really think about it. Yorgos, is that your typical process?
Yorgos, you’ve said wouldn’t have
You guys previously worked together
Lanthimos: Whenever I have time for
made The Favourite without Olivia.
on The Lobster, so I imagine that
rehearsals, this is my general approach.
Why is that?
builds up a lot of trust. How did that
As Olivia knows, I don’t think trying to
Olivia Colman: This is awkward, isn’t it
experience influence this one?
recreate the scenes as you would do on
Yorgos?
Colman: Sorry Yorgos, but Yorgos isn’t
film helps, or definitely not talking about
Yorgos Lanthimos: It’s weird that I have
the biggest smiler in the world. But I
it or analyzing and explaining. These are
to say this in front of Olivia, but I told
knew from The Lobster he is actually the
things that I think don’t work for the things
her at the time I just couldn’t think of
biggest-hearted, kindest, gentlest man you
that I want to do so I’d rather rehearse with
anyone else for this role, it just didn’t
could meet. So it did mean that going into
the actors.
work. For me, casting is very instinctive
playing Queen Anne and putting on the
and if I don’t feel good about it, I just
weight felt great. He’s lovely, it’s a brilliant
a physical way. I want them to play games
can’t go ahead and make the film. It’s not
script, I already know I love working with
and get to know each other, and especially
like we’re going to fix it, you have to feel
him. I suppose it just made me run into it
on this film because it was a period film,
confident about the actors.
really excited about the whole process. I
and there’s a certain expectation of how
was a bit nervous hoping I would do it well,
people should carry themselves and speak
Olivia, how do you feel about that? Did
but I think you should feel that when you
and move. I just wanted to break that
you need to be convinced?
really like the script and the job. It helped
preconceived notion around it and show
Lanthimos: Yes, why don’t you tell us
me totally throw myself in because I knew
that we were fooling around; it’s not going
about that, Olivia [laughs].
that it was going to be fun.
to be serious.
Colman: Well, thrilled, because if he
I work with them like Olivia described, in
Colman: The one I always remember is
had thought about it any longer, maybe I
Yorgos, have you developed a sort of
the six of us holding hands becoming a
wouldn’t have done the job and I’d have
shorthand with Olivia?
sort of massive human pretzel and tying
been really devastated to watch someone
Lanthimos: I don’t know that I’ve
ourselves up, then trying to undo it while
else doing it. I loved it when I saw the script
changed anything in how I go about it. Yes,
saying the lines. That was hilarious. It’s
and already loved Yorgos, so I was very
you get to know each other, you feel very
actually a really good Christmas party
happy. Thank you!
confident and you just go and do it. I guess
game to play. ★
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D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E
1226 O4 - 4 - Dialogue_Olivia Colman & Yorgos Lanthimos.indd 36
PHOTOGRAPH BY
David Vintiner
12/21/18 10:14 AM
