Jennifer Connelly Q&A

19 August 2014

Jennifer Connelly in A New York Winter's Tale

Jennifer Connelly teamed up with Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, and Jessica Brown Findlay earlier this year for A New York Winter's Tale.

The movie is based on the novel by Mark Helprin, and was written and directed by Akiva Goldsman.

- Okay, so this is at its heart a love story, but it's a very complicated love story. Can you explain the story and how your character fits in?

Well, the love story... Peter Lake meets Beverly and they have this beautiful and extraordinary love story. I don't know how much I'm supposed to give away plot details.

But let's say he thinks that his destiny is supposed to be one thing and it turns out that isn't and he's devastated by that.

So he meets my character, Virginia, at a time when he is quite lost. I think she is able to help him understand where he came from. She also links him to his true destiny.

- You have a long history with the director. Can you talk about your relationship?

I do. I worked with Akiva on a movie called A Beautiful Mind that he had written the screenplay for, and we became good friends and we have been close friends for all of these years. So I've been hearing about this project for a long time.

- The book was quite well known. Did you know anything about the book before you heard about the project from him?

Actually no, I knew about the book through Akiva. I had been hearing about it again for a long time, this project that he was so passionate about.

So I was really moved when he asked me to be part of it. I was so excited for him that he'd have the opportunity finally to direct this thing that he'd been working on for so many years.

- What did you think of your role? She's a very strong woman. Can you talk a little bit about her, without giving away too many details?

You know, she would do anything for her daughter. And I think it feels sort of dangerous when he comes -- when Peter Lake comes in to her life-- because on the one hand, she's been told that there's nothing more to do for her little girl. Yet he's presenting himself and saying, basically, 'Trust me. There is hope, you can hope'.

I think that's terrifying, I mean, to open oneself up again and risk it not being true. But then what if it is true? So she follows him. I thought she was a really a moving character -- really driven by her love for her little girl.

- What was the most difficult scene to film?

Certainly the most physically difficult was trying to get up on that horse. They were trying to make it look cool -- like in a way that you wouldn't think about, so I probably shouldn't reveal this.

We put so much into trying to make it look like I could just easily jump up onto the horse. That was a big horse, you know, not something I have much experience with.

So that was certainly the most physically challenging. And I certainly did not succeed in every attempt to get up onto that horse.

- Emotionally, was it tough to play a Mom with a child that was very ill?

Sure, the scene where -- again, I don't want to give away too much--but there's a scene where it seems pretty clear that things are going horribly, horribly wrong, and she begins to experience what that might be like losing her little girl. That’s horrible and unbearable stuff to have to think about for any parent.

- Can you talk about your own choices in terms of your career? You've done some incredible movies. What is it that makes you decide to do a film -- is it always the same thing? Is it the director always? Is it the script? Talk about how you make your choices and how you juggle your family and your career.

Well in a perfect world, you know, you'd have a checklist and say, 'Yeah, I want to work with amazing director and a great script.' I mean, I think anyone would make the same choices.

You know, you want to work with great actors and you want to have an amazing part... so sometimes you get, like, two out of five. (laughs) Three out of five, you know.

But for me it's always important, filmmakers are really important. And a part that I feel like I can do something with and might be able to explore some kind of new ground -- or I feel like I can.

I feel excited about what I might be able to do with the part. These are the things I really look for more than anything.

Balancing work and kids, I have to say I'm really lucky in that what I do. I can work for a few months and it can be pretty intensive and very creative and fulfilling and then that chapter ends and then I can be 100 percent with my kids.

Also we're lucky enough to be able to bring our kids with us when their school schedules allow. I've traveled with my kids. They come on to set. I'm really lucky in that way to be able to do that. So it makes it easier to juggle both.

- Was it fun to be on the set again with Russell and then also having Akiva there as well? I mean, there were probably other old friends behind the scenes too, I don't know how many people he brought along on this film.