Rachel Weisz plays Evanora in
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL #DisneyOzEvent
If you have been following my blog, by now you have read about the awesome premiere I attended of OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL earlier this month. You have seen a few clips from the movie and probably have even checked out the first two interviews I posted with Michelle Williams who plays Glinda and Director Sam Raimi.
This time I get to share the amazing 15 minutes of chat time we got to spend with the ever so gorgeous Rachel Weisz. This was our first interview of the day. You could tell as she entered the room she didn’t know what to expect from these Mommy Bloggers , but she settled in quick and was ready for us to go.
{Edits made to make content easier to follow}
RW: “So, we’re gonna change the world together?” She laughs, “I feel like that.”
So, you were so deliciously evil (referring to her character Evanora).
She’s bad, isn’t she?
What did you like slipping into more, the costumes or the character, ’cause they’re both so (fun)?
You know what? It’s weird. They were kind of like the same thing. When I put that costume on I became that character. I couldn’t have played her without that corset, and sequence, and feathers, and lashes, and lips, and pushed up boobs [LAUGHS], and, you know, the whole thing, yeah.
Yeah, the costume was huge, huge part of the character, and it was very fun to be so nasty. [CHUCKLES]
You can tell how delicious this character is to her!
Because you were so nasty, how did you feel about, you know, knowing this is a children’s film and yet you’ve gotta be pretty badass out there?
Well, I think fairytales traditionally have really, really evil characters. Like all the Grimm’s fairytales, they have got bad people in them, so I think kids, are used to evil characters. I think she’s dark, but she’s having a lot of fun being bad. I think it’s like Disney bad. I don’t think it’s really, really bad. Yeah.
What was your most memorable moment while filming? What was your favorite part?
Evanora really enjoyed torturing Glinda, when she was chained in the Emerald City. It was just really fun. I mean we get along brilliantly. Michelle (Williams) she’s a fellow mom, she’s a lovely lady, but that was just a really fun scene. And then just pure fun without being evil was flying. Flying is really fun, kinda a little scary and quite exciting, like having a really good roller coaster ride.
Speaking of flying, how much flying and stunt work did you actually do yourself?
All of it. Yeah. I don’t t think there was any flying that isn’t me. Yeah, they didn’t head replacement or anything. It’s me all the way.
What helped you prepare the most for your role in the film?
Really there was nothing that could help me prepare. Obviously, there’s no witches I could interview or talk to, it’s just pure fantasy. The costume was a huge part of finding the character. There was absolutely no research, just make belief, just like being a kid basically.
I have a lot of readers asking about age appropriateness for the movie. I’m saying around eight or so, but as a mom yourself, what age would you think is appropriate to take your children?
Oh, God. I don’t know. I mean every kid is different, and I think every mom knows their kid. Some kids are really sensitive, but I don’t think there’s anything too scary for little kids. I’d probably go a bit younger than eight, but then I think it’s up to a mom to decide.
Did you feel nervous at all accepting this role, with the Oz legacy and embracing them?
I’m nervous at any role that I do because there’s the fear that you might, you know, suck. [LAUGHS] So, and I wouldn’t really do a role unless I wasn’t nervous about it, because that’s what’s exciting, trying something new, and I’ve never done anything like this. I’ve never played a fantasy character. You know, of late I’ve been doing very kind of gritty, earth-bounds, you know, gals with no makeup, and very different kinds of things. So, for me it was scary, ’cause it’s a new thing, but that was a plus for me working on OZ.
What was your reaction to the film the very first time you read the script?
I loved it. I didn’t know about that Frank L. Baum had wrote ten books, and the Wizard of Oz film is just, you know, one-tenth of the whole cycle of stories, and I loved it. You know, (we) all the Wizard of Oz so well, and this is the story of how the Wizard came to be the Wizard. So I loved it, and I loved the character of Evanora. I loved how mercilessly horrible she is [LAUGHS]. It was really fun, really, really fun, yeah.
How was working with the rest of the cast?
Really great. I mean I did most of my scenes with Mila, my (OZ) sister (Theadora), and a few scenes with James (OZ), and then a few scenes with (Michelle) Glinda. And then of course with my army of monkeys. That was really fun! I really got to scream orders at them. They’re like my soldiers. [CHUCKLES] It was really fun!
The sets were amazing. That along with the costumes. Did the sets help transform your character and fall into that world when you were in those amazing places?
Definitely. I was really not on that many sets. I was in the throne room. My character really loves the throne a lot, so I love being there, ’cause she wants that throne by herself. She wants to sit in it. That was a big, regal room, kind of like this (we were in a large ballroom and she waves her hands in the air). You know, big, kind of made me feel like I was a queen of this throne room. I wasn’t on all the sets with all the incredible flowers and stuff like that. Basically my character was just interested in the throne.
Check out Rachel Weisz in action in her deliciously evil role as Evanora and Mila Kunis as her sister Theadora, in this recently released clip from OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL!
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OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL lands in theaters on March 8th!
*This event and trip was sponsored by Disney. All opinions are my own.
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What a great interview. Your questions really seemed to capture her personality. Can’t wait to see the movie!
This is such a fun interview. It makes me want to see the movie even more!
What a fun interview! Can’t wait to see it!