Mary was in New York today to attend the AOL Build Series to talk about her new film All About Nina. While there, they also tried to get some info out of her about landing the role of The Huntress in DC’s Birds of Prey, but she just said she was very excited. Be sure to head to the gallery to see new candid shots of her arriving at the studio!
AOL Build portrait
Yesterday I posted four interviews of Mary promoting her new film ‘All About Nina’ and as previously mentioned, more interviews with her have been released. As I always do, I will add excerpts, but be sure to click on the links to read them all in full.
Variety also interviewed Mary, where she talked about potentially doing stand-up before filming:
“We talked a lot about how Nina is so confident onstage. I knew how to do that as a character in front of a camera because I know how to tap into that confidence,” she says. “But strip all that away from me and put me at an open mic night somewhere, I just would have bombed. I would have been terrible.” It helped to have comics in the film, such as Jay Mohr, and Jamie Loftus, who served as comedy consultant. “I was nervous, I would come in early on the days we shot those scenes and work with Jamie,” Winstead says. “By the end, it actually started to be really fun.”
Front Row Features also had a really in-depth interview with her where they talked a lot about the film Some highlights:
Q: Did you go to comedy clubs to watch comedians on stage?
Winstead: A little bit. I signed onto the movie and then I went to shoot (the TV series) “Fargo” almost immediately. Then I came back and we shot the movie almost immediately so there wasn’t a lot of time in terms of preparation. Also, I was so nervous and so nervous and so overwhelmed that I started trying to go to as many shows as I could. I was trying to find that one person who was going to be my inspiration. At a certain point, I had to sit back and figure out who this person is and let the comedy come out of that because if I try to copy somebody else then it’s not going to feel authentic to me. So, I had to take a step away from all that stuff and focus on Nina.
Q: Was your stand up act all scripted or did you improvise or create some of your dialogue?
Winstead: It was a bit of both. The structure of it, the majority of it that’s in the film, is scripted. We would come in early and work on it on the days that we shot the stand up routines. We had this comedian named Jamie Loftus who was our stand up consultant. So, the three of us—Eva, Jamie and I—would get together and we’d go over it and I’d say it for them. We’d talk about which things were working, which things could be better, and we’d just riff. We’d take things out and add things in and mix things up and make them feel how they needed to feel for me to feel confident. It also was really fun to be riffing and improvising raunchy comedy with a couple of other women. Typically, in any comedic space I’ve been in, it’s always been only men. So, it was a totally new experience and I loved it.
Q: Did you relate to Nina as a performer coming to L.A. from somewhere else to realize your dream?
Winstead: My experience was so different because Nina’s coming from New York. I came from Utah when I was a kid, so I had a much more wide-eyed point of view. I did have that slow falling in love with L.A. It took me a long time to do. I loved working here and I loved that I was able to do what I loved but as a city, I didn’t really get it or figure that I fit in. But now I really love it. I had to surrender to it in some way which I kind of see Nina do in the movie.
Mary looks absolutely lovely in a new feature for WWD! Aside from a new photo shoot, Mary discussed her new film All About Nina and how she chooses her projects. Be sure to head to the gallery to check out the pics. The photos were taken by Dan Doperalski. Also, a huge thanks to Eden for the additional photos!
“The three of us would get together in the mornings any day that I was doing a stand-up scene and we would go over it, collaborate and come up with new stuff, and rework old stuff,” says Winstead. “The little bit of comedy that I’ve done has always been mostly with men, so this was a really fun way to do comedy where you’re just sitting with two other women and there’s no feeling of, ‘oh well, good try, you’re not as funny as the guys.’ Which is usually what you feel in a room full of guys when you’re trying to be funny. So it was really liberating to be working on comedy with women only.”
On how the film fits into the #MeToo movement:
“It’s interesting in some ways because we did have some jokes and things in there initially that we had to take out because they’ve kind of been blown apart by what is in the news — like I actually did a bit about Louis C.K.,” Winstead says. “At the time that we shot it, it was really sort of scary because no one had actually come out; there had been a little talk and rumors about him but the articles and the exposé about him hadn’t come out yet. Ultimately Eva took it out because now we’re not really saying anything new by doing a joke about Louis C.K. So certain things like that; it was interesting how much changed from the time we shot it to the time now that the movie’s coming out.”
On choosing projects:
Either a story grabs me or it doesn’t. It’s pretty simple. And I think beyond that, I’m also looking at the types of people I want to work with and the types of stories I want to tell, and if there’s something that is needed or valid in our time at the moment — I think it’s important for me not to just make things for no reason,” she says. “I think I’m just trying to find stories to tell that mean something to me, and mean something to the people making it, and then will hopefully mean something to the people watching it.”
Mary recently completed two days worth of press for her film All About Nina and brand new interviews with her, co-star Common as well as writer/director Eva Vives have hit the web. Be sure to check out the film in New York and Los Angeles this weekend if you’re able to. You can check to see if the film is playing in a theater near you by going here. In related news, Mary will be at the AMC Empire 25 in NYC this Friday at 7:30pm participating in a Q&A for the film. Be sure to check back for even more interviews in the coming days!
Mary also did an interview with Awards Circuit. I’ve added parts of some of the Q&As below, but be sure to click the link to read it in full since it is a great read.
JM: What made this part attractive to you? There’s a lot of stuff that people seem interested in you for. At the same time, you don’t sign on to a lot. So, you definitely have an idea of what you want to do. What made this something that sounded like a good way to spend six months of your life?
MEW: Yeah. This one, you know, because these movies are so fast and furious, we shot this one in 21 days. It was a much shorter time spent in the character, but a much more intense time than most others, you know? But, it just was, from the first page, so intriguing to me. It opens with this huge, long, stand up monologue. I don’t get that many scripts that open with just one woman talking for three pages, you know? Right off the bat, I was curious about it, at the very least, since playing a stand up comedian seemed like such an incredible challenge.
JM: Has working with Eva made you think about directing?
MEW: I think, for a few years now I’ve thought about the possibility of directing. It might be something that I could be good at. Of course, it’s something you don’t really know about until you try. Hopefully one day I’ll find the time and the people who want to work with me, because I’d love to try it. But I don’t know. It would all have to come together in the right way. We’ll see. But I hope that it does!
JM: What do you look for going forward? Between great work on television, “All About Nina,” which deserves awards attention for you, and how every few weeks you’re rumored to be up for a blockbuster, does it impact what strikes your fancy when looking at potential gigs?
MEW: Well, I mean, I kind of just go with my gut feeling on whatever I do. Usually, I’m just looking for something that I think will feel good to do. Usually that is based on the material and the people and the story we’re telling. That means for me that character is complex, that we’re trying to say something with it that’s going to make us feel good and stand behind at the end of the day. So, that’s kind of what I look for. If it’s not saying anything, if it won’t make me feel good, I’m not interested. But, if it is, if it has a point of view that’s interesting to me, or if we’re trying to say something that might matter at the end of the day, that could capture my interest.
JM: Luckily, that’s starting to include certain large scale projects too now.
MEW: It is! It’s exciting. It opens things up for me a little more. More diversity of storytelling, in all facets of filmmaking, is really exciting.
Additionally, Mary spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the film which you can read after the cut:
Continue reading Four New ‘All About Nina’ Interviews
I have added over 50 photos of Mary attending the Los Angeles Film Festival premiere of All About Nina last night. She walked the carpet with her co-star Common and director Eva Vives. Mary looked so pretty! Love how effortless her look is. Head to the gallery to check out all the pics. Also, stay tuned for lots more interviews with her as Mary completed a press day for the film. 🙂
Mary looks very elegant in a brand new photoshoot with The Laterals. In the interview, she talks about her career and wanting to either direct in the future or star in a play. You can read the whole thing by clicking the link above and head to the gallery to check out the new photos!
Tell us about your very first time acting. If you could go back and give that younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?Well, my first professional acting job came when I was twelve, as a guest star on a television show. I loved it. I was overwhelmed with joy just to be there, to be a part of it. I would tell myself to hold onto that feeling and don’t sweat the rest. I’d tell myself not to waste time on self-doubt and trying to be everything to everyone all of the time. I’d say just be yourself because ultimately, that will be enough.
Most people recognize you from your breakout role as Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. That must have been such a fun experience. Can you share with us one of your favorite moments or learnings from that time?
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was a really special experience for a lot of reasons, and it brought some of the most important people in my life to me and I’m so thankful for that. Several of my closest friends came out of making that movie. It was a real challenge and we were doing something that felt really new and different, and I think that bonded us in a way. So Ramona Flowers will always be close to my heart!
This leads us to your upcoming project All About Nina, coming out later this month. Tell us what we can look forward to with this film.
I’m so proud of All About Nina. Making this movie with our writer-director Eva Vives was really special and something I’ll never forget. I play a stand-up comedian working through trauma in a very male-dominated world. I guess you could call it a comedic drama or a very dark comedy. It goes so many places and because when I’m playing Nina, I went to all those places with her. It was intense and fun and exciting and I can’t wait for people to see it.
We are also excited about Gemini Man, which was directed by Ang Lee. Tell us a little more about this project and what was your experience was like working with him.
Ang is amazing. In his soft-spoken way, he expects a lot from his actors and his crew, pushing everyone to be their best. I have so much respect for him and working with him was a real privilege. I hope I get to do it again one day.
In a new interview with Ion Cinema, director Eva Vives revealed how she decided to cast Mary in her new film All About Nina, hitting select theaters on September 28. Be sure to click the link to read it in full:
I was wondering what characteristics, sensibilities, perhaps even previous roles help shape your casting choice for Mary Elizabeth Winstead? What were those first conversations like about the character of Nina like?
Vives: Well, most of her work really because I think she’s fantastic and versatile and layered and subtle, which is not valued these days as much as it should be. Specially in women. But the moment that made me fall in love with her (and I told her this) was the scene when she pisses herself in SMASHED. And even more specifically, a particular moment right after she pees when she actually looks relived and happy for a second! I love that. I rewatched it again when I was thinking about casting her and I thought: someone who can play all those emotions so quickly, can also play Nina.
The biggest question for Nina (for any actress) was anger. The very first meeting I had with Mary she said the over-riding emotion for her for Nina was rage. The minute she said that word, I knew we saw her the same way. We had a lot of conversations (on set specially) about how much rage she was keeping down at any given moment. She’s a tough character to play because of all the things she doesn’t say. That’s what I think Mary excels at – and that’s saying a lot because she’s such a great actor overall. I also particularly enjoyed seeing her come to her anger with Nina because Mary is SO not like that. So it was really an amazing transformation to witness.
I would say “action” and she would just… turn into someone else. I remember one day, when we were shooting the first scene with Jay Mohr and Mary said her line: “Have fun jacking off to me tonight.” Jay asked her to say it again and Mary was like: “No, fuck off!” And Jay was like: “No, I just need to get my line right.” We all started laughing because she was so in character that she told him to fuck off which is exactly what Nina would have done.
Lavallee: Can you discuss the collaborative process you had with your cinematographer?
Vives: Thomas Scott Stanton, my wonderful DP, was seminal in helping me choose the look of the film, of course. But also, and since we are acknowledging the contributions that key people have on film, I want to say that Thomas was so so great in dealing with actors.or example, in the scene in which Nina cries in the bathroom… I went to see Mary in her trailer and as soon as I saw her, I realized she was ready to go. So I left and ran back to the set and the bathroom where Thomas was lighting with his team and I said: “She’s ready. We gotta go.” And he saw my face and understood, I didn’t want to miss it, to let the moment pass with Mary. So he said: Ok.
She came in, I said lets just do one shot and let it go and see what happens and the minute I said action, she started crying like… she hadn’t in years (the character I mean). We let her cry as long as she wanted, until she was done. I checked in with Thomas a couple of times. He gave me the thumbs up. And that was that.
It sounds simple but he could have fucked that up by adjusting lights too much or being precious about something in that moment. He understood that Mary’s performance was integral to the film and if he didnt get that, the rest didnt matter.
The day has finally arrived! The debut trailer for Mary’s film All About Nina hit the web last night and as always, this looks like it’s going to be great! I’ve added the poster/banner as well as HD screen caps of Mary from the trailer, all of which you can view below/in the gallery. Additionally, Mary spoke with EW about taking on the role.
Poster
“It was an incredible opportunity to play somebody who really runs the gamut of what life can throw at you. It’s emotional, it’s funny, it’s dark, it’s romantic. It really has a little bit of everything.”
As for working with rapper/actor Common, Mary had this to say…
“At first their connection is a bit strange because neither of them has ever met anybody like the other before,” Winstead says. “It’s setting something off in each other that neither of them really understands, and that’s particularly difficult for Nina in the beginning because she has a way of operating with men that she’s very comfortable with, even though it’s very unhealthy. When she meets Rafe, it’s so different than what she’s used to that she doesn’t quite know how to handle it.”
The film will hit select theaters on September 28.
Two new videos of Mary at the Tribeca Film Festival world premiere of All About Nina have been uploaded. Check out the vids below:
Under the Radar magazine caught up with Mary and her All About Nina director Eva Vives during the Tribeca Film Festival last week. You can read part of the interview below and click the link provided to read it in full:
Do either of you have any experience doing stand-up?
Winstead: Now I do. This was my first foray into it.
Eva Vives: I was there for her first performance.
Winstead: It was one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done, I think. I was kind of paralyzed with fear about it. When we were just at the stage of getting ready to do it, I’d always thought I’d really throw myself into it, and immerse myself in it. I’d do open mics, and I’d do all of these things. But then, I was scared to do it. And then part of me thought, “You know, I’m not really a comedian.” Like, [my character] is supposed to be good at it, and if I just went and did open mics, I’d suck at it. [Laughs] it wasn’t necessarily going to do what I wanted it to do, you know?
So instead I just tried to harness her confidence with it. I’d just go in and believe in what I was saying, and believe that it was funny. It helped that it was funny, between what Eva had written and the consultant we worked with, Jamie Loftus, who came in and helped us as well.
Mary, what are things that excited you most about the role?
Winstead: I mean, all of those things: the layers of the character are undeniable. Sometimes you read scripts, and especially for a woman looking for an interesting role, it’s really clear when it’s there on the page, because it doesn’t happen all the time.
At first I was reading the script just casually, but then I was reading it, and reading it, and reading it, and I got through to the end and just went, “Oh my god.” This was an incredible opportunity to be really challenged by a character, and also to do something really meaningful in terms of what it was saying. It was kind of a no-brainer. When I met with Eva, I was so on board immediately.
The role looks like it was very challenging. The character shows such a wide range of emotion – she’ll be on stage, confident and in command in one scene, and then a crying mess moments later.
Winstead: It was a challenge, which is what I wanted. The best experiences, for me, are when you’re excited about something and then you go to do it, and you’re sick with nerves over whether you actually might be able to pull it off. As awful as that moment is, it’s always the best. That’s really what I strive for in the roles I take on.