I knew when I shut the door after my
audition and then and then I forgot my
CD case you know and I went back in the
room and this was like every major
producer Sam everyone I was like sorry I
forgot my cdks that I could tell in
their faces I was like you did it you nailed
it bring it [Music]
[Music]
on I'm and I'm loud I'm going to make
you proud
ofen your cat Toren
let go me and my girlfriends loved
watching cheerleading competitions and
also beauty pageants so that's why I
dropped it gorgeous because I wanted to
see that I read bring it on and I talked
to pton Reed the director and he was so
smart and cool like we just talked on
the phone and I knew oh this guy is
going to make something really clever
but none of us knew that that would be a
success in the way it was like we just
thought we were making a little
cheerleader movie in La Hoya and San
Diego I can't believe You' do that to
Aaron do what especially with him what
are you talking about oh don't play dumb
we're better at it than you you're hav't
cheer sex with him I mean I was the
youngest of everybody and so they were
having a lot more different fun than I
was they were in a hotel and I was in a
house with my mom so they were going to
Mexico on like a weekend and I was
having my girlfriends come down and like
singing Alanis morc going to see The
Blair Witch you know or the new Dixie
Chicks album going to see Blair Witch in
the theat theaters so was a I got along
with everyone great but I was definitely
still the innocent one on set I did
mostly everything I mean I don't know
how to do a backflip I was a base in
junior high but I flew and bring it on I
was a flyer in that too you know dancing
and everything it's always been a part
of my life I loved learning routines I
loved doing all of that at that age okay
guys let's go out there and do our best
nothing hits the floor we stick
it on I mean that's kind of who I was
you know that was another side to me
like I had The Virgin Suicides in me and
then I had the Bring It On gal in me
which I think is all teenage women you
know it's like when you hear certain
musicians for the first time you're like
oh that is the way I feel but you need
help expressing that when you're that
age you haven't found all the words yet
or I didn't when you're young teenage
girl you're really discovering how to
put your feelings into words and
everything is very
wow great reflexes I wasn't a comic book
reader as a young girl I was a deas
reader remember the deas catalog a hard
candy girl it was a long process
Spider-Man I was working on crazy
beautiful I really wanted to meet Sam I
met with Sam and then it was a very long
time before for my screen test and I
think Toby McGuire was driving down
Sunset Boulevard and saw me in those
remember those Gap ads that used to be
on the whole building he was like what
about Kirsten and so I kind of maybe
came back in the fold I'm not really
sure how it happened and then I was
working in Berlin on a film and they all
flew out to screen test me Toby and I
had amazing chemistry together we're
both very vulnerable actors and and it
just fell I knew when I shut the door
after my audition and then and then I
forgot my CD case you know like my huge
CD case I'd carry around with me I
remember I had like a little knit hat
with cat ears thought it was so
cool not so I remember I left my CD case
and I went back in the room and this was
like every major producer Sam everyone I
was like sorry I forgot my CD case that
I could tell in their faces I was like
you did it you nailed it I did do a lot
of my stunts in Spider-Man and I
remember one stunt that they tested on
me once and they like pulled me up
basically to the top of a Sony Sound
Stage which is enormous and they let me
freef fall until the very last second
and I was like should have done that on
[Music]
again it was like a bungee jump and I'm
not that like I don't need that
adrenaline personally so that was I put
my foot down I was like I'm never doing
Sam Ry is a very romantic gentle soul
but he gave me this book before we did
that Spider-Man kiss of like famous
kisses from different photographers and
it was in a little book and Sam had such
a childlike beautiful way of the way he
would describe Spider-Man and Mary Jane
and their romance and so there wasn't a
specific picture but I was like the
feeling of making
something that will last forever in film
if we can do that and accomplish that I
wanted to be there to make that happen
for him the actual filming of it was
really difficult Toby was getting water
up his nose he could barely breathe it
was torrential rain that they made and I
was freezing and but it looked
great I remember we were going to make
another Spider-Man for I think we were I
can't remember to be honest we'll see
what happens I mean that universe is
very open it's anything so for me to be
a Spiderman movie again or something
it's possible I
guess Interview with a [Music]
Vampire I want some more that was a lot
a lot of auditions a lot of screen tests
and I worked very hard with my acting
coach and he would give me tools to make
things look like maybe I had a sexy look
on my face he would say you know pretend
you your brother's looking for his toy
and you know where it is but you're not
going to tell them and that immediately
gives someone like a mischievous look
without having to deal with any of the
inappropriate things for that age I
remember him having me slam doors a
bunch of times because it's scary to go
to those places as a young person I was
very protected um unset I I don't even
think I watched the whole movie I sat
there and my mom would cover my eyes for
a lot of that film can I Lou be like her one
day W you more Melancholy nonsense I
swear you grow more like Lou every day
soon you'll be eating rats I felt like
Brad's little sister and Tom made me
feel like a princess I mean at Christmas
time he were like this gorgeous tree and
in my dressing room and they just
spoiled me in a really sweet way and
also the clothes I mean Mar and Tanetta
had fabulous outfits too but like
interview was a production that still to
this day I haven't experienced in uh
film everything was mostly practical so
the lack of special effects and like a
lot of stunt work homes on fire that
they built specifically to light on fire
and the sets were just incredible I mean
I remember dancing with Brad in this
gorgeous place and Paris to shoot in New
Orleans and Paris and London on one
production it's just those times of
making movies like that they they just
don't exist anymore do you want me to
Forever you don't why not can't I change
like everybody else you know I think at
that point all of these scenes almost
felt like a play I knew them so well I
had auditioned all of them and it was
such a long process getting that role I
was like a racehorse ready to go you
know and I wasn't afraid to you
know go there when I think about that
that movie I'm just like we we literally
were vampires we we lived at night we
shot at night always so it was weird to
you know get up and do homework at like
300 p.m. and then go to
work Eternal Sunshine of a soless
mind you should not have seen this I apologize
this is a hoax right and this is Clint I
no I read Eternal Sunshine and I thought
this was the best script I've ever read
in my life all Charlie scripts are like
reading a brilliant book I actually had
to kind of Chase that movie I met
Michelle I remember our meeting you know
he wasn't sure I was the girl from
Spider-Man you know what I mean so a lot
of people see saw me maybe as that and I
just wanted to do that movie so badly a
lot of the way of working with Michelle
was following the actors really and
having a fluidity and a very
naturalistic way of filming it you know
had the idea of swirling in my chair
instead of just sitting there and we had
already done a bunch of takes but none
of that matters with working with
Michelle we just did it again in a
different way and also a lot of things
were done practically which was really
cool like I remember Jim KY would change
costumes quickly and theyd pan to
something else and then he'd have a
beanie on or whatever it was or just
holding up like a screen in front of the
camera to blur something out I was very
impressed by all the Practical special
effects that were very simple it's
beautiful you look at a baby and it's so
pure and so free and so clean and adults
are like this mess of sadness
and phobias we're both
sober we weren't smoking weed all my
scenes were with Jim he had a you know
the brain helmet thing on I don't even
remember what it's called and he was
just lying in bed asleep those were like
his break days I guess just listening to
me and
Mark pgeon
suicides I thought you died in
there are you done hogging in the
do you mind I remember reading the
script and being actually really nervous
because Lux was a little bit promiscuous
and I was so nervous about any scene
like that which Sophia handled so well
for me I didn't even have to kiss the
guys on the roof like she was just like
just pretend and move your hair in front
of your face and just like nuzzle into
their neck or something so she saved me
with that stuff cuz I I was a very
innocent 15 16 year old she's very soft
sopia and very kind and generous and it
was kind of a Nob brainer you know to
work with her but I was nervous to play
that role it's like I I wasn't playing
footsie with dudes under a table you
know I was playing with Barbies probably
for far too long to be honest the scene
that made me the most nervous was having
to jump on Josh heartnet in the car and
make out with
him and I remember once he was like oh I
think you bit me and I was like oh my
God I was so mortified and one time his
wig got weird and like I mean I had
kissed a guy in real life before but I
had never jumped on it some you know and
in the car and it was I just was very
innocent and that was like a lot for me
I mean Sophia played music so it' be a
little bit more relaxing I think she
played the music that's actually in the
movie as I remember I think the roles I
picked were scripts that I wanted to see
whether it was a comedy or with the vir
suicides I wanted to work with Sophia I
just chose what I wanted to see and if
that was what other people wanted to see
then it was successful and if it wasn't
then it wasn't I saw Sophia's short film
lick the star and I just knew that
because of the way she grew up she would
do an incredible job I mean being on
sets your whole life and bringing this
story together I also like the idea of
being a Sisterhood again like in Little
Women I really enjoyed that experience
you know what's interesting is the scene
where you don't see me pass die in
Virgin Suicides you just see my arm
outside the car window in the garage and
that's Sophia's arm cuz I couldn't be
there right I don't know why I like
wrapped early or they needed a shot so
that's not even my arm in
Sophia's Mar
Anette let them eat
cake that's such nonsense I would never
say that well first of all I would do
anything Sophia wanted me to do I met
her at the Chateau and she gave me this
like and Antonio Frasier novel of Maran
tonette she's like I want you to play
Maran tonette I like really okay wasn't
you know I was very intimidated by the
idea of it but knowing Sophia she wanted
to portray you know the essence of her
and and really what she went through
which was being a very young woman and
and thrown into this situation that she
was so unprepared for and Sophia always
brings the small moments the in between
moments to life in such beautiful ways
where you really get to be with a person
privately which are always my favorite
scenes in in film I feel like most of the
the
movie most of the movie is private
moments with Mar andette we only shot at
Versa on Mondays and then we decorated a
chatau with different rooms to be Versa
it was interesting to see the back
quarters that no one gets to see like
their little toilets and stuff like that
it was so crazy that was the the coolest
thing to me is their private quarters
which were very tiny and then you go to
these Grand things so it's all just such
a performance you know for me it was
just a a fish out of water really Mar
Anette and also isolation and not
it for that scene where I bowed to the
crowd I was thinking about her death and
like giving them my head in a way and
melancolia I was working in Montreal and
they were like Lars vontre wants to meet
you I think we just talked on the phone
to be honest but I got the script I read
it immediately and the script is you it
was also written like it felt like a
play or something and and actually the
reason I got that role was because of
Paul Thomas Anderson told Lars like you
should hire Kirsten for this role that
was really amazing of him I loved
working on melancolia it did feel like
we were making a play and that it was
very intimate and I always like making
movies when you feel like you're not
worried if anyone's ever going to see it
or what you do or anything so there's a
freedom to it that you just are having a
really special time and nothing else
matters really you know it just is that
movie felt that way you're not even
halfway through
right I have to pull myself together
honestly when you're in the best part of
yourself I think you can go to the the
worst places IID wrapped the day and we
were all staying at this Swedish Hotel
slash there was homes on the property
and I'd get my risotto and have a glass
of wine and watch some crappy TV you
know what I mean like you got to relax
after days like that but also I'm so not
afraid to go there I have no fear of of
going to really difficult places we
rehearse but we rehearsed for feeling
the feeling of something not rehearsed
the actual scenes but like Charlotte and
I would kind of uh do an improvise of
like me trying to eat something and her
trying to encourage me to eat or me
trying to fold clothes or anything that
was around her house she was staying in
like we were just kind of getting that
sister Dynamic and for Lars to be able
to see the feeling I guess is the best
it me and Charlotte instantly were
actors that really listened to each
other and we no one has any pre-planned
way of doing something I mean I'm sure
she does her own work and how to prepare
for something and so do I so but when we
actually come together we're with each
other and she's so natural and certain
people it's it's so easy there's a flow
to it where it doesn't even feel like you're
acting left to right I think also it has
to do with who's behind the the camera I
think that doing a lot of H handheld
stuff A lot of times allows you that
freedom and it feels more like you're
documenting someone's life but then a
lot of things were really planned and
set up so you know I think as an actor
and a director you migrate to people
that have similar sensibilities in some
ways I like people who do things
different you know and who are very
provocative filmmakers and it's fun I
mean I got I love making movies and I
want to make movies that matter to
Fargo I ran over him hit and run and and
then you stabbed him with a gardening
tool the cops do you think they're going
to believe us I don't know but but
people are going to look for him but but
look I I was careful I I drove the
backway all the way home Peggy Peggy
Peggy Peggy was one of the most fun
roles I've ever played I think and I met
my husband it's just like roles like
that aren't written like I loved her crazy
crazy
illusional mind and I love doing dark
comedy and that was just the perfect
role for me because you get those
scripts not you know you don't get all
of them at once you know sometimes they
like what is Bey doing now like oh my
god what did I just
see you going to be
nice for Peggy it was just like like
nicking someone or like you know like
whatever it was was it's not a knife to
her you know what I mean I forgot what
my thought was behind that process cuz
it's been a long time now but I it
definitely wasn't I'm stabbing someone
it was probably like I was like you're a
naughty little boy you know and that was
the vibe more we cover the damage file a
report and then I mean that should do it
we got rid of the I mean the guys all
grown up and you burned his clothes you said
said
so once the car is fixed
it's we're free it was so fun to to
balance all of that
and working with Jesse we really fell in
love creatively first and we rehearsed a
lot together and it was just certain
actors you just fly with creatively it's
so effortless because we both are very
hard workers and then when you come
together with someone that has the same
work ethic as you it's it's the most fun thing
thing
ever Little
Women are limes the fashion now of
course they are it's nothing but limes
now everyone keeps them in their desk
and trades and for beads and things and
all the girls treat each other at recess
if you don't bring limes to school
you're nothing you might as well be dead
right after Interview with the Vampire I
did Little Women so that was the perfect
J position of being on a very
male-dominated set and then being with
like the most powerful females so it was
a great balance my dearest family I am
well and safe our Balian is encamped on
the patomic
picomic Jillian Armstrong was the
director and I was working with you know
Susan sandon and her daughter and I
would make lemonade stands at lunchtime
for the crew and it just felt like so
cozy compared to it was it was such a
weird balance but I think that kind of
set up the foundation for my choices in
life and for the rest of my career
because I worked with such powerful kind
men and then I worked with really
incredible powerful women you know I I
never thought oh she's a female director
that's it didn't matter to me ever their
influence on me yeah a huge [Music]
[Music]
deal I shall miss my little women I just
felt so comfortable and cozy and I
looked up to Claire and went on a rider
and I just felt special being able to be
a part of the legacy of telling that
movie and that
book dropped at
gorgeous I'm Amber Atkins and I'm
signing up cuz um my two favorite people
in the whole world competed in pageants
my mom and Diane Sawyer I just loved
watching Beauty pions so much I
auditioned for that movie and I wanted
it so badly I just I love doing comedy
and that was the perfect dark comedy
sensibility that I love and I loved
Ellen Barkin and Alison Janney and I
knew Britney Murphy very well and we
made another movie together after that
it was fun doing the fight scene with
Denise Richards well as my mother says
it's Sunday dinner come and get it get
it I'll get it all right take seconds
you want seconds I'll make sure I had
never done that and I have never had a
cat bik before because that is very not
who I am so it was kind of fun to live
out that
feeling the power of the
dog she Drew chalk Stars by our names on the
Blackboard I wonder why it was Stars she gave
gave
us why not diamonds why not hearts
why not Fades Jesse got the script first
and was like I'm meeting with Jane campy
and I was like I'm like you're doing
this movie you don't even need to read
the script I had met Jane had I met her
no she had written me a letter I had
saved in my email forever you know I
just saved certain things about working
together on something and it never came
to fruition but then Jesse was doing the
movie and she had cast someone else in
my role and then they couldn't do it and
then Jane came to meet me and yeah it
really worked out for me but I she's
been someone you know an idol of mine
since I've saw the piano and knew of her
work you know you don't get to see women
portray roles like that and she's also a
master filmmaker well you know what was
hard about making that movie is was we
had a house but it was there was nothing
inside the house so we did all the
exteriors for the entire film first and
then Co happened and then we did all the
Interiors for the film after even even
though that's how movies are made you
never make things in order it was hard
because I when you're not in every day
and then suddenly you're like running
out of the house crazy but you haven't
done all these other scenes you're the
girl that comes up on set and is just
acting crazy and you know what I mean
but you haven't done any of the other
scenes that build up to it so sometimes
I felt
ridiculous Benedict and I didn't really
have any scenes together real scenes we
have one where we really talk to each
other but barely so I really had to
create my own monster and all of it
because Rose is really in her own weird
movie and you know there's sweet scenes
with Jesse but that's not really what's
going on with her too you know your own
mind go you know playing with itself and
messing with yourself and meanwhile no
one's there no one's there no one's
there but yes the piano I did learn
because the whole purpose of that scene
is that like his Artistry is so
beautiful and effortless and here I am
clunking away at the piano so I imagine
like someone else performing something
and knowing that I will never be able to
reach that level and I'm having to hear
it and then I'm having to go in after
this person you know what I mean like so
I just would set up little scenarios
like that for myself to make myself feel
like and then I was fine after I
really can't dance you're
dancing here this Mo forward Jesse and I
on the Mountaintop was like gorgeous
surroundings we I was blown away but I'm
not going to lie I felt so dorky doing
that scene because it's like we have our
tea and we're and meanwhile we have like
a child together and just such a polite
interaction of like two people first
kind of falling in love and dancing and
like all the beauty in in a very polite
reserved way so to me I it felt really
dorky I knew like the first moment that
I met him I I remember the meeting at
LAX I remember my one of my best friends
was like I remember remember you telling
me that you'll know him for the rest of
your life and that was like two weeks
into filming I just you you just he was
a soulmate connection of
mine Civil
War like why didn't I just tell him not
to shoot them they're probably going to
kill them anyways how do you know he
doesn't know but that's besides the
point once you start asking yourself
those questions you can't stop so we
don't ask we record so other people ask
want to be a journalist that's the job I
got pregn right after power of the dog I
had another child so I hadn't worked for
a little while and then this
was so exciting I've been a fan of Alex
garlands for so long and I mean it could
have been like me alone in a room with
like a chicken and I would have done the
film you know I mean like I don't again
like I'll do whatever with a great
director it it doesn't matter to me but
this happened to be the script and I was
on the edge of my seat when I read it
and I knew that he was doing something
extremely provocative and I had never
done a movie like this you know there's
a lot of action in it and portraying a
photographer you know a very different
role from what I'd played in the past
for me that movie and what starts to
happen to her towards the end of the
film is really an unconscious your her
unconscious mind I think taking over
warning her not to keep going so I think
her physical body is literally like
working against what she's trying to do
to stop her I know you're really angry
about it and I know you think I don't
know but I'm not angry about that
Jesse I don't care what you do or don't
know okay but you are angry with me
there is no version of this that isn't a
mistake I know because I'm it I started
to work with her and I immediately fell
in love with her I was like we're the
same in the way we like to work I said
what if like I'm your long lost mother
and you're my long lost daughter just so
that even though we're talking about
what gei needs there's something that's
immediately like a really strong pull
those are the kind of things I like to
play with with another actor and she's
very was very receptive too and loved
together it was mostly CGI in terms of
obviously all of the Washington DC stuff
they built roads and these huge
blockades that we shot with tanks and
explosions and they built part of a
Downtown City so it was because of
shooting in order for the last 2 weeks
it was so loud and so intense I mean I
would wear earplugs because I would be
like this otherwise like I'm so not an
action girl you know like let's get in
there who cares even hearing like the
blanks hit the tanks it's like was so
loud and I yeah so that's good that I
did something that's very out of my
comfort zone because it it was like hell
for me to do things like that and some
people get high off of it I think and I
think that's what my character is you
know adrenaline junkie but I personally
really yeah after those two weeks I was
a little bit like whoa I mean now I'd
like to do a comedy again I like when
female directors write roles that are
like women we haven't seen before so
that's really interesting women basically
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