Although filming the supernatural thriller "Dark Water" was very physical and difficult, Jennifer Connelly is telling interviewers that it was an experience she loved: "This is the most enjoyable time I've had on a movie."
In probably the first and only movie ever about evil plumbing tormenting an apartment dweller, her character battles self-demons in a wierd psychological thriller. Connelly, 34, talked to People magazine about what frightens her, and her grossest on-set experience.
I heard you were reluctant to appear in a scary movie. Why did Dark Water appeal to you?
"I associated horror films with gory films, which aren't so much my cup of tea. Then I saw the original (Japanese) 'Dark Water,' which opened up the door for me. I thought it was scary and thought-provoking and moving at the same time. In my research, I went back and watched lots of scary films and saw that there are some really wonderful films in this genre – like Roman Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby.'"
, Do you get scared easily?
"I'm your average bear, except when it comes to the first 10 minutes of an airplane ride. Then I'm downright neurotic."
What do you do?
"I kiss the plane and just grin and bear it. Then I just wait for the explosion. And when it doesn't come, 10 minutes later I'm fine and I enjoy the flight."
Your kids visited you on the set of 'Dark Water.' Did they find it frightening?
"Well, Stellan (age 2) was too small to know what was going on. But yeah, he and Kai (age 8) were there all the time. There were a lot of kids around – (costars) Ariel (Gade) and Perla (Haney-Jardine) and the stand-ins and the doubles. (Director) Walter (Salles) is very sensitive. The kids were never exposed to anything really disturbing."
What was your grossest on-set experience?
I'm not sure if the scene is in the film. They dumped all this debris on my head and just doused me with water. It wasn't so much gross as just ridiculous, the amount of water they blasted at me. I had kneepads and elbow pads on. It was the most unglamorous I've ever felt. It was like 70 lbs. of water coming out of each of these jets. I can't hear the little girl or even see her and I'm supposed to be fighting for her life. It was absurd.
What about your next film?
The next film is on dry land. It's called 'Little Children.' It's a great script. I'm Cathy. And Kate Winslet is playing Sarah. We start rehearsals in little over a week. It's a different kind of character. I'm excited to play this strong, stable, well-grounded women. It will be a refreshing change for me.
Will you have any downtime this summer?
We always find time to relax. But Paul [Bettany, her husband] is doing 'The Da Vinci Code.' We'll be bouncing back and forth. He'll be filming in London. It turns out none of our dates overlap, which is very convenient – and not entirely coincidental.
In another interview, she told Dark Horizons: "It's not like 'The Ring' or 'The Grudge' or close in tone to those films." She cites and compares "Dark Water" to be more like her favorite examples of the genre such as Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby," and the artistic "Don't Look Now" which she says she loves.
Do you get scared easily?
"I'm your average bear, except when it comes to the first 10 minutes of an airplane ride. Then I'm downright neurotic."
What do you do?
"I kiss the plane and just grin and bear it. Then I just wait for the explosion. And when it doesn't come, 10 minutes later I'm fine and I enjoy the flight."
Your kids visited you on the set of 'Dark Water.' Did they find it frightening?
"Well, Stellan (age 2) was too small to know what was going on. But yeah, he and Kai (age 8) were there all the time. There were a lot of kids around – (costars) Ariel (Gade) and Perla (Haney-Jardine) and the stand-ins and the doubles. (Director) Walter (Salles) is very sensitive. The kids were never exposed to anything really disturbing."
What was your grossest on-set experience?
I'm not sure if the scene is in the film. They dumped all this debris on my head and just doused me with water. It wasn't so much gross as just ridiculous, the amount of water they blasted at me. I had kneepads and elbow pads on. It was the most unglamorous I've ever felt. It was like 70 lbs. of water coming out of each of these jets. I can't hear the little girl or even see her and I'm supposed to be fighting for her life. It was absurd.
What about your next film?
The next film is on dry land. It's called 'Little Children.' It's a great script. I'm Cathy. And Kate Winslet is playing Sarah. We start rehearsals in little over a week. It's a different kind of character. I'm excited to play this strong, stable, well-grounded women. It will be a refreshing change for me.
Will you have any downtime this summer?
We always find time to relax. But Paul [Bettany, her husband] is doing 'The Da Vinci Code.' We'll be bouncing back and forth. He'll be filming in London. It turns out none of our dates overlap, which is very convenient – and not entirely coincidental.
In another interview, she told Dark Horizons: "It's not like 'The Ring' or 'The Grudge' or close in tone to those films." She cites and compares "Dark Water" to be more like her favorite examples of the genre such as Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby," and the artistic "Don't Look Now" which she says she loves.
