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ABBIE CORNISH on 'ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE'
Contributed by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor
for Radio Free Entertainment
September 15, 2007
In the wake of its 1998 release, Elizabeth rocked the movie awards scene, scoring a slew of nominations across the board for both its performances and its myriad of technical achievements. Ultimately, Cate Blanchett walked away with several Best Actress recognitions for her role as the title ruler, including a Golden Globe and BAFTA Film Award, and sparked an international film career for herself in the process. Since then, she has starred in everything from independent features to epic blockbusters like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Now, nearly ten years later, award-winning director Shekhar Kapur and stars Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush have reunited for an uncharacteristic sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age. This historical thriller focuses on the later years of the Queen's reign and England's conflict with King Philip II of Spain, and zeroes in on the contrast between Elizabeth's seemingly empty personal life and her attempts to use marriage as a political tool. Caught in a love triangle with her trusted lady-in-waiting Bess (Abbie Cornish) and adventurous explorer Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), Elizabeth sees her own private affairs becoming twisted and entangled, even as she deals with conspirators who would threaten her sovereignty.
The scope and tone of Elizabeth: The Golden Age is markedly different from its predecessor, and with the exception of the returning cast and crew and the overall setting, it doesn't feel like a sequel at all. For audiences needing more than personal relationships gone awry and 16th century political intrigue, the movie also features an unexpected amount of action: Elizabeth herself rallies the troops Braveheart style, while the navies of England and Spain clash on the high seas in a sequence that could have been out of Pirates of the Caribbean.
In this interview, actress Abbie Cornish getting into character, working alongside Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen, and taking her career beyond the confines of her native Australia.
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The Interview
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MEDIA: In creating your character, how important was it to do research on the real Bess?
ABBIE: I really wanted to know about the real Bess. I felt that it was very important to create some sense of connection to her and her life. And it's difficult, because not an extensive amount is written about Bess. But I gathered the bits that I could. And also talking to [our historical consultant Justin Pollard], and just questioning him about little things. How do I stand? When she walks in, does she kneel? How far down does she bow? And all of these little things. But the most interesting thing, and the most creative insight for me into Bess, came in a portrait. I found this portrait of her in a book which just pushed through the image and went straight through me. And it's difficult because there's no real photographs of the person around that time, and so you have to rely on an artist's interpretation. But there was something I felt was coming through this portrait, and so I got it blown up really big--this big [demonstrates with hand gestures], and put it in my trailer. And so I would see her when I came in, when I left, and I would check in with her. [laughs] There were little keys into, I felt, who she was. She had these very (Bess didn't have blue eyes in the film) blue, very open, almost ocean-like eyes, and there was this slight smile on her face, but the lips were pursed. So there was a happiness, a contentment, a sort of a givingness to the moment, but a constriction. And that was the profession I felt coming in, you know? And there was something about her that was dreaming of something outside of that moment. And so that, I felt, affected me the most.
Does the elaborate costume design have a major impact on your ability to get into character?
I think it does make a difference. I found, unexpectedly actually, that the costumes for me became a key to who Bess was, or more so in a sense, how she was feeling about her life at that particular point in time. The first week on set of wearing the corset, I felt very restricted and I felt that I couldn't breathe properly. I didn't have my full lung capacity. And I actually felt a little bit miserable, and I started to wonder, "Wow, this woman has one of the most prestigious jobs in the court and she has these beautiful clothes, beautiful jewelry, and yet she can't breathe properly." There's a lack of freedom. And so it got me thinking, "How does she feel?" There's an exterior, and then there's an interior, which is quite constrained--there's a feeling of constraint and restriction there.
What was your favorite costume?
My favorite is the pink costume, but you don't see it for very long. [It's] at the very end where the Queen comes in and says, "Are you with child?" and she says, "Yes, my husband's child." The pink one, I just loved.
Is that the scene in which Cate smacks you?
Yes. [laughs]
How did the two of you get along as actors?
Well, Cate's an incredible woman and an incredible actress, first of all. She's very focused at what she does. And I felt in working with her that she had this tremendous amount of work to do in relation to her own character and her own role in the film, but she was always aware of everyone else around her. And particularly for me, I felt that there was a watchful eye over my character, over scenes, over dialogue. And it was nice to have that there, you know? So there was a very comfortable feeling from me towards Cate, both professionally and personally. And I think Shekhar just did such an amazing job at expressing his thoughts on that relationship and encouraging exploration of that relationship, because it's so intricate and difficult. And you can't sum it up in one sentence. You really can't. And so to have the ability to do that with people like Cate and like Shekhar was just a pleasure.
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Bess is not only a close confidante of Elizabeth, but someone the Queen lives through vicariously. How would you characterize their relationship, and did you focus on making Bess an extension of Elizabeth, as well as her own person?
That's an interesting question, actually. For me, there was always a sense that Bess is very good at what she does--obviously, to be in that position. But I always felt like the true Bess, she protected herself. I always felt that her inner child was kept underneath the corset, you know? And there were many dreams and thoughts that she had which I don't think she freely expresses to the Queen. Maybe the Queen has a sense of them because she herself is human. But Bess maintains constantly around the Queen. And so I guess for me there was a separation, you know? Bess' involvement with the Queen was first and foremost work, and second of all, compassion and love. But there's only a certain extent that you can give over to that love and compassion of someone else when ultimately, at the end of the day, they could behead you or send you off into the outer world, which at that point in time was a completely different life. So yeah, I think there was an attachment, but also a sense of self, if that answers your question.
How did you enjoy your dance scene with Clive Owen?
That was really fun. I mean, it was interesting learning that dance. [laughs] The first day I was like, "Shekhar, do we have to do the real thing today?" Because in your own clothes--in western, modern clothes--it's a little different...And I was kind of a little bit shy, and it's the Volte--it's very physical and upfront. But on the day, it's a different thing. You get into that world and that sense of the court. And yeah, it was fun learning that.
How did Shekhar challenge you as an actress?
Over the weeks leading up to the shoot, we spent a lot of time talking. And talking about everything: about Bess, about the film, about that life. The most wonderful thing about Shekhar is he continues to explore up until...Well, he never stops exploring, really, you know? Even when I talk to him about the film now, it doesn't feel like it's in a vault--it still feels open and alive. Shekhar really encouraged me to take risks, and as an actor, I've really enjoyed that. I knew this film would be challenging, but he made it even more challenging, and there was a certain...You know, he has a very chaotic element to him which is really fun. I loved it. And in a sense (well, you don't have to...I guess it's a choice), I gave myself over a little bit to lack of consequence and let myself dive in, to let myself not know and be unknowledgeable, to take risks, and all of these things. So I had a great time with him, really. Sometimes I had no idea what was going on. [laughs] But you know, there's a trust there--a certain trust.
The 2004 movie Somersault has been an important part of your body of work. When you were making it, did you have designs on launching an international film career?
No, not at all. I had no idea. When I went into Somersault, meaning the rehearsals and the shoot, I really felt like I stepped into this strange little creative bubble. I mean, that's as hard as I feel I've really worked on a film, and as focused as I've ever been. At the time, I was completely within it. I was actually really surprised when I got the phone calls about the AFI Awards. In Australia, we have AFI awards, IF awards, and Film Critic Circle awards, and stuff. And when I got phone calls about that and phone calls about the festivals, it was something else, you know? It was from the outside. And I never thought of that stuff, no.
Thanks for your time.
Thank you.
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