20th Century Fox
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When Ridley Scott — whose film credits include Alien and Blade Runner — announces his return to science fiction, the world takes notice. And unless you’ve been in a coma for the last nine months, you’re probably aware that Prometheus opens in a matter of days. We got to go to London for the film’s premiere, and while there, we chatted with much of the cast. Read on for highlights of our conversation with leading lady Noomi Rapace
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Wearing a space suit:
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“Oh, my favorite costume. No, I hated it. It was so hot. And in Iceland, you know, in that rubber suit, it was — because it’s not breathing, so you’re really boiling in it. And it was just — but I don’t know. I’m really stubborn, and I’m not — I would never admit that I was tired or, you know, it was like — and I was in pain. You know, my knees were completely messed up.”
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The nightmares shooting gave her:
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“I was dreaming really crazy, disturbed, dark dreams. I remember I was dreaming that I — I dreamt that I woke up, and I was, like, touching my tummy. And something was moving, and I saw something kind of coming out. I was like, oh, my God, it’s actually — this can’t be happening. I’m — you know, this is — I have to call someone. Okay. I better call Ridley. That was in my dream.
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And then I was like — and then I really woke up, and I realized that it was just a dream. And I was so — I was, like, sweating. I was a mess. I felt so feverish. And I was like, I’m losing it. And I came that — you know, the same morning, I said to Ridley, you know, this is really getting into my head and my body. And he was like, great, okay. Should we start?”
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The similarities between her character and director Ridley Scott:
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“I think that Elizabeth Shaw is probably, you know, a little bit of Ridley Scott, too. Because she’s sort of like the heart in the movie, the one, the dreamer and the believer. And he’s also that. You know, he is all that. So I felt, like, even in the most kind of disturbed, crazy, extreme moments in the movie, I never felt alone. I always felt like we were sharing it together somehow.”
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Sigourney Weaver:
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“For me, Sigourney is, you know, I’ve been — I remember when I saw Alien the first time when I was 13. And she made a very strong impact on me. It was the first time I saw a woman fight like that and, you know, fight back and really not posing, not trying to be sexy, not trying to be beautiful, just being a human, and she happened to be a woman, and in this very extreme, disturbed, aggressive environment.”
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The physical preparation for the role:
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“Yeah, I was prepping. I had, like, eight weeks. I finished Sherlock Holmes in January, and then I had, like, eight weeks to prep. And I remember I told my trainer that I wanted to kind of change my body into like a cat. You know, I wanted to be like an animal, be able to do whatever is necessary for me to do to survive. You know, if they — if you throw a cat down from a, you know, tree, they will land on their feet.
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And, you know, they can run if they need to, and they can climb. And so I wanted to kind of make my body be ready for whatever, you know, she’s gonna face, whatever she’s gonna be confronting out on that — on this journey because I think that Elizabeth Shaw has been prepping. She’s been going through all those physical tests and prepping probably a couple of years before they went on this journey. So, yeah, and also because I want to be in a condition so I can do as much for my own stunts as they allow me to do.”
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Ad-libbing while shooting:
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“It was, like, quite often, Ridley said, you know, I think you can start this scene with a little bit of ad libbing, and then you can go into the lines over here. So we felt like — and he’s very good of kind of sharing what he wants and making everybody kind of search in the same direction but still give people freedom. So it was extremely joyful and open. And he knows exactly what he wants.
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But he kind of makes you think that you are in control, I think. You are–you know, so he’s very — I absolutely loved working with him because he’s so open, and he’s very — he loves actors. He loves, you know — he’s always open for ideas. He’s like, hmm. Hmm, yes.”
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Transitioning from Swedish to English acting:
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“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it so much because it’s, like, so specific. It’s like every character in every movie I decide to do, it’s like I’m stepping into another — it’s almost like I’m logging out. I’m saying good-bye to the world for a while, (interviewer laughs) and I’m stepping into something else. And then I’m so in that, and I don’t really reflect on it. I don’t look at myself from the outside. I never — I try to not judge myself.
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And I never read anything about me. So, for me, I don’t really think about it. For me, it was a big step to act in English. That was the biggest change for me. And I don’t really care, to be honest, if it’s a big studio movie or if it’s a small indie movie with an unknown director from, you know, the U.K. or if it’s–I don’t see that. But, for me, acting in English was the — like, the big step.”
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Check back later in the week for more interviews with Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender, and don’t forget to read our conversations with Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, and Ridley Scott.
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Prometheus opens June 8th, 2012.
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Synopsis: Ridley Scott, director of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.