Sienna Miller Q&A

by Matt Shine | 7 December 2009

Sienna Miller is one of Hollywood's most recognisible faces appearing in the likes of The edge of Love and Factory Girl.

But this summer she moved into the big budget blockbuster with the release of G.I. Joe, which comes to DVD this week.

- Hi Sienna. How are you today?

Great thanks.

- OK, let's go straight to the most serious question. It's a big one. Let's talk about hair colour. The world knows you as a blonde, but in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra you have dark hair. Do blondes have more fun?

(Laughs) Well, I must say I had a lot of fun with dark hair. I was also clad in leather with rifles strapped to my thighs, so I did get some funny looks.

- Did you dye your hair?

No. It was a wig.

- You are tiny, but in G.I Joe you are involved in fight and action scenes. How was that like?

It was the first time I have had to fight anyone. I've never done an action movie before so this was all new to me. I normally play the girl sobbing in the corner when the action begins.

- You and Rachel Nichols, who plays Scarlett, mix it up. The fight scene looked like you both did not hold anything back.

The fight was really fun and I love Rachel. We got on great. She's a lot taller and I'm supposed to win the fight, but I had high heels on so we were slightly more evenly matched.

- Why do G.I. Joe? We have seen you in a lot of independent films so it is a surprise to see you in a huge Hollywood action movie.

I think I got to a point where I just wanted to make a film that was really entertaining. You know, I put myself through quite a lot doing the roles that I'd done and it gets pretty emotionally exhausting after a while. I just wanted to have fun.

- Talking about fun what was the fight training like? Can you talk about how much training you did?

We did fight training, Rachel and I. I learned mixed martial arts, six weeks of that with the guys who did the training for The Matrix, so they were really fantastic.

I was learning roundhouse kicks and just generally getting to a higher level of fitness with that. Then actually learning the choreographed fight, which you have to be pretty exact on.

- Did it make you feel powerful?

Yeah. I mean, when it goes well and you're making all the right moves, it feels amazing. It's really satisfying and then if you do something wrong and you slap someone in the face. That doesn't feel so amazing (laughs).

- Can you talk about your character in G.I. Joe, Baroness?

She's a villain. She's vengeful and she has got her reasons. This is kind of a prequel so you understand what made her become the way she is.

- The costumes in G.I. Joe are incredible. Did you have much input?

We had an amazing costume designer on this film and I think she was very open to all of our opinions about what we felt comfortable wearing and wanted to create the character with you.

- Can you describe your look in the film?

It's kind of top to toe leather.

- And the glasses?

That's for the diehard G.I. Joe fans. Baroness always had glasses so it was essential that I kept those glasses on.

- Was the leather uncomfortable to wear and move around in?

Yes. I couldn't move in it. All the other actors had chairs on the set to sit in, but I had this kind of Hannibal Lecter-esque ironing board they wheeled me around (laughs). I couldn't sit down (laughs).

- You have starred in plenty of period movies. Would you say the leather was more uncomfortable than a corset?

This was corseted and leather. I did a film, Casanova, in Venice with the corset and they were strapping me in. In Venice on location, we couldn't have a fan, so that was pretty hard too, but it's worth it when you see the results. A corset does pull you in where you want to be pulled in.

- Does it help you with your character?

Definitely. The Baroness was quite poised too, so it definitely helped the performance.

- Where did you shoot G.I. Joe?

Downey in California and Prague. We were in the studio in Downey for four months and studio work can be quite exhausting after a while. You're just in one dark room. And then Prague was great. To finish in Prague was really fun.

- Were you the only Brit/European on set?

It was quite a mixed group actually. We had a French guy . we were a pretty diverse group.

- Is England still home? Would you move to Los Angeles permanently?

I still live in London. I really love it in LA. I have a great time when I'm in LA, but I miss a good pub (laughs). You know, I was brought up in England. My family is there.

- What do you love about England?

My dogs are there. My cottage is there that needs cleaning (laughs). My garden is there and my family is there. It's home and I'm definitely an English girl. But at the same time I really love being able to travel and feel very at home in LA now as well because I have great friends who are in LA.

“In all of the places I spend time - in New York, LA and London - I have people who I really look forward to seeing. I'm pretty comfortable in the little triangle I'm in.

- But can you just go to a pub in the UK and sit down?

Yeah. In London now it's easy because I sued the paparazzi. In London now I'm like (snaps her fingers and starts whistling, almost pretending to skip). I was the first person to win against harassment charges. So now it's illegal for them to follow me in cars, sit outside my house.

- Does it feel liberating?

Well, I mean it's the difference between night and day. I actually have a life now. I can walk around and take my niece out to the park and not have I can walk around and take my niece out to the park and not have 20 men calling me names in front of my little niece. Here I go (laughs). Don't get me started.

- You grew up with theatre in your blood. Is acting something you always wanted to do since you were little?

Well, my mum ran a drama school. I always wanted to be an actress since I was very young.

- Were you in school plays?

I was, but I never got the good roles (laughs). They would always invent ones for me. I remember I was in Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, I was Potiphar's helper, so I sat on stage with a big leaf fanning it for three hours thinking 'I'm being wasted!' (pretends to cry)

- Did you dream of it for a long time?

I wanted to be an actress for as long as I can remember.

- Is acting still thrilling and exciting for you?

It's very exciting and there's a lot of diversity. I'm doing a play on Broadway next and you know, I'm very lucky to make a living out of doing what I love.

- Can you say something about your charity work?

I've just been in Congo with the International Medical Corps and they're amazing. They provide free medical care for the displaced people within Congo. There's a war going on within Congo. There are fringe guerrilla groups and it's a nightmare what's happening.

These camps are set up where they can get nutrition and food for starving babies. A woman is raped every eight minutes there and two our of every three women has been raped and it's an epidemic and a method of war and they really need help.

- That must have left a big impact on you.

Yes. It was an extraordinary experience. I'm inspired to do something about it and raise money and awareness as much as possible.

- If you could fast forward your life 10 years what would you like to be doing?

Working as an actor. I'd love to still be acting and be a mum. I'd love to do that.

- Who is your favourite villain in history?

Oooh, that's a good one. It's hard question too because once you make a decision on this, you're committed.

- So who is it?

Catwoman. I love Catwoman.

- Why are villainess' always so sexy?

I think it's the age-old thing of a femme fatale.

- You look stunning in this film Sienna. You're a huge sex symbol around the world. Do you feel confident all the time?

I don't know anyone, no matter what they do, who doesn't have insecurities or feel self-conscious at times. I think that's part of being a woman. I kind of embrace my insecurity. I definitely feel insecure at times.

- So you literally get up in the morning and you don't always feel fabulous?

Most mornings I don't feel fabulous and glamorous. I'd love to meet a woman that does though. I don't think I have ever met one though who goes (puts both arms in the air and pumps the air with her fists) and go 'Yes!' But you know, if you're on holiday and you've got a bit of a tan, you can roll out of bed and feel okay, but living in the climate we live in England, in the depths of winter it's hard to feel anything other than cave-like.

- But are you a positive person generally?

Well I think my perspective is pretty good. I realise there are more important things than waking up and feeling like I look good, so I just try and focus on those things as much as possible and not on me.

-Can you say what you like to do to relax and have fun when you are not working?

I love cooking. I've got a cottage in the country and I'm planting a vegetable patch and a garden. I want my place to be self-sufficient. That's what I've been working on and that's what I find really relaxing.

I like having the balance of that, amidst all the craziness. I like just hanging out with my friends or family, just normal things. I don't skydive or anything.

- What do you cook?

A good organic roast. A good old roast.

- Sounds delicious. Thanks for your time Sienna.

Thank you.

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra is out on DVD now.