NAOMI WATTS - I THINK I STILL LOOK OK IN MY PANTIES!
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by Harold von Kursk
LOS ANGELES – The thought of watching Naomi Watts
spending most of her screen time scampering around in
her panties would not seem a daunting prospect, except
when she’s playing a rich housewife being held hostage
by two sinister young thugs in « Funny Games, » a
stark new psycho-thriller. Of course, the
irresistably delectable Naomi is accustomed to playing
the damsel in distress, even though she’s an otherwise
upbeat and joyful woman in private. Her relationship
with American actor Liev Schreiber is as solid as
ever, and Naomi is enjoying being mother to her
eight-month old son Pete (nicknamed « Sasha») to such
an extent that work is no longer the driving ambition
in her life.
« Sometimes you need to refocus your life , » explains
Watts, 39. « You can spend a long time looking for
the kind of life that’s going to make you feel so good
and warm inside and I feel I have that now. Work
has always been a very big part of my dreams and
because it took me so long to get established it was
hard for me to even think about slacking off in any
way….Now, though, I’m enjoying so much about being
part of my own family and looking after our son that
even though I’m getting some terrific parts these
days, it’s not the urgent issue it once was for me.»
Aside from « Funny Games, » Watts is about to take on
one of the most important roles of her career in the
remake of the legendary Alfred Hitchcock film, « The
Birds, » set to begin shooting this summer. Taking on
the role that Tippi Hedren made famous is hardly a
surprise, however, for Watts or her fans. After all,
when is Watts not playing the suffering, sad, or
otherwise tormented woman in her films ? From « The
Ring » to « 21 Grams » to the more recent acclaimed
David Cronenberg film « Eastern Promises, » Watts is
perpetually under duress.
And in « Funny Games » Watts is under threat for
virtually the entire film, playing a rich housewife
who, together with her husband (Tim Roth) and son, are
subjected to intimidation and torture while
vacationing in their palatial seaside estate on Long
Island when two sociopaths stage a home invasion.
Directed by the acclaimed Austrian filmmaker Michael
Haneke (« Caché »), this psychologically arresting and
generally brutal film is a shot-by-shot remake of his
own 1997 German-language original, which also ran
under the same title. Haneke insisted on doing the
remake only if Watts would play the lead role,
something she quickly agreed to even though it’s yet
another melancholy role.
Interestingly, Watts did the film prior to learning
that she was pregnant. Otherwise, she would have
found the part « too traumatising » to even think
about doing while in the early stages of pregnancy.
In the interview that follows, Naomi Watts talks about
life with Liev, new baby Sasha, and her long-awaited
life as a mother. The only taboo subject was Heath
Ledger, as Watts felt that his tragic death was still
too fresh in her mind and a subject that shouldn’t be
dealt with in the course of promoting a film. In
addition to « Funny Games, » Watts will be seen later
this year in « The International, » a political
thriller co-starring Clive Owen.
THE INTERVIEW
Q : Naomi, you’ve just bought a house on the beach in
Long Island, New York. Do you ever get creeped out
considering the setting for « Funny Games » was filmed
in the same area ?
WATTS : (Laughs) It does make me slightly leery when
I hear the doorbell ! But it’s so beautiful out there
and a great way to get out of the city with our little
boy. I suppose I have to suffer a few paranoid
moments for the sake of my art ! (Smiles)
Q : You seem to be drawn to movies where your
character is experiencing immense pain or suffering….
WATTS : I didn’t plan my career that way, but I do
have this visceral connection to intense emotions.
I’m an actor, and I enjoy playing fear and angst and
experiencing those intense emotions. I guess it’s
become my niche ! I’m a pretty happy person but I
understand pain and darkness. I connect to the dark
stuff much more naturally than I do to lighter kinds
of material. So when these kinds of roles come up I
don’t hesitate for a moment.
Q : Are these darker roles cathartic in some way ?
WATTS : Oh, they are ! I have my demons and I
definitely enjoying exorcising them when I do play
these kinds of characters ! (Laughs) Maybe that’s why
I enjoy the process so much. It’s intoxicating. You
almost feel stronger and refreshed, at least
psychologically, for having endured a certain level of
tension and emotional stress. Suddenly the real world
seems to be a much brighter place by comparison.
(Laughs)
Q : Would you have made the film knowing you were
going to have a child ?
WATTS : I don’t know. Probably not. I became
pregnant while we were still shooting so I must not
have been too affected by everything my character was
going through. (Laughs)
Q : Your character gets brutalised during the film.
How do you deal with that as an actor ?
WATTS : You get into it. Michael (Haneke) is the
kind of director who insists on a certain level of
realism so when my character had to be tied up with
rope or slapped around, I had to be ready for that.
So there were definitely some stressful moments during
the filming, but that’s your job and you try to be as
truthful to your character as you can.
The film is certainly harrowing to sit through, but
it’s also an intellectual exercise because the
director is saying to the audience that we are
culpable, that we have blood on our hands because we
crave violence. He’s messing with our heads, playing
with the genre and confounding our expectations. He’s
making us feel guilty for all the films where we’ve
cheered at the violence. So I feel the need to defend
Funny Games because a lot of people will focus on the
brutality and ignore the underlying message.
Q : You spend a lot of time in the film with just a
top and your undies. Was that a concern to you ?
WATTS : I actually asked Michael if I could play her
that way because it made me feel more vulnerable, more
exposed. Besides, I think I still look OK in my
panties ! (Laughs)
Q : You’re going to play the Tippi Hedren character in
the remake of « The Birds. » Did you have any second
thoughts about playing another blonde damsel in
distress role?
WATTS : No, and if you really look back, I’ve been
playing a lot of strong women who are faced with
difficult situations. I think Anna, the nurse I
played in « Eastern Promises, » was an extraordinarily
strong woman.
With « The Birds, » It’s one of the classic films
that everyone remembers and I’ve always loved
Hitchcock films so for me it’s an honour to be part of
the project. It’s also one of those great roles you
can’t turn down even if it is another remake that I
seem to involved with. (Watts has previously appeared
in remakes of the Japanese horror original « The Ring,
» « King Kong, » and, of course, « Funny Games» - ED)
Q : You’ve spoken in recent years of wanting to cut
back on the number of films you make each year. Now
that you’re a new mom, are you even more reluctant to
take on a lot of projects in the near future ?
WATTS : I’m much more wary about committing myself to
too many projects in advance, but I know the
temptation will be there ! (Smiles) Before I became
pregnant, I had already decided to take more time off
simply because I wanted to enjoy my time with Liev and
work on our relationship. I was also a bit exhausted
and I needed to regroup a bit.
I suppose my main concern is that we have a nice
balance as a family and that we enjoy this time in our
lives. I waited a long time to be in this situation
and so I’m very careful not to disturb anything. But
Liev and I are both actors so this is our life and we
understand that. It’s more a question of not doing
films back-to-back or stressing ourselves too much.
Q : How have you adjusted to being a mum ?
WATTS : Motherhood is fantastic. It’s been a
beautiful experience and fulfills a long-standing
dream of mine. I love the feeling of having my own
family to look after and being part of this kind of
journey. It’s everything I wanted and hope it would
be.
Q: How did you chose the nickname Sasha for your
child?
WATTS: Sasha is short for Alexander, which was the
name of Liev's grandfather whom he loved and respected
very much. His second name is Pete, which is my
father's name.
Q : How has Liev adjusted to being a dad ?
WATTS : Oh, he loves being a father. He’s really
into it. We’ve just had some problems with our
apartment in New York because of renovations and other
work going on in the building. That’s why we’re
looking forward to spending more time in our house by
the seaside and enjoying life away from the city more.
Q : Do you feel that your life and career are at a
turning point now ?
WATTS : In some ways, maybe. I feel that time is
more precious to me now and I’m thinking more about
how much I want to work versus just spending time at
home with Liev and our son. Right now I’m really
enjoying motherhood and being able to just spend time
doing nothing but being with my son, playing with him,
and not thinking too much about work.
Q : You made a film a few years ago with Liev on «
The Painted Veil. » What was that experience?
WATTS : We were very early in our relationship,
probably only four or five months in. So we were both
a bit edgy and nervous. Particularly me – I’d already
seen him live on stage In Glengarry Glen Ross in New
York and I was blown away….So he had the upper hand.
I was still at that stage in the relationship when
you’re very intent on impressing that person.
So there I was on the set of The Painted Veil and I’m
desperately trying to impress Liev and I’m completely
forgetting about how my character, Kitty, should be
moving and operating within this moment. (Laughs)
But the whole experience of shooting in China was
amazing. Even though Liev was only there a short time
with me, it was still one of those moments in your
life where you bond together with someone. We were
living in a very remote region, living with the
locals, and it was very romantic.
Q : Have you noticed a major change in your attitude
towards the way you approach life since the birth of
your son?
WATTS : Your focus changes. Your whole world and
attention is suddenly occupied with another life and
all the struggle and worry you put into your career
suddenly fades into the background. So in a way it
relaxes you because your energies are so devoted to
this very beautiful little baby who’s come into your
life.
Q : Are you and Liev thinking of having a second
child ?
WATTS : (Smiles) It’s definitely on the agenda !
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