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Uma Thurman Q&A
THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND - released on DVD 2 Feb 09
Uma Thurman Q&A
Q. You've been working on the Accidental Husband for eight years…
Uma: Yes. Before I made all these comedies, no one would let me do comedies. So I found this script, which was a good high-concept romantic comedy, something that Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts would do, but which I wouldn't even get a meeting to do! So I bought it and developed it, to try and bust into another genre. But during the long journey, coming to life, dying and coming to life again abut three times, I broke into comedy on my own elsewhere, but we still got this done. Back then it was forbidden fruit. I was all serious drama and corsets! My ambitions were to wear 20th century clothes. Guns were forbidden then - they only happened in 2002, and then I got the sword and jumpsuits.
Q. Your friend Griffin Dunne directs. When did he come on board?
Uma: Well we probably offered it to Griffin three or four times before he said yes. We begged repeatedly- people saying yes is about the right moment. It's the moment they feel they want to be busy but have no one else asking them. That's all a yes is to me! If I'm busy I can't do things, if I'm not I will!
Q. When did the two of you become friends?
Uma: Griffin and I met when I was really young in my early 20s. My close friends since I was 18 Adam Brooks is a friend of Griffin's, and he and his wife took me to see Griffin in a play and we all had dinner together with his wife at the time, Carey Lowell, and we became friends then, so we've been friends for 15 years. He's a genius when it comes to the humour of relationships. He's the perfect person to direct a relationship film, because he's had so many of them and he's got such a wonderfully humour, butter-sweet insight into what makes things work, and what happens when they don't work. He tells a story that makes your eyes well up. We've shared a lot, had almost parallel lives - the toing-and-froing , coming and going of different things in life. He's been a good friend to me; we were confidantes.
Q. So would you like to produce more films?
Uma: There's nothing lined up at the moment; I need to find something else. It's like a hobby for me. No one gives me any support when I'm doing it, or gives me material. It's happened by accident, but I'm 2 for 2, so that makes me a pretty good producer! I have nothing in the wings, because I've been so busy with other things that I've not been pursuing material, but I would like to find some other things.
Q. What aspect of producing did you enjoy most?
Uma: I like the development process, and I love working with writers. Sitting around and talking about character and plot. I think I approach it from a very unpretentious and enthusiastic position. That's a pretty good position for a writer and I think I've been helpful to writers in that way. I wish that I could write. Instead I find myself being in length conversations with writers and end up much thanked in novels and screenplays! I'm into human relationships and the confusion of intimacy, and the journey of self discovery. It's what makes me an actress - a fascination with people. I don't have the answers to that at all. I'm completely dumbstruck by the mystery of how we are human, and what brings us together and what tears us apart. If you're obsessed with human behaviour, writing's as good an activity as any. At least you can do it home. It means you don't have to interact with other people! I lose control completely once someone's hired. When somebody comes in and starts paying, I get fired. But I really enjoyed the early development, taking the material from a raw form to a more developed phase. One being a commercial piece, a light comedic piece like this; hysterical blindness is more of a gritty, darker piece, a reality-based kitchen-sink black comedy. They're more difficult to get made and god bless HBO for making good writing for the small screen.
Q. Did the story change much during development?
Uma: It was always the fairy-tale ending. Why not? Let's be real about how unreal we all are!
Q. So do you believe in fairy-tale endings?
Uma: I think we have to keep subscribing to the fairy tale until we find it. I'm a true believer, I've been told, by a very good source, that I'm a hopeless romantic. I always thought I was very cynical, because I have quite a biting sense of humour, but I've been diagnosed as the furthest thing from it, by a real professional! I always thought being cynical was cool! And when you're a teenager, you think it is, and you perfect the snide remark. But I don't think you can feign optimism. I think what's given me longevity in my career, optimism.
Q. What other ambitions remain for you?
Uma: I think I can finally calm down. I don't feel obsessed any longer with doing what I've been told I can't do! I think I should get to cruise and enjoy, celebrate how much I love the work. Whenever I can find a piece of new writing that articulates what we're going through now, that's my favourite. That could be funny, scary, or whatever, but I'm looking for good contemporary writing. I want to work with really good writers; I beg them to do so! That's my only ambition
Q. Do you think female filmmakers are getting more work?
Uma: The slow move of accepting women in the employer leadership position is getting better. You hear the word 'bitch' less often, as an outright label. In general. It was so liberally applied to women who were doing things; any woman who actually doing things was always called some sort of name. But I think we're all growing up more and more. There is some positive movement and that makes me happy.
Q. You're spending more time in England these days?
Uma: I spend more time here. What do I like about it? The residence! I've spent a lot of time in London in my life and to have the excuse of spending more time here is wonderful! I've made at least five films here and I think British crews are the best in the world.
Q. What makes a relationship work?
Uma: Heaven knows. What does make a relationship work? I think it's the primary private concern for most people on the planet. If you could eliminate housing, food and war. After survival needs, relationships are the next preoccupation. Romance being the centre piece.
Q. Are you getting happier as you get older?
Uma: I'm not that excited about the wrinkles although I think that I'm taking those in my stride but I see it as a trade off. It's not that great being a teenager. I'm much happier now than at any time in my life. You learn to endure opinion more…
ENDS
Uma Thurman Q&A
Q. You've been working on the Accidental Husband for eight years…
Uma: Yes. Before I made all these comedies, no one would let me do comedies. So I found this script, which was a good high-concept romantic comedy, something that Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts would do, but which I wouldn't even get a meeting to do! So I bought it and developed it, to try and bust into another genre. But during the long journey, coming to life, dying and coming to life again abut three times, I broke into comedy on my own elsewhere, but we still got this done. Back then it was forbidden fruit. I was all serious drama and corsets! My ambitions were to wear 20th century clothes. Guns were forbidden then - they only happened in 2002, and then I got the sword and jumpsuits.
Q. Your friend Griffin Dunne directs. When did he come on board?
Uma: Well we probably offered it to Griffin three or four times before he said yes. We begged repeatedly- people saying yes is about the right moment. It's the moment they feel they want to be busy but have no one else asking them. That's all a yes is to me! If I'm busy I can't do things, if I'm not I will!
Q. When did the two of you become friends?
Uma: Griffin and I met when I was really young in my early 20s. My close friends since I was 18 Adam Brooks is a friend of Griffin's, and he and his wife took me to see Griffin in a play and we all had dinner together with his wife at the time, Carey Lowell, and we became friends then, so we've been friends for 15 years. He's a genius when it comes to the humour of relationships. He's the perfect person to direct a relationship film, because he's had so many of them and he's got such a wonderfully humour, butter-sweet insight into what makes things work, and what happens when they don't work. He tells a story that makes your eyes well up. We've shared a lot, had almost parallel lives - the toing-and-froing , coming and going of different things in life. He's been a good friend to me; we were confidantes.
Q. So would you like to produce more films?
Uma: There's nothing lined up at the moment; I need to find something else. It's like a hobby for me. No one gives me any support when I'm doing it, or gives me material. It's happened by accident, but I'm 2 for 2, so that makes me a pretty good producer! I have nothing in the wings, because I've been so busy with other things that I've not been pursuing material, but I would like to find some other things.
Q. What aspect of producing did you enjoy most?
Uma: I like the development process, and I love working with writers. Sitting around and talking about character and plot. I think I approach it from a very unpretentious and enthusiastic position. That's a pretty good position for a writer and I think I've been helpful to writers in that way. I wish that I could write. Instead I find myself being in length conversations with writers and end up much thanked in novels and screenplays! I'm into human relationships and the confusion of intimacy, and the journey of self discovery. It's what makes me an actress - a fascination with people. I don't have the answers to that at all. I'm completely dumbstruck by the mystery of how we are human, and what brings us together and what tears us apart. If you're obsessed with human behaviour, writing's as good an activity as any. At least you can do it home. It means you don't have to interact with other people! I lose control completely once someone's hired. When somebody comes in and starts paying, I get fired. But I really enjoyed the early development, taking the material from a raw form to a more developed phase. One being a commercial piece, a light comedic piece like this; hysterical blindness is more of a gritty, darker piece, a reality-based kitchen-sink black comedy. They're more difficult to get made and god bless HBO for making good writing for the small screen.
Q. Did the story change much during development?
Uma: It was always the fairy-tale ending. Why not? Let's be real about how unreal we all are!
Q. So do you believe in fairy-tale endings?
Uma: I think we have to keep subscribing to the fairy tale until we find it. I'm a true believer, I've been told, by a very good source, that I'm a hopeless romantic. I always thought I was very cynical, because I have quite a biting sense of humour, but I've been diagnosed as the furthest thing from it, by a real professional! I always thought being cynical was cool! And when you're a teenager, you think it is, and you perfect the snide remark. But I don't think you can feign optimism. I think what's given me longevity in my career, optimism.
Q. What other ambitions remain for you?
Uma: I think I can finally calm down. I don't feel obsessed any longer with doing what I've been told I can't do! I think I should get to cruise and enjoy, celebrate how much I love the work. Whenever I can find a piece of new writing that articulates what we're going through now, that's my favourite. That could be funny, scary, or whatever, but I'm looking for good contemporary writing. I want to work with really good writers; I beg them to do so! That's my only ambition
Q. Do you think female filmmakers are getting more work?
Uma: The slow move of accepting women in the employer leadership position is getting better. You hear the word 'bitch' less often, as an outright label. In general. It was so liberally applied to women who were doing things; any woman who actually doing things was always called some sort of name. But I think we're all growing up more and more. There is some positive movement and that makes me happy.
Q. You're spending more time in England these days?
Uma: I spend more time here. What do I like about it? The residence! I've spent a lot of time in London in my life and to have the excuse of spending more time here is wonderful! I've made at least five films here and I think British crews are the best in the world.
Q. What makes a relationship work?
Uma: Heaven knows. What does make a relationship work? I think it's the primary private concern for most people on the planet. If you could eliminate housing, food and war. After survival needs, relationships are the next preoccupation. Romance being the centre piece.
Q. Are you getting happier as you get older?
Uma: I'm not that excited about the wrinkles although I think that I'm taking those in my stride but I see it as a trade off. It's not that great being a teenager. I'm much happier now than at any time in my life. You learn to endure opinion more…
ENDS
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