Add another one to the pile…of talented people who’ve agreed to answer my stupid questions!
I’m pleased as Hell to offer you an interview with Pollyanna McIntosh, who plays The Woman, in the Lucky Mckee directed film…well, The Woman. You know she’s stunningly beautiful, when she can still somehow look sexy, covered in dirt, with brown teeth, eating a fish whilst it still wriggles. And she’s going to have a role in the upcoming film adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel Filth. Hooray!
Yet, it was her role as The Woman in question which really caught my eye. I will go on record as saying that the best performance out of any film I saw in 2011 was hers. She managed to convey raw, animal intensity, while simultaneously exuding genuine human anguish, and terror. She was equal parts terrorizer, and terrorized in The Woman, and I know I’m going to love introducing new people to the film, in large part, because of her.
Oh, and that reminds me. The Woman is out on dvd, and Blu Ray, January 24th.
But enough seriousness, let’s get on to the cat, and cereal mascot questions.
What scares you?
Limits.
Favorite book?
Lolita.
Favorite film?
Dog Day Afternoon.
Last week I had an existential crisis. One of those cliché ones where you ask yourself, what am I doing with my life? As an actress, have you ever had a time where you wondered to yourself about your chosen career path?
May you have many more, they are good for you. Hope you feel a little more sure now though. Um….Sort of never and always. I’m full of madness for choosing this path, well aware of it, but I have no choice!
Favorite phrase from Scotland?
My hearts in the Highlands, my heart is not here. My heart’s in the Highlands a-chasing the deer.
For Offspring and The Woman, did you study wild life, or certain tribes from areas of the world to prepare for the role? Or, did you just go method, and live in the woods, occasionally hunting and eating people?
All three! Quite seriously. Except the eating people bit. I considered trying meat again, after over twenty years of not but I had to draw the line somewhere!
Favorite cartoon?
Southpark
Favorite nonsense word, or sound, from Offspring and or The Woman?
“Babeeeeee!”, of course.
Black magic gives all of the cats in the world super strength, and a desire to eat the flesh of humans. You are one of the last humans left alive. Armed with a magical super soaker, filled with mystical water that changes the super cats back to regular cats, you are charged with saving the world from the feline menace.
If this was a film that (somehow) had a great script, and a good director attached, would you star as the lead?
With Kristen Wiig and Paddy Chayefsky co-writing it, Frank Oz directing, Ryan Gosling as my love interest and Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro as the bad guys and Peter Dinklage as my father…I’m in.
Worst injury?
Oof. The heart. Always.
Was it fun being in The Acid House? Was it…trippy?
It was trippy as all fuck, to quote Scotland style again. It was my first movie, I was sixteen, was paid 35 pounds for the day (less than my train fare to get there) and I had to act opposite a “real person” actor who had just been coerced out of a burnt out car where he was drinking whisky for the afternoon with his mate. I loved it. In fact, my next movie will be another Irvine Welsh film.
You see….madness!
Was it hard adjusting to life in Portugal and Colombia, when you moved from Scotland?
I was so young and became so used to moving that it was all adventure. It was hard leaving, always, but I don’t remember it being hard to start. I remember thinking, “Now I can be a better person in this new place.” Precociously idealistic!
That kind of youth prepares you for an actor’s life. I feel very lucky to have had it.
If you could be a monster, what kind would you be?
I’d have fur like a Jellycat cuddly toy so I could just snuggle into myself and…I’d have a monstrous belly that meant tasty rubbish was good for me. I’d be able to turn dictatorial assholes good with a single scare and when I closed my eyes I could choose any movie to watch I wanted.
If you could resurrect anyone to have dinner with, who would it be?
My Nana. She was bloody funny and there’s a lot I’d have liked to have asked her as an adult.
Favorite swear?
Ballbags.
Favorite animal?
Elephant.
Girlfriend (Emily) guest question:
Did you get to keep the clothes from that amazing Vogue UK shoot you did? Those green silk Tom Ford sandals were amazing.
Oh Emily! (sure Sean, I’ll call you Emily if you like.) I wish! They were goddamn beautiful! “Vertiginous heels” I believe they called them. Woof.
Positively Bleak
If there really was a Count Chocula, would he only terrorize chocolate, you think?
He’d suck on chocolate filled things like doughnuts…and small children the day after Easter.
Roughly how many terrible horror movies have you turned down at this point? Is it close to a hundred yet?
Not even close. Maybe fifteen. There are some corkers out there!
Do you think modeling helped prepare you for acting?
Yes: I met so many characters in that business and in my travels that have fed me as inspiration.
Perhaps if I hadn’t had the fucked up body bullshit that most models go through I would have had it later as an actress, which could have been more detrimental as it’s a career I value more than my previous one. As it is I’m glad I got it out the way young and learnt how precious it is to be healthy so that now no amount of Hollywood headfuck is going to start me hating on my body.
It is good to have had a grounding in another self employed, rejection filled business too.
No: I had to shake off a certain “poseyness” (new word) from my early work as an actor. As a model you know how to move in a certain way and it just looks daft on camera when you’re supposed to be honest. Ha ha. Thanks for bringing that memory back…
Generally the business can encourage a certain childishness born of insecurity as models are required to act like they are terribly important in front of the camera and have absolutely no say of any import in the job they are doing. It’s an odd dichotomy and I’ve seen plenty girls struggle to transition into adult life because of it. I think I’m doing okay….You know, actually, being an actor can do the same thing if you’re not careful. Madness proof once again.
Lucky Mckee wouldn’t tell me what part of Massachusetts you filmed The Woman in.
…
What part of Massachusetts did you film The Woman in?
Greenfield, Turners Falls and Deerfield. See Lucky, that wasn’t so hard!
Would you ever do voice over work? It seems like it’d be cool. You think you could show up drunk in your pajamas or something?
I’ve done a couple of video games. I’d like to do lots more. It’s very freeing, like mask work. Yes! To show up and not have to go through hair and makeup is a dream!
Is there any genre of film you’ve been dying to take a role in lately?
More comedy please.
Was there anything in particular that was hard to get used to when you moved to America? For instance, if I moved to the UK, I know getting used to driving on the left side of the road would give me trouble.
Culture is a wonderful thing but my own would sometimes backfire through misunderstanding. Back home if you say “thank you” the response is, “you’re welcome” but here it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “uh huh”. To me, that was like being slapped in the face. I still remember seeing that woman walk away and wanting to know why her sanctimonious ass had targeted me. Thank god I didn’t go after her. That’s when you realize you’ve been socialized in ways you never knew.
Has anyone ever made any bad apple puns around you?
They’ve asked me to put the kettle on a few times. Apples, not so much. Try me…
(Like to take a bite of that Mc…no, no, I’m not finishing that one.)
Thank you for agreeing to do this interview. I look forward to seeing you in a whole crap ton more films. Anything else you want to add? Any plugs, any general statements you want to express?
We all have our wisdom to impart. That doesn’t mean I have anything smart to say, just a fact.
Here’s my twittering whittering nonsense links if anyone wants to say hi: twitter and Facebook.
Thank YOU.