Filmography

Interview was found in Lynskey Admiration Website It's not often that you get to interview one of your idols. So when Melanie Lynskey agreed to do this interview, I couldn't believe my luck. The following questions were composed by myself and fans at the Yahoo! Melanie Lynskey fanclubs. From The Fans - an interview with Melanie Lynskey - 18/10/01 You recently worked on the film Abandon. Did you have a good working relationship with your co-stars? Yes, I did. I wasn't working many days, though, so I didn't get to know anyone that well. I did know Zooey Deschanel because I worked on Rose Red with his sister Emily, who became one of my dearest friends. My only scenes were with Katie Holmes and Benjamin Bratt. But the thing is, I kind of get into character on set, I can't really help it, and I was playing this incredibly shy, kind of creepy librarian, so I think Kate Holmes, who was very nice and very normal, maybe thought that I was a bit of a freak! I never really got to explain that I was acting. But I love, love, love, the director, Steven Gaghan. He's just the smartest, funniest, coolest man ever. He gave me Terrence Malick DVDs for a wrap present, and he's putting together the best soundtrack, which he said he loved doing cause it was like 'making a mix tape'. I want to work with him a million times over. You have described your role in Stephen King's mini-series Rose Red as 'boring' and 'unchallenging'. Why is this, and would you consider playing such a role again? Oh! I sound awful! I didn't mean to sound so ungrateful. Umm... it's hard to explain. I've always played kind of character-y roles; partly because those are the ones that interest me the most, and partly because a lot of people don't really see me as 'the girl', who's sweet and pretty and gets the guy. I guess I kind of played a character like that in Detroit Rock City, but there was a lot of comedy in that, so it was very easy to play and a lot of fun. The thing I liked about Rose Red was that they wanted me to play 'that girl'. And I love to do things I've never done before, and I think that's a good way to choose role; it's never going to make me famous, but I'll have an interesting career, which is so much more exciting, to me. The charcter I played (Rachel) was not all that interesting.  I wasn't allowed to do anything quirky, or to have an interesting accent. So the challenge lay in making her as interesting as I could without making her unusual. And that was hard! And yes, boring at times. But, you know, I had the best time on that job. I made great friends. And I'm so glad that I did the show. Prior to Heavenly Creatures, Peter Jacskon was known only for his horror/splatter comedies. Were you or your parents concerned that you were going to work with New Zealand's gore-meister? I'd never seen any of his movies! I'd heard of him. But no, I wasn't worried. I was just so excited.  And I was only 15, so I hadn't even read a screenplay before, but when I read Heavenly Creatures, I just thought My God... this is astonishing. I knew from the start it was something special. And I told my parents that I loved it, and they talked to Fran Walsh, and to Peter, as well as Jim Booth and his partner Sue Rogers, and so they understood I'd be in very good hands. I don't think either of them even read the script before I went to go shoot. They trusted my judgement. Do you keep in touch with any of the cast or crew from Heavenly Creatures? Well, I'm the only person from the cast and crew who lives in Los Angeles, so we have to rely on running into each other, or having little get-togethers, whenever anyone's in the same country. I'm not in constant contact with anyone, but we do catch up when we can, and it's lovely. I saw Sarah Peirse at Cannes, which was great. She's an incredible woman, just amazing. She and I are both nominated for Best Actress at this year's NZ Film Awards, which is pretty cool. (Her nomination is for the incredible film Rain). I also see Jed Brophy (John the boarder) all the time in Wellington. We stand on the street and have conversations that last two hours. I see some crew members a lot. I ran into Kate a couple of months ago at a restaurant here. It was, and always is, great to see her. I read once that you were a 'Drama Captain' at school. Was it always your ambition to be an actress? Yes, an actress or a writer. Or both. I write quite a lot (poems and short stories), but I get a bit scared to show them to people. I had a couple published in little literary magazines when I was at university. And I've just written a short story about Boyd Kestner for Pavement magazine. I'm also meant to be writing a screenplay with my ex-boyfriend, who's an amazing writer, but it must be very frustrating for him because he has all the good story ideas and I'm like, "then have Emily pop up as another character!" Also, he's in New Zealand, so that makes it difficult. I'm working on some other things myself. But, you know, I'm very lucky; I'm living one of my dreams, and how many people get to do that? I still can't believe it when I'm actually on a movie set. I keep thinking that at any minute someone's going to come in and throw me off it! Are you interested in the other aspects of filmmaking, such as scriptwriting, directing, or even the technical stuff like editing, cinematography, etc.? I want my friend Clare to direct one of the things I'm trying to write. And other people to direct others. I'd like to direct a short, but not a feature. And then I'd like to be involved in the editing and camerawork - involved, not completely responsible for it! If you could work with any director, living or dead, who would you choose and why? Oh that's hard. Probably David Lynch. I just love his films. Acting in one would be amazing... I love how his actors have to react so naturally to such bizzare things. His films take place in such a weird realm, this strange world that exists only in his films... it's part America; the most normal America and yet the weirdest America you've ever seen... but it's connected to this other place... this dreamlike, strange, incredible world... and I think that would be such an amazing place to be in. I've heard you don't drive. Is it hard getting around LA without a car? It's terrible! I've promised my manager I'll learn before the end of the year. I'm just terrified of driving. I mean, I'd never choose to be in control of heavy machinery! It just doesn't seem natural. Having lived in America for several years, do you feel you have become slighly more 'american' in the way you talk? Not really. I still have my accent. Of course, people at home are always saying I have an American accent, but they're crazy. I do live around a lot of Texans, though, so I find it hard to stop myself from saying things like 'y'all' and 'anyways'. Are you a fan of The Simpsons? If so, who is your favourite character and why? I love The Simpsons, but one day, my friend and I had this ridiculous Simpsons video marathon, which went on for hours and hours, and I think I just got enough of The Simpsons that day. Enough to last a lifetime! But my favourite character is that criminal, the one who's always escaping and has that weird, drawly kind of stoner voice. I also love the mean kid who goes "haah-haah!" What is the best and worst film(s) you have ever seen? Well, my favourite films are Mike Leigh's Naked and Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming. Breaking the Waves is also one of the best films I have ever seen. I love The Double Life Of Veronique, Badlands, Festen, and the French film La Ceremonie. I have weird taste, though. I just got Dude, Where's My Car? on DVD and I also own a trilogy of Adam Sandler movies. My favourite comedies, though, are Wet Hot American Summer and Waiting For Guffman. And the worst? Well, Showgirls has to be one of the worst movies I've seen, but also quite funny! I've only ever walked out of two movies: The Whole Nine Yards, and one other which I can't name, cause it was a little indie and I feel bad, but God was it awful! Do you always have to audition for a part in a film? Have you ever been offered a role on the spot? I get offered stuff. It's not normally good stuff, though. Teen movies, horror movies. I've never done one. I was offered Cheerleader, and Shooters, of course. Also Foreign Correspondents. Quite often I get offered tiny parts in good movies. I have been offered good parts in good movies but I've felt like I've played the same kind of role before (that's usually why they offer the role to you), so I just say no. Sometimes you get asked to do two things at once and have to choose, which is hard. What has been your favourite role to date? Alice in Snakeskin. She was just wild and complicated and so much fun to play. She goes on an amazing journey in the film. I loved that role. I also loved playing Mousie Julie in Abandon; it was so well written, an amazing oppurtunity. If you were stranded on a desert island what five things would you take and why? That's so hard! Can I take people? I would take Conor Oberst. Or my best friend Dwight; we'd fight like crazy, but at least we wouldn't be bored! I would also take my old suitcase which is full of old love letters and letters from friends and family. They're such beautiful mementoes, so precious. I'd also take this box I have at my Mum's house which is full of books (cheating, I know). Would CDs and player...no, that's two things, plus the batteries, I guess. Well, if I could take CDs I would definitely bring the CD from the Yahoo Fanclub people...I love it, thankyou, you guys. I listen to it all the time. I'd take the biggest photo album I have, and some Ready Salted Extra Crunchy Kettle Fries. Could I take a big case of them? I guess no-one's ever going to see me again, so it won't matter if I get really fat. What are your hopes for the future? Where do you see yourself in ten years' time? I'd like to be healthy, happy, in love, living in a tall wooden house in Wellington with 3 dogs called Inspector, Foxy Lady and The Worst Dog...a good career doing work I love in interesting places with interesting people. I don't want to be really famous, but I'd like to be able to live where I want and have people bring me over to work. Mostly, I'd like to be living in a peaceful world, where people felt safe and free. I'd like to have some children. But I wouldn't want to bring them into an unsafe, unhappy world.