Mutant, dystopian revolutionary, inventor of a self-wringing mop and now super spy. Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most exciting actors working today, and it looks like Red Sparrow is only going to build on the reputation. In a recent interview with our sister magazine Total Film (opens in new tab) she explained how she dealt with with some of the more challenging aspects of the role, and drew on her personal history to bring the character of ballerina Dominika Egorova to life.
"Sparrow School [a Russian intelligence service where Egorova
learns about seduction] was definitely daunting," she admits, "because what
you see, you know, I really did. My character is told to strip in
front of the class, and I had to strip in front of a class and an entire
crew. I worked myself up [about the scene], I was really nervous. But
Francis made me feel so much more comfortable. Everybody made me feel like I
had clothes on. And then when I finished, I just walked out feeling
empowered. I felt amazing."
Lawrence even credits the movie with
helping heal some of the trauma that came with having her personal photos
hacked and leaked online, an experience that's just nightmare fuel for most
of us but a terrible reality for Lawrence and a number of other high profile
women.
"It was never my choice for the world to see my n-ked body. I didn’t
get to make that decision. In doing this film, in doing this for my art… I
really felt, I still feel, empowered," she says. I feel like I took
something back that was taken from me."
Not, she's quick to point
out, that appearing n-ked in a film can be compared to what happened to her.
"Nudity by choice is a completely different thing from being violated. This
was my choice, and it was for my craft. It’s important to remember that
there is a difference."
